try using motion, treats, or sounds to get your pet to look in a specific direction. often, even just standing where you want your pet to look can do the trick.

motion tends to be naturally engaging. making a sound, waving an arm, or shaking a toy can keep their gaze in one place for long enough to snap the pic.

bring several different methods with you to get your animals attention (toys, treats, etc.) and mix up the methods as necessary.

if your animal is struggling to stay concentrated, work with the photographer to see what surrounding distractions could be eliminated. 

if you have an easily excitable pet, try giving them plenty of exercise or perhaps calming chews before shoots.

after expressing the command "stay," avoid turning your back to the dog and instead back away. pets (dogs in particular) have a tendency to follow you when you turn around.

use a release command (like "okay" or "free") to help your pet understand when they can stop the stay command.

try first coaching at short distances for short amounts of time. train a release word (like "okay" or "free") in conjunction with the "stay" command.

short distances and short times allow the pet to associate the action with the command. 

training a release word simultaneously coaches the pet to expect an end.

always use positive reinforcement (treats, toys, physical attention), to reward the action you want to see continue.

when beginning sit training, use treats or a leash to "lead" the animal into the sitting position and use a high reward for positive reinforcement (treats, meals, toy, etc.)

overtime, as your pet recognizes the command, use the highest reward less and introduce other rewards (affection, toys) in between the high rewards.

avoid negative reinforcement (scolding or punishing) if they don't listen right away. this can create anxiety and hinder their learning process.

in a pinch, try one of these techniques to "lead" your animal into the sitting position:

1. gently applying pressure on their rear 

2. lift gently upward on a harness

3. bringing a treat to their nose and leading their nose up. 

don't forget to reward the animal for accomplishing the command, even if you led them there!

every pet learns at their own pace, so be patient and celebrate small successes along the way.

first, teach them sit! 

it's much easier to train the "lay down" command from a sitting position.

remember to always release the reward to the pet as soon as the action requested is accomplished. (this builds trust!)

as always, avoid negative reinforcement if the animal is not performing the command right away.

in a pinch, use "leading" techniques, such as luring the pet down with a treat, leash, or gentle force.

always release the "reward" and say the command when the pet has accomplished the action to improve the command/action relationship and reinforce a positive memory to the command.

the head tilt is a classic adorable pose that makes any audience go "aww."

one of the most common ways to get a head tilt is to make an unfamiliar and non-threatening sound. 

if training to execute on command, when they tilt their head, say the desired command and give a reward. repeat until the command is recognized + followed consistently.

you could lead your pet into a head tilt by capturing their gaze with a treat or toy, then tilt that treat / toy until they have a head tilt.