Father's Day Gifts From The Dog: UK Ideas For Devoted Dog Dads
Every household with a dog eventually starts signing cards with a paw print. It's daft, everyone knows it's daft, and it's still the card he keeps on the desk.
We make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK. We don't paint pet portraits ourselves, so where we recommend a commissioned portrait it is a recommendation rather than our own product.
The ideas below are the ones that land: personal, usable, and unmistakably about his dog rather than dogs in general.
Shop the cards that go with these
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Father's Day cards, drawn and printed by us
Funny and soppy Father's Day cards, blank inside so the dog can dictate the message.
The one that always lands
- A commissioned portrait of his dog. Framed on the office desk, it gets a comment from every single person who walks past, which is exactly the point.
- Ask for a plain background and a head-and-shoulders crop if it's going on a desk - full-body portraits need a wall.
- A pop-art or 'dog in a suit' style for the funny version, a soft watercolour for the sentimental one. Match it to him, not to the dog.
- Allow three weeks for a printed portrait and six to eight for a hand-painted one, so a Father's Day order needs placing in May.
- If you're late, buy the digital file, print an A4 at a print shop and frame it. Nobody will know.
Funny gifts 'from the dog'
- A card signed with an actual inked paw print - use a pet-safe ink pad and accept that it will take four attempts.
- A mug or tea towel with the dog's own name and a complaint about walk lengths.
- A photo calendar where every month is the same dog doing something stupid.
- A voucher book 'issued by the dog': one lie-in, one uninterrupted match, one Sunday where somebody else does the muddy walk.
- Matching bandana and cap, which he will publicly object to and privately wear.
- A framed set of house rules 'written' by the dog, printed and hung in the kitchen.
Practical gifts a dog dad will use
- A decent waterproof coat with proper pockets. Dog owners walk in weather nobody else goes out in.
- A boot-liner or car seat cover, which is unromantic and extremely welcome.
- A long training line for recall work, which is the one bit of kit most people never buy.
- A Thermos for winter walks and a treat pouch that isn't a carrier bag.
- A tick remover, a towel for the boot and a torch for the lead - the three things he keeps meaning to sort.
- A month's subscription to the treats the dog is fussy about.
Gifts that cost nothing
- A day out somewhere new with the dog, planned entirely by you, including where you're having lunch.
- A photo shoot on your phone: twenty minutes, good light, the pair of them, then print the best one.
- A handwritten note from the dog's point of view. Silly, and it gets kept.
- Do the 6am walk for a fortnight and say nothing about it.
- Sort out the photos on your phone into one album of him and the dog, from the first day to now.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop Father's Day cards Dog mum gifts she'll treasure How to include your dog in your wedding Dog walker gift ideas
How to write it so it lands
- Use the photo you love, not the newest one. Portrait artists work from the photo, not the dog.
- Eye-level photos in daylight make far better portraits than anything taken from standing height.
- Order the digital file too - it ends up on cards and phone screens for years.
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Frequently asked questions
What are good Father's Day gifts from the dog?
A commissioned portrait of his dog for the desk, a card signed with a real paw print, a photo calendar, matching bandana and cap, and practical walking kit like a waterproof coat, long line or boot liner.
What do you write in a Father's Day card from the dog?
Write it in the dog's voice and keep it specific - thanks for the 6am walks, sorry about the sofa, the cheese was worth it. Then add a paw print with pet-safe ink.
When should I order a pet portrait for Father's Day?
Order by early May. A printed illustration usually takes two to three weeks and a hand-painted portrait six to eight, so June orders are digital-file-only territory.
What's a good desk gift for a dog dad?
A small framed portrait of his dog, head and shoulders on a plain background. It fits beside a monitor and it's the thing colleagues ask about.
Do you paint pet portraits yourselves?
No. We design and print cards, pin badges and wall prints in the UK. A commissioned portrait mentioned here is an outside recommendation, not something we make.