Breeders look at a dog's photos first: they judge its conformation from them before anything else. But photos can mislead. The camera's angle and the way the dog is standing change what a breeder sees, so a good dog can look poor and a poor one good. Two photos, taken the same careful way for every dog, let breeders compare dogs fairly.
The two photos breeders need
Profile
Standing, side on, with the camera at about the dog's level.
- Stand the dog square on level ground, with all four legs showing: the front legs straight under the shoulders, the back legs a little behind the body.
- Head up and looking ahead, not at you.
- Stand straight out from the middle of the dog, so the camera is side on to it.
- Get the whole dog in the photo, from nose to tail and down to the feet, with a little space all round.
Portrait
Standing, head on, with the camera at about the dog's level.
- The dog standing square and facing you, its front legs straight.
- Stand straight in front of the dog, not off to one side.
- Get the whole front of the dog in the photo, from the ears down to the front feet.
Get down to your dog's level
Crouch or kneel so the camera is at about the height of the dog's chest. From standing height the camera looks down on the dog: its head looks bigger and its legs shorter than they really are.
Straight on, not from an angle
The profile is taken straight side on and the portrait straight head on. From an angle, a dog's length, its angles and its legs all look different from the truth.
A few more tips
- Use level ground with short grass or a hard surface, so the feet show.
- Choose a plain background, away from clutter.
- Take it in good daylight, not harsh midday sun.
- Step back a few metres and zoom in a little, rather than standing close: close up, a phone's wide lens makes whatever is nearest look bigger.
- A helper can hold the lead loosely and catch the dog's attention.
- Take several and keep the one where the dog stands best.
Adding the photos
On your dog's page in My Dogs, under Photos, there is a box for the profile and a box for the portrait, and room for a few other photos. Photos straight from your phone are fine: they are made smaller, and where they were taken is taken out of them.
