Teaching a good “Stay” for your dog(s) has infinite and far-reaching benefits.  Whether it’s waiting to go out the door, using good manners before accepting food or staying put incase of emergency, a dog’s ability to stay on command can be a life saver. And yet, there’s one other lesser known yet equally fabulous benefit of a good stay: Photo ops!

Buster Brown, our youngest–who we refer to as our “box baby,” meaning he was found in a box outside a storage unit at 3 months old during a bitter cold January in Michigan–has two truly outstanding qualities that are often overlooked with your average dog:  1) He is a highly photogenic creature, and 2) he has a rock-solid “stay.” (Okay, maybe it’s more of a malleable rock “stay” like clay or sandstone?)

Whether we’re just out having a good time, or I’m in need of a specific type of photo and need to purposefully pose a dog in a particular context, Buster’s “stay”–stand-stay, sit-stay, down-stay, smile-stay–is always there for me.  Here are a handful of his great “Stay” moments that have served me well via the camera lens.  And all of which totally compensate for his tendency to weave back and forth and behind me on walks, along with his occasionally infuriating leash reactivity.

A contemplative moment

An outdoorsy moment

An academic moment

A magestic moment

An inappropriate moment

An adorable moment . . . okay technically this is a “Stay” combined with a “Place it” command, which still counts

A Family Photo moment

A tailgate moment featuring the Best Friends logo and bumper stickers (Yes, I actually took Buster out to the garage, popped open my hatchback, and put Buster in a down-stay for one specific photo)

Smile Stay! Yes, believe it or not, this is actually a stay. I just timed the camera right to make sure I caught the smile.

Long story, short:  If you want some really great photos, work on the “stay.”  Posed or candid, it will serve you well.