30+ Best Dog Paw Tattoo Meanings And Designs

It’s no secret that a lot of tattoo enthusiasts make tattoos about something that marked an important part of their childhood or adulthood. With that in mind, a lot of people get a tattoo of their pets, regardless of whether it’s a dog, cat, or some other animal. Nowadays, a lot of people who like smaller tattoos are enthusiastic about inking the dog’s paw on their body.

Dogs are undoubtedly some of the favorite animals to some people. They are loyal, reliable, full of love and respect for their owners. That’s why it doesn’t surprise us that so many dog owners want to put their paws on their bodies.

While some will illustrate a random paw from the internet and show it to their tattoo artist. A lot more people go as far as 3D printing the paw of their dog or use the normal print of the paw. That said, let’s first take a look at the main meanings behind the dog paw tattoo, as well as the types of dog paw tattoo that you can get for yourself.

Dog Paw Tattoo Meanings

Oftentimes people get paw print tattoos, however, they’re not always from dogs. In general meaning, the paws represent the respect and love for a pet, or particular respect for some wild animal like deer, bear, wolf, or fox. Paws also express movement, particularly moving forward and advancing in some certain meaning. Some people also associate paw tattoos with the so-called “bear culture” which is known in the gay community.

When it comes to dog paw tattoos, they particularly express loyalty, love, and affection for your dog. For many people owning a dog feels like having a friend, a companion that follows them everywhere and watches over them.

Dogs are often adopted to protect the house from thieves, or wild animals in case of owning an animal farm. That said, a tattoo of a dog paw can also represent the need for guidance and protection, just like dogs will protect your property from intruders.

Dog paws can also represent loyalty. That said, people who get a tattoo of a dog paw want to express themselves as loyal and reliable people that will never let the other one down. There are many meanings to the dog paw tattoo, and that’s exactly what makes it stand out compared to the others.

Secondly, the meaning of the dog paw tattoo can highlight the remembrance or mourning for the pet that has passed away. Many people who have grown up with their beloved puppy and watched each other grow to have to let go of their long best friend one day. That can be quite stressful and hurtful event in their lives, which is why dog owners want to worship their pets by inking them on their bodies.

The meaning of this tattoo can be much simpler, and express the genuine love between a dog and its owner. That’s why people have their foot and their dog’s paw print to create a cool tattoo design that will be the highlight of their friendship, which despite the hardships can persevere.

Whatever may be the meaning, you should totally check the types of dog paw tattoos that we dugout. They may help you dig some additional ideas, that will help you come up with a great design that you will proudly wear and show to your dog.

Types of Dog Paw Tattoos

Dog paw tattoo is a simple tattoo design, with meanings that are also quite minimalistic and straightforward. Nevertheless, some people like to experiment with different shapes and designs. That’s why we listed multiple meanings of certain dog paw tattoos.

Minimalistic dog paw tattoo: This kind of tattoo is for people who don’t ask too much from their tattoo artist and want to manifest pure affection towards their pet, or dogs in general. It also doesn’t require too much time and heals relatively faster than larger tattoos.

Big dog paw tattoo: When the affection and love towards a certain animal or pet are large, a lot of people feel that a larger tattoo is more appropriate, choosing bigger designs and patterns.

Heart-shaped dog paw tattoo: Over the years, the connection between the dog owner and their pet becomes immeasurable. If you feel like the love you feel for your dog can’t be replaced by anything, choosing a heart-shaped dog paw tattoo could be a good thing to do.

Printed dog paw tattoo: As mentioned earlier, this is one of the most popular types of dog paw tattoo. Dog owners get this type of tattoo to manifest the timeless love for a pet, that will continue even after the dog has passed away. It’s also popular for people who have to move away for studies and can’t bring their pets with them.

Dog paw watercolor: If you want to add some color and vibrancy to your tattoo, the watercolor effect over your dog paw tattoo could highlight the playful and often inquisitive nature of the dog that makes them get dirty while playing.

Floral dog paw: Flowers have always been the symbol of fragility and delicacy. A lot of people use flowers in their tattoos to express these meanings. Dogs can be fragile too when they’re afraid of thunderstorms, firecrackers, or music that is too loud. For many people, a dog paw tattoo covered and shaped with flowers can be a way to describe the softness of their pet’s heart.

Multiple dog paws: This is another type of popular dog tattoo popular among people who had multiple dogs, or wanted to print the paws of each puppy you had. Whatever may be the case, this is popularly used with sleeve tattoos and generally bigger designs. Still, nothing stops you from making a small tattoo.

