Guides · Memorial keepsakes
Dog Memorial Guides
Guides for making something from a photo of a dog you have lost: choosing between the photos you have, what works when the only picture is an old one, and which keepsake suits the person receiving it. Nothing here is in a hurry. When you are ready, the keepsakes are under dog memorial gifts.
Start here
Start with these 3 guides
The memorial guide from this hub, plus two portrait guides worth reading alongside it.
Start here
Dog Memorial Portrait Guide
Choosing from the photos you have, when none of them were taken with this in mind.
Portraits
Best Custom Dog Portraits
What the different portrait styles look like printed, so you can picture it before you decide.
How it works
Dog Portraits From Photos: How It Works
The plain version of the process, start to finish, with no decisions hidden in the middle.
Shop
Shop what these guides cover
Every product below is made from one photo of your dog, after we have checked that photo will print.
Dog Memorial Photo OrnamentTight close-up of the face$75.00ViewCustom Dog Portrait PrintThe largest, sharpest file you have$99.00View
Custom Dog Photo BlanketAny sharp, well-lit photo$129.00ViewPrices are the current listed price on each product page. $5.99 flat US shipping, free on orders of $79 or more. Made in 2–3 business days, then 3–5 business days in transit with USPS tracking.
The process
How a photo becomes a product
Three steps. We look at your photo before anything is printed and only email you if it needs replacing — otherwise it goes straight into production.
1. Upload your dog's photo
Pick a product, upload one clear photo of your dog and add a name if you want one. See which photo works best.
2. We check the photo and prepare the artwork
We look at every photo before it goes to print. If it is too small, too dark or too blurry to print well, we email you and ask for another one first.
3. We print and ship
Your product is printed from your photo and shipped with USPS tracking. Production takes 2-3 business days, then 3-5 business days in transit inside the US.
Choosing from the photos you have
| What you have | What it can carry | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| A recent, sharp photo from a phone | Anything — portrait, blanket, ornament | Send the original from the camera roll rather than a copy forwarded through a message. |
| An older photo from a digital camera | Usually everything, often better than people expect | Older cameras took smaller files, but they were rarely compressed afterwards, which is what actually damages a photo. |
| A photo saved from social media | Smaller keepsakes — an ornament, a mug | Social apps compress images hard. It is often the smallest copy that exists; ask whoever posted it for the original if you can. |
| A scan or a photo of a printed picture | Depends entirely on the scan | Scan flat, in good light, at the highest setting offered. Send it and we will tell you honestly what it will carry. |
| Only a photo with people in it | Portraits and ornaments, once cropped to the dog | A face that fills a reasonable part of the frame is what matters, not whether the dog was alone in the picture. |
When the only photo is an old one
A photo that was never meant to be printed can still make a good keepsake. What matters is which limits it has, and choosing around them.
Smaller print, fewer demands
The same file that would look soft as wall art can be completely right on an ornament or a mug. Choosing a smaller keepsake is not a compromise — it is picking the object the photo can actually fill.
Blur is not always a problem
A little softness reads as age rather than as a fault, especially on fabric. Heavy compression, a low-resolution screenshot or a picture taken of a screen are the ones that genuinely do not print.
We will tell you before anything is printed
Every photo is looked at before it goes to press. If yours will not hold up at the size you chose, we email you and say so — we would rather suggest a different product than print something you would be disappointed by.
Which photo to use
What makes a photo print well
- Good, even light — daylight works best; avoid harsh shadows and backlighting.
- Sharp focus on the face — you should be able to see individual fur detail.
- The whole head in frame — ears, top of the head and chin, nothing cropped off.
- The biggest version of the file you have — send the original, not a screenshot or a photo re-saved from a chat app.
- One dog per photo, unless the product has a multi-dog option.
- You own the photo, or you have permission to use it.
If the photo you upload will not print well, we email you before printing and ask for a different one. Full photo guide.
Dog Memorial Guides: common questions
What if my only photo is blurry or very old?
Send it. Softness in an old photo often reads as age rather than as a flaw, particularly on fabric. We look at every file before printing and, if it will not carry the size you chose, we email you and suggest something it will.
Which keepsake suits a memorial best?
There is no single right answer. An ornament comes out once a year and is easy to live with. A portrait is present every day. A blanket is the one people use rather than look at.
Is this an appropriate gift for someone who has just lost a dog?
Often, yes — but timing is personal. Something small and unannounced is usually easier to receive than something large. If you are unsure, a keepsake they can put away and take out later asks less of them.
Do you keep my photo?
Your photo is kept for 12 months after your order and then deleted, and we will delete it sooner if you ask. See the privacy policy.
Is there any rush?
No. Nothing here expires and nothing about it is seasonal. Orders take 2–3 business days to make and 3–5 in transit whenever you are ready.
More guide topics
There is no deadline on any of this.