Include your dog in your engagement

“Can we include our dog(s) in our engagement session? I get this question a lot and the answer is YES! I love dogs and my husband is allergic so any chance I get to love on your fur babies, I’ll take it!! After years of planning on adding a new addition to the family, we are finally ready and are actually picking up our puppy today! I’ll be sure to share lots of photos of our sweet boy over on Instagram so follow along if you want to see him! Preparing to bring our new pup home got me thinking a lot about photo sessions and how much I have enjoyed having pets included over the years. Including your dog in your engagement (or your Wedding or Elopement!) does come with a few extra details so I wanted to share some tips here with you to help you better prepare for your session!

Don’t do it alone

Bring someone along to help out! This is a new experience for your pup too and with that comes some excitement! Having a family member or friend, someone your dog feels comfy with, there to help out during your session will help calm some nerves. It will also give you and your fiancé a chance to get some photos alone together while your dog sitter helps look after them. We will of course get lots of photos of the two of you with your pup but you will want some of just the two of you as well. If bringing someone along for the whole session isn’t an option for you, there is a few other things some of my couples have done to help the process. Choose a location close to home(or at home)! This way we can start the session with your pup and once they’re getting wore out, over stimulated, or you’re just ready for it to be just you two, we can take them home quickly and return back to your session! Nothing close by? Some of my couples have chosen to have a friend or family member pick up their pet and bring them back home. This is a great option if someone doesn’t want to hangout for the full session but doesn’t mind to help out with transportation. It will also keep you from having to run back in forth. If none of the above works and you really want to include your pup, don’t stress! I promise we will make this work! Let your photographer so you can choose a location that will provide spots for tethering or that has parking next to beautiful locations so you can put your dog in the car(running with AC of course) and be super close by while getting those intimate, just the two of you images!

Know your dog

Knowing your pup will help a ton in choosing a location and making the process as smooth and fun for everyone! If your dog is highly food motivated, bring some treats along! Do they have a favorite toy that they like to be rewarded with? Bring it! Tiring your dog with a little physical or mental stimulation before the session starts is a great option as well! If you’ve never been to the chosen location, bringing them there either days before the session or early on the day of will make your dog feel much more comfortable and will also give you a chance to scope out any specific locations there you might like for your session!

Behavior and Limitations

Making sure the location matches the tempermant is the most important choice you will make when including them in your session. If your dog is not socible around other people or animals, this is something that should be discussed before choosing a location. There are tons of dog friendly places but if your dog get anxiety around children or dogs, choosing a secluded location will be the most appropriate option. Make sure to let your photographer know your dogs limitations ahead of time to help in the planning process.

Vaccinations

Just got a new pup and are so excited to get some photos of them on your wall? You might need to push your engagement session back a bit until they are fully vaccinated. Bringing your dog out in public before they’ve had all their vaccines is super dangerous for them. Don’t stress, just let your photographer know and push the session back until they can be cleared by a vet to be out and about!

Dress them up

Anything from a simple collar to a bandana, bow tie or flower crown. Match them to your attire and have fun with it! Make sure to bring a leash along, neutral colors are best!

Have Fun

Lose expectations and have fun with your pup! This is exciting for them so they may be a bit more energetic than usual. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your dog will be! Don’t stress about getting the perfect photo. Enjoy this time with your pup and your fiancé and you’re sure to end up with some beautiful photos!

Ready to book your engagement session with your pup?