How to Take Your Pet’s Paw Print: A Step-by-Step Guide to Paw Print Jewellery

If you’ve ever tried to get your dog or cat to stay still for anything, you’ll know taking their paw print isn’t something they’re going to cooperate with straight away, since most pets would rather wriggle free, lick your hand or try to turn the whole thing into a game than sit patiently while you press their paw onto some paper. This guide walks you through how to take your pet’s paw print step by step, along with a few tricks that help if your pet isn’t the sitting-still type.

Whether your pet is still curled up on the sofa beside you or they’ve recently passed, we’ll walk you through the best way to capture their print either way, including how a vet can sometimes help if they’re no longer with you. Once you’ve got a clear print, it’s ready to become a piece of paw print jewellery you can keep close for good.

A Quick Answer: How to Take Your Pet’s Paw Print

• Get your inkless print kit or a pet-safe ink pad ready, along with some plain paper and a damp cloth, before you bring your pet over
• Pick a moment when they’re relaxed, like just after a walk or a nap, since a calm pet makes for a much clearer print
• Wipe their paw clean and dry first, and trim any long fur around the pads if it’s getting in the way
• Press their paw carefully onto the card or ink, rolling it slightly from side to side to pick up the full shape
• Clean their paw off straight away and reward them well with their favourite treats.

What You’ll Need

Before you get started, it helps to have everything within reach, since pets rarely wait around while you hunt for supplies. Here’s what you’ll want on hand.

• An Inkless Print Kit or a pet-safe, non-toxic ink pad, we’d always recommend the inkless kit since there’s nothing to wash off their paw afterwards and no risk of ink staining your floors after you’re done
• A few sheets of plain white paper or card, kept flat and ready before you bring your pet over
• A damp cloth for cleaning their paw both before and after
• A few of their favourite treats, for cooperation during and a reward once you’re done

How to Take Your Pet’s Paw Print

Once you’ve got everything ready, taking the print itself only takes a few minutes, as long as you pick the right moment and keep your pet’s paw steady for a few seconds.

Choosing the Right Moment

Dogs and cats sit still best when they’re already calm, so timing this just after a walk for dogs or just after a nap for cats will often work better than trying after a minute of zoomies. We suggest sitting with them somewhere on the ground for a moment beforehand, giving them plenty of fuss like a belly rub or a good scratch on the head so they feel settled before you start.

Step-by-Step

1. Wipe the paw clean with a damp cloth and dry it well, trimming any long fur around the pads if it’s likely to blur the print.
2. If you’re using the Inkless Print Kit, press the wipe onto the pad. If you’re using ink, cover the pad evenly without over-soaking it.
3. Place their paw onto the card or paper, pressing down evenly and rolling it slightly from side to side to capture the full shape.
4. Lift their paw straight up without letting it touch the card again.
5. Clean their paw with the damp cloth and reward them for sitting through it.

Tips for Nervous or Wriggly Pets

Every pet is different, and some will happily let you poke and prod at their paws without so much as opening an eye, while others will wriggle away or take it as an open invitation to jump up and play with you instead. If yours falls into the second group, a few small adjustments can make the whole thing easier.

If you can, it helps to work with someone else, with one of you holding and reassuring your pet while the other handles the paper and the kit or ink since trying to do both at once usually ends with several smudged prints. Keeping each attempt just a few seconds long also helps, because you don’t need to hold their paw in place that long to capture a perfect impression.

We also suggest trying it somewhere familiar, like their usual spot on the sofa or bed since trying somewhere new might put them on edge. And if your pet startles easily, letting them sniff the card and kit first can stop it feeling unfamiliar the moment it touches their paw. It’s also okay to come back another day if they’re too unsettled the first time, since a calmer attempt later will give you a far better print than forcing one now.

Capturing a Print After Your Pet Has Passed Away

Losing a pet is hard enough without having to think about practical things like this, so if the idea of taking their paw print yourself feels like too much right now, you’re far from alone, and there are still ways to get a clear print without doing it yourself.

Many vets are happy to help, so ask at the time if they’re able to take a print before you leave, since this is often the easiest and least overwhelming option for a lot of pet owners. If your pet has already been cremated or your vet wasn’t able to help, some pet crematoriums and funeral services offer the same support, so always ask what’s possible before assuming it’s too late.

If you do feel able to take the print yourself, using our Inkless Print Kit at home works in exactly the same way as described above, and there’s no pressure to get it right on the first try.

And if it’s too late to capture a paw print at all, there are still other ways to keep them close. A clear photo of their nose is enough for us to create nose print jewellery, since every nose print is just as unique as a paw print. If you’ve kept some of their ashes, pet ashes jewellery is another option too, whether that’s a self-fill piece you add the ashes to yourself, or one of our ashes into jewellery designs, where we mix a small amount into resin for you permanently.

Whatever stage you’re at and however the print is captured, we’ll always do what we can to turn it into something beautiful to keep close.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with the right kit and a wonderfully calm and cooperative pet, a few small slip-ups can still turn a clear print into a smudged one. Here’s what to watch out for:

• Pressing too hard: a firm press works better than force, since pushing down too hard can spread the pads and blur the print
• Skipping the clean-up: wipe and dry the paw fully before you start, since any leftover dirt or damp fur can smudge the print
• Leaving fur untrimmed: long fur between the pads can hide the shape of the print, so a light trim beforehand helps if your pet will allow it
• Lifting the paw too soon: hold it steady for a few seconds and lift it straight up instead of dragging it away to stop the print from smudging
• Using too much ink or wipe: a thin layer picks up far more detail than a heavy one, which can clog the pads and blur the shape
• Trying it when they’re wound up: a restless or excited pet rarely holds still long enough for a clean print, so wait for a calmer moment instead

Turning Your Paw Print Into Jewellery

Once you’ve got a print you’re happy with, it’s ready to become something you can wear or keep close every day. We can engrave it onto necklaces, bracelets, charms and even Christmas ornaments from our Paw Print Jewellery collection, and it works just as well whether your print came from a dog, a cat or any other four-legged family member.

If jewellery isn’t quite what you’re after, a personalised trinket box engraved with their print makes just as meaningful a keepsake, and gives you somewhere to keep other small reminders of them too. A paw print keyring is another lovely option if you’d rather carry it with you day to day than wear it, whether that’s on your keys, your bag or just somewhere you’ll see it often. You can see every option in one place in our pet memorial gifts collection.

All we need is a clear photo of the print, so there’s no need to post anything to us. Every piece is made to be a lasting reminder of the bond you shared.

Conclusion

Pets are more than most people give them credit for. They’re our best friends, our company on hard days and our loudest cheerleaders on good ones, and however long you get with them, it never feels like quite enough.

You deserve a way to keep them close, just as much as they deserve to be remembered well, and a paw print is one of the easiest ways to hold onto a piece of them that’s completely their own.

Whenever you’re ready, we’re here. Our Inkless Print Kit makes the whole process mess-free, and once you’ve got a print you’re happy with, you can bring it to life through our Paw Print Jewellery collection. And if you’ve already got a print and aren’t sure whether it’s good enough, or you just have a few questions, our team is always happy to take a look and advise.

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