Four out of my last ten shoots included the family dog. None of them pint sized dogs that are easily picked up and oriented to face the camera. All 50 lb+, and apt to face their human (ie, back to the camera) when told to Sit. This means that the human needs to stand with their back to me, tell the dog to sit, then hold the dog in place while pivoting 180 to crouch next to the dog. Then rest of the family gathers around the dog, as it's easier for humans to position themselves than it is to try to encourage a dog butt to sit on a specific spot.