I have a little secret. Well if you live in our neighborhood in Coppell, or have met our dog Ginger, my secret isn't so little. Ginger is highly reactive, particularly while on leash. What is reactivity / a reactive dog? It's a dog that has an outsized reaction to a normal stimulus like seeing another dog or person. Typical reactions are barking and lunging at the trigger stimulus. Some dogs, like Ginger, can get so over threshold (threshold being the point at which they can see a trigger stimulus and NOT overreact) that they can practice redirecting behaviors like biting their leash or even their owner.
Once a reactive dog "bubbles over", it can be really difficult to get them back with you and paying attention to the camera, especially if you see trigger after trigger (also known as trigger stacking). Resiliency plays a big part in how quickly a dog can recover from seeing a trigger. Resilient dogs can see a trigger and once it's removed, can calm themselves within a few seconds or minutes. Extremely reactive dogs are not resilient and once they've seen a trigger, even after it's been removed, continue erupting as if it were still there. One picture of a barking dog can be funny, but not thirty.
Owning a reactive dog myself means that reactive dogs hold a special place in my heart. It's not easy to own a reactive dog. You can't stop and chat with your neighbor walking their dog. It's embarrassing, you can feel like the pariah of the neighborhood (imagine being the dog trainer with the loudly barking dog). In my role as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge and Skills Assessed at Camp Bow Wow, I see 4-6 reactive dog cases a month; unfortunately it's a very common problem.
If you own a reactive dog, you might think that professional portraits are out of the question, but I'm here to tell you that's not the case. There are some public locations that on certain days, at specific times, are quiet with a low likelihood of seeing your dog's triggers and I've got a long list of them around the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex. But see below for two other options that will guarantee your reactive dog stays safe and comfortable during their pet portrait session.
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Your Own Home, Front Yard or Back, Can Be A Great Location For Your Pet's Photo Session
Maybe your home is a landscape paradise, then by all means, we should hold your pet's portrait session there. But even if it's not, we can still capture gorgeous images at your home using tight framing, interesting angles and different lenses. I've created magic in some pretty small yards with limited foliage surprising everyone at the viewing and ordering appointment where I hear "Is that MY yard?".
Every single image of Ginger below was taken in my own back or front yard and our yard isn't anything to write home about. It's all about making the space work to create unique and captivating portraits of your pet and you don't need an epic location to do that. If your pup is most comfortable at home, then by all means let' schedule your session there. If you're stressed because your dog is stressed, then no one's having fun and that's against MY rules. Pet portrait sessions are fun, if they're not, you're doing it wrong!
A Self Portrait With My Best Girl In Our Own Backyard
The Studio Is Always a Safe Choice For A Reactive Dog
A studio session is always a safe choice for a reactive dog. We are guaranteed to not see other dogs, or new people. Or squirrels. We have a greater level of control over everything - but don't think that we can't get a lot of variety in a studio session because we can! Whether it's a black and white fine art portrait, colorful seamless paper or something in between, we can create so much variety in a studio session with poses, props and angles. Ginger is always my go-to girl when I want to try out a new lighting set up or prop, so here's a few images of her that I've captured over the past few years.
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If you have a reactive dog, we can create beautiful portraits either at your home, my studio or possibly at one of my favored locations around the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex. I'd love to chat with you about your special pup and discuss the options mentioned above to select the best one to keep him or her under threshold (and if you'd like help with modifying your dog's reactive behavior, let's schedule a training session and I can help you with that too!).
A Little Video Fun; Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back Into The Office
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the office
A little video fun with my best girl...