How To Do Pet Photography

There are no ugly pets : dogs, cats, parakeets… they are all gorgeous and photogenic, right? Have you ever tried to portray your favorite furry (scaled or feathered) and have not obtained great results?

Don’t worry, it’s not that your pet is ugly, far from it, it’s that you still don’t know how to get its good side out. Nothing happens, that’s why we’re here, to learn together. For this reason, today I have decided to collect all the information related to pet photography.

The goal is to provide you with everything (ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING) you need to know to take impressive photos of your pet either at home with your camera, even with your mobile phone and with few means; or to do a professional photo session, if you are thinking of opening a new business directory.

As you can see, it is a very complete reference guide on pet photography, so if this is your topic, please do not lose sight of it. Surely you will want to return to it from time to time to refresh some point. For now settle in, I already have my coffee ready, and you? Great. Let’s go to the mess!

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WHAT IS PET PHOTOGRAPHY?

Photographing pets has become a fun and profitable business, as there are many families who want to immortalize their pet to have an indelible memory.

For families, the animal becomes one more member, so, in addition to regularly photographing them at home, they often resort to a professional photo session, which can be in the studio or outdoors. This is pet photography. Are you interested? Keep reading 😉

PET PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT

Obviously, photographing your pet at home for pure pleasure is not the same as dedicating yourself to it professionally. So let’s see what you need depending on the photographer you are.

If photography doesn’t interest you beyond taking cool photos of your pet, don’t get complicated, the camera you have will do, even if it’s the one on your mobile, and a few tips to make the most of its potential. Later I will reveal the tips and tricks you need.

You are fond of photography beyond pet photography or you want to dedicate yourself professionally to it. This is the equipment I recommend for photographing pets:

• Camera with Manual Mode.
• Appropriate objective (below, I dedicate a section to this topic because it is the most important).
• Filter to protect the lens from various licks and other possible dog accidents and the like.
• Sunshade, also protects the objective.
• Lighting kit if you intend to set up a studio. I would recommend a light window and a reflector. external flash? Never-ever-ever-with-pets. That you have no choice? Well, make sure it’s not a skittish pet, that you put it on the lowest possible power and that you bounce it so as not to hit it directly. Before you should have shot to the other side and give him a treat at the same time so that he associates it with a positive stimulus. Come on, you have to work hard and still most likely bother her.

If you are going to dedicate yourself professionally, below I will reveal what else you cannot miss in your backpack.

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RECOMMENDED LENSES FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PETS

As I have told you before, the lens is more important than the camera because, once you have a camera with manual settings, it is what will give you more creative options.

When it comes to animals, the most common ones are my favorite, the (wonderful) 50mm , the 85mm and the 70-200mm (or similar). The first two, which are fixed, will give you more quality and are ideal for close-up portraits. The 70-200mm will give you more versatility and options for shooting from a distance and in action.

To photograph within a context or a landscape, for example, use a wide angle. On the other hand, if you are looking for creative and fun photos, a fisheye will come to mind.

If you have a macro, you can use it to magnify details, such as a snout, a leg, a super characteristic spot, a shell, the skin of a chameleon, etc. It is also ideal if the pet is an insect, which… hey, there are those who try to tame spiders and other bugs, right? It will have to be taken into account.

It is important that you choose the lens based on the type of pet and the type of photo you want to take. In this article we tell you in depth what are the best lenses to photograph animals .

PET PHOTOGRAPHY SETTINGS

Although situations can vary greatly, I leave you with some basic adjustments when photographing pets:

• Aperture Priority mode with wide aperture (small f/number) to blur the background.
• Speed ​​Priority mode with fast speeds if the pet is moving. Starting at 1/250s or faster depending on how fast you move and the focal length you use, if it’s a tele, better 1/500s or more.
• Low ISO values ​​as much as possible, but if it is a special moment and in low light, it is better to have noise and have the photo than to have nothing.
• Continuous focus (Al Servo/AF-C), unless the pet is asleep.
• Burst mode (with the same exception as above 😉 ).
• Silent mode, if your camera has this possibility.
• Shoot in RAW format if you plan to edit the photos, otherwise better in JPG.
• If you photograph in JPG, keep an eye on the white balance.
• When there are several animals, put them in the same plane so that they are all in focus or use medium apertures (f/8).
• Dodge one or two stops for very dark colored pets.
• Burn one or two stops for very light colored pets. That you are more lost than the rice boat and you don’t know what I’m talking about with underexposing, overexposing, etc.? Solve your doubts about light and exposure here .

