Getting your dog to look at the camera is all about training them to do it, and here’s how.
If you’re someone who gets frustrated about how to get their dog to look at the camera for a photo, then fear not. The answer is pretty easy and you’re going to kick yourself for not thinking about it first. To understand this, you should think about your dog and what they like. It’s obvious that belly rubs aren’t going to be easily communicated to your pup in order to get them to look at the camera, but a toy could do the trick. Even better though–so could a treat.
The absolute best way to get your dog to look at the camera lens is to use food. Here are a few steps:
- Take your camera out, or in some cases the camera app on your phone.
- Get your dog’s attention with a treat.
- Make sure your dog can’t reach the treat yet.
- Place the treat by the camera lens.
- Watch as your dog does cute stuff and looks at the treat.
- Snap the photos.
- Give the pupper the treat.
That’s it. Considering that your dog hasn’t just eaten, this is the best way to get them to pay attention to the camera unless you’ve specifically trained them to do so. The psychology behind this is the same as getting your dog to sit, lay down, give you their paw, roll over, speak, whisper, etc. Essentially, you’re using the fact that your dog is food motivated to get the most out of the situation. Best of all, this works with any dog. If you don’t have their favorite treat available, try a toy.
If your dog is more affection-motivated than treat-motivated, then they may not want to do the trick. If that’s the case, the best thing to do is to get the dog to look at you by making a kissing sound.
