Safari Ltd Dogs TOOB Review

I decided to photograph and review the set of mini figures from the Safari Ltd Dogs TOOB simply because I enjoy reviewing dog figures and this give me a chance to discuss many at one time.  Overall, this was a pretty good set with a lot of nice models.  Of course, the paint quality is something to watch out for, but this is typical with toob figures.  Here they are.

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German Shepherd- I found this figure interesting, hence the two pictures.  From the side view he looks cartoony but not half, bad but seen from the front he has very hyena-like facial features.  I know this is because he was modeled on the older Safari Shepherd with a similar face, but it still seems like it's time to upgrade this sculpt as well.

Boxer- This model looks pretty good overall.  He has nice proportions and a simple yet effective color scheme.  He does have incredibly large eyes, however I can forgive him for this since many boxers have this feature in real life.

Beagle- I find her to be a nice, very cute figure overall.  She looks like a good representation to me.

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Dalmatian- This one looks okay although he's a little cartoony.  He has very alert looking eyes and ears.

Collie- First of all, I'm impressed that this is a rare male specimen.  His snout is a little too short and I'm not a fan of the black paint application on his face, but other than that, he looks like a pretty good figure.

Doberman- Naturally, this is one of my favorites and I think they've done an excellent job.  It is yet another male, but one with excellent proportions and a very sweet face.  The only thing to watch out for is the paint application of the tan markings, because I've seen some that were a lot better done than others.

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Bulldog- This one looks pretty good for what she is, an accurate representation of the breed, however, I still find the pose a little on the bland side.  She looks a lot like the bigger Safari model.

Sheepdog- At first glance he looks okay, but he doesn't resemble a show quality individual.  The hair should be a look poofier and here it hangs straight down like a Maltese, Tibetan Terrier, or other toy breed.  It's also difficult to tell what's on his back.  It could be a curly tail or hair brushed over (it should be the latter).  While this figure could represent a mixed breed well, it really doesn't look much like a true Old English Sheepdog.

Retriever- While she has a very uncharacteristic black mask and looks a little cartoony, I still really like this figure.  She has a lot of character.  Like the Sheepdog though, she might not be a purebred.  She could be part chow or shepherd.

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St. Bernard- In my opinion, this is one of the weakest of the bunch.  While he's still cute and is a recognizable St. Bernard, he's definitely not a very large or strong individual.  The real thing should be incredibly huge and mastiff-like.

Dachshund- I think this one has a very dynamic-looking pose and is a good representation of his breed.  That being said, he appears to have the opposite problem the St. Bernard does.  He seems a little too strong and well-muscled.  Still, it's not too bad and he's mostly a great figure.

Great Dane- I decided to end with another of my favorites.  I'm not sure how show accurate he is, but he seems very elegant and well sculpted.  He's also appropriately taller than the others.  

I hope you enjoyed this review and as always, I'm very interested in any comments or opinions you might have.

Cute dogs :)

Thanks for describtion and showing these nice dogs. In my opinion best is Sheepdog.

WONDERFUL

I love TOOBS, but don't have the one with the dogs, because they look terrible in the catalogue

But on your photos they are really not that bad

You are right about that Old English sheepdog looking like a Maltese or such .
He does look  somewhat like a maltese, - but it probably because we often see them with their poor tail cut off
Also the ones with their beautyful tail intact don't carry it curled so much up on the back :
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Thank you all for the wonderful comments.

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Thanks for describtion and showing these nice dogs. In my opinion best is Sheepdog.

You're welcome, and that's a perfectly fine choice.  He does have his charms.

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You are right about that Old English sheepdog looking like a Maltese or such scratch .
He does look  somewhat like a maltese, - but it probably because we often see them with their poor tail cut off Crying or Very sad
Also the ones with their beautyful tail intact don't carry it curled so much up on the back :

This is more what I expect this breed to look like.  I didn't know they had naturally long tails, though.  Another name for them is "bobtail" which should mean they have a naturally short tail, at least that's what I always heard.  However, it's always nice to learn new things about them.

barracudacat wrote:

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This is more what I expect this breed to look like.  I didn't know they had naturally long tails, though.  Another name for them is "bobtail" which should mean they have a naturally short tail, at least that's what I always heard.  However, it's always nice to learn new things about them.

