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Giant Dogs

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Nipper was a Fox Terrier and Bull Terrier mixed breed dog that became the symbol for RCA Music. A painting of him posed with an ear cocked towards an old-fashioned victrola became the company's logo.

Nipper
Albany, NY
This 25 foot tall likeness is the largest man-made dog in the world. It was built in 1954 and placed atop the RCA Building in Albany. It has a steel frame and composite body and weighs 4 tons. "Nipper" is inscribed on the dog's collar. Originally, there was also a Victrola box with horn.

Arnoff Moving and Storage bought and renovated the Albany building and Nipper in 1997. Because of Nipper's height and position on the roof, he has an aircraft beacon on his right ear. There is a steep set of stairs inside Nipper for changing the bulbs. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Nipper
Baltimore, MD
The Baltimore Nipper statue is 18 feet tall. It was originally installed on the RCA building in Baltimore around 1950. When RCA temporarily discontinued using the icon in 1975, the statue was sold to Jim Wells. The statue was put on display in Merrifield, VA. Later, Wells sold the statue to Baltimore and it was placed in a park. It is now located on the roof of the Maryland Historical Society museum. There is also a Nipper statue inside the museum. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Nipper statues
Dover, DE
These Nipper statues are just some of those located at the Johnson Victrola Museum. The largest statue, shown in the first two photos above, appears to be about five feet tall. I don't know where he was originally located. For more, see this website.

Nipper statues
Minden, NE
There are a couple of Nipper statues on display inside Pioneer Village.

St. Bernard & Nipper statues
Château-Richer, QC
These St. Bernard & Nipper statues are located at Boutique Nanouk. This gift and souvenir shop opened in 1961. These statues were constructed for a winter festival parade float in the 1980s. In addition, there is a more traditional giant Nipper statue on their porch.

More Nipper Statues & Buildings:
Brimfield, MA
Saint Louis Park, MN
Camden, NJ: 1, 2
Okayama, Japan
Bristol, UK

Great Dane
Savannah, GA
This 20 foot tall fiberglass Great Dane stands in front of the Great Dane Trailers facility. The Great Dane has been the company's symbol since 1931. This statue was built in 1960 and was originally installed in Orlando, FL. It was knocked over in 1979 during Hurricane David and again in 1980 by a tornado. The statue was knocked over again in the late 1990s by a hit-and-run driver. When the Orlando facility closed in 2001, the statue was moved here. It is dressed up for holidays: a green derby hat for St. Patrick's Day and an Uncle Sam hat for the Fourth of July. The statue wears a Santa hat and wreath around its neck for Christmas.

Dog [gone]
Santa Fe, NM
Bulldog Cafe
Los Angeles, CA
This Dog sculpture in Santa Fe is 20 feet long and made of corrugated sheet metal. It was temporarily installed in Railyard Park and is entitled "Yard Dog." A bench swing hangs from the dog's underside. The sculpture was created by Don Kennell in 2011. It was removed in 2012. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

This Bulldog Cafe structure is located inside the Petersen Automotive Museum. It is a recreation of a building that was built around 1928. It was demolished in 1955. I don't know if the original dog's pipe emitted steam but the new one at the museum does. There was also another recreation of this building at Disney's Epcot Center in Florida. There was also a Pup Cafe in Venice, CA. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Anubis
Redlands, CA
Bulldog
Woodstock, ON
Uga
Athens, GA
This Anubis statue is one of a pair that stood at the entrance to Pharaoh's Theme and Water Park when this photo was taken in 2008. The park had been closed since 2006. It reopened in 2011 as Splash Kingdom Waterpark. I believe these statues are still there. For more, see this website.

I believe this Bulldog was previously located in New Hamburg, ON. It is now part of Windmill Hill which is Cliff and Frances Bruce's collection of windmills, whirligigs, signs and other statues. For more, see this website.

There are numerous Bulldogs around Athens which is the home to the University of Georgia's Bulldogs football team. The team also has a live mascot at its games. This statue of Uga stands in front of Memorial Hall. I believe there are two bronze Bulldog statues inside the stadium. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Bulldog
Winslow, AZ
This Bulldog statue was installed at Winslow High School around 2007. It is about six feet tall. The Bulldog is the mascot of the school's sports teams. For more, see this website.

Giant Bulldog
Mattapoisett, MA
Giant Dalmatian
Bellevue, OH
Giant Dog
Mount Vernon, IN
The Giant Bulldog stands at the entrance to the Old Rochester Regional High School. This wood-carved Bulldog is missing his right ear. The Bulldog is this high school's mascot.

The Giant Dalmatian is installed on someone's front lawn.

The Mount Vernon Dog is installed on top of the sign at the Hawthorne Animal Clinic. He looks like a Pointer to me.

