6 Pieces of Advice From Kremer/Johnson on Working With Dogs on Set

It’s general industry knowledge that if you put a dog into a photo, it’s going to be a winner. Something about their wagging tails, puppy-dog eyes and plush fur make people excited about whatever the image is selling. Kremer/Johnson found themselves with the good fortune of shooting a variety of dogs for their project with SurityPro, a pet CBD brand. As a duo themselves, collaboration is something Neil and Cory appreciate and excel in throughout the entire creative process. The agency they worked with valued this skill and in turn, there was synergy before, during and after the shoot.

And while adding a dog into a photo is advertising gold, getting to the final image has its fair share of challenges when you are at the mercy of our four legged friends. As creative chameleons, Kremer/Johnson can turn any situation into an image that creates a narrative, and this project was no exception. Because of this, we though it’d be best for Neil and Cory to give their advice on working with dogs.

1. Expect the Unexpected. Don’t take the time to blow dry the dogs hair if you’re going to put them in the pool directly after. There’s a good chance they will get spooked by their goggles and jump into the pool before you start shooting. Yes, this happened. Glad we could all laugh, even the stylist.

2. Know That You Will Need to be Resourceful. Think twice before putting a dog upside down in a shot. Otherwise, you may have to figure out what to do with their *ahem* more delicate parts.

3. Be Open Minded. Don’t like dogs? Give it a try anyways. Neil wasn’t much of a dog lover before this shoot. How is that even possible? Maybe you do like dogs! Great. Then you will love the daily videos from the dog trainers weeks leading up to the shoot.

4. Post Production Will Be Your Friend. RE: #3. You can hire the best dog talent out there, but you still might have to entirely make a pointer point in post production.

5. Come Prepared. The energy on set will be high, so make sure you’re able to match that liveliness. Dogs will be dogs, as the saying goes, so if you don’t have a clear vision of how you want the shots to look, you will get behind on schedule immediately.

6. Have Fun! If you can’t laugh at a sopping wet Pomeranian, aggressive lickers, dog mechanic “junk”, and uncooperative labradors, it won’t work. Enjoy the ups and downs the animals present. You just might get some good BTS out of the deal.

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