The dog in question was Barraud's late pet, Nipper, whom he had inherited after the premature death of his elder brother Mark (1848–1887), a Bristol stage set painter. As Nipper had died in 1895, he could not be used as a living model, so Barraud instead worked from an old photo he had.
Barraud's late pet, Nipper, was the dog of his deceased elder brother Mark (1848–1887), who died unexpectedly. As Nipper had passed away in 1895 and could not be used as a living model, Barraud created the portrait using an old photo he owned.