The abundant virtues of dog companionship are celebrated in full display in an annual worldwide dog photography competition, featuring some of the top dog photographs of the last year!

The Dog Photography Awards 2022 displays canine virtues such as: trust shown by dogs navigating obstacle courses at the commands of their masters; life, as exhibited in their lifesaving skills rescuing humans buried under an avalanche; and who can forget humor seen in dogs doing things “a little differently,” making us laugh—especially in front of the camera in a dog photographer’s studio.

Now, the winners of the Dog Photography Awards 2022 have been released after being chosen from some 1,400 entries, both professional and amateur, from 50 countries around the world—everywhere from Canada to Slovenia, from Germany to Greenland. A cash prize of 2,000 euros was awarded and divvied up, with 500 euros going to each of the top winners in the competition’s four categories, namely: Portrait and Landscape, Studio, Action, and Dogs and People.

“This year’s winners are some of the most beautiful dog images you will ever see,” the competition stated in a press release.

Top prize in the Portrait and Landscape category went to Dalia Fichmann from Switzerland. Her submission, “The Avalanche Rescuedog,” depicts the fortunate frontal view of a search dog’s muzzle poking down through an icy chasm as Fichmann lays buried beneath the snow, witnessing dogs training to recover desperately trapped humans in an emergency situation.

“I lay down with the camera in a small, dark ice cave and let the dogs search for me,” Fichmann stated. “The moment when the snow cover opens up, [when] the first ray of light penetrates the cave, the paws dig away the snow, and the dog’s nose sniffs towards you is wonderful. A big compliment to all the dog handlers with their four-legged friends who invest a lot of time and patience. In an emergency, they risk their own lives. The picture shows border collie Kyron, who was looking for me and fortunately found me.”

Capturing first place in the Action category, Francesco Junior Mura from Italy photographed an agile competition dog named Bagheera dexterously traversing a hurdle in an obstacle course, obliging her master’s signals faithfully and obediently.

“The first obstacle of the course is the moment I prefer most of all,” Mura stated of his snapshot “She Is Bagheera.” “There, where it all begins, [is] where the bond between human and dog is expressed in such a clear way by such a magnetic look, where you can see the power of [a] dog’s muscles contracting and releasing energy at every handler’s nod.”

An artful canine vignette garnered the top prize in the Studio category with UK-based photographer Su Kaye’s black and white portrait, “Things Are Looking Up,” abstractly featuring the strange, wrinkly nape of a pup looking skyward.

“Just trying to do something different from the norm and create something unique in my studio and a new style,” Kaye said. “Not something I’ve seen other people doing and has created a great response and good reactions.”

Sabrina Theden from Germany carried first place in the Dogs and People category for her lovely portrait of a mottled collie with charming dichromatic eyes and an adoring owner together in a railway museum. The photograph is fittingly titled “Unconditional Love.”

Of course, there are many more photos that we haven’t mentioned but have included them here for your viewing pleasure. These feature a blissful walk on the beach photographed from above, a precious puppy that fits in the palm of a hand, and one dog seeming to soar through the air after a frisbee. There are Dalmatians, Jack Russells, and border collies, as well as canines named Luna, Molly, Mimi, and much more!

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