Giant Dog
Beaverton, OR
Giant Dog
Glyndon, MN
Giant Dog
Dillon, SC
Giant Dog
Winter Haven, FL
The Beaverton Giant Dog is about six feet tall and stands in front of Bark Park Dog Daycare. This business opened in 2003. This dog looks like a Standard Schnauzer to me. For more, see their website.

This sign for Boardwalk Kennels features a Husky-like dog statue. I believe the business is closed. These photos are from 2011.

The Dillon Dog is located at South of the Border. This giant Dachshund is installed next to Pedro's Hot Dogs.

This Winter Haven Dog stands in front of Little Wolfe's Pet Resort. It appears to be a giant Cocker Spaniel.

Airedale
Alma, AR
Giant Husky
Saint-Nicolas, QC
This Airedale statue stands in front of the Performing Arts Center. The Airedale Terrier is the mascot of Alma High School.

This Giant Husky advertises for Le Chenil La Poursuite, a dog sledding school. For more, see their website.

Jim the Wonder Dog
Marshall, MO
dog statue
McLeansboro, IL
Great Dane sculpture
Galveston, TX
Jim the Wonder Dog was an English Llewellyn Setter that lived from 1925-1937. He was a local celebrity that predicted future events and understood many different languages. His grave is located in the Ridge Park Cemetery. This bronze statue was installed in 1999 in a small park where the hotel he used to live in was located. For more, see this website.

The McLeansboro dog statue is located at the McCoy Memorial Library. It is about twice life size. The statue has been here since at least the 1960s. Does anyone know more about it? For more, see this website.

This Great Dane sculpture was carved by Dayle Lewis from a live oak tree which had been destroyed during Hurricane Ike in 2008. The sculpture was modeled after Hunter, the dog that lives on the property. The sculpture is dressed up for various holidays. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

dog sculpture
Russell, KS
dog statues
Elmwood Park, NJ
This dog sculpture in Russell is installed at DC Sales & Service.

These dog statues are made of foam and installed in front of Camp Bow Wow. They were made around 2006. The Golden Retriever is about four feet tall.

Esso Watchdog
Pottstown, PA
Esso Watchdog statues were produced by the Esso Oil Company. This German Shepherd Dog was used as the company's home heating oil business mascot from around 1959-1965. These fiberglass statues came in two sizes: seven feet long and three feet long. The larger ones, like this one, were installed on top of the company's oil trucks. This Pottstown statue was located at an Esso Oil delivery company at this site. When Watchdog Condo-Storage opened here, they kept the statue. It is now installed on top of their sign. For more, see this website.

Big Red Dog
Northport, AL
The Big Red Dog, aka Rusty, stands on top of the Stephens Gallery. The metal sculpture has been here since at least 1999.

Doggie Diner sign
Ocean Beach
San Francisco, CA
Doggie Diner heads
storage yard
San Francisco, CA
The Doggie Diner chain used giant Dachshund heads for its signs. The company's first hot dog stand was built in 1949. There were about 30 locations in the Bay Area. These nine foot tall fiberglass dog head signs were developed around 1960. They were designed by Harold Bachman. The signs revolved on top of 20 foot tall metal poles, earning the nickname "Dachshunds on Sticks". Approximately fifty of these heads were produced.

The Ocean Beach Doggie Diner opened in 1965. It was the last location left when it closed in 1986. The sign was still in place when the City of San Francisco acquired it in 2000. The following year, the fiberglass head was knocked off its pole by high winds. The damage was substantial, particularly to the dog's nose. The head was repaired and repainted in its original colors. The sign was reinstalled one block from its original location as a memorial to the popular chain.

The trio of Doggie Diner heads shown above are owned by John Law, a private collector. The heads are nicked Manny, Moe and Jack after the Pep Boys' characters. They were previously located in Emeryville for several years. They are now kept in a storage yard to protect them from vandalism. The trailered trio appears at parades and special events. In 2005, they were towed behind a bus on a roadtrip to NYC, stopping at various roadside attractions. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

There are about nine other heads known to exist. There is one at a bed and breakfast in Mendocino County, CA; another at Streetlight Records in San Jose, CA; and another in Plymouth, CA. The others are in private collections in Fremont, San Rafael, Berkeley, Maui, HI and possibly two heads in Reno, NV. If you know of any others, I'd love to hear about them.

More Giant Dogs:
Sled Dog (Anchorage, AK)
Barto: 1, 2 (Palmer, AK)
Beagle (Cottonwood, ID)
dog slide (Tawas City, MI) [gone]
Balto (New York, NY)
Good Dog (New York, NY)
Dachshund (Dillon, SC)
Hachiko Statue (Tokyo, Japan)
Sheep Dog (Tirau, New Zealand)
Spotty Dog: 1, 2 (Cape Town, South Africa)
Jeff Koons' Puppy (Bilbao, Spain)
various dog statues (various countries)

Giant Animals
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