Custom Pet Pillow Made From Your Dog's Photo
Your sofa is covered in pillows, so why is none of them your dog?
A custom pet pillow from MyDogPics starts with one photo of your dog and is made only after you order. We look over the photo, build the pillow artwork around your dog, then print it and ship it with USPS tracking. Pillows print faces big, so pick the sharpest shot you have.
Have a sharp photo for a pillow? Upload the original file on the product page, and we check it before anything prints. Want a pillow for each end of the couch? Free US shipping on every order, and your 2nd item is 25% off in the cart, automatically. You also have 30 days to have it remade or refunded if it arrives with a print defect, damaged or wrong.
See how ordering works Browse all dog photo gifts
What is a custom pet pillow?
A custom pet pillow is a cushion printed with a photo of one specific animal, most often the family dog. It comes in two broad forms: a square or rectangular pillow that carries your dog on its cover, and a custom shaped pet pillow cut to your dog's outline, so it looks like a soft copy of the dog.
At MyDogPics, every pillow begins with the photo you upload on the product page. We check it before anything is printed, and if the file is too small, dark or blurry to hold up at pillow size, we email you for another one; there is no proof to sign off on. Each product page lists its size, material and options.
Pillows print a face big, sometimes bigger than your dog's real head, so focus, light and the original file decide the result. That is why most of this page is about choosing the photo.
Custom dog pillow shapes: pillows that look like your dog, square or 3D
A shaped pillow follows your dog's outline instead of a square edge, which is what it usually means to turn your pet into a pillow. That outline makes shaped designs the most personal pet pillows, since no other dog has the same silhouette, and it is also where they go wrong.
Pick a photo of your dog sitting or standing square to the camera, taken at the dog's eye level. A dog lying on its side or caught mid-stride gives a long, thin outline whose legs get trimmed or merged. Keep hands, leashes and toys out of the frame, because anything touching the dog ends up in the outline.
To make your pet into a pillow with a clean edge, mind the background too: Pomeranian dogs with decorative pillow patterns behind them are hard to cut out, since fluffy fur blends into a busy print. A plain wall or a lawn gives a cleaner line.
Dog shaped cushions come in the pillow's size, not the dog's, so a personalized dog shaped pillow of a toy breed can come out larger than life and a giant breed much smaller. The product page lists the size, and the photo only has to be sharp enough for it.
Four things to check before you order
Shape and size
A square pillow suits a sitting dog or a head shot, while a wide pillow suits a dog lying down or running across the frame. Each product page lists the size, so match the shape of your photo to the shape of the pillow.
Front, back and filling
Pillows differ in whether they print one side or both and whether the insert is included, and the product page says which. A custom pillow with dog pictures on both sides can carry a second dog or the same dog in a second pose.
Name, date or monogram
Where a design takes a name, a custom dog pillow with name text needs room: short names read cleanly, long ones shrink to fit. Monogrammed dog pillows trade the name for initials; either way, type the spelling exactly as it should appear.
Your photo, not the product photo
The custom dog pillow pictures on a product page show the design, not your dog. The detail on your pillow comes from your own file, so open it at full size and zoom in on the eyes before you upload it.
Pillow styles compared
Each product page shows its style, and the style decides which photo you need. The table puts the common ones side by side.
| Style | What prints | Photo it needs | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face on a color or pattern | Your dog's face, cut out and set on the design's background | A clear edge between fur and background | Fluffy coats against busy backgrounds cut less cleanly |
| Wide (lumbar) | A long, low pillow with room on both sides | A dog lying down or running across the frame | A sitting dog leaves empty space at the ends |
| Dog-shaped, often sold as 3D | A pillow sewn to your dog's outline | The whole dog in frame: ears, paws and tail | Thin legs and tails are often simplified |
| Face only | Just the head, cut to its shape: a pet face pillow | A close, front-facing head shot | Side angles give an odd outline |
Choosing the pet pillow picture
Before you customize a dog pillow, look at the photo at full size, because resolution shows here first. A photo that looks crisp on a phone screen can turn soft once it is enlarged to pillow size, so start from the original file in your camera roll. Screenshots and copies saved from a messaging app hold far fewer pixels than the photo they came from.
Frame for the style. On a dog picture pillow, keep the head in the top half of the frame; for a custom dog shaped pillow, the whole body has to be in the shot with nothing cropped at the edges.
