50 Dog Tattoo Ideas for the Perfect Pet Portrait

Do you cherish your fur baby? Have you ever considered getting a pet tattoo of your darling dog? If so, we’ve got some dog tattoo ideas that will take your puppy portrait to the next level! Our dogs are part of the family so it’s only natural to express your deep devotion to your dog through the art of tattoos.

If you adore snuggles and kisses from your furry friend, go ahead and get a tattoo that depicts some of their best attributes. It could be those floppy ears or a cute button nose. The toy that they beg for the most and passive-aggressively squeak at you until you submit to their wishes. Whatever you love most about your pet, be sure to incorporate it into the tattoo design so that you paint the best portrait possible of your pup. We decided to take a look at people’s fresh ink to see what sorts of dog tattoo ideas they’re getting these days. They did not disappoint! Get inspired by these adorable dog tattoos!

Get Inspired by These Dog Tattoo Ideas for Your Very Own Pet Portrait!

Oh, So Real!

Did the tattoo artist nail this pet portrait or what? We came across many photorealistic pet portraits among the dog tattoo ideas we saw. What a sweet one!

Little Cutie

On the other end of the spectrum, we have more whimsical interpretations like this dog tattoo that looks like it came from a children’s picture book. For your dog tattoo ideas, think outside of the box for a more singular design.

A Stunner

Here’s another realistic one of a labrador that we adore! The diamond shape helps the design feel defined. If you can find an artist with plenty of experience, you could very well walk away with something equally stunning.

Minimal

How energetic and cute is this line drawing of a dachshund? You can go the more abstract route like this for a unique dog tattoo idea that you can cherish forever.

A Stylistic Husky

Here’s one of the most uniquely imagined dog tattoos on this list. It looks wholly original and very fresh!

Pretty Girl

Here’s another photorealistic tattoo of a dog. Look at all of the detailed work put into that cutie’s fur. Flowers further sweeten this winning design.

Okay!

Do we know what’s going on here? Nope! Do we care? Nope! How cute is this little ninja puppy? Often, the weirder the better when it comes to dog tattoos.

Precious Pomeranian

How sweet does this Pom look? This minimalist take on a dog portrait might be more your speed than a crazy-detailed realistic one that will take forever to complete.

Happy Boy

Here’s a remarkable dog face that will surely bring a smile to anyone who beholds it. Take a look at those teeny-tiny whiskers! There is so much detail in such a small amount of space with this tattoo.

Frenchie

Line-drawing dog tattoos are extremely popular. Here’s a Frenchie that’s done in the style that looks like it’s full of movement and visual interest. This is similar to the abstract dog tattoo idea we shared with you earlier.

Paw Print Tattoo

Among dog tattoo ideas, paw prints were also exceedingly popular. Some people chose a “standard” paw print while others got their own dog’s print tattooed on their bodies. This paw print inside a heart is extra special!

Single Line Dog Tattoo

We told you these line drawings are really popular! Here’s another delightful one that looks perfect on the shoulder.

Coco

With just a few lines and minimal shading, we find a one-of-a-kind portrait of a dog named Coco. What a lovable little face! Feel free to brainstorm dog tattoo ideas that are simple and elegant like this one.

Bulldog Baby

This bulldog looks like a character, right? Done in black and grey this is a marvelous portrait that we’re sure the person with it will cherish for a lifetime.

Paws Up Top

Another popular trend among dog tattoos is paws and human hands interacting. We find both engaged in a high five here.

Just for Julia

Meet Julia! What a fun portrait that has been made even more engaging thanks to the watercolor effect of the background. For your dog tattoo ideas, feel free to explore this style. Now, we want to snuggle Ms. Julia.

Strawberry Boy

Okay! Here’s a pretty pup with a strawberry hat on. It definitely makes this design stand out among the other dog tattoos on this list. If your dog has a favorite toy or article of clothing, go ahead and let that inform your design.

All Ears

We find not one but two dog tattoos on this arm that imagines the ears only. It’s a unique dog tattoo idea that we saw a couple of times as we researched dog tattoos. We’ll share another with you further down this list.

