• 60 ideas

Dog Drawing Ideas

Deal a dog to draw: a pose, a named breed, a puppy or a dog at home.

Dog Drawing Ideas

More filters
Show all 60
  1. A puppy discovering its own reflectionA puppy and a mirror. Draw the reflection as a mirror image, a bit greyer than the real one.

Next step More cute things to draw

All 60 ideas

Poses and moves 15

  • A dog asleep in a patch of sun, legs out straight Lying on its side, all four legs stretched out stiff, and a rectangle of light across the floor under it.
  • A dog begging on its hind legs Sitting upright, front paws held up and bent at the wrist. The weight sits over the back feet.
  • A dog howling with its head thrown back The neck stretched up, mouth a small round O, ears laid back along the skull.
  • A dog in a play bow, rear up and chest down Front legs flat along the ground, back legs straight, tail high. The spine runs downhill to the head.
  • A dog lying flat on its back, legs in the air A bean shape upside down, four bent legs pointing up, ears spread on the floor.
  • A dog lying with its chin on its paws A long flat oval body, two front paws side by side, the chin resting on them and eyes looking up.
  • A dog mid-leap after a thrown ball All four feet off the ground, front legs reaching, back legs pushed out behind. Ball just above the jaws.
  • A dog rolling in the grass, twisted mid-roll Shoulders on their side, hips still upright. The twist shows in the belly line.
  • A dog running full stretch, seen side on Draw the moment the legs are furthest apart: front legs forward, back legs trailing, body long.
  • A dog scratching behind its ear with a back foot Sitting, one back leg lifted and bent up to the head. The eyes squeeze nearly shut.
  • A dog shaking off water, fur flying Blur the head into three overlapping outlines and send drops out in curved lines.
  • A dog sitting, seen square from the front A pear shape for the body, front legs as two straight posts, the head a circle on top.
  • A dog stretching front legs forward after a nap Like a play bow but slower: eyes half shut, mouth open in a yawn, back legs standing.
  • A dog with its head tilted at a strange noise Tilt the whole head, not just the ears. One ear flops, the other lifts.
  • A dog with its nose to the ground, following a trail The head lower than the shoulders, tail level, one front paw lifted mid-step.

Named breeds 16

  • A Basset Hound tripping over its own ears Low body, crooked front legs and ears that drag. The long ears help stir up ground scent.
  • A Bloodhound face, all folds Loose skin in folds down the face and neck. The folds are said to trap scent near the nose.
  • A Border Collie crouched and staring Low to the ground, head level with the shoulders, eyes locked forward. Black and white coat.
  • A Bull Terrier in profile, egg-shaped head The head runs from the ears to the nose in one long curve, like the side of an egg.
  • A Chow Chow showing its dark tongue A thick ruff round the head like a mane, small deep-set eyes, and a blue-black tongue.
  • A Dachshund, long body on short legs A long sausage shape, four short legs near the ends, long nose. The name means badger dog in German.
  • A Great Dane standing beside a Chihuahua Draw the Dane first, then the small dog standing beside one of its front paws, looking up.
  • A Greyhound standing, all ribs and legs A deep narrow chest, a tucked-up waist, long thin legs and a long thin tail curving down.
  • A Komondor whose coat hangs in cords No face showing, just a mass of long rope-like cords to the ground. The coat grows into cords.
  • A Pembroke Welsh Corgi from behind A heart-shaped rear on short legs, two big upright ears above. Bred in Wales to herd cattle.
  • A Pug face from the front A round head, a short black muzzle, wrinkles on the forehead and two big round eyes.
  • A Puli mid-run, cords swinging Like a small Komondor in motion. Swing the cords the opposite way to the run.
  • A Samoyed with its upturned smile A white fluffy outline and a mouth that curls up at the corners, known as the Sammie smile.
  • A Shiba Inu with a curled tail A fox-like face, small triangle ears, and a tail curled right over its back.
  • A Siberian Husky with one brown eye and one blue A mask pattern on the face, pointed ears, almond eyes. The breed standard allows one of each.
  • An Afghan Hound with a long silky coat Long flowing hair down the legs and ears, a narrow head and a tail curled into a ring at the tip.

