Sorting Wild Republic Dog figures, who can help?

I moved Paige's pictures of the Pets Tube to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
However, here is Paige's picture of the Golden Retriver for reference.

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Jill wrote:

Roger wrote:

I don't remember Wild Republic tubes having numbered figures. If you check your horses and if they're not numbered, maybe it could work as an identifying tool. I will try to not forget uploading your dogs on TAW too.

The horses are indeed numbered, they match the other horse sets exactly, so maybe they just didn't change that when they used the molds?

I was wrong. The sharks are numbered and it is a 1999 tube. Thus, Wild Republic also uses numbers, at least for their early tubes.

Jill wrote:

pipsxlch wrote:

That Alaskan Dog is a decent German shepherd, they should have though about it. (is the Dane supposed to be a harlequin?)
I've had the Saint Bernard, but not the other 4 that I remember.

I thought it was a german shepherd. It certainly doesn't look much like a malamute, but then, neither does the other "malamute" I have!

I think the Dane is indeed Harlequin, or they wanted a Dalmatian and ignored the fact that they stamped Great Dane on it.

OK, this topic is going very well and these dogs are also already on TAW. I listed the Great Dane as it is marked, not that it is too faithful to the breed but the Harlequin color is accepted for the breed in USA.
My problem is the Alaskan Dog. There are 4 breeds of Alaskan dogs and none looks like a German shepherd. Should I list it as a Malamute? We already know these figures are not that accurate.

Yes, that one certainly is confusing!
The model looks like a GSD, but the name suggests an Alaskan dog breed... I agree and think Alaskan Malamute would probably be best, given that this is the most well known Alaskan dog breed! But we can see what Jill thinks!

It's so much like a German Shepherd, it's difficult to pin an actual "Alaskan" breed with it. I might go with the "Alaskan Husky" which is not a breed at all, but a type. It's just the term for Alaskan sled dogs, and they can look like just about anything - including shorter hair, straighter tails, shepherd-y dogs. Maybe that's what the vague "Alaskan Dog" means - just a sled dog type.

Just wanted to share that some company at some point thought that Alaskan Dog looked like a German Shepherd, too!

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This is a shot from a very frustrating Marketplace lot, because the it's pick-up only and they live several hours from my house. It also has a normally colored pug from the Play Visions mini dogs set, and I desperately want both of these dogs in-hand. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] If anyone out there is in Charlotte, North Carolina, I'd love to speak to you.

But just wanted to share this picture here, because it's interesting! This dog, to me, looks like it might match Paige's dog better. That boxer has more texture than mine. All five of mine have a very unusual texture, almost like the paint was put on very thick and covered a lot of the hair texture. So I wonder what that means - if Paige's is the real set, and mine are a knock-off? Or just variations of the same? Perhaps this German Shepherd I can't get to is actually part of the set, and the "Alaskan Dog" set is something else. Who knows! I am here to create more uncertainty.

Is it possible 'Alaskan' was a mistake and they meant 'Alsatian'? German Shepherds were known as Alsatians in the UK from the war right until my childhood, it wasn't til I was a teen in the late 1990s that people started insisting on the right name again and popular/casual usage of Alsatian went out of fashion. A lot of the oldest generation round here still call them Alsatians.
So maybe the name Alsatian spread to other countries too, and that's what they had in mind for this design instead of calling it a German Shepherd. Or because we all kept on using that word, the company thought 'Alsatian' was a British breed popular enough to make a model of

Of course, that theory relies on them then managing to put the word Alaskan instead of Alsatian when they made the mould

That's so interesting, and yes that definitely does look more like a German Shepherd! Good luck finding this set, I hope you find a way to 'rescue' these dogs! From how you're describing yours it sounds as though they may be copies- often they lose texture- and then maybe the Alaskan dog label was just a mistake from the copies? It would be so interesting to see the breed label on that German Shepherd which matches Paige's boxer!
That's such a good idea about the Alaskan husky, that could definitely work being more of a 'type', and could definitely explain the more GSD sort of appearance! I was hesitating over this one because it was only in the last few years or so that I found out about this lesser known type (For years I've been compiling breed information in the hope of writing a book some day ), so I wondered whether those who made the dog would have been aware of it... Or maybe they intended to make an Alaskan Malamute, but in doing so in their research accidently ended up copying a photo of an Alaskan Husky- I'm sure because of their names the breeds often get confused!
That's a really interesting idea too George- Alsatian could fit really well and would make lots of sense taking into account when these dogs were released!

Interesting theory, George! My gut tells me someone just didn't know the difference between a German Shepherd and a Malamute, but that possible vocabulary leap gives them more benefit of the doubt.