In Roses

Here’s a cutie emerging from gorgeous roses. It’s a fine tattoo that shows so much shading skill on the part of the artist. If you’re thinking about larger dog tattoo ideas, you can’t go wrong with a partial sleeve like this.

A Portrait of Red

Here’s a warm dog portrait that includes the pup’s favorite ball. What is your pup’s favorite toy? Would you want to include it in your tattoo? By incorporating other elements like flowers and leaves, you can really make your dog tattoos look robust.

Silhouette

This handsome silhouette of a dog contains a scenic mountain view. It’s the only tattoo of its kind we came across which makes it a fresh and unique dog tattoo idea that we think a lot of people will love.

A Masterpiece

This dog tattoo idea borders on hyperrealism which may or may not appeal to you. It’s one of the most detailed dog tattoos on this list. What a love letter to a four-legged friend.

Marta

Here’s a portrait of a dog named Marta who seems like she’s a real champ! Diamond-shaped frames are all the rage right now and you should consider one for your dog tattoo to add some color and definition.

Cutie Pie

Here’s a sweet little tattoo of a Yorkie with the faintest seafoam background. If you want something small, consider getting a micro tattoo that does not take up a ton of real estate on your skin.

Tiny Pup

Here’s another example of a micro tattoo that would fit on top of a quarter. If bigger isn’t necessarily better in your book, consider getting a tiny tattoo in tribute to your dog.

RELATED: 25 Precious Pet Tattoos that Will Warm Your Frigid Heart

For His Rescue

“You can’t buy happiness, but you can rescue it,” the person who shared this image captioned it. It’s a smart sentiment and reminder to always rescue dogs!

Those Eyes

This dog looks rather mischievous, doesn’t it? We’re not sure how the artist managed to capture the pup’s personality but it’s a wonder of a dog tattoo!

Lots of Love

If a diamond frame does not work for you, consider framing your puppers’ face with a heart. The artist has worked the name of the dog into this one which was a clever dog tattoo idea.

Watercolor Paw Print Tattoo

Here’s another watercolor tattoo this time, with a paw print on top of it. Notice how the artist has employed white ink to really make the print pop against the rich colors behind it. Your pup’s paws could be the perfect inspiration for your dog tattoo ideas.

A Unique One

For a dog named Yoshi, this person got a paw print with his face in it. This is an extremely original dog tattoo idea that we did not come across twice. This tattoo could be the perfect inspiration for how you devise your own.

Traditional Dog Tattoo

We did not see a lot of traditional designs on dog tattoos today but we did come across this one which looks so fun. If you love old-school tattoos, your dog tattoos can be translated to the style rather easily.

A Couple of Cuties

Do you love kawaii? We think celebrating all things cute should be mandatory. How precious are these two puppies? We love their rosy cheeks!

Sweet Dachshund

Here’s a minimalist tattoo of a dachshund. A simple outline of your dog could be all it takes for you to score a winning dog tattoo idea.

The Traveler

This doggo is going places! Expertly done in just black and grey, this dog in a spaceship is one of the most playful dog tattoos on this list. Get weird, it pays off!

Colorful Angel

Here’s a dog tattoo that was done in memorial of a friend that passed away. We love all of the radiant color and energy it brings to this piece.

A Little Tattoo for a Big Dog

This Doberman tattoo looks rather butch and to the point which we imagine will speak to many people. Something small and straightforward can serve you well!

A Dog Named Baby

This dog’s name is baby and it looks just darling in this pet portrait tattoo. Notice how the artist has made its eyes seem to glisten. Just precious!

Crank the Color

Here’s another vividly colored dog tattoo that finds a sweet baby with butterfly wings. Feel free to experiment with colors and styles until you find the perfect scheme for your dog tattoos.

Super Stylish

Here’s one of our favorite dog tattoos on this list. Half has been completed in a photorealistic style while the other half goes abstract. Mix and match styles and you could walk away with an equally original design.

Tiny Ears

As promised, here’s another tattoo of just the dog’s ears. These are so evocative and cute! This emerging trend among dog tattoos is likely to blow up in the coming years. It’s such a fun idea!

