Happy holidays to all! I hope this latest post finds you in the holiday spirit, or at the very least an “Arctic animal appreciation” one. This post will focus on the Mojö Fun Arctic wolf #381052 released in 2022. The model itself is the first of its kind for Mojö, having only released one other wolf species, and the most common (read “generic”) of them at that.
All Canis lupus Reviews
Arctic Wolf (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
Review and photos by Saarlooswolfhound; edited by bmathison1972
Editor’s note: It gives me great pleasure to present the first Blog submission by my STS forum friend, Saarlooswolfhound!!! Let’s hope this is the first of many to come 🙂
The Safari Ltd. “White Wolf”, Catalogue #220029, was originally released in 2007 and is still being produced today.
Australian Shepherd (Farm Life by Schleich)
Review and photos by pipsxlch; edited by bmathison1972
Today I’m reviewing the Schleich Australian Shepherd registered by Schleich in 2012 (retired in 2016). I believe this figure is meant to depict a female.
The Australian Shepherd is, despite the name, a herding breed of US origins. It is a conglomeration of various herding breeds/types found in the US and Canada in the early to mid 1900s, especially in the western half of the country.
Bichon Frisé (Farm World by Schleich)
Before I start this review, I would like to extend my thanks to the folks at Happy Hen Toys, who graciously donated this review sample for the Blog! When Schleich first announced their 2023 line-up, I didn’t initially have any desire to get this figure. However, after a walkaround of it was posted on the STS Forum, I decided I might add it to my collection after all.
Black Wolf (Asahiyama Capsule Zoo by Kaiyodo)
Review and images by Saarlooswolfhound; edited by bmathison1972
Another trip along the holiday trail, a hell hound has arrived on the scene for presentation… Not truly, instead, I have a very precious Kaiyodo Asahiyama Exclusive black phase wolf model. Reused from the Choco Q Animatales model #239 from series 11, the mold itself is precisely the same besides a color change.
Black Wolf (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Melanism is a condition that causes an increased presence of dark pigmentation, such as when leopards and jaguars are born black or nearly black in colour. At some undetermined point in time after humans had bred the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) into existence, some of those dogs ended up breeding with their ancestors, grey wolves (wild-type C.
Border Collie (Farm Time by CollectA)
The Border Collie is a British breed of herding dog. It is believed to have originated along the border between England and Scotland (hence the term ‘border’ collie). It was originally bred to herd sheep, and today is most common in regions of the world with communities that herd livestock. In addition to sheep, they are also used nowadays to herd cattle, poultry, pigs, and even ostriches!
Cassis Lapdog (Farm Life by Papo)
Welcome to the spooky season series of articles! I hope you have had a nice time so far and will enjoy my contributions. My selection for my first article is the Papo “Cassis Lapdog” #54013. This model was released back in 2012 and retired in 2019. It appears to resemble a grizzled older animal with a dark coat washed with a lighter graying and special attention was given to graying brows and around the mouth of the animal.
Dachshund, ‘Gretel’ (Douglas Cuddle Toys)
For my first ATB review for 2024, I would like to review a very special plush Dachshund created by Douglas Cuddle Toys, which is one of my favorite toy companies. Douglas Cuddle Toys was founded in 1956 and has been making designer-quality stuffed animals ever since in Keene, New Hampshire. Douglas Cuddle Toys is probably best-known for their variety of breed-specific dogs and cats, so it is fitting that my new favorite is a Douglas dog.
Dalmatian, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
Often referred to as man’s best friend, dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) have been a major part of human life for thousands of years, helping us hunt, track, and keep us company, not to mention modern adaptations, such as helping the afflicted live better lives. No wonder Noah’s Pals made two sets of these animals (though I’d rather have had more wild species, but there you go).
Dingo (Southlands Replicas)
Review and photos by Suspsy, edited by bmathison1972
While the dingo (Canis lupus dingo) rarely exceeds 35 lbs in weight, making it smaller than a coyote and much smaller than a grey wolf, it is nevertheless Australia’s largest land predator, and one of the most dangerous. Fast, agile, and hardy, dingos often live and hunt in packs consisting of a mated pair and their offspring.
Eurasian Wolf, Adult and Pup 2022 (Wild Animals by Papo)
Happy spooky season to everyone! I hope this article finds you in good spirits to enjoy a spooky old bed time story. The topic is on the Papo wolf pair (Canis lupus) introduced in 2022, #50283 and #50284 respectively, but our story begins in Europe… La Beté du Gèvaudan is a longstanding horror story from Southern France.
Goldendoodle (Farm World by Schleich)
Review and images by Bonnie; edited by bmathison1972
As soon as I knew Schleich were releasing a crossbreed featuring a golden retriever I was very excited to see it in real life!
I think this is a really interesting model, as it is the first time Schleich have released a cross-breed dog officially named and in their main dog series!
Gray Wolf (Wild Animals by Papo)
Rounding out my spooky animal reviews for October it’s time to look at one of the many renditions of the gray wolf (Canis lupis), an animal whose history is intricately woven into our own like few other animals. For much of human history, the wolf would have been a competitor and potential predator of humans.
Gray Wolf Howling (Large) and Brown Wolf Cub (AAA)
With Christmas over but winter still here, I wanted to highlight and celebrate this season, starting several reviews on a “Winter Wonderland” series! Each are animals adapted for the ice and snow of the world’s coldest environments, captured in the snow that has recently fallen for my area. We start with some large hunters of the snow, the gray wolf (Canis lupus).