People ask me this a little sheepishly, like it’s a strange request: “Would it be okay if we brought the dog?”
Yes. Bring the dog. He’s in every other part of your family’s life and he’s not going to be around for all of them. Some of the most meaningful photos I’ve delivered have been a kid with an old dog, taken about a year before that dog died.
Here’s how to make it actually work.
Bring a handler. This is non-negotiable.
The single biggest predictor of whether pet photos go well is whether there’s one extra adult whose only job is the dog — someone who is not in the photo, who can hold the leash just outside the frame, and who can take him for a walk when we’re done with him.
A grandparent, a teenager, a neighbor, a friend who owes you a favor. Without that person, somebody in the family is managing the dog in every single frame, and it shows.
Do the pet photos first, then set him free
Same principle as photographing kids: get it while everyone’s fresh. We’ll do the whole family with the dog in the first ten minutes, then the handler takes him for a lap, and the rest of the session runs without him.
A dog who’s been asked to sit still for forty-five minutes is a dog who is done.
Wear him out beforehand
A long walk or a hard game of fetch an hour before the session is the best possible preparation. A dog with energy to burn will burn it in your photos. A pleasantly tired dog will sit and lean on your kid, which is exactly the picture you want.
Bring the good treats
Not kibble. The high-value stuff — cheese, hot dog, whatever makes him lose his mind. Hold them right above my lens and you get the head tilt and the direct eye contact.
A squeaker toy in a pocket is also worth its weight in gold. One squeak buys you about three seconds of perfect ears. Use it sparingly, because it stops working after the fourth time.
About leashes
Keep him on one. Off-leash sounds better in theory, but a dog that bolts costs us twenty minutes and a lot of goodwill, and most of the good spots around Kansas City require leashes anyway.
Two practical notes: a thin leash in a plain color is much easier for me to remove in editing than a wide neon one, and I’ll often have someone hold the leash and just hide their arm behind a kid. Bring a spare thin leash even if you normally use a harness.
What’s realistic
Let’s set expectations honestly. Out of a session, you are probably getting two to four excellent frames where the dog is looking at the camera and everyone else is too. That’s a good outcome. That’s the goal.
What you’ll usually love more, though, are the ones where he isn’t looking — the dog leaning into a kid’s chest, the tail blur, the moment everyone cracks up because he licked somebody’s face. Those are the keepers, and they only happen if we’re relaxed about the whole thing.
Cats and everybody else
I’ll be straight with you: cats are an in-home proposition. A cat in a park is a cat in a tree. But at home, on their own furniture, in their own light, cats photograph beautifully and it’s much easier than you’d think.
Same goes for rabbits, lizards, and the occasional chicken. If it’s part of your family, tell me when you book and we’ll plan for it.
A few last things
- Brush him. Sounds obvious. Everyone forgets.
- Take the bulky collar off if he’ll tolerate it — or swap to something simple. Tags catch light and pull the eye.
- Wipe muddy paws before he gets near anyone in cream.
- Tell me if he’s nervous around strangers so I can give him space and shoot longer instead of walking up on him.
- Bring water and a bowl. Especially in early October, when it can still get warm.
Who’s coming to your session? Tell me about your dog in the comments — I want to know what I’m working with.