Remove Background Distractions from Your Dog Photographs
You should always be cognizant of what’s going on in the background of your dog photos and compose your frame accordingly, but sometimes you can’t control every single detail of your background. Using Photoshop to remove certain elements in your photo (like that leash) takes some practice, but it’s a fantastic skill to have up your sleeve should you need it!
Follow along with these steps to see how to edit out annoyances. Remember, practice makes perfect here; use these tools enough and deleting a leash will be a piece o’ cake soon enough.
1
With your file open in Photoshop, use your Layers palette to make a duplicate layer of your image.
To do this, click your Background layer, drag it on top of the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of your Layers palette, and release. You now have a second duplicate layer called Background Copy.
When editing out distractions, working on a duplicate layer is always a good idea in case things don’t go as planned.
2
Use the Navigator palette to zoom in on the leash (or other object) to be removed. Choose the Clone Stamp tool from the Tools palette.
Adjust the brush size using the Brush Picker drop-down menu located in the Options bar.
Choose a brush size that’s slightly larger than the width of the leash.
3
Position the Clone Stamp tool over an area directly next to the leash and Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) to set that point as your sampled area.
When choosing an area to sample, you have to think about what would have been present if the object you’re removing was never there and choose your sampled area accordingly. In this example, if the leash were not there to begin with, you’d see more green grass from the background, so this is the area you choose to sample from.
4
With your sampled area chosen, position the Clone Stamp tool at the top of the leash, click, and drag down the leash — but stop before you actually intersect the dog’s body.
In the first pass of leash removal, the goal is a rough cover-up job.
5
At this point, you’ve roughed out the first part of the leash to be removed, but you now need to blend it into its surroundings.
Choose the Patch tool from the Tools palette and circle the area you just painted over. Be sure to keep your selection boundary entirely within the green background area.
If you extend the boundary and cross through the bottom of the leash that hasn’t already been roughed out, you’ll end up with a nasty blotch because Photoshop is trying to blend together two very different areas (a green background and a purple leash). Drag your selection over to a matching area and let go.
6
Zoom in even further to the area where the leash intersects the dog’s body.
With the top portion of the leash successfully removed, you can now get more detailed with the remaining portion.
7
Switch back to your Clone Stamp tool and return to the Brush Picker drop-down menu to decrease the brush’s size.
You want to choose a much smaller brush so you can accurately follow along the outline of where the leash intersects the dog’s body.
8
Again, choose an appropriate sample area and then paint over the last area of visible leash in small increments.
Switch back to the Patch tool and again outline the area you just painted, but without crossing into the dog’s body.
9
Drag your selection over to a matching area and let go.
Sandy is a short-haired dog, so outlining her ear with the Clone Stamp tool yielded satisfactory results.
Dogs Glossary
A-B-C assessment
Checking a dog’s airway, breathing, and circulation.
Dogs Glossary
animal shelter
1. An animal control agency run by local government to protect people from animals, take in strays, and manage animal issues and problems within the community. 2. A privately run shelter managed by individuals who want to protect, advocate for, and find homes for animals.
Dogs Glossary
BARF diet
A method of feeding dogs as closely as possible what they would eat in the wild: raw flesh and bones, along with vegetable matter from the stomachs of their prey. The acronym stands for either Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Dogs Glossary
blow out
A twice-yearly shedding of a dog’s undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
blue slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
breeder
A person who raises, sells, and often shows dogs of a specific breed. Reputable breeders screen parent dogs in an effort to produce healthy dogs that conform to breed standards.
Dogs Glossary
castrate
The removal of a male dog’s testicles to render him infertile.
Dogs Glossary
clicker
A small hand-held device that makes a sharp cracking sound when pressed. Paired with a food reward, an effective dog-training tool.
Dogs Glossary
cohesive bandage
A stretchy wrap that clings to itself used to cover and secure gauze bandages without tape.
Dogs Glossary
come into season
The advent of a female dog’s term of fertility.
