Dog Photography Tips & Tricks with Cathie Wheeldon
As a Pet Professional for nearly 40 years including Professional Dog Trainer, owner of Hug-a-Pup Dogsitting Services, and foster home with Border Collie Rescue Ontario, I’m well equipped and excited to also work with dogs and their people as a Dog Photographer and owner of Wheeldon Photography!
Your dog isn’t just a dog – they’re family.
I believe every dog has a story to share. It’s important to capture those unique quirks, personality traits, and individual characteristics so that their story can shine through! I know how important dogs are to their owners – they’re family! I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to preserve the memories and special moments of cherished dogs for fellow dog lovers. Producing personalized wall art, albums or other artwork that can be enjoyed for many years to come is a way to keep them with us always.
My photography sessions are relaxed, outdoors, and completely dog-led. There’s no pressure to sit still or perform — we move at the dog’s pace, allowing time to explore, sniff, and settle in naturally. This approach creates genuine expressions, natural movement, and images that truly reflect the dog’s personality. Combined with changing seasons, beautiful, and often epic, locations, every session is one-of-a-kind!
We’ll be chatting about the pet photography genre and I’ll share tips and tricks for working with animals. Safety is very important as is making sure that the animals are comfortable as their expression is key for their images! Animal handling, management, attention getters and use of light are just some of the tips I’ll be sharing. I’ll also discuss some editing techniques (and how to make that part of the job easier by considering a few things during the session!), as well as my approach to sessions with specific artwork in mind. Whether you’re looking to improve your dog photography or would like to take better photos of your own pet, I’m happy to share some info to help you to build on your skills!
Cathie Wheeldon – Wheeldon Photography
Cathie Wheeldon has been a Pet Professional for nearly 40 years, including as a Professional Dog Trainer, the owner of Hug-a-Pup Dogsitting Services, a foster home with Border Collie Rescue Ontario, the manager of Ryan’s Pet Food, and now as a Dog Photographer with Wheeldon Photography.
Her family includes her husband, Simon, their daughter, Etta, their Border Collies, Zoinks & Retro, a flock of Runner Ducks, and two Cockatiels! They are lucky to live on a 21-acre wooded property just outside of Cayuga.
Cathie moved from her hometown of Stratford to Hamilton in 1992 to attend Mohawk College where she achieved her Diploma in Applied Music as a Jazz Vocal major (her only “stray” from animals!!).
In 1997 she apprenticed with McCann Professional Dog Trainers where she became a full-time Head Instructor and fell in love with dog training, teaching, and dog sports. She has been active in Flyball and Disc Dog, and Cathie has done extensive training in Agility, Obedience, and Herding. Besides teaching, she and her dogs performed as part of the McCann Dogs team in their Agility and Flyball performances at various venues including The Royal Winter Fair, Ontario Place, All About Pets, and The Sportsman Show. While teaching at McCann’s, she started her in-home boarding business, Hug-a-Pup Dogsitting Services, which became her full-time job, and is now in its 24th year!
Cathie has continued to further her dog training education over the years and has embraced a game-focused, positive reinforcement approach that she loves. She knows that an understanding of dog behaviour and a focus on relationship building is so very important when dealing with dogs, and she works hard to develop trust and a connection with each dog she works with. Her many years of experience have helped her to provide an enriching and positive environment where dogs feel safe and relaxed.
Cathie is now an experienced Dog Photographer and is able to use all of these skills and years of experience to create meaningful artwork of her client’s beloved pets. Cathie is well-equipped and excited to work with dogs and their owners!
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