What’s better than one dog? Two, of course! Dogs are social creatures and many dog owners have more than one, so at some point, pet photographers will need to have some tricks up their sleeves to help capture pairs of pooches posing perfectly (say that fast after a glass of wine or two!)

So for challenge number 10 (of 12) in Emerge, we share our best techniques for capturing images of canine duos and send our challengers out to create images with Double the Trouble!

Here, in no particular order are our top 10 images from this challenge. Well done to the photographers who created this beautiful work showcasing the bond between these best buddies.

Charlotte & Craig 🐶 📸 ✨

Pauliina Saarinen | Pauliina Saarinen Photography

The pastel hues and leading lines make for a really striking composition. The dogs both have wonderful expressions too.

Nancy Paynter

What a beautiful pair, both with great expressions and in sharp focus. Lovely colour harmony, soft light, and a sense of place too.

Allison Schwickerath | Allison Mae Photography

This is a striking image and the dog on the left has such an arresting gaze. The depth, light, and details are really wonderful and the posing feels natural and like a moment in time well captured.

Chantal Levesque | Chantal Levesque Photo

This definitely looks like double trouble! The posing is fantastic giving the dogs a strong connection and interaction between them. The symmetrical and textural backdrop suit them perfectly.

Lindsay Baca | Sit Stay Pet Photography

The closeness and goofiness of these two personalities is so whimsical! The location is beautiful, and the bandanas tie in nicely. The light has been really well handled too.

Iris Van Velzen | Iris Van Velzen Fotografie

This is a really simple shot that is all about these dog's relationship. The textures and gorgeous and the low angle really draws us into those beautiful faces.

Christel Wellens | Fotografie Christel Wellens

There's a real juxtaposition between the natural and the man-made here. and the dogs having a foot in both worlds give a strong narrative. Both dogs are captured sharply and with great expressions, just what we're asking for in the Double Trouble brief.

Courtney Bryson | CM Bryson Photography

A beautiful image with a clever design. The tonality and softness of the light and mist give it an ethereal quality. 

Helen Green | Helen Green Photography

This image shows a great relationship between the standing more alert protector and the more shy and reserved seated dog. A strong composition where the background elements support the subjects but don't distract them.

Heidi Adler | Heidi Adler Photography

The stupid and the serious! The juxtaposition of expressions here is excellent. The choice of backdrop works well with the textures and tones of the dogs.

Emerge is the second series in our Unleashed Challenge courses and is made up of 12 challenges over 6 months. It’s open to anyone who has completed our first course in the series, Embark.

So much more than just a challenge, the Unleashed Challenges are an invaluable educational resource that will help you build up a go-to list of shots to help create variety in your work. Designed for anyone to be able to complete whether you just want to photograph your own dog or you are a professional pet photographer.

If you'd like to know more head over here to register your interest and we'll send you all the details when enrolment for Embark next opens in April 2024.