Dog Owner's Simple Hack To Capture Perfect Christmas Card Photo Every Time

A couple has recently gone viral online after sharing a simple hack to help dog owners capture the perfect shot for their Christmas card this year.

The Instagram video shared to an account dedicated to rescue dog Mickey (@_mickeynotmouse_) has racked up 3.2 million likes.

The footage shows Jake and Beenah wearing matching Christmas-themed pajamas and each of them holding a dog in between their legs. None of them are looking at the camera.

Beenah, who lives in Central, Indiana, told Newsweek: "The only things Mickey, now five, likes more than me is food and toys and I didn't really want to have food thrown around my home so toys it was!

"And it works great for a few throws until he gets mad he can't chase them and then he stops cooperating. You have to work fast and efficiently with our dogs!"

The on-screen text says: "Christmas card hack: throw a toy at the camera so the dogs look in the right direction at the same time." The dogs' eyes follow the toy thrown by the man just in time for the perfect capture.

Festive fun isn't just for humans, but dogs too. Many owners involve their canines during this time of the year. The Special Reports Team at Veterinarians.org surveyed 1,000 dog owners and found that 47 percent of Americans will include their dogs in their family photoshoots. The excitement doesn't stop there as participants also said they will dress their dogs up and treat them to a special dinner on December 25.

The survey published on December 1 revealed that 89 percent of owners plan on buying their pets a gift. They aren't going to scrimp either as one in four owners will spend anywhere from $75 to over $100 on a gift for their canine companion. Gifts include accessories like a new collar or boots, toys, and treats.

Dogs may be at the top of their owners' 'to buy' list but they aren't always on Santa's. One owner recently shared the reason Father Christmas might not come down their chimney this year.

Involving pets is certainly fun but owners need to avoid certain decorations. Newsweek recently spoke to Catrin George, an animal wellbeing specialist at Animal Friends Pet Insurance.

She encourages owners to opt for bright blues and yellows, navy and gold accents rather than red and green.

She said: "While human eyes have three cones that can identify color combinations of red, blue, and green, dogs have dichromatic color vision, meaning they possess only two types of cones and can only really see blue and yellow."

George also advises owners to think twice when it comes to LED lights as dogs are sensitive to the flickering feature and to avoid clutter as this can be hazardous.

So far, the viral video has racked up 103,000 likes and almost 300 comments. It turns out the hack may be unique to each dog.

One user said: "Mine would sprint knocking down the camera as they try to get the toy."

Another agreed: "My dopey dog would think play time and chase after the toy."

"Great trick! I loved it," praised another.

Update 12/08/23, 3:35 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from the OP, Beenah and original content.

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