How to draw a dog, step by step
Draw a dog in eight steps, starting with the head and both floppy ears as one unbroken line. Then add the inner ear lines, a rounded chin, two eyes, a nose and mouth, the body, four legs with paws, and a curved tail. Drawing the ears separately is what usually goes wrong.
Before you start
- The head and ears are one stroke. Start at the top of the head, swing down into one ear, back up, and down into the other.
- Floppy ears hang past the chin. Short ears make a dog look like a bear.
- The nose is a rounded triangle, wider than it is tall.
Step by step
- Draw the head and ears in one line
- Draw the inner ear lines
The remaining 6 steps are in the app
This guide shows how the dog begins. The full set of 8 steps — plus the colouring stage at the end — lives inside Draw Along, where each line draws itself on screen and your child traces over it.
What usually goes wrong
- Placing the eyes too far apart. In a cartoon dog they sit close together, just above the nose.
- Drawing four legs of equal length in a row. The two far legs are shorter and sit slightly higher.
- Adding a long snout. Keep the muzzle short — it reads as friendly, and children draw it more reliably.
What age is this for?
Ages 5-9. Eight steps, and the ear line takes a couple of tries.
Drawing it in the app
The one-line head is the whole lesson here, and it is much easier to copy than to read about. In Draw Along that line draws itself on screen at child speed, then stays as a dotted guide while your child traces it.