Alyssa Kellert

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Tips for Including your Dog in your Newborn Session

Who is the only (furry) family member who gets excited when you come in the door after only being gone for 2 minutes to take out the garbage? Your DOG.

Who is the only one who forgives you when you forget to feed them? Your DOG - definitely not your children.

Your dog is a big part of your family memories, and he or she totally deserves to be in your images!

If your dog is anything like mine, they love you to the ends of the earth. They are a big part of your family, and are also THE sweetest to include in your newborn session. Dogs have the most special bond with their humans, their new baby humans are no exception.

How do you get your dog into your photos?

First, let your dog and I have a nice little introduction, maybe let me feed him or her a few treats to help them warm up to me a little. Nothing puts a damper on things more than your dog not liking me or my camera.

Treats.

Don’t be afraid to pull out the good treats for our session. Maybe some pre-cooked bacon or leftover chicken? Sometimes your dog may need that bit of extra motivation to stay close-by.

Be Flexible.

Sometimes we get all the dog images in right at the beginning, before the dog gets bored of me. Other times, the dog needs a bit of time to settle down, so it’s best to do the dog photos at the end of the session. Some dogs join us sporadically throughout the session; It totally depends on the personality of your dog!

SAFETY FIRST, THOUGH.

If your dog hasn’t met your baby, or isn’t friendly with strangers, I definitely encourage you to use your discretion. Many families just put their dog in another room for the duration of their session. The last thing we want is someone getting hurt! —> This way we keep everyone safe.

Every image in your session definitely doesn’t have to include your dog! You always receive a large variety of images with your family members, and they are so sweet with the star of the show of course being your newborn baby.

What type of pet(s) do you have? What furry (or scaly!) family members would you love to include in your session?

Do you have any questions about including your pet in your session?