Dogs are difficult photographic subjects for the same reason they are good ones: they have their own priorities.
A dog may look away, move towards the lens, become distracted by a smell or decide that the session is over. Treating all of that as disobedience usually makes both the dog and the photograph worse.
Find the attention before asking for stillness
In this photograph, the upward look is the picture. The ears, eyes and open mouth all point towards something outside the frame. That unseen interest creates more life than a neutral stare towards the camera would have done.
Watch what naturally holds the dog’s attention. A familiar person, a sound, movement or an expected reward can create expression without forcing the body into an unnatural pose.
Work at the dog's level
Lowering the camera changes more than perspective. It gives the dog presence within the frame and reduces the familiar top-down view people see every day.
Eye-level does not always mean lying on the floor. It means choosing a height that treats the dog as the subject rather than as something small below the photographer.
Leave space for movement
Use a shutter speed that gives you a realistic chance of holding the eyes and expression. Focus continuously when the dog is likely to move. Take short bursts when the moment is changing, but do not replace watching with holding the button down and hoping.
Cooperation is easier when the photograph fits the dog, rather than asking the dog to fit the photograph.
Read the dog as well as the light
Stress shows in posture, avoidance, tension and repeated attempts to leave. A good photograph is not worth making the dog uncomfortable. Stop, move, simplify or try another day.
The aim is not only a sharp portrait. It is a photograph in which somebody who knows the dog can recognise them.