And if your landing in photography is so recent that you don’t know what I mean when I talk about aperture, speed, ISO, etc., you’re going to have to learn some basic concepts of photography first. The good news is that I have prepared this guide to make it very easy for you.

After this brief paragraph, let’s continue with our pet photography 😉

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COMPOSITION IN PET PHOTOGRAPHY

The way you place the elements within the frame is really important. In fact, a good composition can overcome some technical deficiencies , so pay attention:

• Keep in mind the law of the look leaving space in the direction in which the pet looks, or goes.
• Use negative space to give it prominence.
• The center of interest will be, except in exceptional cases, the eyes, make sure that they are in one of the points of interest of the rule of thirds and that they are well focused.
• Fill the frame for more impressive portraits.
• Include context when you want to tell a story.
• Tongue sticking out doesn’t always look good, especially if it’s that of an exhausted dog, and many families don’t like to see pictures of their dog with his tongue sticking out from sheer exhaustion.
• Raised ears in dogs and cats look better because the animal is alert and happy. Except when they are long and hanging ears, of course.
• Capture the details, the texture of their fur or shell, their hooves, etc.
• Be careful with the backgrounds, it is important that they do not distract, if there are many distracting elements and it is not possible to move the pet, it is better to change the perspective or blur as much as possible.
• Use perspective to arouse emotions or change the animal’s perception. The ideal is at eye level, but if you photograph from above, you will highlight their vulnerability and may seem more fragile, arousing tenderness. From below you will give him more power and he will seem more fierce.
• Never cut through joints, ears or tail.
• Look for creative photos, below I will leave you some more specific ideas to awaken your creativity.

LIGHTING IN PET PHOTOGRAPHY

The ideal when it comes to lighting a pet is to use natural light, especially since it is what they will feel most comfortable with. So open curtains and bring your pet closer to the light. Now, if it is in a studio where you do not have enough natural light, you will have to get a continuous light. The flash thing, as I was saying before, we leave it for other occasions. Flashes scare pets and you can kill the session, better use, in the absence of a real window, a continuous light window (or two).

With lighting, beyond exposing correctly, you can arouse sensations. With a soft light you will have sweeter portraits that inspire tenderness and tranquility, while allowing details to be seen better. Hard light is more dramatic and aggressive and brings out textures. It is important that you choose one or the other depending on what you want to convey, the personality of the pet, the moment, etc.

You can also use high key and low key to thrill your pet photos.

Some tricks related to lighting that you are interested in knowing:

• Look for places with a lot of light, near a window, a door, or even a lamp if it is night.
• With front lighting, take special care of the background.
• If you want a dramatic or sinister portrait, light your pet from below.
• Use the schemes and tricks of lighting portraits of people, they will also serve as a guide to portray pets.
• Use natural reflectors to fill in shadows or gain light: a white wall, a curtain, etc.

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TIPS AND TRICKS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PETS

Now that we have already talked about these important aspects such as light or composition, we are going to see some general tips for photographing pets:

