Learnings

I know I touched on what I learned at the Tri County Humane Society. Perhaps there is more to be learned from shelter dogs.

Photographing your own dogs is easy. Photographing other people's dogs or shelter dogs is... creative. Each dog has its own personality and motivation. From living with dogs you learn each quirk to produce a result. Icey will give a head tilt with a open panting mouth when she's talked to - the ultimate happy smiling dog. Axle gives 100% focus with a ball or a treat - where ever it goes his eyes will follow and he will perform any command asked. Mick loves treats and focuses the best, otherwise he is more apt to look at everything other than a camera. From living with Mick and Icey for 6 years and Axle for a year I know what to say to catch their attention for a perked up look - outside, walk, squirrel and cookie are a couple of the key words.

Now introduce a shelter dog. He's been in his kennel all day, let out to go to the bathroom. There has been a plethora of faces and people looking him over, but no one picks him yet. Enter me, on a mission to capture a portrait that advertises this shelter dog to be happy healthy and perfect to adopt! Easy enough.... well sort of. Of the 5 dogs I photographed yesterday, 2 were energetic - Walter as a bouncy energetic BIG lab with a sporting dog focus (which can be a bit scatterbrained at times) while Copper's energy was snuggly, squirmy puppy energy. Sage the 2 month old pup was a typical puppy with no focus other than to play and chew. Louie was nervous and out of his element, though he wanted to be closer to me than away. And the lovely beagle Dezie wasn't interested in much interaction with me. She was super calm and laid back, but mostly wanted out.

So motivation for them was... super creative. Walter would do a beautiful sit at attention for a treat but only shortly. Copper was all eyes on me when he wasn't stuffing himself under my arm, camera and in my face to kiss kiss kiss - which was 90% of the time. He was interested in the ball to chase, and would chase the treats I threw, but wasn't food motivated or ball motivated. Sage was attracted by sounds, but inconsistently so to the passerby the room had some crazed sound machine installed. A sparkly bit of tinsel was an attention getter until it was more of something to eat. Louie didn't respond to words, the ball, the squeak or treats but his eyes would focus on me when my shutter would click and his ears would perk up. Dezie responded to the words outside and go - though I did almost give up on her. Luckily just as I was about to call it quits and try a different time, she responded to me. The cool thing with having patience with these dogs is getting a glimpse of their motivation as well as part of their personality!

Now when it comes to photographing other people's dogs its the same creative motivation finding as with a shelter dog, though in a more comfortable atmosphere and often with the owner's help. In the same instances as with the shelter dogs, there's different energy and personalities that go with each dog. I've known a large amount of labs, some a mellow as a cucumber others that are bouncy drooly fiends that go gaga over a ball. So my ready supply of key words often don't translate to dogs other than my own. The result? Not frustration, but patience and creativity.

What I learned:
Motivation is to each his own for each dog and shelter situations make it more creative to find.
Energy levels can be little to way over the top and take talent to coax or tame
Patience goes a long way
I still love dogs and love to photograph them!
Most dogs have the basic understanding of commands, whether they follow them is another thing!