Incorporating Dogs Into Your Family Pictures

For many people, pets are not just pets, they are family. Some photographers are not comfortable with you bringing your dog(s) to your family pictures, but I not only love it, I encourage it! I love that it often helps people feel more relaxed (especially teens) and gives them something to do other than worry about how they look in their photos. There are several things to consider if you are thinking about bringing your dog to your family pictures. Here are a few things to help you prepare:

THINK ABOUT LOCATION.
Most outdoor locations in Colorado allow dogs, but there are a few that don’t. You and your photographer should plan ahead to make sure you are going to a place that allows dogs. If dogs are allowed, there are almost always leash laws, so keep that in mind. If you have a reactive dog or a dog that doesn’t do well with other dogs or people, this is definitely something to consider. Maybe an in-home session is a better option for you if your dog does not do well in these situations. In-home sessions can also be great for older dogs and end of life sessions.

DON’T SPEND THE ENTIRE SESSION TRYING TO GET YOUR DOG TO SIT AND BE STILL.
If you have seen my work at all, you probably know that I do not like super posed photos where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera. This is the same for your dog if you choose to bring them. I would much rather get a photo of you interacting with your dog instead of them sitting perfectly and looking at the camera.

NO NEED TO POINT AT THE CAMERA.
Almost everyone has an instinct to point at the camera when trying to get their dog to look at me as the photographer. You wouldn’t believe the amount of times I get a great picture of everyone (including the dog) looking at me, except for that one person that is pointing and telling the dog to look at the camera. Instead, let your dog lick faces, walk around or snuggle in. No need to make it perfect. I’d much rather see that emotion than a perfectly posed picture.

THINK ABOUT BRINGING A DOG HANDLER.
I have had a lot of families who want their dog in a few photos, but not necessarily in all of them. If this is the case and your dog has a hard time settling and/or just staying close, bringing a friend along to help out with the dog is a great idea. They can just hold the leash so that we can get photos of just your family without worrying what your dog is up to.

THINK ABOUT LEASH AND HARNESS COLORS.
You spent all of this time making sure the clothes you picked out for your family all look good together, but don’t forget about your dog! If you will have your dog in several photos with your family, you don’t want a neon yellow harness to be the one thing that sticks out the most in the picture. You don’t have to spend a lot of money here, just make sure your dog’s leash and harness colors are not too distracting from what your family is wearing.

DON’T FORGET THE POOP BAGS.
We always want to be respectful of the land in the places we are taking photos. Bring along all of the necessary supplies for your dog and I’m happy to carry them in my backpack for you!