Dogs Glossary
dead ring
The stationary ring on a training collar that pulls on the collar, not the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
double coat
Two layers of fur — a top coat of stiff guard hairs and an undercoat that serves as insulation.
Dogs Glossary
dropped ears
The term for hanging or drooping dog ears.
Dogs Glossary
Elizabethan collar
A wide, cone-shaped plastic or cardboard collar that prevents a dog from being able to scratch her head. Used to prevent further injury or hasten healing.
Dogs Glossary
euthanize; put to sleep
To kill an animal to relieve suffering.
Dogs Glossary
fall
Hair that extends over a dog’s eyes.
Dogs Glossary
feathering
Long hair that runs from armpit to paw on the backs of a dog’s legs.
Dogs Glossary
free-feeding
Keeping a constant supply of dog food available so that the dog can decide when and how much to eat. It works best in single-dog households where there’s no competition for food.
Dogs Glossary
heartworms
Parasites that live in dogs’ hearts and cause heart failure. They’re transferred through mosquito bites.
Dogs Glossary
heat
The period when a female dog is fertile.
Dogs Glossary
heel
A command and position in which a dog walks at your left side staying with you as you change direction or pace.
Dogs Glossary
hip dysplasia
A painful malformation of a dog’s hip socket. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to the condition.
Dogs Glossary
hot spot
A localized area of skin infection. It’s usually round, red, and warm to the touch.
Dogs Glossary
live ring
The floating ring of a training collar. Attach a leash to this ring for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
neuter
A general term to describe either spaying or castrating a dog to render it infertile. Neutering and castrating are often used interchangeably.
Dogs Glossary
pantaloons
The tufts of hair on the backs of a long-haired dogs legs that make him look like he’s wearing bloomers.
Dogs Glossary
pedigree
A diagram of a dog’s ancestors for three or more generations that lists the registered names of the dogs and the titles they earned.
Dogs Glossary
pinch collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
praise
A verbal reward for a dog , such as an enthusiastic “good dog!”
Dogs Glossary
prong collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
pulse
Normal dog pulse is between 70 and 120 beats per minute. The pulse of a puppy ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute.
Dogs Glossary
puppy mill
A place that supplies puppies to pet stores, usually without screening for possible genetic defects or properly socializing the puppies.
Dogs Glossary
registration certificate
The paper certifying a dog’s registration with an accredited organization.
Dogs Glossary
registration slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
release word
A word that lets a dog know that she is free to move.
Dogs Glossary
rescue group
A network of animal lovers who rescue and find new homes for their favorite breeds or animals.
Dogs Glossary
reward
To give a dog a treat for a correct response while he’s still in the desired position.
Dogs Glossary
ruff
The long, thick fur around a dog’s chest, shoulders, and neck.
Dogs Glossary
separation anxiety
A condition in which your dog becomes anxious and stressed when you leave him.
Dogs Glossary
shed
A twice-yearly process of casting off the undercoat in a double-coated dog.
Dogs Glossary
single coat
A single layer of hairs that comprises a dog’s fur.
Dogs Glossary
spay
To remove of both the uterus and the ovaries of a dog to render her infertile.
Dogs Glossary
stripping
Plucking the dead hairs from a dog’s coat.
Dogs Glossary
titer tests
Tests that check a dog’s immunity levels to determine exactly which vaccinations are needed.
Dogs Glossary
top coat
The top layer of a double-coated dog composed of stiff guard hairs that tend to be naturally water-repellant. The top coat protects the dog’s skin and undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
training collar
A collar that enables you to guide your dog and to check her as necessary — a brief, sharp tug tightens the collar around the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
treat cup
A plastic container filled with small treats or dog food. Shake it and give treats from it as a reward as you train a dog.
Dogs Glossary
undercoat
Fleecy or downy fur shorter than the top layer of a double-coated dog. The undercoat serves as insulation.
