Dog Christmas Ornaments for the Tree
Editor's Picks
Dog Christmas ornaments are how most dog people put their dog on the tree: a portrait painted from a phone photo, a name on a small wooden bone, a glass Labrador that comes out of its tissue paper every December and goes straight to the front of a branch.
The 10 picks below run from custom portraits through name and paw print keepsakes to collectible glass breeds, each with a note on lead times and durability. For an ornament the dog gets to open rather than admire, these treat-filled dog Christmas baubles are the homemade counterpart.
RELATED: Christmas Gift Guide for Dog Lovers
Personalized Dog Ornaments Painted From Your Photo
A custom portrait is the ornament that gets unwrapped slowly. Send a clear photo and an independent maker paints, prints or stitches your dog onto something small enough to hang. Many of these artists also appear in this portraits and mementos directory.
1
Hand-Painted Pet Portrait Bauble
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
A round bauble with your dog's face painted on by hand from the photo you send. Painting on a curved surface is slow work, so order this one first. A portrait ornament is also a gentle way to keep a dog on the tree after they have gone, and these pet memorial ideas cover that properly.
2
Personalized Embroidered Pet Portrait Ornament
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
Your dog stitched rather than painted, which gives a softer, fuzzier likeness that suits scruffy coats and terriers particularly well. Thread cannot hold fine detail, so high-contrast faces come out best and brindle or merle patterns less so. Send the clearest head-on shot you have, the kind these puppy photo shoot ideas are designed to get.
3
Hand Painted Wood Custom Pet Portrait Ornament
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
Painted onto wood instead of glass, so it survives being swept off a branch by a tail, which is no small thing with a big dog in the house. Wood takes paint with a matte finish that reads as folk art rather than fine art. The most expensive pick here, and the most robust.
4
Personalized Pet Photo and Name Ornament
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
The straightforward version: your photo printed onto an ornament with your dog's name underneath. No artist interpretation, so no risk of the likeness missing, and the quickest turnaround of the custom options. It is the one to send to a relative who would like the dog on their tree too, alongside something from this Christmas gift guide for dogs.
5
Custom Dog Golden Frame Ornament
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
A photo ornament set into a gold-toned frame, which lifts a phone snapshot into something deliberate next to glass and metallics. Gold suits warm white lights and a traditional red and green scheme. The lowest price here, so it also works ordered in multiples, one per dog.
Dog Name, Bone and Paw Print Keepsake Ornaments
Not everyone wants their dog's face looking out from the tree. A name, a bone shape or a paw print says the same thing more quietly, and these tend to be the decorations nobody will part with. The same instinct is behind this DIY paw print wall art.
6
Personalized Dog Bone Xmas Tree Ornament
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
A bone-shaped decoration carrying your dog's name, the most recognizable dog ornament shape there is and the one that reads from across the room. A name ornament is the usual choice for a first Christmas, and in a multi-dog home it gives everyone a place on the tree without four portraits competing for the front branches. Check the listing's character limit before sending a long name.
7
Personalized Dog Bone Clay Tree Decoration
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
The same idea in clay, with the name pressed into the surface rather than printed on top, so the finish is handmade and slightly uneven. Clay is heavier than it looks, so hang it closer to the trunk. It chips rather than shatters if it comes down, which makes it a kinder choice than glass in a busy room.
8
Pearhead Pet Paw Print Keepsake Ornament Kit
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
Not a finished ornament but a kit for making one from your dog's own paw. It comes with pet-safe air-dry clay, a shaping ring, a rolling pin, a hole punch and three ribbons, and there is no mixing and no baking: knead the clay, roll it out, press the paw in, cut the shape and punch the hanging hole. It air dries within a day or two, and a wonky first attempt can be smoothed out and pressed again. The finished disc is around five inches across, so it tucks into a no-sew dog stocking as easily as it hangs on a branch.
Glass and Breed Dog Ornaments for the Collection
Bought once and unwrapped every year afterward, both brands below are already familiar to collectors.
9
Old World Christmas Black Labrador Glass Ornament
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
Old World Christmas has made heirloom glass ornaments since the late seventies, by a method going back to the 1800s: molten glass mouth-blown into a carved mold, lined with liquid silver for depth, then hand-painted and hand-glittered. The pieces are small and light, between about two and a half and three and a half inches.
The breed range is the real reason to start here rather than with a one-off. Labradors alone come in black, chocolate and yellow, plus a puppy and a standing version, and the collection runs on through golden retriever, corgi, Samoyed, Havanese, Yorkie, beagle, boxer, basset hound, Boston terrier, Rottweiler, chihuahua and dachshund. Mixed breeds are not an afterthought: there are Irish doodle, black doodle, cockapoo and Bernedoodle designs, made for owners who never find an ornament that looks like their dog. Novelty pieces sit alongside them, including a cone of shame and a bowl of treats.
10
Blue Sky Clayworks Pug Ornament Set
Price last checked November 2026 · may vary
A ceramic set rather than a single ornament, from a studio whose dog pieces are hand cast and individually hand-painted, with more storybook character than realism about them. Ceramic has real weight, so these want a strong branch or a mantel. Pug owners are poorly served by most ranges, which default to retrievers and Labradors, so a set of their own is worth knowing about. Check the listing for how many pieces are included.
How to Choose a Dog Christmas Ornament
Choose by how the ornament will be used rather than by how it photographs in the listing. A painted or photo portrait is a keepsake and belongs where it can be seen. A name or bone ornament suits a first Christmas or a house with several dogs. A glass breed ornament is for building a collection year after year. Custom pieces need ordering first, and anything breakable needs a place decided before the tree goes up.
Ordering a Custom Pet Ornament in Time for Christmas
With made-to-order pieces the real deadline is production time plus shipping, not the shipping cutoff on its own. Hand-painted and embroidered ornaments take the longest, printed photo ornaments the least. Order anything custom by the end of November and leave December for ready-made glass and ceramic. If an order will not land in time, something from these DIY dog Christmas gifts covers the gap.
Which Photo Works Best for a Pet Portrait Ornament
An artist can only work from what the photo shows. Shoot at the dog's eye level in daylight, close enough that the face fills the frame, with the ears and any markings clearly lit. Skip the flash, which flattens a dark coat into a silhouette, and skip portrait mode, which softens the whiskers and fur edges a painter needs.
Glass, Clay, Wood and Embroidery Compared
Glass holds the finest detail and the best shine, and it is the one material that will not survive a fall. Ceramic and clay are heavier and chip instead of shattering. Wood is the most forgiving with a tail at branch height. Embroidered and fabric ornaments cannot break at all, so they suit lower branches. More dog shopping sits in this dog products shopping guide.
Where to Hang Dog Ornaments When You Have a Dog
Half of these are keepsakes, and every one of them looks like a toy to a dog, which is worth settling before the tree is decorated rather than after. Glass and ceramic belong on the upper third, on branches strong enough to hold them and clear of a wagging tail. Fabric, wood and clay can come lower.
Skip tinsel altogether. It is swallowed easily and can block a dog's gut badly enough to need surgery. Keep the tree firmly secured so an enthusiastic dog cannot bring it down, and clear up broken glass straight away, since shards cut mouths and insides alike. Salt dough is the one craft ornament to avoid completely, because even a dried one holds enough salt to make a dog seriously ill. If an ornament needs labeling, these free printable dog gift tags are safer than anything hanging loose.
The ASPCA's holiday safety tips go further into tree water, wires, batteries and holiday plants. If anything does get swallowed, call your vet straight away.
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