Sheet C · /motifs/dog/ · 12 designs · 3 formats · 1 ink

Dog tattoo stencils and outlines

Twelve dog designs, from two tiny ear outlines to a German shepherd head for the forearm or thigh. Each prints as a stencil, an outline or a color flash at the size you set.

Designs12
Formats3
Styles5
UseFree
IN
Sitting spotted dog, stencil preview2.50 in2.50 in
1″
DG-01 · Sitting spotted dogStencil · Letter · PDFScreen preview · prints at exactly 2.50 inTest square: 1 in × 1 in. Measure before you transfer.
Print spec · DG-01

Sitting spotted dog

Format
Size
2.50 in1″4″7″10″
Place
Mirror
Paper
Test sq.
1 in square, bottom left of every sheet
2.50 inAs drawn
Filter the contact sheet12 of 12 designs
Style
Placement
Size
Difficulty
DG-01On sheet
Sitting spotted dog 2.5″

Sitting spotted dog

Traditional · 2.5 in
Beginner practice
DG-02
Floppy dog ears outline 1.75″

Floppy dog ears outline

Fine Line · 1.75 in
Simple
DG-03
Pointed dog ears outline 1.75″

Pointed dog ears outline

Fine Line · 1.75 in
Simple
DG-04
Pit bull head 3.5″

Pit bull head

Traditional · 3.5 in
Beginner practice
DG-05
Dachshund, fine line 2.5″

Dachshund, fine line

Fine Line · 2.5 in
Simple
DG-06
Chihuahua head 2.5″

Chihuahua head

Traditional · 2.5 in
Beginner practice
DG-07
German shepherd head 4.5″

German shepherd head

Neo-Traditional · 4.5 in
Detailed
DG-08
French bulldog, bold 3″

French bulldog, bold

Blackwork · 3 in
Beginner practice
DG-09
Paw print in a heart 1.5″

Paw print in a heart

Traditional · 1.5 in
Simple
DG-10
Bulldog with spiked collar 3.5″

Bulldog with spiked collar

Traditional · 3.5 in
Detailed
DG-11
Geometric dog head 4″

Geometric dog head

Geometric · 4 in
Detailed
DG-12
Simple dog face outline 1.75″

Simple dog face outline

Fine Line · 1.75 in
Simple

§1What a dog tattoo means

A dog tattoo can stand for dogs in general or for one dog in particular. The general meaning is faithfulness. In the Middle Ages dogs were often carved on tombs to show the dead person’s loyalty to a lord or faithfulness in marriage. Even the dog name Fido goes back to the Latin fidus, “faithful”.

The particular meaning is yours. DG-02 Floppy dog ears outline and DG-03 Pointed dog ears outline show only the top of a head and two ears, worn for a dog at home or one that is gone.

§2Dog outlines by breed and style

The five most-searched breeds each have a design: DG-04 Pit bull head, DG-05 Dachshund, fine line, DG-06 Chihuahua head, DG-07 German shepherd head and DG-08 French bulldog, bold. DG-10 Bulldog with spiked collar adds an English bulldog. Studded collars were once armor: the Roman writer Varro advised a collar of stout leather set with nails to keep wolves from a guard dog’s throat. Labradors and most other breeds aren’t in the set.

For a first tattoo, start with the Simple tier: the ear outlines, DG-05, DG-09 Paw print in a heart and DG-12 Simple dog face outline. DG-01 Sitting spotted dog, DG-04, DG-06 and DG-08 are marked Beginner practice. DG-07, DG-10 and DG-11 Geometric dog head are Detailed and belong on the larger placements.

Very thin lines can come out faint on a thermal stencil, so check the fine-line designs (DG-02, DG-03, DG-05, DG-12) before the stencil goes on skin.

§3Dog tattoo sizes by placement

PlacementUsual sizeGood designs
Wrist1–3 inDG-12, DG-02, DG-03, DG-09, DG-06
Ankle1–3 inDG-05, DG-01, DG-09, DG-03
Neck2–4 inDG-02, DG-03, DG-09, DG-12
Forearm3–6 inDG-04, DG-07, DG-08, DG-10, DG-11
Calf2–6 inDG-01, DG-04, DG-06, DG-08, DG-10
Chest3–10 inDG-04, DG-07, DG-10, DG-11
Thigh4–10 inDG-07, DG-08, DG-11

Size ranges follow the charts by Saved Tattoo and Inkjin. The tiny outlines default to 1.5–1.75 in; raise them to 2 in or more for the neck.

§4An outline of your own dog

For your own dog’s face or ears, or a breed that isn’t here, turn a photo into a stencil with the stencil maker. It runs in your browser and uploads nothing.

  • Choose a sharp photo with the dog against a plain, contrasting background. The tool doesn’t cut the background out, so crop tight first.
  • Start in Outline mode and lower Detail if the fur turns into a mass of small lines.
  • For ears only, photograph the dog from behind or straight on, both ears against the background. Outline mode traces the whole picture, not only the ears, so trace just the top line by hand from the print, or ask your artist to.
  • A paw print you already have on paper works best in Solid mode.

Expect your artist to rework parts of the line. If your dog has died, an older photo will do as long as the dog stands out clearly.

§5Questions

Q1How do I get an outline of my own dog for a tattoo?

Crop a sharp photo of your dog against a plain background and open it in the stencil maker in Outline mode. Lower Detail if the fur turns into stray lines, set the size and print. Your artist can clean up the line by hand.

Q2What is a dog ear outline tattoo?

A fine line that traces the top of a dog’s head and its two ears, with no face. DG-02 has floppy ears and DG-03 pointed ones, both 1.75 in by default for a wrist or ankle. To match your own dog’s ears, make the outline from a photo in the stencil maker.

Q3Is there a pit bull, dachshund or German shepherd outline?

Yes: DG-04 Pit bull head, DG-05 Dachshund, fine line and DG-07 German shepherd head. The set also has DG-06 Chihuahua head, DG-08 French bulldog, bold and an English bulldog, DG-10. A Labrador or a husky isn’t in the set; the stencil maker turns your own photo into a stencil.

Q4What size should a paw print outline tattoo be?

DG-09 Paw print in a heart is 1.5 in by default, which fits the 1–3 in range for a wrist or ankle. For the neck, size charts start at about 2 in, so set it a little larger. It shows a dog’s paw inside a heart outline.

Q5What does a dog tattoo mean?

The traditional meaning is faithfulness: on medieval tombs a carved dog often stood for the dead person’s loyalty or faithfulness in marriage. A dog tattoo can also simply be about one particular dog, living or gone.