People had been asking for it for months. "You do those brilliant custom mugs — can you do one of my dog?" The answer, until recently, was not quite yet. We had the tooling, we had the sister ranges, we just hadn't taught our system to properly recognise a spaniel from a spitz.
As of a couple of weeks ago, we're there. Meet the Pawtrait Mug.
The first one was Rosie's
Danni and I have a working cocker spaniel called Rosie. She's the Sipfull Pup — the one on the studio floor, the one who supervises every press day, the one who's been in more of our social posts than either of us. When it came time to test the first proper Pawtrait Mug, there was really only one candidate.
Her mug sits on the shelf now. It's a fair likeness. She's not impressed either way — but the response from customers who saw her mug in last week's email was immediate: how do I do this for mine?
Here's how.
How it works
Four steps. Same for every order.
1. Head to the product page. Standard mug personalisation flow — you'll recognise the pattern if you've bought from us before.
2. Upload a photo of your dog. Head-on is perfect. Well-lit, no filter, close enough to see the eyes clearly. Phone photos work brilliantly — the better the source, the better the portrait.
3. Hit generate and wait a minute. Our Pawtrait studio produces three painterly options for you to choose between. Same photo, three interpretations — pick the one that feels most like your dog.
4. Add a name (optional) and check out. Their name printed underneath the portrait, if you'd like — otherwise just the artwork. Ready to press the moment your order comes through.
Create your Pawtrait Mug
Upload a photo, pick your favourite of three, add a name. From £12.49.
A bit about the tooling
The Pawtrait Mug uses the same underlying system that powers our Sipfull Portraits range (bottles, tins and cans made from your photos) and Sipfull Labels (bespoke bottle labels invented around a name). The engine's the same — the difference is what we've trained it to recognise.
Dogs turned out to be the most rewarding subject we've fed it yet. Every breed has its own shape, its own coat texture, its own signature expression. A cocker's silky ears look different to a labrador's blocky head. A rescue's mixed heritage produces genuinely one-of-a-kind portraits. What comes back is painterly, warm, and specific — not the generic "AI pet portrait" you'll have seen elsewhere.
Best results come from a good photo
The single biggest thing you can do to get a great Pawtrait: send us a good photo.
- Head-on. Not from above, not from below, not from behind. Eye level with your dog is ideal.
- Well-lit. Daylight is best. Avoid harsh overhead light that shadows the eyes.
- Close enough. The head fills at least half the frame. If we can't see the eyes clearly, we can't render them properly.
- Sharp. Not blurry, not motion-blurred. Wait for the sit-and-stare moment.
- Ideally no other dogs, humans or objects. Just your dog. Backgrounds don't matter — we replace them with a painterly wash.
If your photo isn't quite right, we'll tell you before we press anything.
Made in Sussex, made to order
Every Pawtrait Mug is hand-pressed to order in our Sussex studio. Not mass produced, not drop-shipped, not printed in a warehouse. Same premium mug stock we use across the range — ceramic in a choice of colours, or elegant Bone China if it's a gift.
Every mug comes with our 1-Year Print Guarantee — if the print fades or peels under normal use, we'll replace it. Double-walled smash-proof packaging, dispatched ready to gift.
Who it’s for
Truthfully, mostly gifts. Dog people love their dogs with a specificity that non-dog-people find slightly mystifying — the exact spot on the sofa, the exact bark tone, the exact tilt of the head. A Pawtrait Mug is a way to honour that specificity.
- Milestone birthdays for people whose dog is essentially family.
- Sympathy gifts for someone who's lost a beloved dog — a small, thoughtful way to say we remember them too.
- Christmas and Mother’s Day for dog mums who'd rather have a mug of their whippet than any other gift you could think of.
- Just for yourself. No occasion required. Sometimes you just want your dog on a mug.
The Portrait Range so far
Pawtrait was the first of three siblings. Two more have followed:
- Purrtrait Mug — same premise, cat edition. Any breed, any temperament, painterly portrait from your photo.
- Ponytrait Mug — for the horsey ones. Every horse we've been shown so far has come out beautifully.
Same tooling, same studio, same standard. Different animal.
The practical bits
- From £12.49. One-of-a-kind, hand-pressed to order.
- Free UK shipping when you order two mugs or more. Tracked delivery from £1.99 otherwise.
- 1-year fade guarantee. If the print fades within 12 months, free replacement.
- Hand-pressed in England. Every mug, every time, in our Sussex studio.
- Choice of ceramic or Bone China — the latter recommended for gifts.
- Personalised means non-returnable. You pick your favourite portrait before we press — nothing goes to print you haven't approved.
Ready when you are
Upload a photo. Pick your favourite of three. Add their name. From £12.49.
One Last Thing
The Pawtrait Mug exists because dog people are, as a group, some of the most enthusiastic and specific customers we have. You've asked, we've built it, and we're properly happy with what it produces.
Send us a photo of your dog. See what we can do.
Danni & Guy
Sipfull of Design ☕
P.S. — Rosie is fine, thank you for asking. Still supervising every press.