To learn how to draw a dog, start with a wide oval for the head and two floppy ears, then draw a sitting body under it. Add two front legs with round paws, a collar and a wagging tail, and finish the face with eyes, a nose and a tongue.
This easy dog drawing is a sitting puppy seen from the front, which is the simplest way to draw a dog. Kids can do it in a few minutes. The free PDF has the step sheet, a tracing page, a practice grid and a big coloring page.
What’s in the free PDF
- Step-by-step sheet with 6 numbered steps; new lines are black, earlier lines are grey
- Tracing page with a large dog in light grey to trace over
- Practice sheet with a small reference and two boxes with a light grid
- Coloring page with the finished dog in bold outlines
How to draw a dog step by step
- Head. Draw a wide oval for the head, a bit wider than it is tall.
- Ears. On each side of the head, draw a long floppy ear that starts at the top of the head and hangs down past the cheek, with a round bottom.
- Body. Under the head, draw the sitting body: two curved sides that get wider toward the bottom and a flat line at the bottom.
- Legs and paws. Draw two straight lines down the front of the body for the front legs. Add a half circle at the bottom of each for the paws, with two short toe lines.
- Collar and tail. Draw a curved line under the chin for the collar and a small circle hanging from it for the tag. On the right, draw a curved tail with two short lines next to the tip to show it wagging.
- Face. Draw two oval eyes with dark pupils, an oval nose, a short line down from the nose that splits into two curves for the mouth, and a little tongue.
Keep the head big and the body short; that is what makes a dog drawing look like a puppy. If you want a grown-up dog, make the body taller and the head a bit smaller.
Easy dog drawing: common mistakes and fixes
- The ears look like a bear’s. Dog ears in this drawing hang down along the sides of the head instead of sitting on top.
- The legs are too far apart. Keep the front legs close together in the middle of the body; the sides of the body are the back legs and hips.
- The face is too low. Put the eyes on the middle line of the head and the nose just below it.
- The tail is one thin line. Use two lines that meet in a rounded tip, so the tail has some thickness.
Trace, practice, then color
Trace it first
If drawing freehand feels hard, start with the tracing page. Go over the grey lines with a pencil, pressing lightly, and you learn the shapes and their order without worrying about mistakes. Then try again on the practice sheet.
Practice on the grid
The practice sheet has a small finished dog for reference and two boxes with a faint grid. Count how many squares wide and tall the reference is, then draw your dog the same way. The grid keeps the parts the right size next to each other.
Color the finished drawing
Pick a real dog to copy: golden for a retriever, black and white for a border collie, or brown with a white chest for a beagle. Color the ears a little darker than the head, make the collar a bright color and the tag gold.
Dog drawing tips for kids
- Change the ears to make different breeds: pointy ears that stand up for a husky, short floppy ones for a lab.
- Add spots or a patch around one eye for a dalmatian or a pirate puppy.
- Write your dog’s name on the tag.
- Draw a bone, a ball or a food bowl next to the puppy to finish the picture.
Download the pages one by one
Prefer a single page? Click a link to open the full-size image, then print it or save it. The PDF with all pages and a cover is in the download box.
- How to draw a dog: step-by-step sheet (PNG)
- a Dog tracing page (PNG)
- a Dog practice sheet with grid (PNG)
- a Dog coloring page (PNG)
More to draw: how to draw a cat, how to draw a bear, 45 cute animal drawings and drawing ideas for beginners. For coloring, print our dog and puppy coloring pages.
FAQ
What is the easiest way to draw a dog?
Draw a sitting puppy from the front: an oval head, two floppy ears, a rounded body, two straight front legs and a simple face. It needs no side view and no tricky back legs.
How do you draw a cute dog?
Make the head big, the eyes large and round, and the body short. Floppy ears and a small tongue sticking out add a lot of cuteness.
How do you draw dog ears?
For floppy ears, start each ear at the top of the head and draw a long rounded shape that hangs down beside the cheek. For pointy ears, draw two triangles on top of the head instead.
Can I use this for a class?
Yes. The PDF is free for personal and classroom use. Print the tracing page for younger kids and the practice sheet for older ones.
