Professional photographer working Worldwide with Pet Businesses

Personality is key in a dog model.

What Makes a Good Dog Model?

• Are well socialised
• Can settle around new people and environments
• Are able to do a sit and wait at a short distance
• Have reliable recall
• Don’t resource guard food, space, toys, or people
• Are comfortable being gently handled
• Can cope with short periods of focus and repetition

Your Dog Doesn’t Need to Be “Confident”

For the shoots with My Anxious Dog, we used the face of the brand Bella who can be people reactive.

The Dog Always Comes First on My Shoots

It’s good for dogs to have a good skill set like ‘hold’ as this can lead to more bookings.

Why the Right Dog Matters for Commercial Brand Shoots

You can’t fake this kind of enthusiasm on a shoot!

Why I Built a UK Dog Model Database

I couldn’t do my job without the amazing dog models!

Thinking About Applying as a Dog Model?

Professional photographer working Worldwide with Pet Businesses

I’ve been noticing AI generated imagery creeping into pet brand content and I kind of understand…when it first came out, I had a little play too. It’s fun, it’s clever, and it feels like you can create almost anything you want in seconds. Especially as a creative person, it’s hard not to be curious about it. But the more I see it being used by pet businesses, the more it makes me uncomfortable.

Not because I think AI is going to replace photographers (I genuinely don’t and I’ll reveal why later), but because of what it can do to a brands reputation.

There’s an emotion in real photography that AI just can’t replicate.

Why real images matters so much for pet brands

When you’re using AI imagery, you’re not actually showing your real product or service in a real moment. Even when it looks realistic… it still isn’t real. And whether people consciously realise it or not, something can feel slightly off.

Sometimes it’s obvious; five legs, two tails, paws appearing from nowhere, but even when the mistakes are subtle, there’s often still a disconnect that people pick up on instinctively.

If someone realises the imagery is AI generated, it can feel a little like they’ve been duped. And if they don’t realise immediately but later discover it wasn’t real in the first place, that trust can take a hit and in the pet industry especially, trust is everything.

People care about what they buy for their dogs and other pets. They want to know something is genuine, tested, loved and used in real life, not just generated to look aesthetically pleasing or ‘perfect’ online. I have to admit, I muted notifications on one pet brand recently because every image was AI generated and it just didn’t connect with me.

Those real moments are what people connect with.

How AI imagery can affect trust and brand perception

The danger with relying too heavily on AI imagery isn’t usually immediate. But over time, it can start to chip away at how professional your brand feels, how believable your products appear, and ultimately how much people trust what they’re seeing.

Because great brand imagery isn’t just about creating something visually impressive. It’s about showing how a product or service genuinely fits into real life, all those imperfect but honest moments that make something feel relatable. But don’t take my word for it….

What people actually think when they AI images in a pet brand

Don’t just take my word for it though. I recently asked the question ‘how does it make you feel when a pet brand uses AI’ across my social media platforms, and the responses were very clear – people don’t like it. Only 9% of people said that they couldn’t really tell, the rest said either that they could tell, or that most of the time they could.

And how did they feel about it? Cheated, wouldn’t buy from the brand, felt it was disingenuous and a lot saying that they didn’t understand why pet brands would do it.

Real pet photography vs AI-generated content

This why real animal photography still matters so much. Animals don’t perform perfectly. They react to their environment, their emotions, their handlers and the moment they’re in and that unpredictability is actually part of what makes the images feel believable – some of my favourite shots are ones that weren’t actually planned! And this is what people respond to.

Is AI bad for pet businesses?

I don’t think AI itself is inherently bad, like any tool, it depends how it’s used. I use it to help plan my week, refine my content (as I know I can ramble a bit!), and to pull ideas together. But I do think pet brands need to be careful about relying on it too heavily, especially in an industry built so strongly on connection and trust.

The chaos of a dog with a new toy is something worth capturing.

What kind of imagery actually connects with pet owners?

The imagery that tends to resonate most is usually the imagery that feels honest – those moments where people can recognise themselves and their own pets in your brand, and it’s very rarely perfect! It’s those slightly chaotic moments of real life.

Final thoughts: should pet brands use AI imagery?

For me, this conversation isn’t really about whether AI is “good” or “bad”, it’s about authenticity, trust and what your imagery is saying about your brand, because your photos aren’t just there to look nice, they’re there to help people believe and understand what you do.

If you want real photos that connect, feel free to get in touch, I’d love to hear about your brand.

Kerry x

Professional photographer working Worldwide with Pet Businesses

How many times have you landed on a pet brand’s website or social media and before you have read a single word, you already have a feeling about that brand. Whether it feels trustworthy, professional, calm, fun or a little bit unclear, and whether you want to investigate further is usually decided within seconds, and almost all of that comes from the imagery.

Dicky Bags showing a real life example of their products being used somewhere poo bins aren’t always available. 

How pet brand photography tells a story

Your photos aren’t just showing what your product looks like, they’re telling people how it fits into a dog’s life and yours. A lead becomes part of the morning walk whether it’s a stroll through a park or a hike in the fells.  A treat becomes that moment a dog engages and looks up at their human, and a toy becomes an interactive moment of bonding. Whether you’ve planned it or not, your imagery is always telling a story.

