Why We Keep Dogs on Leashes During Their Portrait Sessions (Even the Best-Behaved Dogs!)

Have you ever looked at a beautiful portrait of a dog sitting perfectly in a garden, on a wooded trail, or beside a stone wall and wondered how we got them to stay in just the right spot?

Here's a little behind-the-scenes secret: Chances are, that dog was wearing a leash, and their person was standing just outside the photograph holding it.

At Misty Westebbe Photography, we keep dogs on leashes for most of their portrait sessions. Of course, safety is always our first priority, but there's another important reason we do this. The leash helps us create the carefully composed portraits you see in our work. And yes, we edit those leashes out!

It's Not About How Well Your Dog Is Trained

One of the things we often hear from pet parents is, “Oh, my dog is really well-behaved. They don't need a leash.” And we believe you!

Your dog may have wonderful manners, respond beautifully to commands, and stay right beside you when you're walking through your own backyard. But having a well-trained dog and having a dog who will remain in exactly the right position for a portrait are two very different things.

When we're photographing your fur-baby, we're paying attention to so much more than whether they're sitting or standing. We're looking at the light, the background, the angle of their body, the position of their head, and how everything comes together within the portrait. Sometimes moving just a few inches makes all the difference.

Your dog might be perfectly happy to sit when asked, but that doesn't mean they're going to stay in the exact spot we've chosen while we move around, adjust our camera, or try to catch that wonderful expression. That's where the leash comes in.

We Want to Choose the Spot, Not Follow the Dog

Whether we're photographing your dog in your own backyard, somewhere around Middle Tennessee, or on the two and a half acres surrounding our Franklin studio, we have particular places in mind when creating portraits.

Maybe it's a beautiful patch of light coming through the trees, a favorite spot along our wooded trails, or a location where the background and surroundings complement your dog's coloring.

If we simply allow the dog to wander and follow wherever they want to go, we're letting them make all those decisions for us. And while that's certainly fun for the dog, it's not always how we create the portrait style we're known for.

Instead, we choose the location, bring your dog into that space, and have you help them remain there while we photograph them. The leash allows us to do that without constantly calling them back, repositioning them, or hoping they'll stay long enough for us to get the photograph.

It's really about us taking the lead so your dog can be the star of the portrait.

Your Job Is More Important Than You Might Think

During your dog's portrait session, you'll often be right beside them, holding their leash and helping them stay in the spot we've selected. You might be standing just outside the frame, or you might actually be in the photograph, holding the leash while we work. That's completely normal, and it's part of our process.

We may ask you to move a little to one side, adjust where you're standing, or help keep your dog facing a particular direction. Sometimes we need just a few seconds in the right position to capture exactly what we're looking for. Your familiar presence also helps your dog feel comfortable while we're working together.

And you don't need to worry about whether you're visible in the photograph. If we're creating a portrait of your dog alone, we can remove you during our editing process, along with the leash. Of course, we also love creating portraits of pets with their people, and we'll photograph those together as well.

But I Don't See Any Leashes in Your Photographs!

Exactly! When you look through our dog portraits, you'll see dogs sitting beautifully in gardens, standing along trails, and looking right into the camera without a leash in sight.

What you don't see is the work happening behind the scenes. The leash, and sometimes the person holding it, were there when the photograph was taken. We carefully remove those distractions during our portrait editing so that your attention stays right where it belongs: on your dog.

That's one of the reasons we're able to create portraits that look so natural and beautifully composed, even when the actual session involved a leash, a helpful pet parent, and a little patience.

What About Harnesses?

Harnesses are a little different from leashes when it comes to creating your dog’s portraits.

While we can often edit out a harness, there’s something important to consider. Many dogs have beautiful markings, unique coloring, or gorgeous patterns across their chest, and a harness can cover those details.

We can remove a harness in editing, but we can’t accurately recreate markings and details that were never visible in the photograph.

That’s why we prefer photographing dogs wearing a collar and leash rather than a harness whenever possible. It allows us to see more of their natural features and preserve all those little details that make your fur-baby uniquely yours.

If your dog needs a harness for safety or comfort, that’s absolutely fine! We’ll work with what is best for your dog. We simply want you to understand why a collar and leash are usually our first choice for portraits.

Do We Ever Photograph Dogs Off-Leash?

Absolutely! There are times when we want to photograph dogs running, playing, or simply being themselves, and an off-leash photograph may be appropriate when the environment is secure and it's safe to do so. Those photographs can be wonderful additions to a session.

But when we're creating our more traditional, carefully composed portraits, we generally return to the leash. It gives us the ability to place your dog where the photograph works best and keep them there long enough to create the portrait we have in mind. Both styles have their place, but they require different approaches.

What We Ask You to Remember Before Your Session

Please plan to bring a leash for your dog, even if we're photographing them at home in their own fenced backyard or you know they'll stay right beside you.

For the best portrait results, we recommend bringing a regular collar and leash rather than a harness, unless your dog needs their harness for safety or comfort.

We're not asking you to use a leash because we think your dog won't behave. We're asking because it's an important part of how we work.

You can relax knowing that the leash isn't going to become a permanent part of your finished portrait, and you don't have to worry about making your dog sit in exactly the right position all on your own. We'll work together throughout the session.

Our goal is to create portraits that show everything you love about your fur-baby, with the beautiful surroundings, expressions, and composition that make those portraits so special.

And sometimes, the secret to that beautiful portrait is simply a leash you never knew was there.

Misty Westebbe Photography is a portrait studio in Franklin, Tennessee, specializing in pets and their people, families, and more. We photograph dogs throughout Middle Tennessee, including on our private two-and-a-half-acre studio property and at locations meaningful to our clients.