Are some dogs fussier than others?

[jerry_schuler]

<p>I have two shots of a basset hound. The first shot I figured I missed the dog and focused on the sidewalk. But I got another shot of the hound face to face with another dog. Look at the second image. Everything is in focus except the basset hound.</p>

[jerry_schuler]

<p>first shot</p><div></div>

[jerry_schuler]

<p>Second shot</p><div></div>

[elliot1]

<p>Looks like either you missed the proper focus point (faces of the dogs) or your camera is back focusing. DOF is also coming into play.</p>

[bernie moore]

The first shot has the hound front to back meaning that in a wide open lens you will have limited depth of field. Fix that by stopping down the lens to about 5.6 and focus on the eyes, always the eyes. Because of the darkness of the other dog in the second shot I might guess that he's not in great focus either. It's just a little more difficult to discern. It seems to me that the toenails on his right paw are in focus, also suggesting a depth of field problem. Try shooting a black angora cat. They are black holes that eat all available light:)

[gordonjb]

<p>In your first shot the street grate and the left foot with running shoe are in focus because they are not in motion. The dog and the right foot are blurred because they are in motion. This is an issue with the shutter speed being too slow to stop the action and has nothing to do with back-focusing or dof.<br>

 <br>

In your second shot nothing looks in focus.  I still think the issue is shutter speed and you moved the camera as well as the dogs moving.</p>

 

 

As well you have to contend with the fact that some dogs emit anti-focusing wavelengths at a stronger rate than some other dogs do.

[Matt Laur]

<p>Yup, motion blur is a bigger issue here than anything else. Them damn dogs never hold still, forcing us to buy faster lenses and cameras with fancy-pants high ISO performance. At least, that's how I justify it to my wife... "Honey, you don't want the dogs to be <em>blurry</em>-looking, do you?"<br /><br />On a broader note: yeah, some dogs really <em>are</em> fussier than others. And hound dogs of all types are definitely in their own little behavioral world. They're just leg-propelled noses with noise makers attached. But I'd be more worried about that pit bull straining at the prong collar, myself. Ugh! That's just teaching the terrier that when he sees another dog, he experiences pressure on his neck. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy that ratchets up the tension in fighting dogs like that. The person on the end of that lead needs a little schoolin' if there's going to be a dog like that in their life.</p>

[gordonjb]

<p> " They're just leg-propelled noses with noise makers attached. "</p>

<p>Matt, that is the best description of hound dogs I have ever heard.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Gordon: you only have to be around a pack of beagles or some fox hounds or a coon hound once to know how true that is! You either love that music, or you become murderous over it - there's no in-between.</p>

[curt wiler]

<p>Second shot - really, nothing is sharp. It does appear to be motion blur but the shutter speed (1/80 sec) should have been adequate so the problem appears to be camera technique. Perhaps the shutter release was "punched"?</p>

[jerry_schuler]

<p>Let me upload the second picture as a large photo attachment. The basset hound effect appears to be lost with the small picture. Also, I was shooting later in the even at ISO 800.</p><div></div>

[jerry_schuler]

<p>Ooops. I'll try it again</p><div></div>

[craig_gillette]

<p>Bassets fussy? Nope. Most of them are about as mellow as a dog can be. We had two for several years. I've been around fussy dogs but none of mine have been.</p>

[gordonjb]

<p>Yup no doubt about it,  that Basset is releasing way more anti-focusing wavelengths than the pit bull. Either that or the pit bull, being at the end of its tether is being steadied by the tension of the lead thus remaining more  stationary than  the Basset which is not braced.  Take your pick.</p>

[summitar]

<p>We have concentrated on high maintenance Old English Sheepdogs for quite a while. I think I could make a living renting them out as "chick magnets". It is impossible to walk past an OES without smiling; they are just big teddy bears.<br>

I am familiar with a lot of breeds, and it is hard to think of a breed that is more laid back than a Basset, almost to the point of being comatose. I would never call them fussy.</p>

[jimmckinnon]

<p>Look at the Basset's front legs. It appears he is falling into that coma of which Kerry speaks, and toward the camera. Could account for some hard to detect motion blur.</p>

[michael_dimarzio]

<p>I don't know, but...</p>

<p>The pooch with the training collar has the collar applied wrong. It should be tight around the upper neck, and a vicous dog collar attached as training collars do fail either our inattentiion or the pooch loves cat food. Very bad form.</p>

[gordonjb]

Yup, that prong collar has at least a couple of links too many in it. Its pretty obvious from the photo that the collar is not serving its intended purpose. A prong collar is only an effective training tool if it is sized properly.

 

Michael is also correct that if the collar is that loose at full tension the dog can easily back out of the collar and be free.