How to Draw a Paw Print Step by Step (Dog and Cat)

A paw print looks like the simplest drawing in the world until you try one and the toes end up in a crooked row. The secret isn't the shapes, it's where you put them. Here you'll learn how to draw a paw print step by step, with a big dog print and a smaller cat print side by side so you can see how different they are. I'll show you a curved guide line that lines the toes up for you, and you won't need any drawing experience to follow it.

In the pictures, blue always means the lines you're adding right now. Anything gray is work from earlier steps, and the very pale blue shapes are guides that get erased near the end.

Quick overview
⏱️ Time: about 15 to 20 minutes
🎯 Level: very easy, good for kids from about 5
✏️ Steps: 10
🐾 You'll draw: a dog paw print with claws, a cat paw print and a small heart

A Small Kit for Drawing Paw Prints

• A pencil you can press lightly with, like an HB
• An eraser
• A black marker or fineliner for the final lines
• Colored pencils or markers in brown, pink, red and dark gray
• A sheet of plain paper, turned sideways
• A coin or a bottle cap, if you'd like to trace the toe spots

Everything here is made of ovals, so even shaky hands can get a neat result.

How to Draw a Paw Print Step by Step

Step 1: Sketch two pad ovals

Turn your paper sideways and draw a big oval on the left half, a little below the middle of the page. This is the dog's main pad. Then draw a smaller, flatter oval on the right for the cat. I make the cat oval about two thirds the size of the dog one, because cat paws really are smaller and that size difference is part of the charm.

💡 Tip: Leave plenty of empty paper above both ovals. The toes need that room.

Step 2: Add a toe arc and four marks to each

Above the dog oval, draw a curved line like a rainbow that starts beside the oval and arches over it. Make a similar, smaller arc over the cat oval. Now put four short marks across each arc. Two marks go near the top, close together, and one goes low on each side. This little fan is what keeps the toes in a neat curve instead of a wobbly line.

💡 Tip: Space the two top marks closer together than the outer ones. Real toes bunch in the middle.

Step 3: Draw the heart-shaped dog pad

Inside the big oval, draw the main pad like an upside-down heart. Start at a soft, rounded point at the top, curve out wide on both sides, and finish with two round bumps along the bottom. The little dip between the bumps should be gentle. When I demonstrate this, I tell people to think of a heart standing on its head.

💡 Tip: Keep the top point blunt. A sharp tip turns the pad into a guitar pick.

Step 4: Draw four oval dog toes

Center one oval on each mark of the dog's arc. The two middle toes are a little bigger and stand up almost straight, while the outer two are smaller and lean outward like they're pointing at the sides. Leave a clear gap between every toe and the main pad. Most beginners push the toes right against the pad, and the whole print starts to look like a flower.

💡 Tip: Tilt each toe so its long side points back toward the middle of the main pad.

Step 5: Give the dog print its claws

Dogs can't pull their claws in, so their prints show a small claw mark at the tip of each toe. Draw a short, pointed shape just beyond every toe, pointing in the same direction the toe leans. Keep them small, about a third the length of a toe, and leave a tiny space between each claw and its toe.

💡 Tip: Draw the two curved sides of each claw first, then close it with a short round base.

Step 6: Draw the three-bump cat pad

Now switch to the cat. Inside the small oval, draw a rounded dome on top and three soft bumps along the bottom edge. This pad ends up wider than it is tall, which is very different from the dog's heart. Those three bumps are the detail people notice first, so take your time and make the middle one sit a little lower.

💡 Tip: Say "bump, bump, bump" out loud as you draw the bottom edge. It really helps kids pace it.

Step 7: Add four round cat toes

Place a toe on each mark of the cat's arc. Cat toes are rounder and more like jelly beans than the long dog toes, and there are no claws at all because cats keep theirs tucked away when they walk. I keep the outer toes slightly smaller and a bit lower, just like on the dog print. A gap around each toe keeps them from looking glued together.

💡 Tip: A bottle cap traced lightly makes four matching cat toes in seconds.

Step 8: Add the shines and a little heart

Draw a small oval near the upper left of each pad and toe. These are shine spots, and they make the pads look soft and squishy instead of flat. Put every shine on the same side so the light seems to come from one place. Then draw a small heart in the empty space between the two prints. It's optional, but it fills that gap nicely.

💡 Tip: Keep the shines tiny. Big ones start to look like eyes staring back at you.

Step 9: Ink the lines and erase the guides

Go over every keeper line with your black marker: the pads, toes, claws, shines and heart. Skip the two ovals, the arcs and the little marks. Let the ink dry for a minute before you erase, then rub out all the guide lines. Your prints should now look crisp and clean.

