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See the Impressive Winning Images of Adorable, Somber and Commanding Canines From the 2026 Dog Photography Awards
Posing pit bulls, stoic galgos and frisbee-chasing Aussies feature among the annual competition’s prize winners
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The annual Dog Photography Awards, which celebrates the talents of international photographers and their canine companions, have chosen their 2026 winners amid stiff—and very lovable—competition.
Roughly 1,900 entries from 50 different countries were considered for the contest’s six categories: studio; action; documentary; dogs and people; outdoor portrait; and an “open” catchall that encourages boundary-pushing frames and experimental techniques. First-, second-, and third-place winners for each group were selected by a professional jury, and organizers conducted interviews with category champions to explore their themes and inspiration. One outstanding photographer was honored with the competition’s top overall prize of about $800, a commemorative trophy and a spotlight in the awards’ annual book.
“From heartwarming portraits to action-packed scenes, our diverse range of categories offers photographers the opportunity to showcase their talent and passion for the art of dog photography,” the competition’s website reads. “Whether you’re drawn to the bond between dogs and their human counterparts, the sophisticated studio settings or documenting dogs’ lives, you’ll find a category that speaks to your vision and creativity.”
Founded in 2021, the awards this year celebrate their sixth iteration. Here are some of our favorite prize-winning compositions.
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Katie Brockman, a photographer based in St. Louis who specializes in pet portraiture, took home this year’s top overall prize for her image of Caldwell the pitbull.
The portrait, titled Loved and Hated, sought to shed light on pitbulls’ complicated existence. Historically isolated and bred for fighting, the breed has earned a reputation for being inherently dangerous and mean—which has made finding homes for those in shelters difficult—though dog advocates have long worked to debunk this misconception.
In Brockman’s portrait, Caldwell wears a newspaper crown and collar featuring divisive headlines about his breed. He is pulled in one direction by a chain and in another by a helping human hand.
“The collar and chain represent breed bans, restrictions and other ways pitbulls are punished simply for existing, while the crown and gentle hand represent the advocates who support and love the breed,” Brockman says in her interview. “Meanwhile, the dogs themselves are caught in the middle between the two sides.”
Brockman’s relationship with Caldwell is heartwarming. The photographer was a volunteer dog walker at the shelter Caldwell was transferred to when he was just 2 years old. Because her apartment building had a restriction on “bully breeds,” Brockman could not adopt him. As a result, she made the “totally normal and rational move,” she says, to buy a house “specifically so I could adopt him.”
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This year’s action-category winner features Ori the Australian Shepherd, a world-championship-contending frisbee dog, in heated pursuit of the disc. Photographer Nika Kuplenk Golobič chose a well-lit, snowy landscape and crouched beneath Ori’s owner, who held the frisbee above the camera, setting up the intense eye-level shot.
“She gave him the cue to run toward us while keeping the frisbee there, which is what made him look straight into the camera as he was running,” Golobič says. “Once he got very close to me, she threw the frisbee away from us so he could safely follow it. I’m very grateful that she helped me create this shot while also making sure I stayed safe!”
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Sarah Ebner’s Close, the winner of the dogs-and-people category, is an emotional self-portrait with her pet Koda. Taken during sunrise in a place the pair travels to every year, absence defines the frame: “Close” captures the first visit without Faye, Ebner’s late dog, who passed away last year and inspired her foray into dog photography.
“It was such a peaceful and magical morning,” Ebner says. “Even though she wasn’t physically there with us anymore, she somehow felt very close. In my heart, she was there with us.”
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The outdoor portrait category is the competition’s most popular, and this year’s winning image is a masterclass of composition. Featuring a galgo (a Spanish greyhound) in the heart of London, Beyond the Track holds the city’s vastness in direct conversation with the sleek racing dog’s stoic form.
“There’s something about their elegance and goofiness, their shapes and that soulful quality they have that works incredibly well against the lines of architecture and the grandeur of London,” photographer Elena Marchi says. “They can look almost sculptural within the city, which makes them particularly fascinating for the kind of work I create.”
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Zhang Tianhang’s Waiting, the first-prize winner in the documentary category, is the result of the photographer’s goal of capturing the conditions and emotions within dog shelters around the world.
“The shelter environment is cluttered with many distractions, requiring me to constantly adjust my angles, composition, and lighting to capture suitable moments,” Zhang says. “Even so, the dogs always bring lovely and unexpected surprises during shooting, such as slobbery faces and muddy paw prints on my clothes. These little and unique moments are their special gifts, which I truly cherish.”
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Marchi’s second category win invites the viewer to consider the histories of greyhounds and galgos, which are often exploited for racing and hunting.
Tora, a black greyhound, is posed in front of a white facade, staring directly at Ronda, a three-legged white galgo standing in front of a shadowy enclave. The image, titled Run, captures what the photographer believes is a silent conversation between the two breeds.
“When I look at the photograph, I imagine Ronda whispering to Tora, ‘Run,’ as a warning of what might happen if she doesn’t run fast enough to meet the expectations placed upon her,” Marchi says.
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