Hi Everett,
I made a serious tactical error last night. Paisle's Obedience school, TCOTC, had an open call for dog models. Come to the school, bring your pooch, learn a tiny bit about dogs in advertising, and have your pets photo taken for free. We went.
There were 54 dogs total, though some folks had multiple dogs, so less than 54 people. The wait was long--a few hours--but time passed rather quickly as humans kept their pooches happy with toys, tricks, and general drill practice. Paisle was SO WELL BEHAVED! It was a good test of how she'll be when we're at the State Fair on the 26th. We practiced our sits, downs, verbal and visual signals, stays, waits, and watch me. But here's the error--I DIDN'T BRING ANY TOYS.
The photographer came out of the photo room after a while, and gave us a run down on her clients, and what they seek in doggy shoots. Many times a casting call goes out for specific things, like a dog that can "scratch on command." Black dogs are almost never selected, as they're so hard to photograph. Many breeds are not selected, such as Rotties, German Shepherds, Am Staffs, and Dobermans, as advertising is not willing to take on any possible negative connotation.
Many of the earlier dogs had left by the time this was announced, but at that point Paisle was the only Am Staff, mix or otherwise, present. In fact, other than a beautiful Mastiff mix puppy, I don't recall representatives of any of the other "Devil Dog" breeds.
Paisle's shoot went terribly. As soon as she walked into the photo room, she didn't like it. It was completely dark, except the set which was simply white paper on the floor with a white backdrop. She didn't like the paper. She didn't want to stay in position. I tried a few sit stays, with treats, to increase her confidence. That worked briefly, but in order to actually shoot her I had to move out of the frame...bad move. Her ears went down, shoulders hunched, and she looked like any typical cowering pooch in a scary situation. I asked if I could do a down/stay, Paisle's strong point, and the lady graciously said yes. Her comment? "Pit bulls are never selected anyway."
I really feel like I not only let Paisle down, but the bully breeds in general. Paisle is cute, spunky, smart, and a great ambassador for her mixes. I wanted to say to the photographer, "Dare to be Different," but I said nothing. I walked out of the shoot, turned in her paperwork, wished the remaining pets/humans well, and left.
I made a serious tactical error last night. Paisle's Obedience school, TCOTC, had an open call for dog models. Come to the school, bring your pooch, learn a tiny bit about dogs in advertising, and have your pets photo taken for free. We went.
There were 54 dogs total, though some folks had multiple dogs, so less than 54 people. The wait was long--a few hours--but time passed rather quickly as humans kept their pooches happy with toys, tricks, and general drill practice. Paisle was SO WELL BEHAVED! It was a good test of how she'll be when we're at the State Fair on the 26th. We practiced our sits, downs, verbal and visual signals, stays, waits, and watch me. But here's the error--I DIDN'T BRING ANY TOYS.
The photographer came out of the photo room after a while, and gave us a run down on her clients, and what they seek in doggy shoots. Many times a casting call goes out for specific things, like a dog that can "scratch on command." Black dogs are almost never selected, as they're so hard to photograph. Many breeds are not selected, such as Rotties, German Shepherds, Am Staffs, and Dobermans, as advertising is not willing to take on any possible negative connotation.
Many of the earlier dogs had left by the time this was announced, but at that point Paisle was the only Am Staff, mix or otherwise, present. In fact, other than a beautiful Mastiff mix puppy, I don't recall representatives of any of the other "Devil Dog" breeds.
Paisle's shoot went terribly. As soon as she walked into the photo room, she didn't like it. It was completely dark, except the set which was simply white paper on the floor with a white backdrop. She didn't like the paper. She didn't want to stay in position. I tried a few sit stays, with treats, to increase her confidence. That worked briefly, but in order to actually shoot her I had to move out of the frame...bad move. Her ears went down, shoulders hunched, and she looked like any typical cowering pooch in a scary situation. I asked if I could do a down/stay, Paisle's strong point, and the lady graciously said yes. Her comment? "Pit bulls are never selected anyway."
I really feel like I not only let Paisle down, but the bully breeds in general. Paisle is cute, spunky, smart, and a great ambassador for her mixes. I wanted to say to the photographer, "Dare to be Different," but I said nothing. I walked out of the shoot, turned in her paperwork, wished the remaining pets/humans well, and left.
I would like to find an advertising or marketing group who will DARE TO BE DIFFERENT! There is a whole section of society with lots of intelligence, integrity, respect, and MONEY that champions these underdogs! I bet if a marketing company has the desire to be cutting edge and willing to take the risk of promoting their clients' products with these fun, energetic breeds, that we could make a difference for that product/concept/image/brand! Isn't that what advertising is all about? Take a risk beyond the norm--try a new angle or cross a line to set the product/concept/image/brand apart from the masses?? Start a trend! Dare to be different!
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