Don’t leave it until the last day
A colleague of mine lost her dog recently. He was older, and she knew it was coming. She planned a day with him, something simple, just time together doing the things he loved. It was just about being there with him while she still could.
At some point during that day, it hit her that she didn’t have anything physical to keep. No paw print, no impression, nothing she could hold onto later. It wasn’t something she had ignored, it just hadn’t felt urgent until it suddenly was. She tried to do something then, in the middle of it all, but it felt rushed. It didn’t come together the way she would have wanted, and now she’s not even sure how it will turn out long term.
There’s something about that moment that sticks with me
Just in how easy it is to leave these things sitting in the background. You assume you’ll get to it. You assume there’s a better time to do it properly. Then you’re faced with doing it quickly, without the space to think about how you actually want it to look or feel.
If it’s something you’ve thought about, it can be as simple as starting now. It doesn’t need to be complicated to mean something. I’ve seen simple DIY keepsakes where people lay out a small canvas with paint (se a non-toxic paint) and let their dog walk across it naturally and frame it. It ends up messy, uneven, and completely theirs. Others use a ink pad to take a paw prints. There are no-mess ink pads that transfer the print without anything getting on their paw, which can make it easier for you and your pet. Some go a step further with clay to create an impression, something with a bit more weight to it, but even the simplest version still holds the same value.
Doing it now gives you the space to choose how you want it to look, rather than squeezing it into a moment where everything else is already taking up that space. If you want to look into the different options properly, these guides walk through a few approaches in more detail.
Here are a few simple options people tend to come back to, depending on what feels right for them and their dog.
A nose print on canvas is one of the more hands-on options. It can take a bit of patience, but it creates something really personal. Using a safe, non-toxic paint or a dog-friendly ink makes it easier to manage, especially if your dog is quick to lick or pull away.
Paw prints are probably the most familiar. Paint or ink, a piece of paper or canvas, and something you can frame later. It’s straightforward, and you can keep it as simple or as styled as you like depending on what you’re drawn to.
Some people take a more interactive approach and set up a canvas with paint sealed underneath, letting their dog move it around themselves. It’s less controlled, but that’s part of what makes it feel like theirs.
And then there are the physical keepsakes. Things your dog actually used. A favourite toy, their collar, something they carried around. Placed into something like a shadow box with a photo, it becomes more about holding onto those small, familiar parts of them.
Find more information here
For a newer trend using speck/plaster check this out
