Domestic pet animals in all brands - recommendations?

Hi everyone, I've been lurking on this forum for a while, but I wanted to both introduce myself and ask the advice of the collectors here. While I am a fan of all manner of miniature animals, my real collecting drive is in Breyer horses in the Traditional 1:9 scale. Not quite as miniature as Schleichs and Co. However, I adore the fact that Schleichs cats and many of the dogs are close enough in size to match scale with my horses, so that they can have more companions animals than just those produced by Breyer itself. What I want to know, since the majority of my shopping is done online (where you rarely have in hand pictures that suggest actual size) is which brands most closely hit that scale, are most detailed/realistic, etc. Which brands do you all have, love, which animals by those brands are your favorites? I know I'm rambling, but I guess what I really want is to see your domestic pets (cats, dogs, rabbits, and anything else you might find in a barn or around horses) from all brands. Thanks in advance, I love seeing the collections of others, since any collection is built with love, and I hope to build my own with your guidance.

Welcome to the forum!

I'm sure others will be able to answer many of your questions better than I. I have a couple questions for you that might help me (and perhaps others) help you better. I know Breyer has an excellent line of dogs -- the ones they call 'Companions'. Are those dogs at a 1:9 scale? Do they fit well with the figures in your Equine collection?

My favorite models of dogs are done by Breyers, Schleich and Papo. Schleich's more recent dogs have been smaller it seems (not the 1:12 scale they claimed for their older line of dogs). Papo's dogs seem roughly around the same scale as Schleich's older models, in some cases, possibly even slightly larger (but if so, not by much; and I could be wrong). I can't say for sure (others will hopefully verify or correct me), but the Papo models are sometimes uneven in scale. The Greyhound and Bull Terrier seem maybe about 1:12, but some of the figures seem a bit smaller.

CollectA also makes some good dog figures. I personally don't think they are as good, in general, as Papo's. And they also look to me to be (at least for the most part) a slightly smaller scale. (The Irish Setter may be an exception and it is a fantastic model.)

It might be helpful for you to see pictures of a model you are interested in next to a Breyer model which you are familiar with. You should feel free to ask and if someone has a Breyer model you know and the Papo or CollectA figure you are interested in, they could perhaps take a photo. Hey, it can't hurt to ask!

I hope you enjoy your time here at this forum! It's a great place; very friendly.

Hello, Sheepish, and wellcome here !!!

I wished I could help you, but I know very little about Breyer and their sizes .
Do you have any models animals from other of the major brands, so perhaps you could show a picture of one of your 1 : 9 Breyer horses together with one of them ?

Scott is very thorough and knowledgeable as always.
I just want to add that Bullyland also has some very nice dogs, and most of them ar a little larger than the ones from Schleich and Papo

Thank you both for your replies.

Here are pics of my other animals with my Breyers, I apologize for quality since I had to use my phone.

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The rabbits I don't have a lot of, would like to add some wild rabbits as well as a few more black and white if they're available. I hope to get the Schleich hutch if I ever get a Breyer barn. I believe they are all Schleichs.

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The cats, the two with tails up are Breyer Companion animals. I think the Schleichs I have match scale better than the Papo, but I don't think the Papo are so big that it's a problem.

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The dogs, the big one and the corgi are Breyers. I think small breed Schleichs are okay in comparison as far as scale, but the large breeds seem to small, the Papo Bull Terrier is perfect I think.

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My favorite, who I call the Stupid Tom, teamed up forever with my cranky Emial. Had to add, just because I love them.

I'd like to add other small farm animals, especially goats / pygmy goats so long as they stay in scale.

Welcome here

Sorry, i am a wildlife collector but i am sure here you find any help

Welcome from Portugal!
Although I don't collect domestic animals, I can tell you that is not hard to find pets that fit with your 1:9 scale Breyers. Small creatures like rabbits and cats, are often not far from that scale. Even dogs. Schleich used to make their dogs in 1:12 scale, this is somewhat small when compared with 1:9 horses, as you suggest, mainly for larger dogs. But brands, to prevent the small dogs being too small figures, they make them usually in a larger scale although they continue saying that they are 1:12. Unfortunately for you, the last Schleich dogs, are in 1:20 scale, very small when compared with traditional horses but fit perfectly with their human figures and Schleich horses.
Dollhouses use 1:12 scale, sometimes you also can find some domestic animals that you can use.
Not being an expert with domestic animals, I feel that Papo dogs from last years are among the best as Scott commented. Schleich dogs are traditionally interesting and CollectA has also some good dogs. I think that among Bullyland you also can find some very interesting figures but for 1:9 scale, I think the old series of Maia & Borges will fit better.[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Maybe not the best but large enough.
Safari also has some dogs but I don't know them. I am sure you will find many answers to your questions, if your horses were 1:12 scale it would be easier but there are alternatives to 1:9 too.

Thanks for the info Roger.

I'm hoping someone here will be able to share a pic of a lot of dogs, cats, etc from different brands so that I can compare size amongst them, because if I could see them next to one of the animals I also have I wouldn't need to compare them to my horses.

Welcome to the forum, looks like you have an impressive breyer collection!
Collecta have made some gorgeous dogs, they are slightly bigger than Schleich I think.

Welcome to the forum! I think for cats you still have Collecta, to go with 1:9 scales . But not for dogs!

Sheepish wrote:

Thanks for the info Roger.

I'm hoping someone here will be able to share a pic of a lot of dogs, cats, etc from different brands so that I can compare size amongst them, because if I could see them next to one of the animals I also have I wouldn't need to compare them to my horses.

We had a subject where the collectA dogs were shown together with other brands.
I have searched and searched, but can`t find it

SUSANNE wrote:

Sheepish wrote:

Thanks for the info Roger.

I'm hoping someone here will be able to share a pic of a lot of dogs, cats, etc from different brands so that I can compare size amongst them, because if I could see them next to one of the animals I also have I wouldn't need to compare them to my horses.

We had a subject where the collectA dogs were shown together with other brands.
I have searched and searched, but can`t find it

Susanne, I can't remember the dogs topic, I only can find [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
I only remember a tread [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

SUSANNE wrote:

Sheepish wrote:

Thanks for the info Roger.

I'm hoping someone here will be able to share a pic of a lot of dogs, cats, etc from different brands so that I can compare size amongst them, because if I could see them next to one of the animals I also have I wouldn't need to compare them to my horses.

We had a subject where the collectA dogs were shown together with other brands.
I have searched and searched, but can`t find it

I apologize if someone already posted a link to this discussion, but there are [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. This may help some more with the size of these four dogs.

Heather, if you have a particular model you would like to see, next to a particular comparison piece (like the Papo Bull Terrier, for example), you can always make a specific request. We may not be able to oblige, but if we can, people here love to try to help.

scot(t) wrote:

Heather, if you have a particular model you would like to see, next to a particular comparison piece (like the Papo Bull Terrier, for example), you can always make a specific request. We may not be able to oblige, but if we can, people here love to try to help.

If anyone has any of the dogs shown in my pic above and would be willing to take a pic with any other dogs they own it would help greatly, as I could use the one I have to compare. Please and thanks.