Kevin the Chihuahua

Hi Kevin! We find a photorealistic dog portrait surrounded by traditional elements in the banner and the roses. Again, don’t play by the rules and reap the rewards.

Rose Colored Glasses

We’re here for the Chihuahua love! Here’s another portrait of our friends from Mexico wearing pink, heart-shaped glasses. It’s an offbeat blast!

These Pets Rock

Check out these radical pet portraits that imagine a dog as Ziggy Stardust and a sphynx as a rockstar as well. Find yourself an artist with a point of view and you’re going to end up with awesome dog tattoos like these!

Precious Pup

This person has chosen to go the more illustrative look for her dog tattoo and we think it turned out perfectly. Evocative, precious, and warm this is an amazing tattoo that we’re sure others would love having on their bodies.

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Creative with Color

We leave you with one of the more offbeat dog tattoo ideas on this list that finds a dog filled with neon colors. It’s a bold interpretation that ultimately looks fresh and original.

Set the Scene

We’re treated to a coastal sunset in this dog tattoo idea that finds those furry friends enjoying some sea and sand. Consider making your tattoo a scene like this for a fully baked look.

Neo-Traditional Meets Art Deco

If you value style, mix and match motifs from various art movements. This is a neo-traditional design that borrows from old-school tattooing but offers something fresh with its Art Deco flourishes. Beautiful!

Neon Buddy

Here is one of the most unique dog tattoo ideas on this list. It imagines the pup with some neon horns that cast a glow over the whole design. We love an offbeat tattoo and this is definitely far from the beaten path.

Like a Teddy Bear

Here’s a sweet portrait of a dog that’s so cute it doesn’t even look real. Detailed, fine lines bring this gem to life. Little flowers never hurt so go ahead and consider those as part of your dog tattoo ideas.

Amazing

What a dreamy dog tattoo that is full of so much detail. What a winning portrait of a handsome pup.

There you go! Dozens of dog tattoo ideas in varying styles and sizes. If you’re looking for dog tattoo ideas, we hope you feel inspired by these phenomenal examples of what a pet portrait tattoo can look like. Go with your heart and think of the very best way to celebrate your fur baby with some awesome ink! If you want even more inspiration, keep reading. We’ve got so many wolf tattoo ideas to share with you as well!

Let’s Get Wild With These Awesome Wolf Tattoo Ideas!

Smokey Mystery

Here’s a fairly common wolf tattoo scheme that finds a portrait of the wolf’s face amind some sort of natural element. It can be a forest or something more ethereal like this smokey scene.

Your Entire Back

Just to show you how far you can take things, we find a giant back tattoo that forms the face of a very big wolf. It’s an amazing back piece but we realize that this is going to be too much for most folks.

As a Half-Sleeve

Half-sleeve wolf tattoos are extremely popular. As we mentioned with the first image, a large wolf’s face paired with other imagery is common. We find a wolf howling at the moon in the lower scene of this dramatic tattoo.

Graphic Quality

Work with an artist who has a point of view to come up with different ways of realizing your wolf. We find bold, black shapes here that come together to puzzle together a face of a wolf.

Neo-Traditional

Here’s a neo-traditional wolf tattoo that marries old elements with new ones. If you want to celebrate the history of tattooing while also discovering something new, work with an artist who is versed in this style for something fresh.

Add Some Geometry

We encountered a lot of geometric wolf tattoos with characters in full or partial geometric shapes. This one imagines the best of both worlds.

Framed

The artist has created a romantic frame for this wolf tattoo. It helps ground the design and offers some ornamental elements that sweeten the entire deal.

The Fade

Here’s an interesting concept for your wolf tattoo. We find a silhouette of a hound that fades as your eye moves down the design. It offers plenty of drama and mystery.

Contrasts

We’re not sure what’s driving the wolf tattoos with split imagery but it’s extremely popular to the point of being trite. Nevertheless, this design has been tattooed well with half of it soft and delicate and the other hard and dark.