1. Connect with the pet. If it is not your pet, before starting, spend some time getting to know you and building trust.
2. Eyes always focused. Unless you’re looking for an extreme close-up of the hooves or the snout, of course. Creativity has no limits. But let it not be careless.
3. Photograph them at their level, even if you have to drop to the ground. Shoot at eye level for maximum impact, unless you want to make use of the sensations of perspective I told you about earlier.
4. Focus on his character and his personality. No one knows your pet and her habits better than you. The photo will have much more grace and sparkle if it represents a typical situation of your pet: for example, if it is a normally lazy cat, photograph it being lazy. If, on the other hand, it is a dog that does not stop running around, take a picture of it in action. If it’s not your pet, ask the owners and do some research to portray their personality.
5. I insist on the background, it is an important part of the photo. A good background will elevate your pet, an inappropriate one will ruin the photo.
6. And if what you want is to impress an animal with your portrait, do not miss these tips .
   By the way, for their sake 😉, avoid these mistakes when photographing your pet .
7. If you can convey emotion with wild animals , you can also with domestic animals.
8. Plan everything you can. It must be recognized that these little creatures sometimes do not collaborate, so I recommend choosing a good moment, having the equipment prepared in advance and all the accessories, choosing the location well, making a list of photos that you want to get and letting them get used to it. to your camera before taking photos
9. Capture the relationship with its owner or family. If you are his attachment figure, you can always self-portrait with your pet, here you will know how to do it. And if there is a new member, why not shoot them together? Check out this photo session of a newborn baby and the family dog, who is not exactly a little one…
11. Ah, now… your pet is in an aquarium ! We also tell you how to photograph it successfully.
12. To photograph them at rest, you can use baskets or the like, especially with cats. And remember to tire them out before so they can relax (without exhausting them and letting their tongues hit the ground).
13. Offer rewards. Sweets (suitable for each pet) will be your best ally.
14. Invite a friend. Does your pet have another pet friend, friends or relatives with whom he interacts often? Well, invite her to the session and photograph your relationship. They will give you unique, endearing and/or funny snapshots.
15. Be flexible. It is important to adapt to the situation, if it is not left at that moment, let it be and try to photograph the animal from afar. And if you feel bad, tired, nervous, etc., cancel the session. The important thing is your well-being, not the photos.
16. Be patient. For the same reason that I mentioned before, that they do not collaborate, you better be patient or you will get frustrated before a pet takes to eat a treat.
17. Enjoy and have fun. Especially if it is your pet or a friend’s. The important thing in these “non-professional” situations is not to take a photo 10, but to enjoy, learn and have a good memory, in the head and in the hand.
18. Get inspired on the net. Look at photos of pets to find ideas. Later I will also leave you a dose of inspiration.
19. And if this didn’t work out for you, right away I’ll tell you the tricks that professionals use 😉

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HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR PET WITH THE MOBILE

If mobile photography is your thing, I can’t help but recommend the mega guide I wrote so you can get the most out of your smartphone’s camera. However, I leave you a summary with the most important tips and tricks to photograph your pet with your mobile:

• Look for the light, this is the weakest point of mobiles. If you photograph in a space with enough light, you will notice a lot of improvement: outdoors, near a window, on a porch, etc. In the next section you have more information about exteriors.
• Keep in mind that mobile phones work best when the lighting is even.
• Clean the camera. Wipe the lens with a soft cloth before taking photos. It’s very basic, I know, but it’s forgotten so many times that you have to insist on it. It’s easy to forget, it’s easy to do, and the difference between shooting with a dirty lens and a clean one is abysmal.
• Don’t use the zoom. Unless your smartphone is high-end and has incredible optical zoom, don’t use it. Use your feet.
• Use the main camera of your smartphone, it usually gives better results than the selfie camera .
• And if you want to take a selfie with your pet, stabilize the mobile and use the self-timer or delay to photograph from the main camera.
• Try to compose well the first time, cropping means losing a lot of image quality.
• Composing well implies taking care of the backgrounds, focusing on the eyes, resorting to the rule of thirds, the gaze, photographing at eye level and all the advice that I have left you in the section above on composition.
• Hold the phone well when taking the photo.
• Photograph them when they are still, especially if the light is poor.
• To photograph them in movement better with more light and shoot in a burst to ensure the best moment or position.
• Download an app that allows you to adjust the parameters manually.
• Keep an eye on the white balance, when there are artificial lights, to avoid unwanted orange or bluish tones.
• Do not photograph with filters. To do it there is always time later, take the original photo without filters.
• And the same with black and white. Even if you have it clear at the time of the shot, do not use the black and white filter. If you photograph in color you will be able to take better advantage of the information at the time of processing.
• If your mobile has the RAW format option and you plan to edit the photos later, use it.

TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR PET AT HOME

Your pet is at home like nowhere else. Especially if it is a calm and home animal. And you, even if it doesn’t seem like the most suitable place, you don’t know it, but you’re also on your ground. That is, you play with an advantage. You know which are the places with the most light, the places where your pet prefers to be, you have everything you need (your pet too), etc.

