NOVADog Blog

As a professional pet photographer, I am often asked, “how do I get great holiday portraits of my pets.”  My best advice is “hire a professional.”  Since that isn’t always possible, here are some tricks you can use…

Keep your energy level low. Most pet owners speak to their pets in excited voices because they think their pet will be more lively or photogenic, or enjoy the photo taking process more.  In reality, all it does is make it nearly impossible to get your pet to follow your instructions.  The easiest way to get a great portrait is to act like it’s no big deal, just another boring task that isn’t exciting at all.  Then, when the scene is set, the pet is posed properly, the lighting is correct, the camera is focused, and your finger has already pressed the shutter halfway down…then you can say your pet’s trigger word such as “squirrel” or “ride.”  Or your might try a squeaky toy, but once again, only after everything else is ready.  You should NOT call your pet by name, as this generally means, “come” to most pets.

A common complaint is “red-eye” or “green-eye.” This is caused by the camera’s flash reflecting off the back of the pet’s eye and back into the lens.  In general, red-eye reduction settings on point-and-shoot cameras don’t work for pet photography.  Plus, the series of flashes prior to the actual shot usually scare the pet and ruin the pose.  The best way to avoid this problem is to have your flash off the camera.  This is generally not an option with most point-and-shoot cameras, so your only other option is to have good lighting to begin with and turn off your flash.

Another common complaint when taking holiday portraits is that the scene looked very nice to the naked eye (soft glowing light from candles, colorful lights on the Christmas tree, fie in the fireplace, etc.) but when the photo is taken, everything is washed out, the lights on the tree don’t show, and the fire is frozen in time.  A professional would solve this problem by shooting in manual mode with a wide-open aperture and long exposure, and by dialing down the off camera flashes a few stops.  But long exposures generally don’t work for pet photography (think blurry pet.)  Most point-and-shoot cameras have a setting called “night+portrait” or “candlelight.”  These settings will keep the soft glow of the room lighting, but provide enough flash to light up your pet and reduce blur.  Just realize you still might get red-eye or green-eye unless you use an off-the-camera flash.

What if you want to be in the photo with your pet? Forget the self-timer feature.  You might get a great photo of yourself, but your pet will probably be looking everywhere but at the camera.  And at a typical wait time of 10-30 seconds, plus running back and forth from the camera to your pose, it might take you half the day before you get a photo you like.  So get a neighbor, friend, relative, or pro to take your family portrait with your pets.

Finally, try to take the photo in a quiet non-threatening environment, preferably someplace your pet is used to. I find it much easier for me to go to someone’s home and photograph their pet, than for them to load the pet in the car and go to a strange environment and expect the pet to behave well.

Megan Lee is owner and founder of Paws and Claws Photography. She has been passionate about both pets and photography for many years, and started her own company in 2005. She is currently raising two miniature Schnauzers, Parker and Hunter.

Tippy's waistline is getting smaller and she has been losing weight! Photo by Paws and Claws Photography.

We have been so excited about Tippy’s progress in the last few weeks.  The trainers from DogOn Fitness continue to work with her and her new diet is going well.  We are still mixing green beans in with her Canine Caterers dry food.  She absolutely loves her food and looks forward to every meal.

I am aware that the holidays are upon us and I am keeping my fingers crossed that we/she will not undo all the hard work.  One of my daughters made the comment the other day that one of the hardest things about Tippy’s challenge has been not feeding her scraps or “accidentally” dropping a little something on the floor for her…”That’s odd” I thought because when I had questioned the children prior to the start of the challenge about feeding her any “extras” she had completely denied supplying her with any “goodies”.   So I have warned all the children to be on their best behavior this holiday season.

The hardwork is really starting to payoff as we have noticed Tippy’s waist line is slimmer and her energy is increasing.  Tippy turns 4 this Thanksgiving and we plan to have her around for many more. We wish everyone a happy, healthy Thanksgiving.

Amy Peterson, her husband Jim and their family, live in Herndon, VA. Their dog Tippy, was chosen as the winner to participate in the NOVADog Fitness Challenge. Our vet consultant says that Tippy has about 12 pounds to lose during the 6-month Fitness Challenge, which runs through March of 2010. We invite our readers to check back often to follow her progress and read interesting articles about canine health, fitness, and nutrition.

Your dog may dream about turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing during the holiday season, but unfortunately there are side effects that come along with these holiday treats. Remember these tips for safety this holiday season:

Turkey: Turkey itself does not pose great harm, but feeding it to your dog in the same form we eat it during Thanksgiving could produce unwanted side affects simply because it can be rich and your dog’s system will not be accustomed to it. Nothing ruins a holiday like a dog with “tummy troubles”.

Poultry skin can cause inflammation and bones can splinter and become a choking hazard. If you’d like to give them something special, a plain piece of unseasoned, cooked turkey without the skin is a great treat.

Chocolate: We all know the dangers of chocolate - the theobromine and caffeine in chocolate can cause hyperactivity and rapid breathing. You may have guests in the house who aren’t used to keeping everything at a doggie safe level, so remind them to keep all those chocolate treats away from your dog.

Onions, raisins, and grapes: These can be hidden dangers to your dog, but none should be used as a treat.

To reduce temptation for your dog make sure that you do the following: keep up with your daily feeding and exercise routine, feed your them before guests arrive, discourage guests from feeding your dog anything you haven’t approved and keep left over food out of reach in tightly closed containers.

