Thank you for your interest in becoming a scruffy dog supermodel! There has always been a demand for commercial sessions and specific shots required by pet-related compa-nies, and I have often called on past clients and their animals to do a little modelling work. However, with an increasing number of pet-related businesses looking for unique images and dogs to represent their products and brands, along with other agencies contacting me seeking model dogs from time to time, a database is required to assist these clients in choosing their prospective models.

Does your dog or cat have what it takes to be a supermodel?

Please read the following information carefully.

QUALIFICATIONS Please understand that a commercial session runs differently than a private shoot. With commercial photog-raphy, it’s not always about what the pet gives us, but rather, what we need from the pet, while still working within that animal’s natural abilities and drives. As such, it is vital that you are honest in your evaluation and descriptions about your pet and their abilities Before applying, please be sure that your pet meets all of the following qualifications. DOGS … any breed, mix, size, age! must have a higher than average level of training – "down", "stand", "sit", "wait/stay" and more – all with

owner at least 15' away, and with a moderate level of distractions; must be relatively trustworthy off-leash, but 100% is not necessary; must have a reliable recall; must be confident in new surroundings and new situations; must possess leash-respect – i.e. no pulling; must be healthy; must possess some kind of a ‘working/directable' drive – ball, frisbee, treats, owner, etc.; live in Southwestern Ontario, particularly KW and GTA, and must be available for travel to sessions across

Ontario. ALL of these are MUSTS.

scruffy dog ~ is YOUR pet a scruffy dog supermodel? ~

SCRUFFY DOG’S COMMERCIAL MODEL APPLICATION PROCESS

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Qualifications for you as the dog-guardian: must be willing to take direction and/or trust Illona or her wrangler to coach your dog (with you present, of

course!); must be patient. CATS… any breed, mix, size, age! must be outgoing and friendly; must be comfortable with new people coming into their space/home; must be playful or at least somewhat lure-able with treats; can be any color, breed, hair-length, etc. Qualifications for you as the cat-guardian: must be willing to de-clutter your home in preparation for the session (as cats are most comfortable in their

own homes); must have a home with good natural light/lots of windows; must be willing to take direction and/or trust Illona or her wrangler to coax your cat (with you present, of

course!).

If your pet (and you) meet all of the above requirements, then being a scruffy model might just be for you! Keep reading…

But what if your dog doesn’t quite fit the previous qualifications, yet they are a rare breed, or an extremely unique-looking cross-breed or mutt? Well, we might have a spot for you as well. We have a small section in the database for models we classify as “Unique” — these spots are limited to rare breeds and unique-looking dogs which may appeal to certain commercial clients who may be after a certain look but may also not be after anything too specific as far as trained ‘work’. These dogs can be upgraded to the status of fully qualified models with some training, but in the meantime, they can reside in the “Unique” section of the database!

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So what’s in it for you as a supermodel-guardian? ... besides bragging rights and fame, of course?

Commercial Sessions If your pet is selected as a model for a scruffy dog commercial photography session, there may be some com-pensation from the client and/or free products. In some cases, I am able to provide complimentary prints. Each project is different. And you always have the right to pass on the opportunity (however, two passes will result in removal from the database). scruffy dog Mentoring Sessions These are teaching sessions where I mentor other professional pet photographers from around the world. We are always needing models for these sessions which run anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. During these mentoring sessions I also shoot images of your dog as a ‘thank you’, resulting in a small but crea-tive portfolio of images for you to choose from if you were interested in purchasing prints or product. These mentoring sessions are also a perfect opportunity for me to evaluate your dog’s abilities within the scope of a photo session, and assess their suitability for the status of “Endorsed Model” in the commercial model database.

Wait, what’s an Endorsed Model?

Endorsed Models are dogs (and cats) who have already met the scruffy dog cameras. With a prior session with SDP, we are able to ‘vouch’ for the qualifications stated in their listing. Endorsed Models typically get more jobs because they have proven their abilities and are a ‘known’, and in the case of commercial work, it’s important that clients know what they’re getting and I know what I am shooting.

So how do I get my pet Endorsed?

Evaluation Sessions These sessions are specially set up for candidates who stand out in their application forms or in their submitted photos. Evaluation Sessions are just that – a session for evaluating your pet’s suitability for a potential commer-cial session. It allows me to see exactly what your pet’s strong points are, even if they might have some rough edges in certain areas, and lets us know if your pet qualifies for the “Endorsed” status. In some cases, the Evaluation Session is as much a training/preparation session as it is an evaluation of your animal’s abilities to work within the realm of a structured session. This is not a photosession, per se. It is not de-signed to produce a gallery of images for you to possibly purchase prints from, although I will certainly grab some professional images for your pet’s entry in the database should they qualify. There is no fee for the Evaluation Session, however, if you are after a gallery of images of your pet for your own use and artwork, you are best advised to book a proper scruffy dog session. During a booked session your pet will obviously be evaluated and placed into the “Endorsed” folder of models.

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PERMISSIONS Please do NOT apply to be a scruffy dog model unless you are prepared to fully agree to and sign the model release for your animal allowing for full usage of the images captured during any commercial shoot, mentor-ing session, or Evaluation Session. Commercial sessions may be for different products, foods, etc., and – if called upon – you always have the right to not participate for personal reasons/standards. I should note that I do have a rather high code of eth-ics and high standards in all things animal-related, so absolutely, there are some companies I will not shoot for. So finally … - only if you have read and understand all of the above material; - only if your animal (and you) meet the detailed requirements; and - only if you are ready to be a super-model guardian, ... please fill out the model application form (link in your email) and let’s get this process going! ADDED NOTE re. Opportunities Currently we have almost 200 dogs in the model database (and not nearly enough qualifying cats). Because of this high number, please understand that inclusion in the database does not guarantee your pet will be called upon. Scruffy dog does not choose the animals used for commercial shoots, or even the mentoring sessions. In all cases it the selection is always up to the client/business who is booking the session, as each commercial client has specific needs. Also, because there is a lot at stake for commercial clients, a lot of the dogs selected are drawn from the ‘Endorsed’ folder (dogs who have worked with SDP before) as they are a ‘known’.

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Illona Haus ~ head scruffy illona@scruffydogphotography.com

519.883.0782