Dog at the Wedding

We are doing pictures with our dogs, but they wont be attending the reception. its awkward to ask someone to watch them at the wedding, unless you have someone willing to do it!

Have you talked to your venue if dogs are allowed? Our dog was in our engagement pictures & on our website as "dog of honor". She is super well behaved and does well off leash, she is used to being around a lot of people so busy crowds don't phase her. Our pet sitter drove her to our ceremony, she walked down the aisle by herself then sat next to our MOH until after the ceremony, then followed us out and took a few pictures with us before our pet sitter took her home. We wouldn't have had her stay longer anyway, but our venue doesn't allow dogs around food being served.

I had my dog at my wedding, and it was at my grandparent's farm house. I just kept her inside the whole time.

Maybe your dog can come out before/after the guests show up that way he/she's included but not too much of a hassle.

I would definitely stand firm on this one.

Our FH wanted our dog involved in the wedding but the venue we chose doesn't allow animals on the property. Even if it did I would be fearful of doing that because our dog is very dog & people friendly and gets so excited that he jumps and drools and whines and barks. And he's a 130 lb St Bernard so that wouldn't go well at a wedding haha.

You involved him in engagement photos (we did that too as a compromise for not having our dog at the wedding) so I think that should be enough! Maybe offer to do another shoot post wedding so you can get even more formal photos of all three of you?? You could even recreate your wedding looks so that you're in your dress and he's in his suit! That would be cute!

We are having our dog in our ceremony but she is an older dog who is very low energy and quiet so we don't have to worry much about her running off or barking. However, there ARE companies and dog sitters that offer special wedding services to walk with or manage your dog. We are actually planning to rent a wagon and have our dog sit in the wagon (we will figure out some way to clip her in) and have the ring bearers pull the wagon. That way no-one has to manage her on a leash or worry about her jumping on people. She will not be at our reception. Our venue doesn't allow that, but we wouldn't do it anyway. Basically, if you do include your dog, I would definitely plan on having help, but for a high energy dog I think it's also reasonable to say you don't want them included.

I agree with the previous posters. I would not have the dog at the wedding & especially not at the reception; especially if he is high energy and easily distracted. I've been to weddings where the bride and groom have had their dogs there but they were not high energy and did not jump on people. They walked down the isle and then sat down during the ceremony by the groom's father's feet. They did not have them at the reception though; one of the family members took the dogs home.

I think having a dog at a wedding and a reception can create more stress for you and it's not necessary the day of the wedding. I'd say stay firm and don't let the dog be there.

We are planning on including our dog in our wedding ceremony and some photos but that is it. He's high energy and easily distracted, but well trained, appropriately socialized, and food motivated, so with the right handler and a high value treat (cheese) I'm not too worried about him being polite enough to get through the ceremony and photos after. He'll be on leash the whole time and we will do a ton of practice and bring him to our venue for visits prior to our wedding to get him used to everything (our venue is a farm and has livestock). I'll also be taking him for a longer than normal run in the morning so we can both get out some energy/jitters ahead of time. My FH and I both LOVE our dog, but if we didn't feel we could keep him safe or our guests comfortable, we wouldn't be including him. We are also prepared to make a last minute change if it doesn't seem like it is going to work. After photos, we are planning to have a friend or family member bring him home (our venue is about 25 minutes from our house) so we don't have to worry about him at all during the reception or rest of the evening. I would rather not have our dog involved at all then worry about him throughout my entire wedding.

It sounds like your wedding will be stressful for your dog and your dog might be stressful to your guests and the stress of having your dog around and the management required to keep him safe will negatively impact you on your wedding day. I would not include your dog. If you felt that your dog could be reasonably managed for a short period of time, and you had a friend or family member who was comfortable handling your dog and willing to do so, you could consider having him there for a part of the ceremony or some photos after, but even that does sound like a bit of a stretch based on your dogs energy levels, drive, and the environment you'll be in.

I would tell your FH how stressful you think it will be and mention that you already have plenty of professional photos with your dog. Paint a scenario for him where your dog whines throughout your vows, slips his leash and leaps into the pond to chase birds, and drowns, or runs around and eats something he shouldn't and gets sick and needs to be rushed to the vet in the middle of your wedding because he's vomiting and having seizures. Sounds extreme, but these are all the things you should not be worrying about or dealing with on your wedding day and it all can be avoided by leaving your dog home, where he is safe.

Having him in the ceremony carrying the rings or something is one thing. but i would say definitely not at the reception. i'm sorry, i would stand your ground. plus, would the venue even allow pets?