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A black and white image of a woman with her shepherd mix dog. The dog rests its paw on the woman's out stretched hand and looks up into her eyes.

Why book your dog for a portrait session?

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | By: J Shantz Photography

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Why a Portrait Session with Your Dog Is So Much More Than Just Photos

There’s no better way to create lasting memories with your dog than through a portrait session. Sure, it results in beautiful images you’ll treasure forever, but the experience itself is just as meaningful.

A photo session is more than just posing for the camera. It’s dedicated, intentional time spent together. Life gets busy, routines get hectic, and often our moments with our dogs are squeezed into the in-between spaces—quick walks, rushed feedings, a scratch behind the ears as we head out the door. A portrait session carves out a little bubble of time where it’s just you and your dog, fully present with one another. That alone is something special.

It’s also a great opportunity to gently work on their social skills and practice those sit-stay commands in a low-pressure, rewarding environment. I always aim to keep sessions lighthearted and positive, so it’s a fun way to reinforce behaviors without the feel of formal training. It builds their confidence, and it can build yours too. Watching your dog respond, engage, and shine during the session is its own kind of joy.

But perhaps the most meaningful part of a portrait session is this: it’s a way to hold on to them. Dogs never stay with us long enough. No matter how many years we get, it always feels too short in the end. The images we create become keepsakes. Tangible, lasting reminders of who they were and the bond you shared. That funny little head tilt, the sparkle in their eye, the way they lean into you just so. Those little details that are so them.

When the day comes (and it always does, even when we don’t want to think about it), those photos become more than just pictures. They become treasures. Comfort. Memory. Legacy.

So yes, a photo session gives you portraits, but it gives you so much more than that too. It gives you an experience, a moment frozen in time, and a way to honor the love you share with your dog in the most heartfelt way.

Check out Rukus with his mom, Jamie. We got together near Spruce Grove to celebrate this sweet boy's 1st birthday. A beautiful tribute to this good boy. I'm sure there will be many more birthdays shared.

If you have any questions or you are ready to book your dogs session fill out the contact form on my website.  You can also call 780-499-8182. 

A light coloured German Shepherd mixed breed dog looks straight into the camera. Its expression is some what serious with a slight head tilt.
A light coloured German Shepherd mixed breed dog looks straight into the camera. Its expression is some what serious with a slight head tilt. It is stretched out casually on the ground.
A light coloured German Shepherd mixed breed dog looks straight into the camera. Its  bottom teeth are showing as if to smile.  It is a tight head-shot.
A light coloured German Shepherd mixed breed dog looks straight into the camera. Its expression is some what serious with a slight head tilt. It sits in front of a wooden fence.
A woman squats next to her mixed breed Shepherd.  The dog has it's paw on her out stretched hand and licks her face.  She smiles in the moment,  The evening is warm and sunny.
A woman squats next to her mixed breed Shepherd.  They both look at the camera and smile.  The evening is warm and sunny.
A light coloured German Shepherd mixed breed dog looks straight into the camera. Its expression is some what serious with a slight head tilt. Its full body is showing as it sits on a rock pathway.
A woman swats next to her mixed breed Shepherd. She has he hand on the dog's chest. The dog licks her face.  She smiles in the moment,  The evening is warm and sunny.

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Award Winning Photographer Serving the Greater Edmonton Area for 26 Years
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St Albert, Alberta, Canada
St Albert, Alberta, Canada
Critter Collections by J Shantz Photography Logo
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St Albert, Alberta, Canada