Bonnie, I sure wish I could! I'm tempted to message the seller again, and be like . . . are you SURE you won't ship? But that seems obnoxious at best. Fingers crossed the dogs in this lot will come across someone's path here again!

Alright, tiny animal mysteries, you know I love them. I got a few more dogs today that seemed to match this type, but looking at them closer, I think in fact I have two different sets building.

There's my original five:
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And then the new ones, which feature Paige's boxer:
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These are interesting because my first ones are certainly copies of these other molds, they are smaller and thinner and have a little bit sloppier paint jobs:
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But also, the new set has TWO Great Danes, for some reason. A fawn and a harlequin:
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But what I think is weirdest of all is that the original photo from the catalogue shows a boxer that matches the larger one (Paige's) and a St. Bernard that matches the smaller one (mine), as well as the harlequin Dane that I can't tell which one it matches at that size. That's confusing to me! Also the two different colored Danes that are the same size and look like the same set. Why have two of the same breed? I don't know which of these dogs are Wild Republic and which ones are a knock off. Probably the smaller ones with less good paint are the knock offs, but why then does the St. Bernard in the photo have the very black front end (and also there is a dog IN the tube that looks like the Alaskan Dog from the first set to me)? Weird. Anyway, here are all the new ones! They also have their breeds on their bellies, just like the others.

Boxer
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Doberman
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Great Dane (fawn)
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Great Dane (harlequin)
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Saint Bernard
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Schnauzer
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Oh, also, my theory is that the German Shepherd I only have the photo of (the one in the same mold as the Alaskan Dog) is probably from the same set as the newest dogs.

Again I really think these figures belonged to several sets from different brands. Like the Wild Republic horse you have that we know from many other brands.
Fortunately you could sort the horses but I am afraid we can't do the same with these dogs, at least for now.
How should I put your individual pictures on TAW?

Roger wrote:

Again I really think these figures belonged to several sets from different brands. Like the Wild Republic horse you have that we know from many other brands.
Fortunately you could sort the horses but I am afraid we can't do the same with these dogs, at least for now.
How should I put your individual pictures on TAW?

I have no idea, ha! That's part of my confusion. The set in the catalogue seems to feature dogs from both of these non-matching sets. I wish I was more help. It would be a miracle to find an unopened package, but that's what I'm hoping for.

Any chance there is a better resolution of that catalogue page saved anywhere? If I could cheat and see inside the tube a little better it might help . . .

This is so interesting, I love dog figure confusions like this!
Firstly, hurray for finding these Wild Republic rarities, they are wonderful! Definitely better painted than the first ones and so I'm sure they're the real things, they're actually painted quite nicely- the St. Bernard is so sweet!
It's so confusing that they seem to all match different sets, but here is my best guess for the mystery dogs! So I think you were right about the smaller dogs painted less well, I'm sure they are copies too, maybe by Nayab as I've seen them do this with other Wild Republic dogs! And for the St.Bernard, I'm guessing that there are maybe at least two variations of them that are genuinely made by Wild Republic, just different depending on age, I've sometimes come across this with tube-sized figures! Which might explain why it had the black front in the photo, and the Bernard from the first set you got was a copy from the earlier/later real version if that makes sense! And maybe this was the same for the Danes, two different variations, but genuine- just different because of their age! Hope this all makes sense and covers everything, I'll keep researching! But wonderful additions, I love to see interesting and unusual dogs like this!

Your vast knowledge of dog models is very useful, Bonnie! That sounds like a very plausible explanation for the two different danes and the different colored St. Bernard in the photo. If that's the case, then [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], I would say that the newest models I posted a picture of as well as Paige's boxer would be the real Wild Republic ones for TAW. My first set that I posted earlier, then, would be an unknown brand as of now.

Jill wrote:

Your vast knowledge of dog models is very useful, Bonnie! That sounds like a very plausible explanation for the two different danes and the different colored St. Bernard in the photo. If that's the case, then [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], I would say that the newest models I posted a picture of as well as Paige's boxer would be the real Wild Republic ones for TAW. My first set that I posted earlier, then, would be an unknown brand as of now.

Glad it could be of some help, it's only a guess, but I can't think of any other explanation!

It sounds like a reasonable guess for the time being to me, until more information is found. :)

George wrote:

Is it possible 'Alaskan' was a mistake and they meant 'Alsatian'? German Shepherds were known as Alsatians in the UK from the war right until my childhood, it wasn't til I was a teen in the late 1990s that people started insisting on the right name again and popular/casual usage of Alsatian went out of fashion. A lot of the oldest generation round here still call them Alsatians.
So maybe the name Alsatian spread to other countries too, and that's what they had in mind for this design instead of calling it a German Shepherd. Or because we all kept on using that word, the company thought 'Alsatian' was a British breed popular enough to make a model of

Of course, that theory relies on them then managing to put the word Alaskan instead of Alsatian when they made the mould

So I am going to say that you seem to have nailed it, George. Or rather, having received the real "Alsatian Dog" I went back and looked closer at the knock off and realized that the mystery all along wasn't what an Alaskan Dog was but why I don't have glasses yet, because it also says Alsatian Dog - just with such a thick coat of black paint over it that I couldn't tell until I had the easier to read letters to compare to. OOPS.

