This blog is to help pet parents who are dealing with the death of their dear dog and are looking to buy an urn for the safe keeping of their ashes. With so many types, sizes and styles to choose from, we discuss what pet cremation urns are available and which to buy so you can remember your furry friend with all the love and smiles they truly deserve.
Saying goodbye to a much loved dog is one of the hardest things we ever have to do. They are never just pets, they are beloved members of the family. When the time comes to let them go, it is heartbreaking. Finding a way to honour their memory can bring some comfort, helping us hold onto the love we shared and the paw prints they have left on our hearts.
Author and pet loss specialist Karen Anderson from the website Animal Communicating says “Honor your grief and the pain you feel when you lose a beloved pet. It is the first step toward healing.”
If your dog was cremated, you might be unsure what to do with their ashes. Some people choose to scatter them in a special place, while others prefer to keep them close in a pet urn or even some ashes in a piece of jewellery.
If you are thinking about getting a cremation urn, you probably have a few questions. Should it be kept indoors or outside? What size do you need? Will the urn be durable? You are not alone in having questions. It is a lot to think about, especially at such an emotional time. In this blog, we will guide you through some of the options to help you find the perfect urn or tribute.
1. Where Will You Keep the Urn?
Memorial urns for dogs come in a wide range of styles, from sleek and modern to rustic or traditional. But no choices can be made until you know where you are going to put your pet’s urn. The location is going to need to be one of your first considerations. If you plan to keep and display the urn indoors, you have more options and can concentrate on choosing one by mostly its looks. Don’t buy a degradable one though as even indoors it will eventually degrade. If you plan to have the urn outside in a special part of the garden or similar, you need to make sure that it can cope with the elements without getting ruined. It is therefore crucial to consider what is it made of and check that is is suitable for outdoor use.
Alternatively, if you are going to bury your dog’s ashes urn rather than have it on display, look for degradable urns or scatter tubes.
You can also consider a keepsake urn, which is a smaller urn that holds a portion of your dog’s ashes. A pet keepsake urn allows you to scatter some ashes, keep some and /or share cremains among family members.
2. Indoor vs. Outdoor Pet Urns
As we have mentioned, when choosing a cremation urn for your dog, one of the most important decisions you will need to make is where you want to put it. Indoor and outdoor urns both have unique qualities. The best choice will depend on what you prefer and how you want to honor your dear doggie.
If you prefer to have your dog’s urn at home with you, an indoor urn is going to be perfect and you will have lots of touching options to choose from. Or if you want to create a lasting memorial outdoors, make sure the urn you choose is suitable for the outdoors and will survive the elements.
Does it matter? Absolutely not. There is no right or wrong answer. Do what makes you feel happiest and most comforted.
Indoor pet urns are perfect if you want to keep your dog’s memory close by in your home. Having the urn that close can be a great comfort to many people. Outdoor pet urns are just as wonderful and can become a cherished focal point in a special place, reminding you of your beloved pooch. Natural, peaceful and calming, choose a meaningful outdoor setting like your dog’s favourite place in your garden.
Before making your purchase for outdoors, make sure it has been designed to withstand the elements (rain, wind, sun exposure, freezing temperatures etc). Weather-resistant materials like stone, granite and some metals can make superb lasting outdoor urns. Biodegradable urns that break down over time are perfect for outdoor ashes burials.
3. Selecting the Correct Material for a Dog Cremation Urn
Pet urns for dogs are made out of many different kinds of materials including metal, wood and ceramic. Each has its pros, cons and placement considerations. When you choose what your urn will be made of, it is important that it is suited to where you have chosen to put it, especially if that is gong to be indoors or out. We will discuss indoor and outdoor options after we look at some of the materials that are available.
