This Canine Painter Named ‘Dog Vinci’ Is Taking the Art World by Storm

A Long Island pup who had to give up his first dream of being a service dog due to his fear of going up and down stairs has found his true calling as a artist. Dagger II—also known as Dog Vinci—has quickly become a renowned canine painter whose pieces sell for $50 to $100 per canvas, according to Pix 11.

Owner Yvonne Dagger, who is also an artist, says the 3-year-old black lab golden retriever—who wears a red beret and matching scarf while creating his masterpieces—always seemed interested in her art. “He always lays down next to me,” she said. “And one day he was nudging me, and I said, ‘Do you want to paint, Dagger?’ And his tail started to wag.”

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Yvonne said that painting has come naturally to her pet. “I’m jealous in a way,” she said. “I want to paint like Dagger, because he doesn’t know of anything else. He just knows what he knows and that brush stroke is just gonna land where it lands.”

The proceeds from Dagger’s paintings all go to animal-related charities.

Watch the full video documenting his journey above.