Life

How To Take The Perfect Pet Selfie, Because It's Definitely A High Priority

by Kristina Johnson

Taking the perfect selfie isn't always the easiest, and most of us probably have the deleted outtakes to prove it. Snapping an Instagram-worthy selfie gets even harder if you're trying to pose with your furriest friend. No matter how photogenic and well-trained your dog is, they probably don't quite understand the concept of looking into the camera and smiling. That's where the Woofie, a photo-assisting smartphone attachment, comes in. And for 10 bucks, it just might change your selfie game forever.

If you've ever tried to take a selfie with your dog, or even just a regular picture of them, you know that getting and holding their attention is the hardest part. That's the problem the Woofie aims to solve. One end of the small rubber clip attaches directly to your phone, and the other end holds a dog treat. When you hold up your phone for a picture, your dog will be staringly longingly at the treat (near your phone's camera lens), making it look like he's ready for his close up. It's an idea so practical and simple you have to wonder, "why didn't I think of that?"

Made by Model Citizen Pet, the Woofie costs $10 and comes in grey and green. And best of all for dog lovers, a portion of the proceeds from every Woofie sold is donated to animal shelters.

Just remember not to get too carried away with giving out treats when you're doing a photoshoot with your pup. The American Kennel Club (AKC) noted that treats should only make up about ten percent of a dog's total daily calories. The AKC recommends using healthy treat options like vegetables or low-calorie dog biscuits instead of higher-calorie options like cheese.

If your dog's on a special diet, or just isn't that into treats, there's actually a DIY from Buzzfeed for a clever DIY tennis ball attachment to get your doggo camera-ready. But fair warning, they'll probably get all pumped up for a game of fetch after staring at a tennis ball for a few minutes, so you'll probably feel guilty if you don't toss it around for a few minutes after your selfie session.

Whether you go with the Woofie or a DIY option, there are a couple other tips for getting the perfect dog photo that you'll want to follow. Bark Post suggested doing a couple minutes of active play with your pup just before you want to take a picture, because playtime should leave a big smile on their face. Don't forget that dogs can get the dreaded red eyes in pictures, too, so make sure to turn your flash off according to Rover.com. And just like with humans, Dogtime noted you should plan on taking lots of extra pictures before nailing a real winner.

I don't have a dog myself, but as a mom of two, looking at these products leaves me with one big question: do they make one for babies? Because if so, I'd totally buy it.