Puppy scared of Camera

[Nickkk]

Since getting my 70-200, my shiba pup is deathly afraid of my camera, even when I put one of my smaller lenses on. Has anyone else dealt with this? Any ideas on how to disguise it or get her used to it?

[thesilent]

I had this same problem, however it isn't with any of my dogs, but my 1000lb horse! Still not sure why she was so freaked out by the sight of me holding a large camera to my face when she is one of the quietest horses I have ever met, but she was. All I did was bring it with me to the barn almost every day, but staying far enough away that she wouldn't jump, then getting closer in as she became more accustomed to it. Now she doesn't seem to mind.

Desensitize your pup gradually. My advice would be to take a break from photographing around your pup for a little while, but let her continue to see the camera from a distance. Work up to bringing it closer to her, let her sniff it once she's comfortable enough. If she freaks up back away until she's calmed down and give her lots of verbal reassurance. Flash and shutter sounds might freak her out a little, so when you start photographing by her again stay at a small distance until she's used to it, and try to hold off on flash until she's quite used to just having the camera and the shutter closing, and then stay at a distance so that you're not blinding her. When my animals are scared of something, that's all I know to do.

[tracknut]

Sit on the floor, camera in hand, and give the pup some cookies. Should be awfully hard to resist. Once the pup's ok just being around the camera, hit the shutter once in a while, keeping the cookies coming.

Dave

[FastRedPonyCar]

put a hand full of treats in your pocket and if you want them to look at the camera, hold the treat just next to the lens.


if you want other shots... eh.. it's really just a matter of being quick draw on the shots and if you've got more than one dog running around, good luck. I've tried getting shots of my 2 toy poodles and it's a trick and a half getting them to cooperate. if my brothers' husky and/or golden are in the back yard, even worse.


I'll take 100+ shots and end up with half a dozen decent ones.
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[katodog]

It's because you're covering your face. Animals sometimes won't like not being face-to-face with another animal or a human. Lay on the ground with the dog and lay the camera on the ground next to you. See what happens. If the dog doesn't put up a fuss, then your problem is hiding your face.

To cure this or any other problem, simply desensitize the dog. Put the camera down with the dog, and let the dog check it out. It sucks to say it, because the dog might mistake it for a toy, but it's the best way to cure excitable dogs; let them get familiar with the camera.

Another thing to try is have someone sit with the dog and shoot from a distance. After time you should be able to get closer and closer, and eventually have the dog sit by itself. Having someone sit with the dog until it gets used to staring down the lens of the camera will give it comfort. As you slowly get closer and closer, the dog will see that it's nothing to fear, and after time you can have the person sitting with the dog move away.

The one thing you do not want to do is snipe the dog. Chasing it around the house to get a shot, or popping up in an instant to catch a shot, will make it much worse. You also don't want to feed the dog while trying to get it familiar with the camera. This will teach the dog that it will get rewarded when it is anxious or scared. All you want is you, the dog, the camera, and maybe another person to sit with the dog. You don't want anything to interfere with the dogs attention towards the camera.

In situations like this, you want to treat the dog like a human, not like a dog. The same things you'd do to calm a child are the same things you should do with the dog. The bad thing is that some animals just won't like certain things. It could be something as simple as the smell of the new lens, or the size or look of it. Once the animal gets it in his head that he doesn't like it, that's it. You need to do different things until you can get the dog to like it again.



If you're using Nikon, then that's probably the problem. Unfortunately, there's no cure for that. All I can say to that is...smart dog.

[FlyingPhotog]

Turn off your AF, AF Confirmation Beep and IS.

They can hear it.

[Nickkk]

As odd as it sounds, Ive tried a majority of the above. Even just the sight of it on my desk sets her off. Its not just a matter of running away, she goes and "hides" under our kitchen table, and shakes terribly for several of hours. Also, since they normally have a "curly" tail similar to pugs, her tail goes limp, and her ears stick straight out to the side which is far from common.

