The death of your dog doesn’t have to be the end. You can commemorate all the happiness they brought into your life by creating a special keepsake that’s truly unique in all the world. It’ll act as a beautiful reminder of the joy you gave each other and the powerful bond you shared.

To inspire you, here are 5 meaningful ways you can remember your dog after they pass:

1. Make a mini version of them

There are some incredibly talented artists out there who can study a photo of your dog and create a tiny needle felted version of them. Lil Felt Friends on Etsy does amazing custom needle felted animals in different sizes. If you find a photo of your dog that shows off their unique characteristics, the person making it will be able to copy them, making the end result genuinely look like your dog.

2. Turn them into a diamond

If you have your dog cremated, you can turn their ashes into a diamond. Heart In Diamond creates genuine diamonds from pet ashes. You can customize the carat, shape, and colour of the diamond so it truly represents your dog. What you do with the diamond is up to you. You can have it set into jewellery, placed into a decoration to display at home, or simply keep the diamond as it is on its own

3. Commission a special painting

Another thing you can do with your dog’s ashes is have them turned into a gorgeous pet portrait. Living In Art does wonderful paintings that incorporate ashes. Find the best photo of your dog in their favourite place or with their most loved toy to send the artist and you’ll be able to remember them at their happiest.

4. Create a nose print stone

If you’re looking for something cheap and simple you can do yourself, creating a nose print stone might be the perfect solution. Just like fingerprints, nose prints are individual to each animal. After they’ve passed away, gently apply paint to your dog’s nose then press it against the smooth surface of a stone. You can keep the stone in your home as an ornament or place it in your dog’s favourite spot in your garden.

5. Get a unique tattoo

Some people decide to get a tattoo to commemorate their deceased pet. If you like this idea, you can take it one step further and have a tattoo with special cremation ink. You can’t simply ask a tattoo artist to mix ashes into tattoo ink because the process is unsterile and illegal in the UK. But you can order the specialist ink from Cremation Ink and have it shipped to your chosen tattoo studio.

Losing a pet can be every bit as difficult and traumatic as the death of a family member. After all, most of us consider our dogs to be integral parts of our family and treat them with just as much love and consideration as everyone else. 

To help make things easier when the time comes, it’s a good idea to consider what you want to do with your dog when they die. Choose a fitting way to honour their memory when you’ve got a clear, stable mind. Then when your dog does pass, you’ll already know what you plan to do so you can focus on grieving.