It’s a beautiful afternoon in the Upper East Side’s tony Layton House high-rise, and photographer Rich Johnson is having a problem. His model, it seems, is being difficult. Johnson’s especially worried because his client has paid a handsome fee for this photo, and the natural sunlight filtering through the windows is about to disappear. Making the session more urgent, a re-shoot is out of the question, as the town house belongs to a friend who’s not prone to loaning out her antique-filled living room for photography shoots with temperamental models.

Johnson’s doing his best to cajole his subject into sitting still, but she refuses. He’s tried everything from compliments to commands — even snacks! — but she won’t budge. Finally, she jumps up on the white fabric couch, stands still for a moment, and ... pees.

As Johnson knows, being a dog photographer can be a real bitch, especially when your subject, in this case a nervous Greyhound, is behaving like one. That incident aside, he loves his job—he ought to; he’s been at it for ten years. Dog photography is a growing trend in Manhattan—Google it up and you could spend a dog’s year on Amazon—and the Upper East Side is more often then not the spot of choice. Why here?

“The inside of the buildings are beautiful,” says Johnson. “I use a lot of gorgeous rugs for backgrounds and this is the part of town to find them.” He also favors location shoots—particularly the Fountain in Central Park—though admits that working with dogs outdoors is not as easy as it sounds.

“For one thing, the law requires that you have your dog leashed, which makes photography difficult,” he says. “But even after that, you can be having a great time, when some idiot with a badly trained dog comes by and ruins the shoot.”

Author and photographer Julia Szabo is also a huge fan of shooting her subjects in this part of town—so much so that she won’t divulge the exact location of her favorite places. She loves the terraces, backyards, and sidewalks this part of town has to offer, and adds that the Upper East Side is a great place for “petworking.”

“I call the people I meet handlers,” she says. “When I see a dog I want to photograph, the owners are eager to help, and immediately give me their phone numbers. It’s a community of stage mothers, but in this case that’s a good thing.” In addition, she says “Passersby are exceptionally accommodating to impromptu photographs.”

For any of you amateurs who may want to try this at home, the trick to shooting dogs is, of course, the treat. “If they see a camera and know a treat is coming, it will make things a lot easier,” says Szabo. “If you want a profile shot, bring along a friend to catch the dog’s attention.” And remember, dogs get bored, so you need to get the shot quickly. “After all,” says Szabo, “they’re not getting paid.”

Speaking of salaries, is there an advantage to photographing dog models as opposed to, say, the super kind? For Szabo, it’s not even a question. “A dog will lie down on the sidewalk, no problem. A dog will have no problem with a child hugging him. A supermodel might pull attitude.” And while a dog at times might need “hair” before a shoot, makeup is never an issue. “Dogs look beautiful rolling out of bed,” continues Szabo. “Every side is their good side.”

While neither Johnson nor Szabo have a least favorite type of dog to shoot, they’re both quick to note the easier varieties.

For Johnson, it’s pugs. “They’re people-friendly and intelligent,” he says. “And they make great expressions.”

“Mutts and rescue dogs!” exclaims Szabo. “Because they want nothing more than to please you.”

So the next time you’re walking little Chester or Bella along the East River and see someone snapping away at someone else’s dog, hang around. You never know; your pooch may end up in pictures.