Start looking at your house with different eyes, take a look at these tricks to illuminate your portraits indoors , look for the most receptive moment of your pet and make a good composition taking care of the background. You do not need anything else!

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH PETS OUTDOORS

To photograph your pet outdoors, that is, away from home or a studio, you should mainly take these aspects into account:

• Location. Choose a good, safe spot where the animal has room to run around or rest and provides a good background context.
• Lightning. Each hour or moment of the day will provide you with a different lighting. If you want a diffused light, to have detail, homogeneity and more harmonic photos, better at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day. Also cloudy days are a good option to have soft light. You will have a hard, more dramatic light that highlights textures and colors on sunny days and in the middle of the day. Also the golden hour of sunrise or sunset will give you great moments, warmth and most interesting backlights, for silhouettes or light profiles.
• Planning. When planning the session, make sure to take into account the lighting and the distance to the place, if you have to walk there more or less, etc. It is convenient that the pet arrives tired (not extremely) if you want photos of it at rest, if you are looking for action, it will have to come more rested. Also keep in mind that you do not miss any of the equipment and accessories you need and neither water and / or food for the animal (coordinate with its owner if it is not you).
• Security. Depending on the animal, it ensures its safety and that of whoever may be around.

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH PETS IN ACTION

Photographing a pet at rest or asleep can be very endearing, but in some cases it is not the most appropriate because it will not say anything about the animal’s personality.

Although it is more difficult, with a few tips and a little practice you will master it before you know it. Let’s see some tips and tricks to photograph pets in action :

• Photography in Speed ​​Priority mode with high speeds, from 1/500s or more, depending on the speed of the animal 😉
• Use the continuous focus mode as I mentioned in the settings and use the dynamic area here. If you have any questions, here you will find all the answers to your questions about the approach.
• Use toys to make them run or jump to catch them. With cats you can resort to sticks with feathers or stuffed mice to make them jump.

• Shoot in burst to ensure the best shots.
• Use sweeping or panning to achieve creative and fun photos full of movement.
• Remember to leave more space in front of the animal, in the direction in which it travels.
• Offer them food to photograph them heading towards you.
• A telephoto lens will be more useful in these cases.
• And if you need stabilization, forget about the tripod, use a monopod.
• Anticipate situations as much as possible to achieve unique images.
• Don’t exhaust him too much, take the necessary breaks. Your well-being is essential.
• Have fun and let the animal do it too, the opposite will be reflected in the session.

PROFESSIONAL PET PHOTOGRAPHY

The following tips are especially indicated if you want to dedicate yourself professionally to pet photography, but… don’t go away! Surely more than one trick or tip will also come in handy even if you are just an amateur photographer.

PROFESSIONAL TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PETS

Take note that all these little tricks are going to save you a lot of headaches and frustrations:

• Let them get used to you and your team. When you meet, do not pay much attention to him, let them sniff and make themselves in your presence, then take action.
• Avoid escapes. If it is an elusive animal and you go to its house to photograph it, before arriving, have it in a place where it cannot hide or get lost and it is easy to prepare it for the session.
• Take care of aspects such as cleaning the animal and brushing. This can be seen in the photos.
• Avoid distracting collars and leashes. In processing it is difficult to remove them, especially the straps that get tangled up in the legs. If there is no other choice, the trick is for the owner to hold the strap up, so it will be easier to remove it if that is what you want.
• Know in advance everything you can about the animal. Whether it can be let loose outside or not, whether it is likely to run away or hurt someone or something, how old it is to know if it will tire sooner or later and how long it will take to recover are some examples. Knowing this can save you trouble and headaches.
• Plan the session. If it is outside, pay attention to the temperature, find out if the animal has to walk a long way to get there, etc. Taking into account the limitations and needs of the animal is important.
• Know if you have allergies, if you are on a diet or what you can or cannot eat to prepare a reward that does not harm you.
• Dose the rewards. The treat that you are going to give him, you can break it into very small pieces and dose it throughout the entire session, so you make sure you have them on your side, but without harming his stomach and not causing uncomfortable diarrhea that would make his family quite angry. .

