Photo Sessions With Anxious Dogs: Can Nervous Dogs Be Photographed?
When Alexa arrived with her little terrier mix Obi, I opened the door to my Las Vegas home photography studio to see Obi sheepishly looking up at me, starting to shake. I welcomed them in, and Obi stuck to Alexa’s side a little piece of furry velcro. He was displaying all the fear and anxiety body signals I check for: pushed back ears, tail between the legs, shaking, paw up, and licking without treats being present. During our virtual consultation, we determined that because he had pretty strong territorial tendencies, and based on his past behaviors with visitors, that having him come to me would be best. Now I just needed to help Obi understand that I was about to become the ultimate giver of treats, a human treat dispenser if you will!
To begin, I sat down with Alexa on the floor, and we just chatted. Obi was still shaking uncontrollably. I kept my distance and didn’t crowd his space, and was just a calming presence sitting beside his mama. Alexa began trying to give him treats, and Obi was having none of it. He was too nervous to eat! This back and forth of coaxing, treat giving, and petting went on for to no avail. This was the toughest case of dog anxiety I had seen so far, and I knew I had to come up with something to get him more comfortable. I suggested that we walk around the house together, so that he could see his mom comfortable in the home, and give him the chance to explore with his ultimate comfort figure. Thankfully, this did the trick. After 15 minutes of this, he began to loosen up, prance, and stop shaking. He was even taking treats from me by now. What an incredible moment! So after 45 minutes of working with him at his pace, we were finally ready. In order for me to begin, I needed to see all of those earlier anxiety body language signals gone. And by the end of our 45 minute warm up period, I did!
Obi’s dog photography session is a perfect example of truly moving at a dogs pace, and giving them ample time and space to find comfort and ease before their session. My sessions are all based on animal comfort, first and foremost. Even if it takes 45 minutes for a dog to get comfortable, I do it. And I don’t begin until I see body language that tells me they are comfortable. Every dog and cat receives this level of attention when working with me, which creates a great experience for both pet and owner. The photos from Alexa and Obi’s photo shoot are proof that it is so worth it.
