Gifts for dog and horse lovers in Ireland
By Amy Byrne · · 5 min read
What to buy the person whose phone is entirely photographs of their dog. Gift ideas by budget, plus commissioned portraits of their own animal.
Everyone knows one: the person whose camera roll is 90% dog, or who talks about a horse the way other people talk about a family member. Generic gifts bounce off them. Something with an animal in it does not.
By budget
Under €20 — a 5×5″ print, €10. Small, personal, and it lands on a desk or a shelf rather than in a drawer. Two or three of them wrapped together makes a proper present.
Around €40 — an 8×10″ framed print, €38. Ready to hang, no follow-up project for the recipient. This is the sweet spot for a birthday.
Around €70 — a 16×24″ framed print, €70. A statement piece for a milestone, a wedding, or a shared house.
Anything — a commission. A portrait session of their animal, printed and framed. Enquire through the contact page and I will come back with dates and a price.
For dog people
Start with the dog print collection — collies mid-stride, terriers refusing to sit still, labradors doing very little. If you know their dog's breed, matching it is the obvious win. If you do not, a mid-stride action shot travels better than a formal portrait.
For horse people
The horse collection runs from close portraits to herds at golden hour. Horse people tend to be specific about breed and colouring, so if you know they have a piebald or a chestnut, buy accordingly. Tack rooms and yard offices are where these end up as often as living rooms.
The safest choice: black and white
If you have no idea what colours their house is, order the print as a black-and-white edition — it is free, and monochrome sits happily in any room. See the black and white collection.
A gift that goes further
Many of the animals in these photographs live at Forever Home Sanctuary, a small animal sanctuary; some stay for life, some only until the right home turns up. A share of every print sale goes back into their care, which is a nice thing to be able to write in a card.
Practical notes
- Prices exclude postage, which is calculated at checkout by destination.
- Order framed if it needs to arrive finished — see framed or unframed.
- Leave time for delivery in December; Irish orders are usually quickest.
Frequently asked
- What is a good gift for a dog lover in Ireland?
- A framed 8×10″ dog print at €38 is the usual sweet spot — ready to hang, personal, and matched to their breed if you know it. A 5×5″ print at €10 works for a smaller gift.
- Can I get a portrait of someone's own dog or horse?
- Yes. Commissions are open for dogs, horses and other animals in Ireland. Enquire through the contact page with a rough location and timeframe and you will get dates and a price back.
- What if I do not know what their house looks like?
- Order the print as a black-and-white edition. It costs nothing extra, and monochrome sits comfortably in almost any interior.
- Do print sales support the animal sanctuary?
- Yes. Many of the animals photographed live at Forever Home Sanctuary, a small animal sanctuary, and a share of every print sale goes back into their care.
More guides
- Wall art room by room: nursery, home office and hallway
Which prints suit a nursery, a home office and a hallway — sizes, subjects, heights and colours for the three rooms people leave until last.
- How to photograph your dog (and get one worth framing)
Practical dog photography tips — get down low, use the right light, freeze movement, keep their attention, and how to tell if a phone photo will print well.
- Irish landscape photography: chasing light in a country with none
How to photograph the Irish landscape in bad light — golden hour, the twenty minutes after rain, blue hour, and which conditions actually print well.