Wooden urns: Wood is beautiful, classic and always timeless. It is a well loved and traditional option for urns, caskets and even memory boxes. The most popular options include oak, cherry, and walnut. Our most popular wood urn is the stunning Elstree Wooden Pet Urn in solid rosewood. So beautiful. A word of warning though – whilst wooden urns are perfect for indoors but won’t wear well if kept outdoors and left exposed to the elements.
Metal urns: As you can imagine, this option is durable and is also another traditional option. Some of the shapes and finishes are truly stunning. If you are looking for a durable and long-lasting urn, metal options like brass, bronze, or aluminum are wonderful choices. As mentioned, there are a large variety of finishes available on metal urns , from polished to matte, vibrant colours and even adorable designs like little paw prints. Metal urns are great for indoor use and are often also suitable for outdoor use but please do check first with the supplier. While metal is durable, many of the coatings and finishes used may eventually wear away if constantly exposed to the elements. If the urn you like is not clearly marked as suitable for outdoor use, check first before making your purchase.
Ceramic urns: We find these to be an incredibly popular choice. They are harder to come by and not as common as wooden or metal urns, but their beauty and handmade charm is so touching. A huge plus point with ceramic pieces is that the maker will often offer customisation in the form of colours, text options and even portrait drawings, if the maker is artistic. Having names, dates and some meaningful text on urns is a popular and special personalisation that many dog lovers adore. So special.
Biodegradable urns: These are a popular choice for ashes burials. If your pet was cremated but you don’t want to scatter the ashes or keep them forever in an urn on display, an ashes urn that slowly degrades in the burial place is a wonderful choice. Biodegradable urns are made from natural materials like salt, sand, or card / paper. This means that they decompose over time. Some even contain seed pods that allow you to plant a tree or flowers in your dog’s memory. How sweet is that.
4. Choosing a Pet Urn Based on Your Dog’s Size
You’ve found the perfect urn but now you are faced with size options that can be confusing. Don’t worry though because it is possible to estimate the urn size your dog will need by dog weight. Most of us know what our dog weighed in life but if you don’t you can ask your vet if they had a record or ask the crematorium, who should be able to give you this information or even tell you what capacity urn you will need.
So as you can see, an important thing to consider when selecting a dog cremation urn is your dog’s size i.e. their weight in life. Cremation urns come in various sizes but at the very least the choice of small, medium and large. So you need to choose one that fits all of your dog’s ashes, unless you are purposefully planning to divide the ashes or have some spare for a keepsake piece.
Typically you will need approximately 1 cubic inch urn capacity for each pound of your dog’s weight in life.
Here is an average guide of dog weight to urn size:
Small dogs (up to 20 pounds): Urns typically range from 30 to 50 cubic inches.
Medium dogs (20-50 pounds): Look for urns in the 50 to 100 cubic inch range.
Large dogs (50-100 pounds): These require urns that are 100 to 200 cubic inches.
Extra-large dogs (over 100 pounds): Urns for larger dogs can exceed 200 cubic inches.
These simple but important guidelines will help you choose the correct size of urn for your dog’s precious cremains (cremation ashes).
Check the specifications of the urn that you like to make sure it will hold the amount of ashes you want or need it to. If you are undecided between two urn sizes, it is better to go larger than required. Pet memorial expert Steve Smith explains: “When choosing an urn for your pet, it’s important to remember that the capacity should accommodate the volume of ashes, which is usually around one cubic inch per pound of body weight. A little extra space is always a good idea to ensure all the ashes fit comfortably.”
5. Personalising Your Dog’s Urn
One of the most beautiful parts of choosing a pet urn is if you get the choice to personalise it, if you are looking for a customisable urn. This can be a wonderful way to show your dog’s personality and the unique bond you shared. A custom dog urn will often include options for your dog’s name, some dates or a short message.
Personalisation ideas include:
– Your dog’s name, dates, a personal message.
– Shaped urns like paw prints or specific dog breeds.
– Photo plaques or keepsakes that incorporate a picture or other memento.
By personalising the urn or choosing one that can be customised in some way, you create a special tribute that reflects the unique personality of your pooch.
