Modelling Dog Beds

So it has been difficult to get really good models to come and model our dog beds. Although there are many lovely and beautiful dogs around, it is completely different when a dog comes in to a strange building and furthermore is put into a strange environment of a photo-studio. The ones we have tried so far have been a disaster. I had asked a dog trainer to bring some of her clients along. I made it clear that it should be some of the ones that have well behaved dogs that would sit and stay plus they should be of a calm character so that they would not start panting in fear. Well, the major error I made was not to think this through, as by nature people go to dog training to get a handle on their unruly pooches. So obligingly the dog trainer turned up with a group of extremely nice people with extremely nice and beautiful dogs to model all our best dog beds here at HQ. Nothing worked, in fact the only dog that made it to our web site was the trainer’s own Whippet.

So I started to ask round more seriously and as word spread, everyone in town wanted their dogs to model our small and large dog beds. In fact we ended up being inundated with material and it seemed that all the owners were totally clear that they MUST come along with a dog that is laid back and obedient. What a success this was and it is great fun. Basically we are looking for dogs, who will go to the veterinary surgery with a smile and a wagging tail because a photo studio feels and looks just like it.

So the dogs come along and are let out of the car ON STRANGE ground with strange dogs (ours) barking. This is unnerving, but it’s hilarious how those laid back dogs just shrug their shoulders and tot about. Then we lead them into the studio, which is full of warm dog beds and lots of lamps and a white sheet with a white back wall sheet. If they don’t think they are at the vet’s by now, they are not paying attention, but these great pooches are cool about the vet. They now have to go into one of the beautiful dog beds, which they know do not belong to them and which are smelling ever so slightly of other dogs. Here they have to lie down and be very good. A staring dog that pants does not look good in a photograph, no matter how much they are enjoying where they are lying. As they eventually start to relax (you have to give even the calmest dog a little time to settle in), we start to take photographs, which means that strange noises are clicking away. Most of the dogs, it has to be said, were a little bit overly fixed upon their owners, but some of them started to enjoy the dog beds and even began to fall asleep. We had a lovely Collie in, who fell asleep and we also had a nice little Miniature Schnauzer, who started nodding off.

It has been great fun and in fact the owners all seemed to enjoy the experience and challenge of being in the studio under a little bit of pressure. All the strong dog beds along with the softer ones, were photographed under various happy dogs and they are now being used in our adverts and on the web site www.tuffies.co.uk