Sam and Max, 2 yr. old brother Golden Retrievers met. Tails were flying, had a fun reunion, got along well too. In all the play all we kept saying was, "Shoulda brought the cameras!" Ah-ha, older film camera was discovered in a kitchen drawer. Oh, how the delayed snap button brought back photo-frustrating memories.

For us non-professional photographers, taking pictures of dogs just may be more challenging than taking photos of kids at play. On the film cameras, an entire roll may be used up before capturing that "Awl, would ya just look at that" keeper shot. Digital cameras at least have the all important delete button to weed out the best of the blur. Either way, have extra film/memory, and charged batteries in the camera bag. For us amateurs who are professional wannabes or average dog lovers preserving memories, here's some how-to tips on taking better pictures of our pooches.

· Act Natural. The result may not be perfect, accept it, and have a fun photo shoot anyway. Take a deep breath, no big hairy deal here. The more excited you are, the more reaction you'll receive. Unless you are being sneaky about it, curiosity of what you're doing may ruin the moment. First time victims should check out the equipment; see it, sniff it-just don't let ‘em have it obviously.

· Timing is Everything. For a planned portrait shot, don't take Ms. Restful out of the crate after a 4-hour rest. For a spontaneous playful shot don't wait ‘til bedtime. You get the idea. If you know anything about photography, lighting /camera settings go without saying. For the sake of topic focus we'll assume this one.

· Ooh, Backgrounds. Very important. It's the surroundings that reflect your dog's coat color, making your subject stand out. ALWAYS remember to watch for what's behind.

· Close, Closer, Closest. Doesn't always have to be a distant scenic piece of art. Gotta love those photos of dog noses. A photography instructor showed us his photos of flowers up close. WOW. Tried this theory on our black Lab, since, from a distance, a black dog's details are hard to capture. Nice result, some of our keeper shots are close up expressions.

· Toys can make it or send you home crying, "Never again!" Know your dog's excitement level or forget about it. Treats or any other distraction also holds true. Not sure about reaction to distraction, do a practice playtime, days prior to picture day. Have your camera on the side just in case, ya never know, right?

Photographers are more than welcome to comment from experience.

About the Author. Debbie Readinger is the writer, webmaster of ForDogOwners.com