Do You Take Too Many Pictures of Your Dog

Sharing photos of dogs on Social Media, these days, is almost a competitive sport.  While we all appreciate a well-placed, cute, dog snap, how do you know if you are simply oversharing?

The first step is to observe your dog’s behavior. Does Rover roll his eyes every time you get your phone out? Are you not getting enough cheese from your Chihuahua? Is your Poodle sick of posing?  Could there be too many frills on Fifi?

How do you know when you have crossed the line? It is, after all, one of the signs of being a crazy dog person.

Take our quick quiz to find out if you are taking too many shots of your four-legged friend.

1. What do you take more photos of?

1. My dog
2. My spouse/significant other/child – with dog
3. My best friend

2. How many times have you put human clothes on your dog for a photo

1. More than 10 times
2. A few times
3. Never

3. What percentage of your photos on Facebook is of your dog

1. 80% or more
2. 40%
3. Less than 20%

4. What percentage of your photos on Facebook is of your dog

1. Definitely
2. One of my favorite
3. What’s that?

5. Does your dog have its own Instagram account?

1. Of course!
2. No, but what a good idea!
3. What?

6. Would you rather:

1. Take a Photo of your Dog
2. Take your dog for a walk (and maybe get a photo of it)
3. Walk and play with your dog?

7. How often have you posted blurry photos of your dog?

1. Often
2. Once or Twice
3. Never

8. Does your Facebook profile pic include your dog?

1. Always
2. Occasionally
3. Never

9. Have you lost followers because of dog photo oversharing?

1. Yes
2. Maybe
3. No

10. Do your friends and family make subtle or sarcastic comments about the frequency of your dog pics?

1. Never – they unfollowed me ages ago because of my rampant dog photo sharing
2. Sometimes- to tell me how cute my dog is
3. They do not know I have a dog.

Mostly A’s

Doggone it! You are oversharing and well on your way to being THAT crazy dog person. You could tone it down a little. Take your dog out for a walk and a play and leave the phone at home. Precious memories of being with your dog don’t all need to be documented.

Mostly B’s

Sounds like you have cracked the good dog-life balance

Mostly C’s

You could post a few more shots without losing your street cred.  Share your dog just a little more.

When it is not funny

Sharing photos of your dog can be heartwarming, and even make someone’s day. There are some photos, however, that should not be shared.

Photos or posts of frightened pets. Signs of distress in your pet can include ears held back, wide eyes with visible whites, tail tucked and bodies tense and crouched. It is not worth stressing out your do to get that perfect insta shot. Rather wait to get a natural shot of your dog in its happy place.

Dogs and kids. Take great care and make sure that you respect your dog and your kid when taking these kinds of photos. Never put your child in danger of a dog bite to get that great shot. Dogs are animals and can be unpredictable, especially when stressed or annoyed. Examples of inappropriate child and dog shots are:  holding a baby right in a dog’s face, young children lying, standing or sitting on top of dogs, a baby reaching into the dog’s food bowl. It is not the dog’s fault if something happens.

Hopefully you have established that you are not overdoing it and always posting appropriately. Keep it up and let your dog have its day!