1. positive reinforcements. Before starting the session, give him these treats that you know he can eat while you press the shutter so that he associates the sound of the shot with something positive.
2. Use other reinforcements. Throwing his toy at him or caressing him where he likes the most will not hurt him… Ask his owners what the pet is like and how you can make him happy .
3. Get a helper. A collaborator always comes in handy, to help you with the equipment, to throw the toys, to guarantee security, etc.
4. Get the animal’s attention with sounds only when you are ready to shoot, with all settings ready. oh! And with dogs avoid saying their name or they will run to you. Only do it if that’s exactly what you need ;P .
5. Use squeakers to get their attention. For example these. They can also be hidden in stuffed animals.
6. Knowing the animal and recognizing its body language to predict its behavior and knowing how to adapt to the situation will give you an advantage.
7. Be careful with black and white pets, better to expose so as not to burn whites, it is easier to recover detail in the shadows in processing than to recover burned areas.
8. Place a toy or treat attached to the camera so that they look towards it.
9. Use a tripod when there are several pets in the same photo. You can photograph one and then another to join the images later. It is difficult to catch several pets at the same time and that they all come out favored. With this trick you have the guaranteed solution.
10. Take care of gestures. Pay attention to photos in which he seems stressed or angry. Their owner will not like them.
11. Make a minimum shot list. This way you make sure you deliver a complete session. I’ll give you ideas on this soon.
12. Use continuous lighting. It allows the animal’s eyes to adapt better and is silent. The opposite of a flash!
13. Use knee pads. This is so you don’t tear your knees apart as you crawl around on the ground looking for the best shots. When you’re on the ground you’ll thank me ;P .
14. Take the action photos first so that it gets tired and then you can take the photos in rest mode. If action photos are not going to be taken in the session, what has been said, it is better for the animal to come to the session tired already.
15. Get practice. Photographing pets is not like taking photos of a doll, which does not move, you put it wherever you want, etc. If you acquire practice before you will have a lot of cattle. You can go to an animal shelter, you will practice and they will have very cool photos with which to win over potential adoptive families. In addition, you can have photos to show your future clients. You all win.
16. Retouch. Do not be afraid of processing, make the lighting and contrast adjustments you need, such as giving clarity or texture to the hair, highlighting the eyes, etc. But be careful, without going overboard, it is not convenient that they do not recognize the pet in question, eh?
17. Invest in equipment as needed. Don’t go shopping all at once. Better go expanding the team as you need. Don’t skimp either, if you want to sell, you have to invest.
18. Contract, rights and obligations. Being up to date with both your rights and your obligations and having a standard contract for the sessions is, more than advisable, necessary.

PLANS YOU MUST HAVE FOR PETS

It is important that you make a list of the photos you want to have at the end of the session. Ideally, you should do some basic security at the beginning of the session and then let yourself go to have more creative photos. Here are some plan ideas you should include :

• Close-up of the head with the animal sitting and resting at eye level.
• Wide angle shot from above with the pet looking at you.
• General or full shot with the pet and its owner.
• From the ground or a very low angle, the pet jumping or running towards you.
• Blur foreground of his favorite toy and background with the pet in the middle plane.

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH PETS IN STUDIO

We are talking about a new and unknown place for the animal, so beyond some aspects that I have already mentioned, you should take these others into account when photographing a pet in a studio:

• Knowing the name (and gender) of the pet before it walks through the door is very important. And not only to win over the pet (which too), but also your client, who in the end is the one who pays and who you have to keep happy 😉
• Let the animal become familiar with the site before starting the session, including with your equipment (hence the importance of the lens hood and/or filter). Do not pay much attention to him when he arrives and, little by little, gain his trust. You can ask the family first what they like: to have their neck scratched, their head scratched, their back stroked, or if they are very shy and need more time, etc. Knowing all this in advance will help you.
• Make sure you don’t run out of water.
• Try to make the environment as calm and relaxed as possible, both for the dog and for the family, because if its owner is nervous or restless, the animal will perceive it. It is important that the temperature is adequate, that there is not too much noise, etc.
• Avoid referring to your clients as owners, better treat them as the animal’s family . Otherwise, some families may feel offended because for them it is just another member.
• Have the lighting and background you are going to work with ready.
• It is not a photographic advice, but keep the studio very clean, for hygiene, obviously, but also for company image.