Best Dog Paw Tattoo Designs

We’ve come to the place where we highlight the best dog paw tattoo designs we dug out online. We’re sure that you’ll get inspired by these designs. If you are, make sure to leave a photo of your dog paw-inspired tattoo in the comments.

Small Dog Paw Tattoo

Let’s start with small dog paw tattoos because they don’t take a lot of time to make, and when you look closely at them, they’re super adorable. It’s a great starter tattoo, as many people are afraid of taking such a major step in their life and altering their skin for good. We know that there are several methods to remove a tattoo, but it’s no secret that tattoo removal can hurt much more than getting the tattoo.

That said, make sure to get a smaller tattoo if you’re unsure. The small tattoos don’t take long to ink, and they are all remarkably similar. If eventually, you decide to add more symbols to your tattoo, a small design sounds great.

Dog Paw Tattoo With A Name

More often than not, the dog paw tattoos are there with the name of the pet and the owner of the pet. If the dog has passed away and the owner is inking a tattoo to keep the memory of them, it’s commonplace to find the year of birth of adoption until the death of the dog. That being said, there are several ways to experiment with this tattoo design.

Some tattoo artists ink regular text that is handwritten by the dog owner. Sometimes, they play with different cursive designs and sometimes the artist may suggest printing the name or date with a certain font on the computer and inking it to the dog. If you’re going for this approach, make sure to opt for what’s most comfortable for you.

Dog Paw Tattoo With A Heart

Some people believe that the love between the dog and its owner is immeasurable. That’s why people who want to get the dog paw tattoo want to express love and affection for them in every way possible. The dog’s love for its owner is unconditional. That’s why the owner, when feeling like they can’t provide more than they already provide tattoo the dog paw to express love.

Hearts have always been the purest way to express love with symbols. Dogs may not understand the meaning of the tattoo once they see it, but we’re sure that it’ll resonate with it and how it looks like.

Also Read: Heart Tattoos: What They Mean And 24 Design Ideas

Watercolor Dog Paw Tattoo

The dogs are colorful and lively creatures. If you want to transfer your dog’s positive emotions to your tattoo, you should consider the dog paw tattoo with watercolor signs around it. Such tattoos can be both large and small, and they are quite creative in the process. You can experiment with a dozen of colors and different inks.

If you choose darker colors, you can always highlight the outline process in white ink. A lot of tattoo artists catch up with the new trends, and this one seems by far the most popular. Watercolors are also good for gradient tattoos, so you can have a lot of fun making this one. Dogs may not be able to see the colors the same we do, but they certainly add more color to our lives.

Human Hand And Dog Paw Tattoo

Although this may not be the conventional tattoo of a dog paw, it deepens the bond between the dog and its human. If your dog passed away, perhaps you want to reminisce on the old memories that kept you and your dog happy.

Holding the paw of your dog can be a part of a greeting or the training routine that you and they practiced or just a moment of shared love between a dog and its owner. These tattoos can be both larger and small, and they can include more elements than just the dog and the owner.

Dog Print Paw Tattoo

Getting a print of your dog’s paw can seem like a mission impossible. Your dog may love and respect you, but just like at times it’s not ready for a bath, it may not be ready and see the trouble in shaping its paw for the printing.

Nevertheless, a lot of people who get their dog’s print tattooed feel blessed and loved, which is the best part of getting a dog paw printed. These tattoos need to be done with a lot of caution and patience to be able to come to life. That’s why it’s important to talk to your tattoo artist and make sure that they can carry that out.

Otherwise, you may feel disappointed in the result. Getting your dog to print the paw on a sheet of paper may also be quite challenging, but don’t give up, the result will be amazing!

Dog Paw Tattoo On Hand

The smallest tattoos look the best on the hand, wrist, or fingers. However, it can only be the tiny dog paws that you don’t want to be prominent and easily visible. Usually, they are made by people who want to show their love and reasoning with the dogs but also try to keep the low-profile when it comes to getting a tattoo.

Most likely, it’s because they are worried about what will their employers or professors at college think. Nevertheless, it’s a great way to pay respect to your dog without making a large tattoo. It’s also a good tattoo idea for those who don’t want to spend a long session with the tattoo artist but still want to pay tribute to their dog.

Minimalistic Dog Paw Tattoo

Minimalistic tattoos are recognizable by using thin and gentle ink and creating even gentler and softer patterns. Usually, they are only framed, but not shaded. Even if they’re shaded, they are black and white and show the striving for simplicity in love between the dog owner and their dog. Minimalistic tattoos are also popular with people who don’t want a tattoo that sticks out all the time.

