Ah… to be a puppy.

Posey, 8 months old

She's cute, right? I think so, too. But as the world responds to her cuteness and says, "Puppies are not easy!" I tend to agree in heavy sighs. Her sweet face captures some amazing portraits, but really it's rather difficult to get her to sit still long enough to take a picture. I'm sure you would agree with me.

My trick? Well, hold on to your hats because it's a doozy. I use puppy treats. Not the Scooby-Doo kind (we're not solving mysteries here), the kind that get her attention and get her to do whatever I need her to do. The focus is the treat and she will obey. For Posey I usually have a dog treat that has a pinch of peanut butter (she gets crazy eyes when she gets a whiff) or I use a frozen cube of chicken broth. Then I have her "sit" and I hold the treat close to my camera and take a picture. This ensures she's looking at me or nearby and then BAM. She gets her treat, I get my portrait. Everyone is happy.

What kind of tricks do you use to get your pets attention? I imagine (and I'm very hopeful) that one day she'll be calmer and more mature… perhaps I won't need a treat to get her to sit still. Until then, we've made a fantastic investment on dog treats. :)