6. Creating The Perfect Resting Place
Outdoor urns can be placed in your garden like a special area where you and your dog enjoyed time together or a place where they loved to play or sunbathe. Alternatively, indoor pet urns offer a beautiful way to keep your dog’s memory alive, providing a comforting reminder of the joy and love they brought to your life.
Do what brings you the most peace and comfort. There are no right or wrong choices. From creating a large memorial space to admiring a discretely marked patch of peace, the choice is yours.
7. Keepsake Options
For many pet parents, keeping a small portion of their dog’s ashes close is a lovely way to stay connected. Keepsake urns for dogs ashes and memorial jewelry are small, personal ways to do this. Some keepsake urns hold a tiny portion of ashes or even fur, while others are designed as pendants, bracelets, or adorable decorative items like sun catchers and paperweights.
Keepsake pet urns and memorial jewellery allow family members to each keep a small portion of cremains. Unlike traditional urns that store all of a pet’s cremated remains, keepsake urns are smaller, holding just a token amount of pet ashes. Many people choose keepsake urns to share the pet’s ashes among family members or to keep a portion of the cremains after scattering the rest in a special place, for example.
Keepsake dog memorial jewelry, on the other hand, offers a smaller, more intimate and wearable way to keep a loved one close. These pieces, which can be in the form of pendants, rings, bracelets, or lockets, contain a very small portion of ashes. Some cremation jewellery uses glass or resin to encase the ashes, creating a unique and stunning tribute. Other pieces of jewellery are actually teeny tiny little urns for a discrete pinch of precious ashes.
Both keepsake urns and memorial ashes jewellery provide comfort to those grieving by offering a tangible way to keep a loved one close. They allow individuals to honor their loved ones in a personal and sentimental manner, making the grieving process a little easier by preserving a lasting connection.
8. Budget and Time Frame for Your Dog’s Cremation Urn
When it comes to selecting your dog cremation urn, it is important to take cost into account. Urns vary in price based on materials, customisation, and size. While some urns are budget-friendly, others may be more costly, especially if they are hand made or include personalisation.
Urns that have been customised or jewellery that encases the pet ashes in glass or resin can have quite lengthy time frames for making and sending. Do check the maker’s dispatch times before ordering so you know what to expect.
This process doesn’t need to be rushed. Take your time to reflect on your dog’s life and what would best honor them and bring you the most comfort. Whether you opt for a simple, elegant urn or something more personalised, it is important to choose one that resonates with you.
Final Thoughts
Choosing an urn for your dog is not something any of us ever want to do yet we all know we will have to do it one day. It doesn’t hurt any less for that knowledge though, does it. And when the time comes, it can be so tough. You are grieving and now you are supposed to choose something that somehow sums up everything your dog meant to you. It is a lot. Take a deep breath and don’t rush. If you are not finding some comfort or peace choosing the perfect urn or keepsake, take a step back until you are ready to try again.
Some people go for something simple. Others want something that really feels like their dog, something with a bit of personality. There is no rule book. If it matters to you, that is all that counts.
And yes, maybe it is just an urn. But maybe it is also a way to still feel close and to honour your dog. A way to have something that says they were here, they were loved and they mattered, a lot.
We put this guide together to hopefully make things a little easier. No pressure, just a few options to think about. And if you are stuck or need to talk it through, just ask. We are happy to help.
By Jenny Prevel
© D for Dog www.dfordog.co.uk
This article belongs strictly to D for Dog and we do not authorise the copying of all or any part of it.
Further Reading
Burying Your Dog at Home
Coping With Pet Loss & Grief
Pet Loss Support
The Blue Cross has over 30 years of experience in helping people to cope with the loss of a pet. Visit their Pet Loss Support page which includes a free and confidential helpline, webchat, email and Facebook group. Their fully-trained team members answer calls, emails and webchat from those experiencing pet loss of any kind.