"I don't trust my dog off-leash."

A common concern is people wanting to keep their dogs leashed for an outdoor photo shoot. That's actually smart because, in addition to leash laws, dogs are much safer on leash. There are so many distractions at the park; squirrels, bunnies, bikes, other dogs and even disgusting things like goose poo. I totally get it because my dog is the most distracted of them all. I literally keep him on a short leash so he can't get into trouble. Even though it may appear that dogs are off-leash in my photos, it's usually because I've removed them in post-production. Here are a few examples of leashes I've edited out of photos.

leash removal denverexample of leash removal Beagle leash in photoBeagle dog photography retouching On leash at Wash Park DenverOn leash at Wash Park Denver

Unfortunately, there's no magic leash-removal button in Photoshop. Since it always looks more natural if a photo doesn't need excessive retouching, I've developed some tricks to hide the leash in the first place. One way is to position the leash so it falls down the back of the dog and along the ground. This has the added benefit of hiding the dog tags. Since the leash attaches to the tag ring, when you place it in back, the dog's rabies tag is out of view. Another tip is to remove the tags and put them in your pocket until we're done taking photos. I'll walk you through all these tips at your photo shoot. All you need to remember now is that is the leash and tags can be hidden.

On leash at park DenverOn leash at park Denver

When I'm retouching, I also remove other background distractions, such as this wooden pole.

Red and white setter on leash denverRed and white setter on leash denver

Couple with dog photo Denver"Couple with dog photo Denver"

If a dog is getting photographed with its family, it's even easier. I simply have them sit on the leash. That way they can pet and interact with their dog without having the end of the leash in their hands. In these photos, Alice's family is sitting on her leash. If a squirrel or other distraction had appeared, she would have be safely tethered. 
Dog Family photo ColoradoDog Family photo Colorado ​​