How to Draw a Dog in 5 Steps

Man's best friend is often the subject of artwork. Learn how you can turn basic shapes into your favorite canine character.

In this section, we’ll show you how to draw the above dog. Either draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. We’ll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

Contents

Draw the Body and Head
Draw the Legs
Draw the Ears and Tail
Add the Details
Trace the Lines

1. Draw the Body and Head

Draw a kidney-bean shape for the body. Add ovals for the head and snout.

Next up: adding legs and feet.

2. Draw the Legs

On the dog's near side, draw the shapes for one front leg and one back leg, and add ovals for the paws.

Next, we'll add the other legs and the tail.

3. Draw the Ears and Tail

Draw curved shapes for the ears. Connect the head to the body with curved lines, and add more curved lines for the tail. Draw the shapes for the two legs on the other side, and add ovals for the paws.

On the next page, we'll make the dog come alive with eyes and spots.

4. Add the Details

Draw ovals for the eyes, pupils, and nose. Add spots on the dog's body. Put in more curved lines for details of the mouth, the toes, and the hair on the dog's head.

We'll add the finishing touches on the next page.

5. Trace the Lines

Trace the pencil lines you want to keep with a felt-tip pen, and erase any extra lines.

If you're happy with your finished drawing, the next step is to color it. If you're not happy with your drawing, practice drawing it again until you perfect it.

Want to draw a larger, more majestic animal? The next section has instructions for drawing an elephant.

See all How to Draw articles.

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