It’s no secret that a lot of tattoo enthusiasts make tattoos about something that marked an important part of their childhood or adulthood. With that in mind, a lot of people get a tattoo of their pets, regardless of whether it’s a dog, cat, or some other animal. Nowadays, a lot of people who like smaller tattoos are enthusiastic about inking the dog’s paw on their body.

Dogs are undoubtedly some of the favorite animals to some people. They are loyal, reliable, full of love and respect for their owners. That’s why it doesn’t surprise us that so many dog owners want to put their paws on their bodies.

While some will illustrate a random paw from the internet and show it to their tattoo artist. A lot more people go as far as 3D printing the paw of their dog or use the normal print of the paw. That said, let’s first take a look at the main meanings behind the dog paw tattoo, as well as the types of dog paw tattoo that you can get for yourself.

Dog Paw Tattoo Meanings

Oftentimes people get paw print tattoos, however, they’re not always from dogs. In general meaning, the paws represent the respect and love for a pet, or particular respect for some wild animal like deer, bear, wolf, or fox. Paws also express movement, particularly moving forward and advancing in some certain meaning. Some people also associate paw tattoos with the so-called “bear culture” which is known in the gay community.

When it comes to dog paw tattoos, they particularly express loyalty, love, and affection for your dog. For many people owning a dog feels like having a friend, a companion that follows them everywhere and watches over them.

Dogs are often adopted to protect the house from thieves, or wild animals in case of owning an animal farm. That said, a tattoo of a dog paw can also represent the need for guidance and protection, just like dogs will protect your property from intruders.