Even more than cats, there are many, many porcelain dog statues. And, unlike the cat figurines, most porcelain dog figurines are of recognizable and specific dog breeds. Whether your favorite is the Scottish terrier or the Borzoi, there are dog statues of your favorites out there. You have only to look around a bit, and find a good source.
You can find porcelain dogs lying down, sitting on their haunches or sitting up to beg, standing and walking, and even, occasionally the dog on its back, asking for a belly rub. Some dogs come in their regular coat, and other have dog or even human clothes. Mostly they are shown in dog activities, but there are dog statues that show dogs participating in human activities as if human.
Besides regular dogs doing regular dog things, there are artistic dog figurines. Famous artists have, on occasion, include running dogs, either as the subject of the sculpture or as adjunct figures, and you may find copies of these available in porcelain. Often, the hunting goddess, Diana, is shown with a pack of dogs. Paul Manship’s “Diana” has a dog running with her, for instance. If you find replicas of this kind of dog figurine, I suggest you buy it, as finding these will be difficult.
Most porcelain figurine manufacturers include dogs in their product lines as they are sure sellers. Within this sea of dog statues, most are less than life size, but there are life size dog statues for most breeds, from the tiny to the large. Having a place for a life size dog statue will require some planning, and a very large place if you want more than one.
For the mythical dog lover, there are foo dog statues. These are temple guardians in Oriental shrines and also known as fu dogs. They actually are fairly lion-esque with curly manes around the head, and are often portrayed with one foot holding an orb in place. Foo dogs come in pairs, and there is usually some difference in the two, so they are not identical or mirror images. Other mythical dogs include Cerberus, the guardian of Hades in Greek myth, and several dogs in Norse mythology. One could even consider Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, usually represented as a jackal or with the head of a jackal, a dog figure.
If you have a favorite porcelain maker, be sure to look for the porcelain dog statues made by that company, as these will be among the most popular figurines the company makes.
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