Dog photos are most successful when they're engaging, when they show the personality of the dog and make you feel like you're right there with them when you're looking at the photo. For maximum engagement, you just can't go past a doggy head tilt.

The jury is out on exactly why they do it, but it's thought to be in order to hear us better. A change in head and ear position can help them more accurately locate the direction and distance of a sound.

Whatever the reason they do it, it's always something to strive for in your work to take the expression and emotion of your photo to the next level.

We had such an incredible selection of submissions for Say What? Here, in no particular order, is probably our most adorable top 10 yet!

Congratulations to the photographers.

Charlotte & Craig 🐶 📸 ✨

Allira Fontana | Allira Fontana Photography

The single head tilt vs the straight looker! The dog who isn't tilting gives more of a sense of fun to the image. Then the tilting dog is SO tilty! Beautiful tones and fantastic leading lines make this a really great image.

Annette Hagemeijer | Furry Friend Photography

A very simple image that has a wonderful mood and the dog's expression is delightful with his head tilting and those brows looking like he's wearing glasses.

Brittani White 

The is some excellent lines and triangles, the colour harmony is great and how can you resist that head tilt and those eyes?

Debora Stacker

The pose of this as if something caught this dog's attention unexpectedly is why this head tilt works so well. The soft and subtle tones are gorgeous too.

Elizabeth Arellano | Elizabeth Arellano Photography

Going for the double! Gorgeous expressions, soft dreamy background, two tilting chihuahuas, one adorable image!

Eva Duerkop

This is so dreamy, the rim light on the dog, the light and dark playing so well together, the incredible bokeh in the water. The head tilt is the icing on the cake!

Ginger Wick | Ginger Wick Photography

Fantastic colour, a really quirky pose and the head tilt is almost as otherworldly as the red environment this dog is in.

Gloria Anderson | GoDogPhoto

Black on red is such a striking combo. those warm reds allow the orange eyes to stand out and the blacks are so rich thanks to the light. Gorgeous expression and eye contact.

Katherine Gardiner

Fantastic framing, wonderful monochromatic colour palette and a beautifully engaging head tilt.

Marcie Fry | Marcie Fry Photography

A head tilt and munchie chops, what a combo. This is a simplicity at its best. It's wonderfully lit and is really all about the dog and the question "Say What?".

Embark is made up of 12 challenges over 6 months and is the first interactive course in the Unleashed Challenges series.

Much more than just a challenge, Embark is 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 enrollment next opens in April 2024.