Puppies 14

  • A puppy asleep in a food bowl A round bowl, a round puppy curled inside it, one paw hanging over the rim.
  • A puppy asleep on an older dog Draw the big dog lying down first, then the puppy draped across its back like a blanket.
  • A puppy asleep with its tongue out A curled puppy on its side, and a small pink tongue tip poking out between the lips.
  • A puppy chewing a shoe bigger than itself Draw the shoe first, then the puppy hanging off its laces with its tail wagging.
  • A puppy discovering its own reflection A puppy and a mirror. Draw the reflection as a mirror image, a bit greyer than the real one.
  • A puppy face with the ears inside out Round face, button nose, and one ear flipped up showing its pale inside.
  • A puppy in a too-big collar with a tag A small sitting puppy, a wide collar sliding down its neck and a round tag at the front.
  • A puppy mid-sneeze Eyes screwed shut, head jerked forward, ears flung forward over the eyes.
  • A puppy seeing snow for the first time One paw lifted, the nose sniffing down at a white ground, snowflakes on its back.
  • A puppy tripping down a single step Front paws on the lower step, back paws still up, the head leading and ears flying.
  • A puppy tugging a sock Leaning back on its haunches, the sock stretched tight between its teeth and something off the page.
  • A puppy with paws too big for its legs Draw normal legs and double the size of the feet. The head is big for the body too.
  • A row of sleeping puppies in a basket Four round shapes overlapping in a basket, each one a slightly different colour.
  • Three puppies from a litter, each a different coat Same pose three times side by side. Change only the markings: patched, spotted, plain.

Walks, baths and beds 15

  • A dog and its owner, seen only from the knees down Two human legs and four dog legs walking in step. The lead hangs between them.
  • A dog asleep at the foot of a bed, feet twitching A duvet with the dog curled on its end, and short motion lines at each running paw.
  • A dog asleep on a sofa it is not allowed on Draw the sofa, then the dog stretched along all three cushions, one eye open.
  • A dog at the vet's, hiding under a chair A plastic chair, and a dog squeezed underneath it far too big to fit, ears flat.
  • A dog bed with a dog overflowing it A small round bed and a large dog lying in it, head and legs spilling over every side.
  • A dog carrying a stick too wide for the gate Front view: a gap in a fence, and the dog with a long stick held crosswise in its mouth.
  • A dog guarding the kitchen while someone cooks Sitting upright by a counter edge, eyes fixed on the top, one drop of drool.
  • A dog in a raincoat and four boots A plain standing dog, a coat over its back with a hood, and a small boot on every foot.
  • A dog in the bath, foam on its head A tub with the dog's head and shoulders above the rim and a pile of bubbles like a hat.
  • A dog pulling hard on its lead Leaning forward, the lead a straight tight line back off the page, front feet scrabbling.
  • A dog watching a squirrel through a window The dog from behind, nose pressed to the glass, and a small squirrel on a branch outside.
  • A dog with a ball in its mouth, waiting Sitting, a round ball held in the front teeth, eyes up at you, tail swept across the floor.
  • A dog with its head out of a tent flap A triangle tent, the flap pulled back, and a dog's head and front paws poking out.
  • A dog with its lead in its mouth, ready for a walk Sitting side on, the lead looped in its mouth and trailing to the floor, tail sweeping.
  • A wet dog after a walk, towel over its head A dog standing, a towel draped over its head and back, one eye and its nose showing.

How it works

Sixty dogs to draw in four kinds: poses and moves, named breeds, puppies, and walks, baths and beds. Each has a hint for the part to get right.

Read the full guide

Start with the pose, not the breed

A dog sitting, seen square from the front, is a pear with two posts for legs. Get the pose first and any coat fits over it. The hard poses catch a moment: a dog mid-leap after a thrown ball, or a dog shaking off water, fur flying.

Each breed by its one feature

The 16 breeds are drawn by the feature people know them by: the Samoyed's upturned smile, the Chow Chow's blue-black tongue, the Basset Hound's dragging ears. Get that one thing right and the rest can stay loose.

  • Check the muzzle length against the skull before you ink. It is what tells a Pug from a Greyhound.
  • Photograph your own dog from its eye level, not from above, before you draw it.

Questions and answers

What are some easy dog drawing ideas?

A dog lying flat on its back, legs in the air, and a Pug face from the front are both a few simple shapes. A puppy with paws too big for its legs is easy and funny. Easy holds 22.

How do I make a dog look like a real breed?

Pick its one feature and push it a little: the long body of a Dachshund, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi from behind with its heart-shaped rear, the folds of a Bloodhound face.

How is a puppy drawn differently?

Give it a bigger head, bigger feet and shorter legs than an adult, as in a puppy chewing a shoe bigger than itself. Puppies holds 14.

More tools

Show 6 more

Browse Drawing Ideas