💡 Tip: Use a thinner pen for the shine spots so the outlines stay the boldest lines.

Step 10: Color the paw prints

Fill the dog pads and toes with a warm brown and the claws with dark gray. The cat pads get pink, and the heart goes red. Color the shine spots with a lighter brown on the dog print and a pale pink on the cat print, or just leave them white. Pressing gently and coloring in one direction gives smooth pads with no scratchy marks.

💡 Tip: Color the shine spots first so the darker pad color can't sneak into them.

Toe Spacing Slips That Make a Print Look Odd

• Toes lined up in a straight row. Paw toes sit on a curve. Draw the arc guide first and the fan shape happens by itself.
• Toes touching the main pad. Without a gap, the print reads as a flower or a blob. Leave a clear strip of paper all the way around.
• Four toes the same size. The middle pair should be a bit bigger and higher. Equal toes make the print look stiff and stamped.
• Claws on the cat print. Cats walk with their claws pulled in, so their tracks have none. Save the claws for the dog.
• A main pad that's too small. The big pad should be wider than the two middle toes together. A tiny pad makes the toes look like they're floating away.

Turning One Paw Print Into Many Projects

Once you can draw one print, you can make a whole trail. Draw five or six small prints walking diagonally across the page, alternating left and right, and it looks like a pet just strolled through. You can also put a pet's name inside a big heart, swap the brown for black to match your own dog, or try a bear print with five toes and a wider pad. When you're ready to draw the whole animal, the puppy drawing tutorial and the kitten drawing tutorial are friendly next steps.

Paw Print Coloring Page and a Printable Step PDF

Prefer paper over a screen? The paw print coloring page has a small colored example and a color key at the top, with big bold outlines of both prints below. The step-by-step PDF guide holds all 10 steps and tips, so you can keep it next to you while you draw. Both print well on Letter or A4 paper.

📱 On a phone? Tap a download button, then open the file and choose Share → Save to Files or Print. On a computer, the PDF opens or saves straight to your Downloads folder.

Keep the Dog and Cat Paw Lesson on a Pin

Paw Print Practice Over? Draw the Animals Too

Each link opens a step-by-step tutorial, so you can move from tracks to the animals that make them.

• Whale Drawing: Learn how to draw a whale step by step: a happy blue whale with its spout, finished in ten steps.
• Kitten Drawing: Meet the animal behind the cat print in this kitten drawing tutorial, a ginger kitten sitting politely.
• Realistic Drawing: Try the realistic drawing step by step lesson to shade a shiny apple with five kinds of light.
• Dragonfly Drawing: Draw a dragonfly with its wings spread wide in this dragonfly drawing step by step guide.
• Penguin Drawing: The penguin drawing tutorial ends with rosy cheeks and flippers out for balance.
• Rat Drawing: Nose first, tail last: learn how to draw a rat in 11 steps.
• Ant Drawing: Starting from three ovals, how to draw an ant step by step ends with all six feet on the ground.
• King Kong Drawing: Draw the giant gorilla mid-roar with this King Kong drawing step by step lesson.
• Godzilla Drawing: This easy Godzilla drawing tutorial takes two ovals to a finished kaiju in ten steps.
• Sloth Drawing: Hang a smiling sloth from its branch with the sloth drawing tutorial.
• Arctic Fox Drawing: Learn how to draw an arctic fox sitting down, with its tail curled to the side.
• Puppy Drawing: Give your dog print an owner. The how to draw a puppy step by step lesson draws a pup with its tongue out and a collar on.
• Narwhal Drawing: Draw a narwhal with its tusk pointing up in this narwhal drawing tutorial.
• Miraculous Ladybug Drawing: Finish with a chibi hero. The Miraculous Ladybug drawing step by step guide has her mask on and yo-yo ready.

Paw Print Questions I Get From Pet Lovers

What is the easiest way to draw a paw print?

Draw one big oval for the main pad, then a curved line above it with four marks on it. Put an oval toe on each mark and you have a paw print.

What is the difference between a dog paw print and a cat paw print?

A dog print has oval toes, a heart-shaped pad and claw marks. A cat print is smaller and rounder, with a three-bump pad and no claws.

How many toes does a paw print have?

Dog and cat prints show four toes each. A bear print shows five, so add one more toe to the arc if you draw a bear.

Can young kids draw a paw print?

Yes. It's one of the best first drawings because it's all ovals. Kids around five can usually manage it with the arc guide, and the claws can be skipped.

Now trace a trail of prints across your page, and tell me which pet walked through your drawing. 🐾

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