More importantly, it needs to be easy to hide and tell that the owner loves their dog without including too many details. Of course, you can add more elements to the tattoo without losing the minimalistic accent. But, make sure to keep the design similar to that of the dog paw.

Infinity Sign Dog Paw

Dogs may not live forever, but their love for their owner, if returned can last timelessly. To show the power of everlasting love, tattoo artists can suggest a design that looks closer to that timeless description of love for a pet. The infinity sign can contain dog paws, the face of the dog, and even the name of the dog.

If the dog has passed away, the tattoo artist can also add the date of birth or adoption and date of death. It’s there to highlight that the dog means everything to its owner and that it’ll forever be like that.

Also Read: 16 Best Infinity Heart Tattoo Design Ideas (2023 Updated)

Tiny Dog Paw Tattoo

There are small tattoos, but there are also even smaller tiny tattoos. They look incredibly stunning and attractive. Also, we find them quite minimalist for our taste. The best part of the tiny dog paw tattoos is that they can go everywhere, even at places that hurt quite a lot because of the nerve endings on the skin, or area being close to the bones. This kind of tattoo won’t take a long time to ink, which is exactly why it’s an attractive option to have.

Dog Paw Tattoo On Foot

The feet may not be the easiest parts to tattoo. There are a lot of nerve endings, not to mention that the skin layers are thin and close to the bone of feet. That makes this tattoo area among the more painful areas for getting inked. Still, the love you feel for your dog may well be worth the pain and torture that comes with it. This area is quite popular, and unless you’re wearing sandals, it’s not easy to detect it.

Dog Paw Tattoo On Palm

Can we say that dog paws are like human palms? Yes, we can! If you resonate and understand your dog to the point you become one, this may be your tattoo to get.

But, watch out. This area can be quite painful for both men and women. Palms are parts with among the most nerve ends on the human body. The fact the skin is quite close to the bone doesn’t make it easier.

The process may be hurtful and tormenting, but it’s all worth it in the end with a reliable tattoo artist. We don’t advise getting the paw print on your palm as that painful and time-consuming. Try to get a stylish and minimalist design that will be creative and make you grow closer to your dog.

Floral Paw Tattoo

We believe that dogs, even though some may be big and scary are as delicate and fragile creatures as humans. They are protective and loving, which is why you can decorate your dog paw tattoo with flowers.

We left quite a few designs that can help you make the tattoo sleek and good-looking. If you’re going to use watercolors, the tattoo could feel even more lively. If you put a bit more details in the picture you can also choose a particular flower type to add to the tattoo.

More FAQs About Dog Paw Tattoo

There must be some questions you missed asking before getting your dog paw tattoo appointment. Here we answered all the questions you could potentially have before getting your dog paw tattoo.

How To Get My Dog To Leave Their Print?

People nowadays are branding themselves with the dog paw tattoo to mark remembrance and love for their pet. However, dogs are often restless and trying to evade doing anything that could be potentially deemed dangerous, for them.

The easiest way to brand the dog would be to cover their paw in removable ink or some powder and have them place their paw over your skin on a sheet of white paper that you’d later take to your tattoo artist.

It’ll probably require a couple of attempts until your dog figures out what you’re trying to do or agrees with this deed in the first place. Nevertheless, the result will certainly be beautiful.

Lastly, don’t forget to use pet-friendly ink. If you’re worried about the ink being potentially harmful to the dog, go with some washable colors or powders.

What Is The Best Placement For The Dog Paw Tattoo?

That depends on many factors, like where you want it to be the best, whether that area hurts or not, and finally, the size of the tattoo, as it plays an important role in it all.

Based on different trends, we see that a lot of people get the dog paw tattoo on their chest, shoulders, wrist, hip, belly, back shoulder, ankle, and calves. However, that doesn’t stop you from experimenting with other positions on your body. Just keep in mind that some parts may hurt more than others. Additionally, not all body positions are suitable for a large tattoo.

Do Dogs Have A Unique Paw Print?

Like the human fingerprint, all dogs have their unique paw print. That makes it great for people who have multiple dogs and want to print all their paws on their bodies. That’s what’s truly exciting about tattooing a dog paw, you’re a dog lover and you live with a lot of them.

How Much Does Getting A Paw Tattoo Cost?

Getting a paw tattoo can cost anywhere from $30 to $50 for smaller tattoos that don’t require a lot of ink. If you’re aiming for a larger tattoo that includes multiple elements like hearts, flowers, or the dog design, it’ll be over $100. The largest tattoos can cost well past $500 if you’re getting a sleeve tattoo.

Sharing is caring!