It’s no secret that I’m a huge dog lover. We have three furbabies, and if my Husband would have let me, we would have added a fourth to the family before Charlotte was born. Miss Canon needs a pea to her pod. The Huskies are such a bonded pair, there’s not much room in their hearts for their adoptive sister. I can not envision a home without a dog in it. Even when Josh and I are 85 years old and our kids are wanting to put us in a home, I picture a dog laying on the couch cuddling with one of us.
Dogs are family members, they were our kids before we had a real (human) child. Our engagement photos included the Huskies, our caketopper had the Huskies on it, I did a puppy announcement when we put the deposit down on Canon, our Christmas cards have included the dogs! I’m crazy about those four-legged kids of mine!
When a Bride and Groom tell me about their dog or dogs in our consult, I immediately ask if we’re taking photos with them at their engagement session. Nine times out of ten, my question is always followed up with “You’re okay with that?” ABSOLUTELY!!! THEY’RE FAMILY, remember?!
I always provide these tips when I know that the four-legged family members are going to be involved in photos. And today I’m sharing those tips on the blog!
5 Tips for taking Engagement Photos with your Dog
- Ask a family member or friend to tag along for the first half of photos to help with the dog and carry all the extras that come with having photos taken with your furbaby
- Have a nice collar and leash for photos. Cute bowties or bandanas always add a nice touch to the photos
- Bring plenty of treats. I’ll ask for them and give your pooch a couple before we start shooting so we can make friends! After all, you want them looking at me when I’m snapping the shots!
- Arrive at the location early and take them for a walk! If your pups are anything like mine, car rides turn them into crazy dogs and energy you didn’t know they have suddenly shows up! A nice 10-minute walk will help them calm down and listen to commands.
- Take a deep breath and don’t stress out. Our furbabies can sense when we’re stressed and they get a little squirrely. Don’t worry about if they’re looking at the camera, or won’t sit still for longer than 5 seconds. Let me work my dog magic, you stay nice and relaxed, and I promise we’ll beautiful photos for you to plaster around your home and proudly make your Christmas card!
I hope you found this post on five tips for taking engagement photos with your dogs helpful! Dogs are family, and this is an exciting time for couples, their furbabies should be included in on the fun, too!
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