WHAT SHOULD A PROFESSIONAL PET PHOTOGRAPHER CARRY IN THEIR BACKPACK?

In addition to the equipment that I told you about at the beginning, the bag of a professional pet photographer should not be missing:

• Photographic cleaning kit, to solve licks and the like, for example this one or similar.
• Spare batteries and cards.
• A squeaker.
• Pet treats and toys.
• A towel.
• wipes
• Notebook and pen.
• Protective camera case (rain-proof, splash-proof, slime-proof, etc.)

CREATIVE IDEAS TO MAKE CREATIVE PET PHOTOS

We have seen the most technical part, now, as I promised you, we are going to add a touch of creativity to the recipe with these original pet photography ideas:

• Dress up the pet (it can be a homemade costume) or use some kind of props, a hat, glasses, a bow tie, a bow, etc. Of course, if you are not comfortable, do not force.
• Perform a series, telling a story, documenting their habits, their most common gestures, giving them a foam bath, leaving them a new and flashy toy, etc.
• Use baskets, boxes, carts, a backpack or any other object or place where you can think of and, very importantly!, where the pet is comfortable.
• Photograph her practicing one of your hobbies. For example, if you like to read, put it as if you were reading a book; with a tennis racket, if it is your favorite sport; or… why not? With a camera in front of you. These photos are the most sympathetic.
• Along the same lines, those that simulate human situations are also very good, for example, in front of a steaming cup of coffee wrapped in a blanket.
• licking. To do this, use the trick of smearing his snout with his favorite cream. It doesn’t fail. But you have to be quick or it will eat it before you have time to click… have everything ready!
• Experiment with double exposure with the pet and other elements.
• Play with forced perspective.
• Photograph it from below while it is on glass. This perspective is most shocking.
• Photograph it in the water.
• If Photoshop is your thing, create anything that comes to mind.

PET PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS

If you want to continue delving into the subject, here are two recommendations for pet photography books in general. If you search the web for something more specific, for example, photos of dogs, or cats, etc., you will find more variety, especially in photobooks.

• Photograph pets. The art of photographing your best friend. For amateur photographers who want to take better photos of their pets. Written by professional animal portraitists Andrés López and Merce Alonso, from Fotopets.
• Pet-Photography. Also for hobbyists who want to get impressive photos of their pets. In this case, in English.

PET PHOTOGRAPHY INSPIRATION

If photos of dogs are your thing , you will like this article with inspirational images . In this other you will find the original photos that readers sent to the pet challenge.

On the other hand, the network is full of images of pets photographed by their owners in countless poses and situations. You just have to search on Pinterest or Instagram, or in any image bank for “pet” , or for “pet”. For now, you’re going to be blown away by these pet Instagram accounts:

• jeremyveach. A very nice dog and a photographer with very good taste. A combination of 10.
• jackthecockatiel. Of course, not only cats and dogs are pets. Here is the sample, a very graceful Brazilian nymph photographed with great art.
• darcytheflyinghedgehog.The photos of this hedgehog are priceless.
• tunameltsmyheart. This account is proof that there is no ugly dog ​​but, as I said at the beginning, a photographer with a lack of practice or experience.
• mensweardog. The Martini boy in a canine version. Style, creativity and originality are the keys to this account.
• thiswildea. This is another dog, this time it is a travel and life companion, portrayed in many situations and in spectacular places, with a good eye, good taste and a lot of creativity.
• pumpkintheraccoon. He is not a dog, but he thinks so, even though he is a raccoon. A rescued raccoon you can see happy with his life as a dog . From him. Some images are quite funny.
• meetgarfi. The angry cat that will make you smile more than once.

Finally, if you like animal photography, I think these articles may also be of interest to you:

And so far all the information I have in my hand about pet photography. If there is something that you think I have missed, please, leave it in the comments, I will love it if you expand with any detail or advice or if you have doubts that we can solve them.

Another thing! Before saying goodbye, I want to insist on the importance of putting into practice what you have read in this guide. Your pet is waiting impatiently for you, how can you not try all this information with it!? Can’t you see that little face he has? She is preparing your camera and her sweets, but while sharing on your favorite social network! Many pets would appreciate it if they could talk 😉 .