How to take a selfie with your dog
We love our pets and so naturally want to have photos with them to cherish for a lifetime. But we’re not all blessed with having a photographer able to take photos of us when we’re out on walks or enjoying special moments with our dogs.
While a selfie seems like an obvious choice, you can often end up with a photo of you that you’re happy with and what appears to be a blur next to your head – we’ve all been there.
So, just how do you take a great selfie with your pooch?
Preparing your dog
If you are a regular smartphone user, the chances are your dog will already be familiar with the camera. Let’s face it, we take a lot of photos of our pets – they’re just so cute!
They may not, however, be used to you plonking yourself next to them to squish in for a selfie. Dogs can naturally find someone being so close to their face a bit worrying, so it’s very important that you stop if you think they’re uncomfortable and, if you know this is something that your dog struggles with, it’s best to avoid a selfie with them.
Help your dog get used to being in a selfie with you by teaching them to sit next to you in place of the usual sit, where they would be in front of you. This will help get them in the perfect position for a selfie and make it far easier for you to get a good shot.
When training your four-legged friend, it’s easier if they know how to sit already. You can then teach them to sit by your side following these steps:
- use a yummy treat to lure them to your side and ask them ‘sit’ if they know it
- if they seem confused, lift the treat over their head so they sit naturally
- when they do sit, say ‘sit’ and reward them
- repeat until they can do this comfortably by your side
- gradually lower yourself when they sit so that eventually your head is level with your dog’s
When they are comfortable with this and sitting calmly when you ask them, you can then begin to introduce your phone to the situation.
Learning this means that you can ask your dog to sit next to you for a selfie, wherever you go.
Top five tips for the best selfie with your dog
Here are our top five tips on how to get the best selfie with your pet.
Natural light
Photographers can spend hours working to get the lighting of a shot just right. So, it’s no surprise that if you want a good photo – you’ll need to think about the lighting around you.
It’s best to capture your selfie in natural light, without a flash – this can startle your dog and will also give them red eye. Phone cameras are never as good as an actual camera, so having a well-lit shot will make your photo stand out.
Use burst mode
Dogs are prone to fidget; it doesn’t come natural to them to pose for a photo. So, switching your phone camera to burst mode, or holding down the button to take a photo (depending on what phone you have) will allow you to take multiple shots so that you can choose one you like and that is blur free.
Use the timer button
Fancy a bit more of you in shot than just your face? Or have a beautiful background that you really want to be a part of your memory? Enter timer mode. Your phone will give you a couple of options for how long you want to set the timer. We recommend at least 10 seconds so that you can run into shot with your dog and get ready to pose!
Avoid busy backgrounds
Unless you’re looking to highlight the place that you’re in, our advice would be to avoid busy backgrounds as that will distract from you and your pooch.
Portrait mode
If you’re getting a photo up close and personal, portrait mode is perfect for blurring out the background and really highlighting you and your pooch - bringing you to the forefront of the image.