So here is the Alsatian Dog for what is most likely the Wild Republic/K&M set. He is labeled with a 10:

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And here he is compared to the smaller, less well painted Alsatian (NOT Alaskan) Dog:

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Step by step you keep finding some more informations. Though, I edit so many sections that I get lost even if I've read again the whole topic.
So, you think now this Alsatian you received is the genuine figure of the early Wild Republic Dog tube - Bbefore editing, let me check first. I should remove the Alaskan on TAW which is eventually a knock-off of the legite Alsatian of that tube. OK, I understand now they're both Alsatians. It is marked with [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], very useful info because it is consistent with the numbering we see on early horses and sharks by Wild Republic. Is it the Alsatian knock-off also numbered?
What about the other dogs already uploaded on the TAW page I'm linking? Could you check if they have numbers too?

Roger wrote:

S
So, you think now this Alsatian you received is the genuine figure of the early Wild Republic Dog tube

Yes, it matches the set and also the dog I can see inside the tube in the catalogue

Quote :

- Bbefore editing, let me check first. I should remove the Alaskan on TAW which is eventually a knock-off of the legite Alsatian of that tube.

Probably. Right now, my "knock off set" are the ones pictured on TAW (except Paige's Boxer which is also on the Boxer page). I don't understand which one is "real" though, because they are all so similar, and both sets have figures that match the catalogue page in color. Maybe both small and large versions should be listed on each, the way the Boxers currently are? Or not?

Quote :

OK, I understand now they're both Alsatians. It is marked with [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], very useful info because it is consistent with the numbering we see on early horses and sharks by Wild Republic. Is it the Alsatian knock-off also numbered? What about the other dogs already uploaded on the TAW page I'm linking? Could you check if they have numbers too?

The smaller "knock-offs" and the larger "probably originals" do have some numbers, but they are not as easy to figure out as hoped:

- Large Great Dane (Fawn): 3
- Large Great Dane (Harlequin): No number that I could find but I would assume a 3 also
- Large St. Bernard: a backward 5 maybe?? Or a really weird 2?
- Large Doberman: 8
- Large Schnauzer: No number that I could find
- Large Alsatian: 10
- Large Boxer: A number I for the life of me cannot decipher. Maybe an 8 but it doesn't look like the other 8 and it doesn't seem to be quite symmetrical.

- Small Great Dane (Harlequin): 3
- Small Boxer: Backward 2? Backward 7?
- Small Schnauzer: No number that I could find
- Small St. Bernard: Same strange shape that might be a 2 or a 5
- Small Alsatian: No number that I could find

Not a very helpful turnout, I'm afraid. I feel like I am muddying the waters more than clearing them with these finds.    

Your patiences are impressive, my wonderful friends

You three keep digging, and never give up ! My sincere admiration

Well I think [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] has been the most patient one with my very confusing information dumps!

I'm so glad you've finally pinned down this mystery at last, even if it was just a reading issue rather than as complex a matter of preferred breed names in the various decades of UK popular culture as I was guessing it
And I know you said glasses as a joke, but would some sort of magnification lens actually be helpful, considering so much of what you collect is already tiny and then the text on it is even smaller? Something like a jewellers' loupe maybe, even really cheap ones would have many times stronger magnification than any glasses or a big hand-held magnifying glass would have.

George wrote:

I'm so glad you've finally pinned down this mystery at last, even if it was just a reading issue rather than as complex a matter of preferred breed names in the various decades of UK popular culture as I was guessing it
And I know you said glasses as a joke, but would some sort of magnification lens actually be helpful, considering so much of what you collect is already tiny and then the text on it is even smaller? Something like a jewellers' loupe maybe, even really cheap ones would have many times stronger magnification than any glasses or a big hand-held magnifying glass would have.

That is a great idea! I have been using the zoom feature on my phone, or taking a photo and then cropping down to the part in question. It works . . . sometimes . . . but an actual magnifying tool would probably work much better.

I am so sorry I can't help more with this mystery, but you are both doing amazingly well! It is so interesting and confusing at the same time!

Thanks to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] linking to an auction, I now know where the smaller knock-offs originated:

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I have all those dogs except the Shar Pei. The packaging says Toy Concepts, which is a company on TAW. I could make a new thread for them if it would be worth getting photos of them? I am still debating getting the package since I have all but one dog . . .

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