Treats? Yes, please!
When you schedule a session with me, some of the most important questions I will ask you about involve treats. I want to know if your pet has any food allergies and how treat motivated your pet is. Is your pet sensitive your pet is to noise and if they enjoy playing with dog toys. Does your pet like receiving pets by people they don’t know. I want to know how your dog likes to be rewarded. As a big believer in using positive reinforcement, having the right treats during your pet’s session is important to a successful session.
I’m a big believer in using treats during your pet’s session. It’s also why I tell clients, depending on the time of day, to only feed their pet a smaller portion of their meal.
Why do you use treats during a session?
I want to ensure a fun experience for your pet and it begins when your pet walks through the door. We may play a few rounds of “find it” to let your pet sniff around the studio and begin conditioning your pet to enjoy the studio space. After they have sniffed around for a bit, I’ll bring out the camera. A camera can be intimidating to your pet and some pets do not like the noise of the camera. While your pet is sniffing around the studio or a park, I will start clicking the camera to see how your pet is going to react. When I do that, I’m also going to toss or give them a treat, to make a positive experience with the sound or with the camera itself. I’ll do that a few times, each time giving your pet a treat, to let them know the camera and the click are going to lead to yummy things for them!
If we’re in the studio, I’ll turn on a couple of studio lights and once again, when the camera clicks and the flash goes off, I’ll give your pet a treat. Again, I want to reinforce a positive association with the camera and the lights. If at any point during this process your dog is uncomfortable, we will stop and start from the beginning. If your dog isn’t enjoying themselves, their discomfort will show in their photos. Your pet’s comfort is my number one priority.
But my dog has allergies and doesn’t care about treats.
If your pet has allergies, I’ll be sensitive to what they can eat, or I’ll ask you to bring high value treats they can eat. Also, please know that when I can, I cut treats up in bites about the size of a pea. Oftentimes, your pet only needs a little taste of a treat to make a positive association.
During your session, I use treats to reinforce behaviors and reward your dog for holding a pose or looking at me or wherever it is I want her to be looking for that photo. After we take a few photos, your dog will get a treat and we may take a break or take another photo, depending on how your pet is feeling. Being a supermodel is hard work for your pet and they need to be rewarded for it.
But Lynn, if my dog has food, it’s all they’ll focus on and become hyper focused. This is why I want to know the ways your pet likes to be rewarded. For some pets, food is not the best option. If your pet is food sensitive or has digestive issues, we’ll look at other ways to reward your dog during the session. Some pets look at food and start drooling like a teething toddler. While that is cute, it may not be the look you are going for with your pet’s photos.
If your pet likes to play, then we will take breaks where we can take time to play and give your pet plenty of love. I bring plenty of squeaky toys for your dog to play with. Using words of praise is another way we can treat your pet during their session. Your pet is star of the show and should be treated as such. Your pet can do no wrong during their session and I love to tell your pet what a great job they are doing throughout their session.
So while some dogs do refer to me as the treat lady, I work with you to ensure the best way to treat your pup. Whether it’s with food, toys, play, words of encouragement, or a combination of all these things, treating your dog like the spoiled dogs they are is a great way to make sure your dog has a great time during their session.
