I often hear "these dogs you photograph must be well trained; you'd never be able to get my dog to stand still long enough for a picture".
Honestly, most of the dogs I have worked with are (to say the least) a little rusty when it comes to stay. Even the most obedient dog can come a little unglued during a pet photo shoot session, so if you feel your pet is hard to manage, you are not alone, in fact, you are in the majority. That is when it takes a professional pet photographer who specializes in pet photography, because every pet has the ability to shine in from of the camera.
Training level should not be a problem but it's always a good idea to practice training before your photo shoot. Like sit and stay are great training ideas to practice but I have photographed both curious puppies and well trained older dogs. We have to make sure the photo shoot session is in a location where the pet feels the most comfortable.
Pets can have their own idea of how a session is going to go, plan on bring extra patience for your pets big photo shoot day. Have some of your pet's favorite treats and toys on hand to get their attentions is super helpful.