A dog face pillow needs the opposite: fill the frame with the head, eyes level with the lens. An ear cut off by the edge of the photo stays cut off on the pillow.
Light decides how fur prints. Soft daylight from the side keeps texture in dark and pale coats alike, while a bright window behind the dog turns the face into a silhouette and lamps at night add grain.
We check every photo before printing, and one that is too small, too dark or too blurry means we email you for another one first. Our photo guide puts good and weak examples next to each other.
Light-up, ghost and geometric dog pillows
Pillows that light up
Pet glow pillows are usually plush toy animals with lights inside, sold as night lights for children, so they show a cartoon face rather than your dog. Other pet pillows that light up put a photo on the cover with small battery-powered lights behind it; check where the batteries go and how much of the cover the photo fills.
Ghost pillows
A dog ghost pillow is Halloween decor: a plush dog shape draped as a ghost, sold as a stock design. It shows a generic dog under a sheet, while a photo pillow of your own dog still makes sense once October is over.
Geometric and illustrated
A geometric dog pillow, like any illustrated pet portrait pillow, redraws a dog in flat shapes, which keeps the outline and bold markings but drops fine fur. It suits a husky's mask or a Boston terrier's tuxedo better than a solid black coat, which can flatten into one dark shape.
Photo-real
A realistic dog pillow keeps the photo as it is, so it shows the exact markings, the grey on the muzzle and the collar. It is also the least forgiving style, because the sharpness of your original file is exactly what prints.
Pillow gift ideas: when a photo pillow of the dog is the right gift
A photo pillow is a gift for people, printed with their own dog, and what it solves depends on who is getting it. Each card below names one kind of buyer, the usual snag and the honest answer.
Dog moms
Dog mom pillows in a store are generic: a cartoon breed with a slogan across it. A pillow printed from her photo shows her own dog, with the markings and collar a cartoon leaves out.
Dog dads
A dog dad is hard to shop for, and a plain cushion with a paw print on it is forgettable. A pillow with his own dog's face belongs on the recliner, and a head shot against a plain wall cuts out cleanly.
Gift buyers for a dog lover
A friend, sister or coworker with a dog can be tricky to buy for, and a guessed gift gets re-gifted. A pillow printed from their own dog skips the guesswork, because one clear photo does all the personalizing.
Kids and parents
Kids pile stuffed toys on the bed, and parents dread one more thing that gets lost under them. A pillow with the child's own dog on it is a soft face to hug at bedtime, but keep it away from a dog that chews.
Matching families
Family sets end up mismatched when everyone picks a different gift. Order the same dog photo on a pillow for each person and the whole household ends up with the same face on every sofa and bed.
Couples
Anniversary gifts start to feel the same every year, however nice they are. Two pillows printed with the dog you share as a couple, one for each end of the sofa, are about your own household and nobody else's.
Grandparents
Grandparents miss the grand-dog between visits, and a framed picture can only sit on a shelf. A pillow is a picture they can lean on, and it ships to any US address with USPS tracking.
New puppy owners
With a new puppy the early weeks pass too fast, and a puppy's face changes within months. A pillow made from a first-weeks photo becomes a record of how small they were, so take the photo early; our new puppy gifts collect more ideas for a new dog.
Holiday and birthday shoppers
Christmas and birthday gifts bring last-minute stress, and a made-to-order pillow needs a head start. It is printed after you check out, so order early and read the shipping page for current times.
After the loss of a dog
After the loss of a dog the house feels empty, and a gift can hurt instead of help. A personalized dog picture pillow from a favorite photo, taken on an ordinary good day, is a quiet keepsake; our dog memorial guides help if you want guidance first.
Homes with two dogs
In a house with two dogs, one always gets left out of the pillow. A shaped pillow follows a single outline, so two dogs usually means two pillows; where a design takes more than one dog, its product page shows the limit.
Treating yourself
The pillows already on your bed are boring, and the dog-themed ones in stores are generic. Treat yourself, just because: your own dog's face on the pillow you lean on needs no occasion.
A dog who owns the sofa
The pillow sits where the dog already sleeps, which is most of the joke. These are dog pillows for humans, though: a dog that chews can open a seam and swallow the stuffing, so keep them out of a chewer's reach.
Someone far from the family dog
A personalized pet pillow for the owner who moved away, or a grown child in a new city, keeps a familiar face on the bed. Personalized pet photo pillows are light and soft, so they travel well in a box across the country.