Traditional

Here’s a rather traditional wolf tattoo design that’s been around in some form or fashion for decades. If you love the history of tattooing, going with a traditional style will serve you well.

Photorealism

If you know a tattoo artist who is accomplished in tattooing realistic portraits, you can walk away with something truly spectacular. This is such a haunting piece!

Like a Portrait

Here’s another portrait-style wolf tattoo that finds the character flanked by lotus flowers. The lotus flower is a symbol of rebirth and endurance. This makes them a good addition to just about any tattoo.

Of the Were Variety

We actually encountered several werewolf tattoos and this is one of our favorites. It’s horror movie-worthy and seems to show a person transforming into a wolf beneath the moon.

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Splashy

We’re not certain that this should be categorized as a watercolor tattoo but it does feature the splashy elements that look like spots of black ink in this example. This design brings so much movement and energy to the subject matter.

Silhouette

Tattoos done in silhouette are very popular for all manner of subject matter. We found it a lot with wolf tattoos. This one finds a howling wolf and a crescent moon.

Radical Color

We’ve seen a lot of black and grey wolf tattoos on this list. Here’s some delightful color that we can confidently categorize as being a watercolor tattoo. Notice that silhouette near the wrist? We’re telling you, they’re everywhere!

Mystical

There are some Asian-inspired elements with these wolf tattoos. The tails of these wolves seem like they could belong to a Chinese dragon. They certainly look like winning tattoos that are touched by magic.

Singular Style

This wolf tattoo looks like none other on this list. It almost looks like a mask. An artist with some graphic design skills will make your tattoo more singular so find someone with a style you really admire to do your design.

Into Ornamentation

People really love splitting these wolf faces! Here’s yet another example that finds a wolf seeming to turn into a mandala. The ornamental elements bring some added beauty to an already beautiful animal.

A Delicate Touch

Here’s an elegant and balanced design that finds a wolf breathing steam towards the moon. The frame detail adds understated sophistication.

Inner Workings

Another popular scheme for wolf tattoos is to take the shape of the animal and fill it with something else. People are really into geometric shapes as you can see in the above example.

Less Is More

We’ve seen a lot of wolves with tons of line-work that produces the texture of fur. This artist has managed to do it with fewer lines and focuses on the shapes of the wolf’s face. It’s an interesting take and a handsome design.

A Mean Scene

Here’s a neo-traditional tattoo that finds a rather scary interpretation of a wolf. The mouth is wide open with a menacing tongue. Find an artist who understands your vision and the sky’s the limit.

Crowned

Here’s one of the smaller wolf tattoos we discovered. This wolf is wearing a crown and sits underneath a charming banner. It’s an original design that celebrates the leader of the pack.

Neon Dream

You don’t see many wolf tattoos like this. It’s full-color and finds a grey wolf surrounded by a rainbow of botanical elements. What a stunning design.

Endless Possibility

Here’s another example of the limitless possibilities that you have when conceiving of your wolf tattoos. We find the split-face once again but at least the other elements are so remarkable that we can forgive it.

Looking to Other Mediums

Here’s a creepy design that evokes imagery produced by woodcut. Turn to old modes of art production be they painting or otherwise for a tattoo that really stands out.

Asian-Inspired

This wolf is holding a katana in its teeth. It’s a clear reference to Asian art and themes. The smokey red element looks fantastic here and we imagine it would work with a variety of wolf tattoo designs.

Additional Elements

Sure, you can get a wolf tattooed and call it quits. To add more meaning to your design, consider other visual elements that will make the tattoo all your own. This one finds a magical book and a pretty crescent moon.

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Kawaii and Cute

Finally, we leave you with a cutie. This cute and cartoonish character could be the perfect style wolf tattoo for you. We shared it to show just how varied these designs can be. Follow your gut and buck trends for a design that will make your tattoo the envy of all.

There you have it! We hope you found some ideas worthy of your wolf tattoo. As you’ve seen, there are several directions you can take a wolf tattoo in, just make sure you’re expressing yourself to the fullest by working with a tattoo artist who can create a singular piece for you. Happy tattooing!