Guides · Pet loss and remembrance
Dog Memorial Guides
These dog memorial guides follow the order a loss unfolds: the first hours after your dog dies and who to call, how cremation and burial differ, how to look after yourself, your children and your other pets, and later, how to choose a photo or a keepsake. Read them in any order. Nothing here needs deciding today.
Dog memorial guides, from the first hours to later
Start with the practical guide if your loss is recent, and come back to the portrait guide when you are ready. The table further down points to the exact part of each guide you need.
- What to Do When Your Dog Dies: confirming the death, keeping the body cool, cremation or burial, local rules, children, other pets and pet loss support lines.
- Pet Memorial Portraits: finding original files on phones and in the cloud, scanning old prints and choosing a style the photo can carry.
Pet loss: the first 24 hours in brief
When a dog dies, the practical steps are few, and they come in order. Take them one at a time, and ask someone to help with the calls if you can.
- Make sure. There is no breathing, no heartbeat when you press a hand just behind the left elbow, and no blink when the corner of the eye is touched.
- Make one call. Phone your vet or, out of hours, an emergency animal hospital; many can take your dog’s body in and arrange cremation.
- Keep your dog cool. The ASPCA puts the limit for a well-cooled body at about a day, with a refrigerator, a freezer or a concrete floor doing the cooling.
- Choose aftercare. Private cremation returns the ashes, communal cremation does not, and burial on your own land is possible only where local rules permit it.
- Look after those left behind. Grief after pet loss is normal, children and other pets may need steady routines, and the full guide lists support lines.
Which guide answers your question
| Where you are | Read | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Your dog has just died | The First Hour | Checking for signs of life, who to call, keeping the body cool |
| Choosing between cremation and burial | Aftercare Options | Private, communal and water-based cremation; pet cemeteries |
| Planning a burial at home | Home Burial | Local rules, calling 811, depth, what to wrap your dog in |
| Worried about a child or your other dog | Children and Other Pets | Honest words for children, steady routines for pets |
| Struggling with grief | Grief and Support Lines | What is normal, when to reach out, hotline numbers |
| Going through photos | Pet Memorial Portraits | Finding original files, scanning prints, choosing a style |
| Buying for a friend | Dog Memorial Gifts | Keepsakes made from a photo of their dog, sent when they are ready |
If the photos are too hard to look at yet
You do not have to choose a photo, or a keepsake, for a long time. The one thing worth doing early is copying the photos somewhere safe, because pictures get lost when an old phone is traded in, a cloud plan lapses or a family chat is deleted.
Ask someone you trust to gather the original files from every phone and computer into one folder, keep two copies and leave the choosing for later. When you are ready, the memorial portrait guide explains which photo to pick and how to scan printed ones, and the photo guide has side-by-side examples.
Memorial keepsake collections
MyDogPics makes dog memorial gifts from a photo you choose, with no deadline attached. Each product page lists its size, material and options, and a gift for a grieving friend can go straight to their US address.
Memorial keepsakes
Pieces in this row are made to order from the photo you upload, and we check that photo before anything is printed. There is no rush, and this page will still be here when you are ready.
Dog memorial guides: common questions
Where should I start if my dog died today?
Start with the first hour: confirm there is no breathing or heartbeat, phone your vet or an emergency animal hospital, and keep your dog somewhere cool. The step-by-step guide covers the rest in order, and everything else here can wait.
Is it normal to grieve a dog this much?
Yes, pet loss can hurt as deeply as other losses, and grief can show up as tiredness, poor sleep, guilt or trouble concentrating. Cornell University’s Pet Loss Support Hotline (607-218-7457) is answered by trained veterinary student volunteers, and in a crisis you can call or text 988.
Can I bury my dog in the backyard?
Only where your state, county and city allow it, so check the local code or ask animal control first. Where it is allowed, contact 811 before digging and meet the local minimum depth; the home burial section explains the depth guidance and what to wrap your dog in.
What if the only photos I have are old or blurry?
They can still become a keepsake, because illustrated and painted styles forgive softness and small objects forgive it more than large prints. Scan printed photos on a flatbed scanner rather than photographing them, and send the camera-roll original instead of a screenshot.
What memorial keepsakes can MyDogPics make?
MyDogPics makes dog memorial gifts from a photo of your dog, and the same photo can become a portrait, an ornament or a blanket. Each piece is made to order, and we check the photo before printing and email you if it needs replacing.
How long do you keep the photos people send?
If you order from MyDogPics, your photo is kept for 12 months after the order and then deleted, and we delete it sooner if you ask. The privacy policy has the details, and you can reach us through the contact page.
More guide topics
- Dog Portrait Guides: portrait styles and sizes, and working from the photos you have.
- Dog Photo Product Guides: how a photo prints on fabric, paper and more.
- Dog Gift Guides: thoughtful gifts for the dog people in your life.
- Christmas Dog Gift Guides: holiday gift ideas for the dog lovers on your list.
Go at whatever pace you need. We are here if you have a question.