A college student
Pet pillows for college students share a narrow dorm bed with everything else, so a compact square or a huggable shaped pillow fits better than a long, wide one. A custom dog picture pillow of the family dog also makes an easy care-package item, because nobody has to guess a clothing size.
A breed fan, or your own dog
Ready-made dog decor pillows, a generic poodle pillow for instance, show a breed rather than your dog. Personalized dog pillows are worth it when the photo shows your dog's own markings, so the photo test above still applies.
Photo pillows of pets: which picture to use
A dog photo pillow is only as good as the picture on it. For a pet picture pillow, pick a shot where the face is sharp and evenly lit, then compare the pillow's size on its product page with how far the photo will be enlarged.
A customized pet pillow can carry the face cut out of its background or a wider shot, depending on the design. Personalized pet pillows with several dogs need one photo per dog, taken at a similar distance so the faces print at a similar size.
Every pet pillow from photo prints is made after you order, and MyDogPics checks the photo first; if it is too small, dark or blurry, we email you for another before printing. That check is what separates a customized dog pillow you keep on the sofa from one that ends up in a closet.
Pillows
Dog image pillows from MyDogPics are made from one photo you upload, which we check before anything prints. To turn a picture into a pillow, choose your sharpest original with the whole head in frame, because a pillow enlarges the face far more than a small print does.
A doggie pillow, or a doodle pillow with its own curls and coat color, stays on the sofa as a daily reminder. A dog paw cushion from a shop is a stock shape, while a pillow made from a photo carries your own dog's face, and the photo guide shows which pictures to pick.
A photo throw pillow made from your dog's picture
A photo throw pillow from MyDogPics is a pillow printed with one picture of your dog, made to order after you check out. Upload the original photo on the product page, and we check it, build the pillow artwork and ship it with USPS tracking. Each product page lists its size, material and options.
A throw pillow sits on a sofa or bed where it is seen all day, and it enlarges the face. Choose a sharp picture with the whole head in frame, ears to chin, and keep the eyes in focus.
Animal picture pillows from a shop show a stock animal, while a pillow made here shows the dog you actually own. Among personalized gifts for dog lovers, a throw pillow suits someone who lives far from the family dog, and personalized photo pillow gifts need only a sharp original; our photo guide shows which pictures print well.
Custom pet pillow questions
How sharp does the photo need to be for a pillow?
Zoom in on the eyes on your phone. If you can still see separate hairs around them, the photo can handle a pillow; if they turn to mush, they will look soft on the cover too. Use the original file and skip shots taken with digital zoom, which discards detail.
Is there a proof to approve before printing?
No, there is no proof or preview step. Every photo is checked before it goes to print instead, and if yours is too small, dark or blurry for a pillow, we email you asking for a better one.
What is a custom 3D pet pillow?
Usually a pillow cut to your pet's outline and stuffed, rather than a sculpted object. The front shows your photo, and the back may repeat it or stay plain depending on the design; the product page shows which.
Can one pillow show two dogs?
Where a design takes more than one dog, its product page shows the limit. Use photos taken in similar light and from a similar distance so the dogs look the same size, and remember that a shaped pillow follows one outline, so two dogs usually means two pillows. Our two-dog photo tips help you match the shots.
What can you change on a customizable pet pillow?
It depends on the design, and each product page lists its size, material and options. A customizable dog pillow may let you pick a background or the number of dogs, but your photo is the one part every design needs.
Can you turn your dog into a pillow from an old photo?
Often, if the photo is sharp and shows the whole dog. Pet pillows from pictures that exist only as prints start with a scan: use a flatbed scanner on a high setting rather than photographing the print, which adds glare. A scan keeps what the print holds, but it cannot add detail the print never had.
Can I cancel or change my pillow order?
Yes, if you email us within 12 hours of ordering, before it goes to print. After that the pillow is being made for you alone, so there are no change-of-mind returns; our returns page covers print defects and shipping damage.
Is a personalised dog cushion the same thing?
Yes: cushion is the British word for a throw pillow and personalised the British spelling, so a personalised dog cushion is the same photo pillow. MyDogPics ships to US addresses only, with USPS tracking on every order.
Related guides and collections
Got a sharp photo of your dog? It can go on a pillow, or all over a pair of our dog face pajamas. Get both and take 25% off your 2nd item, enjoy free US shipping on every order, and count on 30 days to have it remade or refunded if it arrives with a print defect, damaged or wrong.
See how it works Check the photo guide