Paw prints

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Has anyone made a paw print of their pet? What material do you use? I have found a recipe for salt dough that seems pretty basic. I have loads of fimo polymer clay but it might be too hard. Any other suggestions gratefully accepted.

2
People will have different takes on this, as they should. I'm sure people do things like this with good intentions, but it makes me a bit uncomfortable, like when I see people have coloured the fur of their pet, dressed their pet in outfits, or added filters to the look of their pet to "improve" social media selfies.

Unless there's a medical, health, happiness or comfort reason, I think pets should be left to be animals. The average owner has no means of easily deducing whether things like this cause animals distress.

I'm not intending in any way to doubt your intentions, just wondering, I suppose, what benefit there would be to the animal from this.

3

Of course you’re doubting my intentions. You sound like someone who claims to love animals, but is just looking at it for effect. Go elsewhere for your platform, I’m in no mood for this.

I am not going to dye my dog‘s hair or anything or dress her up. Not that it any of your business, but my nearly 17 year old dog is dying, doesn‘t have a lot of time left and I want a paw print as a rememberance.

Ok? Satisfied?

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You don't need to resort to insulting others, nor making claims about them that you can't possibly substantiate. There's nothing unkind in my post - quite the opposite, as it matters to treat animals like animals. You're reactive, because this is a difficult time (understandable, and we'd all likely behave in the same way).

I am guessing this topic is too raw for you to be able to see clearly, as it likely would be for anyone.

The beautiful thing about pets and people passing is the memories can comfort us forever, even when it's no longer possible for them to be alongside us. I hope you come to find comfort from your shared memories.

6
Please put me on ignore and don‘t be so condescending.

7
Cliinimus, please stop. This is neither the time nor place to be judgemental and unkind. If you knew Ennui IRL you would understand how completely and totally off the mark you are.

So please stop.

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Taking a pawprint impression is hardly invasive, and certainly not in any way, shape, or form what you suggest.

All it takes to make a mold is playing a targeting game with a ball of dough. Most of our dogs enjoy doing similar tricks, something fun and rewarding for them. Targetting is a fundamental 'brain training' exercise.

The dog decides if he wants to play, or not. All mine, without exception, have eagerly joined in targetting games.

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Ennui, I have not made paw prints - I wish I had thought to do so.

But my sister has, she just texted me two suggestions: One is the salt dough, which gives you the more traditional inward print. Another is to use a ball of play dough as a mold and then use plaster of paris to make a reverse relief casting.

In both media, make a smooth ball of dough, ask your dog to target the ball which will create the print impression. With the salt dough then simply clean up the disk and bake. With the playdough you then mix plaster of paris, fill the mold, and let it set.

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Sending lots and lots of empathetic hugs.

8
That‘s a great idea, thanks. Will see if I can get one Monday.

And thank you meloncollie, both for the support and the suggestions.

9

I don't think either of these accusation is fair, nor reflective of what I have posted. I'm also not of the opinion that it's a positive thing to treat people you've met in real-life better than others you haven't, just based on the in-person meeting. It isn't your place to ask anyone to stop posting, nor to make black-and-white claims about their intentions. You don't have to read the posts of anyone you don't like, so make use of that function, if it serves you well - that's something you have within your power.

10
I was working with some concrete the other day in my basement. Of course when I left to go clean up, my dog walked through it and left her tracks (and then proceeded to leave a mess on the floor from the basement to the backyard). What I'm getting at, is a sack of concrete costs about 6 CHFs. You only need a fraction of it though so it might not be worth the hassle. It works good for paw prints though. I would recommend the Weber Ton 908 or similar.

Edit: you could use the leftover concrete to make a Chicago Overcoat for any annoying little mice that you might come across.

11
There are also ink kits, which allow you to take 2D prints https://www.geschenkidee.ch/p/175260...SABEgK9QvD_BwE

Or kits for casts https://www.geschenkidee.ch/p/171488...iABEgKXNvD_BwE

Just google pet paw print.

12
I don’t visit here very often and have no history with anyone and I find your posts insensitive and offensive.

Maybe you should try reading through them before posting as the tone is very condescending. If you don’t have anything helpful or constructive to say it’s usually better to say nothing at all. You jumped in and made assumptions without knowing the situation and then made unfounded accusations against the OP.

As others have said the baby handprint kits would work well but if you think time is really short then homemade salt dough is a good option. If the dog is mobile you could get him/her to walk over it and cut around the prints.

13
What accusations have I made please?

14
Like in many other situations in life, where a reaction is possible, always ask yourself "who am i doing this for?" - if the answer is honestly "not me" then contribute, otherwise just leave it.

It's not all about you.

15
How does that matter? Some people here meet IRL and are buddies.

Aha, that post was deleted as well

16
Thank you for all the helpful ideas and supportive comments.

We thought our girl was ready to go yesterday, but a visit to our vet bought us a little time. We’ve had her nearly 16 years, adopted as a rescue in the US (I agreed to buy a house so I could have a dog), and she came with us in 2007. Yes, she is very important to me.

If someone posts a request for info, maybe all they want is information. If you have a particular position on a related issue, open another thread. Plenty of people here interested in chewing the fat, you don’t have to derail a thread with your particular axe to grind.

17
All the best Ennui. L will be missed sorely when she goes

18
I am sick of EF posters who light a match, then play fakey poor little me. Ennui, do what you think will salve your soul. And when she does depart your life, light a candle.

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20
My only caution with the baby print clay is to make sure that it is fairly fresh... it gets rather hard when old... we found some the other day, and as our kid was near by and her hand still fit the mold, we gave it a shot... but she had to press REALLY hard to make it work. Much harder than I think most pets would be comfortable with.

The other suggestions of ink and paint are good... we used to use finger paint with our kid because it was easy to wipe up... and the cat ran through it once, and left paw prints everywhere, but easy to clean.

Good luck with your project and I hope that you and the pup have peaceful remaining days.