Family Photos with Dogs and Pets: How to Include Your Best Friend

Dogs are family members. Most families who have dogs feel this emphatically — and their family photographs should reflect it. Sessions that include the dog are often the most energetic, joyful, and genuinely candid of any family photography, because dogs force everyone to stop posing and actually interact. The resulting images tend to be unusually natural.

Why dogs make family sessions better

Children who are reluctant to engage with photography immediately engage with dogs — rushing after them, being licked, giggling, attempting to give commands and being hilariously ignored. Parents who are stiff in front of cameras relax when they're trying to wrangle a labrador and supervise children simultaneously. The performative quality of a posed family portrait dissolves into actual family life.

This isn't incidental — it's the main argument for including the dog. The photographs you'll treasure most are the ones where everyone is real, and dogs have an extraordinary gift for making people real.

Practical preparation for a family + dog session

• ◆Exercise the dog beforehand: A dog who has had a proper walk or run in the hour before the session is dramatically easier to work with than a full-energy dog just out of the car. This single step makes more difference to the session than anything else.
• ◆Bring high-value treats: The ones your dog reliably responds to — not the everyday ones. High-value treats (cheese, roast chicken, dried sausage) are used to get the dog's attention for specific shots. Your photographer may use these; having your own ensures it works.
• ◆Bring someone whose job is the dog: Ideally, one adult in the family is the designated 'dog handler' for the session — their role is to manage the lead, retrieve the dog when it bolts, and use treats for attention. This frees the photographer to concentrate on the images.
• ◆Know your dog's particular habits: Tell your photographer in advance: does the dog pull? Bark at strangers? Get overexcited and jump up? Have a fear of specific things? This information shapes how the session is approached and prevents surprises.
• ◆Lead at first, freedom later: Start the session with the dog on a lead and under control. Introduce off-lead freedom gradually once the dog has relaxed into the environment. Long-line leads (5–10m) are useful for giving the appearance of freedom while maintaining control.

Shot types to aim for

Cats and other pets

Cats are notoriously selective participants in photography. Sessions including household cats work best at home, where the cat is on familiar ground and may choose to be involved — or may not. Forcing a cat outdoors for a family session rarely ends well. If your cat is reliably present and engaged at home, an indoor session can work beautifully; if your cat hides when strangers arrive, it's more honest to accept that the family portrait will not include the cat.

Rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds occasionally feature in family sessions for specific setups — usually with children — but aren't typically photographed in the full-session way that dogs are.

Best locations for dog-inclusive sessions near Cambridge

• Grantchester Meadows: Open grazing land, river access, wide paths — excellent for off-lead moments in the wider meadow areas
• Milton Country Park: Dog-friendly throughout most of the park; varied terrain and water features dogs enjoy
• Wandlebury Country Park: Ancient woodland, open hillside — dogs love the varied terrain; seasonal restrictions on leads near livestock
• Hayley Wood: Ancient woodland west of Cambridge, excellent for autumn and spring sessions
• Coe Fen: Note: cattle grazing requires leads; but the riverside paths allow free movement in the non-grazing sections

Frequently asked questions