Why storytelling imagery builds trust and connection

That matters more than people often realise, because when someone discovers your brand, they’re not just deciding whether they like the product. They’re asking themselves, often without even thinking about it, whether it feels right for them and their dog. If your imagery reflects their world, their lifestyle and how they see their dog, they’re far more likely to connect. If it doesn’t, they tend to move on, often without quite knowing why.

Who does your brand cater for? Let them instantly know in your images.

How to decide what story your pet brand should tell

This is where a lot of brands get stuck. It’s easy to jump straight into “we need some photos” without stepping back and asking what you actually want people to feel when they see your brand. Do you want it to feel calm and considered, outdoor and adventurous, fun and full of energy, or more premium and refined? The story you’re telling through your imagery should reflect that consistently.

Who doesn’t look at this image and want their dog to feel like this in their dog bed? Emotion led photography helps people understand what you do.

Examples of strong pet brand imagery in practice

It’s something I see done really well by brands like East Ruston Cottages, where the imagery is not only recognisable, people know as soon as they land on the website that dogs are at the centre of what they do. It’s not just the setup, it’s the consistency in how the brand feels across everything you see. The same goes for The Innocent Hound, where the imagery carries across social media, catalogues and trade shows, all reinforcing the same story. It’s not about having more images, it’s about having the right ones and using them well. Have a think about the last time you found a brand and thought ‘that’s for me’.

The Innocent Pet Company have used images like this on their website, trade stands and marketing materials.

How to create pet brand imagery that actually works

When you approach a shoot like this, it becomes less about what looks nice and more about what makes sense for your brand. Thinking about how your product is actually used, who your audience is, what their day-to-day life looks like, and how your product fits into that makes decisions around locations, dog models and overall style much clearer. You’re not just creating images, you’re building a visual story that your audience can recognise and connect with.

Sunnyside Cottage in Robin Hoods Bay showing that dogs are allowed on the bed.

Is your pet brand imagery telling the right story?

First impressions happen quickly, and your imagery is doing more of that work than you might realise. So it’s worth asking yourself what story your brand is telling right now, and whether it’s the one you want people to remember.

If you’re not quite sure what that story is, or you’d like a hand shaping it into something more intentional, feel free to get in touch – I’d love to hear about your brand.

Professional photographer working Worldwide with Pet Businesses

Something happened at Crufts this year that which really stuck with me; I came across a brand with a huge, impressive stand – but I’d never heard of them, and being in the pet industry for so long I was curious so popped over for a a chat. I found out that this was their first full year of trading, which made it even more mindblowing, how do you launch a brand at that scale!?

But when I asked how the brand started, there wasn’t really an answer and when I looked them up later, there was nothing on their website either. No founder story, no insight into who was behind the business, no sense of why it existed in the first place, and for me, that felt like something was missing, it actually made me a bit suspicious. Maybe it’s just me, but as a dog owner who cares who I’m buying from, it’s important to know the reason for a brand existing and people don’t just buy products, they buy the people behind them. Or as Simon Sinek says “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it”.

Taylor – one of the founders of Fettle Pet Supplements

People buy from people

Most pet brands don’t start in a boardroom, they start with a dog, a problem and an idea which solves that problem. That story is often the reason the brand exists at all. When you can see the person and the story behind the brand, understand what they care about, and why they started, it creates an immediate connection – it builds trust and makes people be able to relate. Take that away and even the most beautifully packaged product can feel a anonymous.

Your story builds trust (before your product does)

When someone lands on your website or social media for the first time, they’re making a decision quickly – not just “do I like this product?” but “do I trust this brand? Founder imagery helps answer that question almost instantly – seeing a real person (you!), with their dog, in a genuine environment, tells your audience that your brand is personal and in a market that’s becoming more saturated, that kind of trust is incredibly valuable.

Sarah – Founder of Send a Dog a Bone postal treats

Founder photos create connection quickly

We’re all used to scrolling quickly which means your audience isn’t always going to read your full story straight away but they will connect with how something feels and a simple image of you with your pet or working within your business, can communicate far more than a paragraph of text ever could. It gives your audience a human connection, and that connection is often what makes someone pause, explore further, and ultimately choose you.

Rachel – Pet business coach & dog friendly holiday cottage owner.

Especially for small pet brands

If you’re a small or independent brand, this matters even more, you’re not competing on scale. or trying to outspend bigger companies – what you have is your story, your values, and your reason for doing what you do. And your story is what sells.

Thinking back to that brand at Crufts, it wasn’t the size of the stand that stood out to me, it was the absence of a story because without that human connection, it’s much harder to engage, no matter how good the product looks. Or is that just me??

If someone landed on your website today, would they know who you are, and why your brand exists? And if not, it might be time to start telling that story a little more clearly.

If you’d like a hand bringing that to life through imagery, feel free to get in touch, I’d love to hear about your brand.

Professional photographer working Worldwide with Pet Businesses