North Park Family Portraits: Kent Family – Pittsburgh Dog Photography

“It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them,” writes John Grogan author of  Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog.

Meet Christine and her husband Jay, their son Justin and his girlfriend Brittany, and their daughter Nicole and her fiancé Cody, who traveled from the St. Louis area for Thanksgiving and the Steelers-Packers game. While the holiday weekend made it convenient to get everyone together for family portraits, it was also the perfect time to do something special for one of Christine and Jay’s dogs, a goldendoodle named Colby.

family poses with two dogs by lake and boathouse at North Park

“We are afraid he is getting to the end of his life so want to make sure we have pictures of him in memory and with his buddies and the kids,” explains Christine. Colby has been a special part of the Kent family since the couple picked him up as a puppy from a breeder when their kids were younger. “We [told the kids we] went out to look at Christmas trees, and when we came home, they were in the basement and we just let Colby run downstairs and surprise them.”

Joining Colby on this chilly November morning were Nicole’s dogs, rescued Lab mixes Nala and Sammy, and Christine and Jay’s nine-year-old tedder bear Monty, who has shared a particularly close bond with Colby since joining the family.

two dogs pose with owners near North Park Lake in Gibsonia

young woman cuddling a senior goldendoodle by the lake at North Park in Gibsonia

“We got [Monty on] Valentine’s Day while my husband was out-of-town because Colby was having problems with his hips and he couldn’t take walks or get exercise so we thought a puppy would do the job. And he did!”

At 11-years-old, Colby is a bit slower than he has been, but he showed no signs of that during our session. He kept right up with Sammy, Nala, and Monty as they ran among the fallen leaves scattered throughout the fields in North Park, sniffing and exploring, playing chase, and rolling over for lots of belly rubs.

two dogs run in a field of falling leaves at North Park in Gibsonia

siblings pose with four dogs in a field during a fall portrait session at North Park in Gibsonia

And, of course, we couldn’t wrap the session without including Nicole and Cody’s pups in a special way. Nicole, who revealed she got engaged just a week before, dreamed of getting just one shot with her girls and her engagement ring. I’d say that was a success, thank to patient Nala who let her mom place her ring on her nose. Gorgeous, right?!

rescue dog with engagement ring on her nose

These two were such naturals and so much fun to work with! The love they have for each other (and Sammy and Nala) is obvious!

engaged couple poses with two dogs at a field in North Park

Christine and Jay, enjoy these memories of your sweet family and adorable fur babies! (You know no matter how old they get, they’ll always be your fur babies.)


If you would like to book a Bark & Gold Photography session for your pet, click here or give me a call at 724-913-BARK (2275). For more information on Bark & Gold Photography sessions, visit “Your Session” in the menu.

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