Reducing stressful situations that are brought about by the holiday season are important for your piece of mind as well as keeping your dog in high spirits. Consider providing a cozy oasis for your dog away from the holiday crowd so they feel secure amidst the holiday craziness. Take them shopping for a chew toy to occupy their energies during long family meals.

Finally, check with your veterinarian for their holiday schedule and emergency contact info, so you’re prepared in the event you need them.

Your furry friend will shower you with kisses for taking these safety precautions in having a happy and healthy dog!

Alexandra Bowens is the Marketing Manager for Dogtopia—a dog daycare, boarding and spa facility with five locations in Northern Virginia. Dogs are free to romp and play in open playrooms, monitored by staff trained in pack management and dog behavior. Live webcams on the company’s website www.dogdaycare.com offer a peak into the fun.

Fitness Challenge Month Two: Tippy’s recent weigh-in showed a 2 lb weight loss! She looks leaner, has more muscle tone, and is already showing signs of increased energy. How did she do it?

Before the Canine Fitness Challenge, Tippy did not enjoy her walks, and was very fearful outside on a leash, digging her paws in at every turn.

Just like people, overweight dogs need time and lifestyle changes to lose weight. For Tippy this meant switching to a low-calorie food, provided by Canine Caterers, and a custom exercise plan, provided by DogOn Fitness, to address her unique situation.

As an additional challenge for Tippy, she’s afraid to walk through her neighborhood; it’s a cacophony of activity and noises, mostly from a nearby school. When we first met Tippy, her family had to drag her up the street on walks, with Tippy digging in her paws the whole way. She was nervous and pulled away from anything she feared (garbage trucks, zooming cars, school buses, noisy running children).

To get Tippy to walk comfortably, she needed a boost of confidence. We tried a variety of dog activities to learn what makes Tippy tick. We took her to the dog park, worked her through “Urban Agility” exercises on readily available playground equipment, and took her on challenging hikes in the woods.  Tippy only liked activities where noise and distractions were at a minimum, so the busy dog park near a major road was out.  But she did love exercise so we knew if we could just get her past her neighborhood fears; she’d enjoy getting out with her family and therefore get more exercise.

Jim Peterson, Tippy's owner, demonstrates the "working walk" program, that DogOn Fitness has helped them implement. The working walk helps her feel more confident by focusing on the walker rather than loud noises and distractions.

What works best for Tippy is a combination of exercise and mental stimulation: the mental stimulation builds her confidence, and diverts her attention from what she fears, and the exercise calms her down. Plus, it helps her lose weight and stay fit and healthy!

To achieve these goals, we started her off with a Working Walk where she must focus on the person walking her, stay close on a loose leash, sit randomly—or in Tippy’s case at street crossings—and keep up a brisk pace, even when a loud noise might otherwise divert her attention. We often use working walks with DogOn Fitness clients, and especially with dogs that thrive on the extra attention they get from a well-structured walk.

Over time, we also discovered Tippy loves to run and is more relaxed in her environment after she runs. So we incorporated running into Tippy’s routine.

Here’s her current 30-minute exercise plan:

1). A brisk Working Walk
2). 20 minutes of combined running and walking (as with humans, dogs need to work up to strenuous exercise such as running, and Tippy is not yet up to running continuously)
3). After running, a cool-down walk back to her house.

Little by little with patience and encouragement, we’re seeing Tippy emerge from her shell and enjoying her “new leash on life.”

Carol Brooks and Lesley Smith, are co-owners, DogOn Fitness. Their exercise services are perfect for overweight dogs, high-energy dogs, dogs who need more exercise and any dog who wants an active daily walk or run. They also offer daily relief walks, puppy visits, vacation visits, boarding, and their signature Family Integration Training (F.I.T.). To find out more, visit them on the web at www.dogonfitness.com.

I am excited to report that with some tweaking of Tippy’s Canine Caterers diet she is losing weight! This week she weighed in at 61.8 lbs which is almost 2 pounds less then the last weigh-in. I had a feeling she had lost weight when I went to put her leash on and my whole hand slid under her collar. Prior to the start of this program the scruff around her neck was so heavy that I had been considering buying her a larger collar.

She is doing well with the exercise and becoming a more confident walker. The trainers from DogOn Fitness continue to work with her and are helping us iron out some of Tippy’s exercise aversion issues. Lesley and Carol discovered that she actually prefers to run which works great for my husband who enjoys running. I have also noticed one really important change. In the past when I would call for her to go for a walk she would slink away and hide under one or our daughters’ beds. I had taken to spelling the word w-a-l-k so she wouldn’t run off before I could get her. But recently when I say the word “walk” she actually comes to me happily. I don’t have to drag her out from under the bed. It is nothing short of a miracle.

Another product we’ve had the opportunity to try is the Thundershirt. Which is apparel that your dog wears to help with anxiety disorders. It is easy to put on and she doesn’t mind wearing it and it does seems to help make her feel more secure when she walks. We are very excited for Tippy’s progress and are hoping she breaks the 60 lb mark the next time we update. See you then.

Amy Peterson and her husband Jim live in Herndon, VA with their two kids Caroline and Collin. Their dog Tippy, was chosen as the winner to participate in the NOVADog Fitness Challenge. Our vet consultant says that Tippy has about 12 pounds to lose during the 6-month Fitness Challenge, which runs through March of 2010. We invite our readers to check back often to follow her progress and read interesting articles about canine health, fitness, and nutrition.