Camera Shy Dogs

Max Doesn't Like Photos

Many dogs don't like their photo taken. This includes many of the dogs you see in super cute photos. If you think about it, most photography involves looking directly at the dog - or to put it directly staring. For some dogs, a camera lens (sometimes even on a phone) feels like another eye as well. Staring is rude in dog language and that naturally makes many dogs uncomfortable. Some of the behaviours that commonly show up in photos are dogs looking away, whale eye, nose licks, various facial positions (see Max in the photo for some good examples) and holding themselves in various postures that express stress like a rounded topline.

This doesn't mean that you should never take photos of your dog, but you should work with them to make it more enjoyable.