[FastRedPonyCar]

these are a couple of shots taken several months ago with my youngest brother's golden. for this first shot, brett was holding a treat. roscoe sat there for about 5 or 6 shots with me laying on the ground in front of him.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/fastredponycar/Roscoe/Resized/roscoe-76.jpg

And one of me holding the treat right under the lens

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/fastredponycar/Roscoe/Resized/roscoe-88.jpg



The most important thing worth noting about these in particular was that Roscoe and my dogs had been running around and playing for about 15 minutes so they were tired and weren't as prone to get up and move around and I had had the camera down at them getting more shots while they became comfortable with the camera and me being there doing that around them.
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[DF2gadgetman]

Very nice puppy!

[johneo]

Perhaps it could be the flash? Maybe one of the times you used the camera the flash went off and now the pup fears whatever that bright thing was may come back from that funny little box you are holding.

I say this because one of my Labs always gets a little antsy when I try to get some shots of her and while she doesn't run and hide, will try to avoid me when I have the camera in hand.

[Nickkk]

Ive come to the conclusion its the shutter. Ive taken pics within my room without flash as a test, knowing shes outside my door, and right as I take the shot, she starts whining and i hear her walk away.

Oh well. Thanks

[alfredsilver]

I had exactly the same problem myself with my beautiful pup. But as he got a bit older he became less timid and now I have many gorgeous shots of him.
I got him used to the flash by rewarding him with a biscuit each time I took a snap.

[themadman]

OMG that puppy is sooo cute!

[deci]

With my tabby cat, it's definitely the flash. She was fine before I accidentally used it once, now she runs away when I start pointing the clicky box at her, that muist have been about a year ago now :cry: Her black sister on the other hand just looks at me and it with the usual black cat "Don't you xxxxxx dare"

[sjnovakovich]

I had this same problem, however it isn't with any of my dogs, but my 1000lb horse! Still not sure why she was so freaked out by the sight of me holding a large camera to my face when she is one of the quietest horses I have ever met, but she was.

I've read somewhere that the optics in a horse's eye magnify everything they see approximately 10x. That could be why the large lens spooked her so much. Glad you got her accustomed to it.

[EL_PIC]

Since getting my 70-200, my shiba pup is deathly afraid of my camera, even when I put one of my smaller lenses on. Has anyone else dealt with this? Any ideas on how to disguise it or get her used to it?

Puppies are just like people.
Its not the camera they are afraid of ... it's the photographer !!

[Meanderthal]

+1 EL_PIC. Relax, move naturally, anticipate not puppy fear but puppy pleasure. The puppy senses your emotional state.

[advaitin]

Don't use flash. Hang the camera on you and keep it there without doing any shooting. Be sure to be wearing camera when you put down the food, but step back and give the dog space.

Once dog begins to relax, go off, but where you are still within sight of her and shoot or pretend to be shooting a picture--flowers, bugs, spouse, other animals--just pay no attention to the dog. Sooner or later, dog will come around.

Heck, it took two weeks for me to get my puppy over being afraid of stairs and dog-doors, longer than that before she would jump into the car. On the other hand, I think I was carrying a camera when we spotted each other in the pound, so she thinks that's part of the deal.

[Randi]

For my dog, it's not the noise or the camera she doesn't like, it's the flash. She doesn't like seeing the camera and will usually walk away from me when she sees it... but then if I go up to her and take pictures without flash, she'll tolerate it. The second that flash comes on, she hides.
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[rebelchard]

I'm glad my dog isn't camera shy. I would also suggest taking photos without flash first; it really bugs some animals.

[CRYROLFE]

I use my shutter like a clicker as in "Clicker Training"
For a new dog, slightly shy....you'll want to do this right away before the behavior escalates.
I first make friends w/ the dog so that you're not so strange and scary. ALWAYS use treats (w/ owner's permission) such as bits of hotdogs, string cheese etc...
Next, put the camera in your lap w/ you seated on floor. Click shutter, then when dog looks at camera, give tiny bit of treat.
Repeat several times, so that the shutter noise causes the dog to anticipate the treat.
Once you get the dog to perk up when he hears the shutter, you are mostly there.
Keep praising like crazy everytime the dog looks at camera.
Next, slowly raise the camera....click - treat - click - treat....until you can get it all the way to your face - click - treat, click - treat.
Now whenever my guys hear that shutter they come running. They will also cock their heads now after a bit of work.
This normally only takes about 10 min w/ most dogs. Nervous ones will take longer of course.
Have fun!