Your furry family members are an important part of your life, so it only makes sense that you’d want to include them in some of your senior photos (if not all of them).

To make this a fun experience without sacrificing the quality of your photos, here are a few tips to read through before your session.

• -  How does your pet generally behave? Before you choose a photographer and a location, consider what your pet is like. Are they fine around new people? Do they hate being held? Can you easily travel with them in a car? Knowing your pet’s personality and behavior will help you better plan your session.

• -  Bring someone along with you. Since your pet might not be in all your photos with you, bring someone along who can manage your pet in between shots.

• -  Have a carrier or leash with you. Depending on where your shoot will take place, it’s important to bring a carrier or leash along with you. This will prevent your pet from running away and putting themselves in harm’s way during all the excitement.

• -  Bring some treats. If your dog responds to treats as a reward for good behavior, bring them along to your session.

• -  Think twice about the location. The location you pick should fit in with your pet. If you know that your dog would go crazy in a setting where there’s a lot to do and see, you may want to have your shoot at home or in a quieter park instead.

• -  Schedule a grooming session. In the same way that you want to look good for your senior photos, your pet should look good too. Schedule a grooming session the day before or the day of your shoot.

• -  Choose the right outfit. Find an outfit that matches your pet. For starters, your outfit should be easy to move in and not show hair or dirt easily. You should also find a way to match your outfit to your pet’s collar or bow – whatever you choose to dress them in. It’s best not to opt for wacky pet outfits as this could the focus off you.

• -  Relax into it. You never quite know what might happen during a photo session with a pet so it’s best to simply have fun and go with the flow. Not every photo with your pet needs to be perfect.

  When you think of photo sessions with a pet, you may be thinking cats or dogs but remember that you can include any type of pet you want to. You may just want to check with your photographer whether there are any pets they haven’t or would prefer not to work with.