“I really want a session but my dog, he is so hyper. I just don’t think it would work.”

We hear this more often that you might think.  The key to a great session is preparation.  We need to make sure your pet has been properly prepped.

What does this mean?  Dogs and other animals who are naturally more active and busy need to have that energy burned off before they can be expected to sit and listen.

Imagine being a kindergarten teacher and your students do not get recess or gym class to wear off the excess energy before they attempt to sit down and learn for the day.  The students do not behave well because they have ants in their pants and can’t sit still.

The same thing happens with your pet.  If they can’t sit still, they can’t focus.  Then the pet parent gets frustrated and then everyone feels bad.

Nope sorry, this is not how a session should go.  The most important thing to remember when getting ready for your session is preparation.

We will say it again just because – PREPARATION IS KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL SESSION.

Preparation takes many forms such as selecting the right location, the right color of clothes/collar and most importantly how much to exercise your pet.

If your session is scheduled for late afternoon, plan to take your dog out for an extra long walk midday or maybe even a tad bit later.  If you usually walk 30 minutes, plan to walk for an hour.

Some consideration needs be be given to how much exercise.  First, we suggest all dogs be exercised at head of time just to take the edge of. This exercise can take many forms.  That said, if you have an older/ill dog, do not do too much.  Just having the session might be enough to tire them out.  Use your best judgement.

Now if you have a healthy dog who is naturally busy like sporting dog or a herding dog, you will probably need to do more not less.  Again use your best judgement.  

Our best example is Rufus, the 5 year old chocolate lab/GSP mix needs much more exercise than Missy the 13 year old senior Sheltie with hip issues.

The key take away is that you don’t want to completely tire out your dog so they want to nap during their session, you just want to take the sillies out of the equation.   

We also recommend that you arrive at your session location about 10-15 minutes prior to your session in order allow your pet time to acclimatize to the location and well do any business they need to do before their session.

By preparing this way, it allows for more time to create beautiful memories and less time chasing squirrels.