How to Pose Pets for Pictures

Prepare to pose your pets for pictures. Be sure you pet has been properly fed and has had the chance to go potty before you start taking pictures. A pet will become fidgety if he is hungry or needs to go potty.

Choose a quiet area in your home to take the pictures. A pet will not pose for pictures if distracted by birds flying by the window, a child preparing to chase him or if the smell of dinner cooking is lingering in the air.

Start by getting your camera ready and your human helper in place. Your human helper should be near your pet, so he or she can re-pose the pet if the pet starst to wander off or get distracted by something nearby.

Jumpy, mobile pets will need to be anchored by sitting them in a basket, or on a child sized chair. This will decrease their ability, and desire, to run away.

Cats love smelling floral arrangements, so pose them next to synthetic flowers they are allowed to sniff and possible chew. This will keep their interest while you snap away with your camera.

Use squeaky toys, make verbal growling sounds and off-key squeals to make your pet look at you in amazement. Sometimes they will even cock their heads in disbelief at your strange behavior, but it makes for some great expressions in pictures!

When in doubt, dogs will respond to the basic obedience commands such as sit, stay and down. Have your helper hold out a treat to coax the pet through these steps, and photograph the pet responding to the commands.

Patience and experimentation is the key to posing pets. Some respond best to props they can investigate. Some prefer odd sounds. And, some are very food motivated. Try all three to see which makes your pet stop and smile!