How to Make the Bad Times Trend With Your Dog or Cat (From One Photo)

A husky rises up on its hind legs, raises a paw for "hold on", points at whoever is filming and lunges at the lens — every beat landing on Imael Angel's "BAD TIMES". The pet versions are what turned the BAD TIMES argument into a trend of its own. Here's how to make one starring your dog or cat, from one photo.

The husky take this version follows. Your pet keeps its own breed, fur and markings; only the moves and the camera come from this clip.

What is the Bad Times dog trend?

The original BAD TIMES TikTok shows a woman having an over-the-top argument with whoever holds the phone, lip-syncing Imael Angel's song the whole time. Pet owners then made it their own: dogs standing on their hind legs, raising their paws and lunging at the lens, beat for beat with the song. A husky's take became one of the best known, and it's the one this version follows.

Because the moves come from a dog's body, your pet keeps animal proportions: it stands up, gestures with its front paws and mouths the song, but it never grows human hands.

How to make it with your dog or cat

1. Open the dog & cat version.
2. Add one pet photo. Face sharp and toward the camera, one animal per photo.
3. Pick a version. Premium makes the whole 30-second take; Balanced makes its first 15 seconds for fewer credits.
4. Generate and download. In a few minutes you get a vertical 9:16 MP4 with the song, ready for TikTok, Reels or Shorts.

Pet photos that work best

• Face clearly visible. Eyes and nose sharp and toward the camera. Side profiles and blurry action shots lose the likeness.
• Some body in frame. Head and chest, or the whole pet, so the video gets its fur, size and markings right.
• Good light. Daylight or a bright room — dark photos turn black fur into a shapeless blur.
• One animal. Two pets, or a person holding the pet, make it unclear who plays the part.

Your pet doesn't need to be standing in the photo: the video makes it stand and act out the moves.

Does it work with cats and other pets?

Yes. Dogs, cats and most other pets work, as long as the photo shows one animal with a clear face. The motion comes from a dog's take, so very long-bodied or very small animals can look less natural.

Want a person instead? The original Bad Times AI template follows the original performer and takes people and pets.

Can't I just use a CapCut template?

We didn't find a CapCut template made for the BAD TIMES trend (searches turn up unrelated "my time is bad" templates), and a template is an edit of someone else's clip — it can't make your dog stand up and act out the routine. Here, one photo of your pet is all it takes, in any browser.

What does it cost?

Premium makes the whole 30-second video: 55 credits at 480p, 120 at 720p and 205 at 1080p. Balanced makes the 15-second highlight from 15 credits. Each account's first full 480p video costs just 20 credits, so the $9.90 pack (20 credits) covers it. There's no watermark, and failed renders and rejected photos are refunded automatically.

FAQ

Will it still look like my pet? Yes. Breed, fur colour, markings and eye colour come from your photo; only the moves, the camera and the timing come from the reference take.

Is the song included? Yes. Imael Angel's "BAD TIMES" is added under your video in time with the moves.

Can I use a photo of a person on this version? No — the motion is a dog's, so a person looks odd. Use the original Bad Times AI template instead.

Are my photos private? Yes. Photos and videos are never published, shown to other users or used in our examples or marketing.

Make your pet's Bad Times video →