Me too, I thougt they were born almost without a tail, but it seems that they only do that now and then.
So the gene(s?) for short tail must exist in the breed.
It seems/behaves like a reccesive gene, and if that is the case, and you want short tail,  it is a question of breeding for it, - not just chop off the tail of poor innocent puppies because it is fashionable

It is always very interesting to read your reviews about dogs. Those are tube figures, they all have to fit in a certain size what makes these series somewhat inconsistent in terms of size. It will also make the larger breeds look less detailed while the smaller breeds can even get favoured in terms of detail.
I think I like the Doberman and Dachshund best. I truly dislike the Dalmatian and I agree the bobtail is not what we expect from the breed. I don't know if the Beagle is good as a Beagle but it really looks the dog friend of every day.

The natural bobtail gene does exist in the OES breed; the problem is that it's a sublethal. It is an incomplete dominant, where individuals that are homozygous (have both copies of the gene the same) for the trait die en utero. Heterozygote individuals will display some degree of shortening of the vertebral column from just a few missing (often accompanied by twisting or malformation of the distal region) to not only the tail gone but even one or two of the bones in the body, resulting in a dimple where the tail should be. Dogs with the whole tail gone often display weakness or poor control of the anal and possibly bladder sphincter muscles.

Based on what's happened in my breed (Australian Shepherd), most individuals are docked- either they didn't have bobtails to start or their tails weren't short enough to suit the breeder. In countries that ban tail docking, the trend is to breed away from bobtails because many find the partial tails that occur with the gene to be ugly as well as the health concerns. It has gotten where natural bobtails often can't be shown in those countries because people aren't sure- whatever the breeder says- if the dog was docked or not so it is disqualified from judging.

I have the toob, but think I'll sell it. The OES does look more like a Maltese/terrier type mix to me with the high ear and tail set, prominent eyes and what looks like an undershot jaw- maybe it's a Lhasa mix instead? The Beagle looks to have a very fine thin muzzle and smallish face in general, if it had smaller ears maybe it could be a good full sized hound. The short bodied Shepherd and Dalmatian I agree just look distorted and cartoony. The others aren't bad if you ignore the paintjobs.

Thankyou VERY much for this info, Pips !!
Very interesting and good to know

Again I come to the conclusion that dogs are best suited with having a tail.
We humans should not change it, - by breeding or cutting off what we do not llke ( Sorry, but that is what I call it ! "Docking" is just a word hiding the ugly truth of the act)

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Based on what's happened in my breed (Australian Shepherd), most individuals are docked- either they didn't have bobtails to start or their tails weren't short enough to suit the breeder. In countries that ban tail docking, the trend is to breed away from bobtails because many find the partial tails that occur with the gene to be ugly as well as the health concerns. It has gotten where natural bobtails often can't be shown in those countries because people aren't sure- whatever the breeder says- if the dog was docked or not so it is disqualified from judging.

This is interesting information, thanks for sharing it.  It explains why I see more long tailed Aussies even though I thought they were naturally bobbed as well.  Also, it's starting to sound like doing away with bobbed tails may be a good thing.

As far as my own opinions on cropping and docking, I agree that it's not a great thing to do although I can see a need for it in certain situations.  For example, I know Dobermans can occasionally damage their long ears and tails resulting in much more painful surgeries later.  But there's no question that the majority of them should be left the way they are.

barracudacat wrote:

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As far as my own opinions on cropping and docking, I agree that it's not a great thing to do although I can see a need for it in certain situations.  For example, I know Dobermans can occasionally damage their long ears and tails resulting in much more painful surgeries later.  But there's no question that the majority of them should be left the way they are.

I thing that is a problem that is SO enormously overrated that it could as well be untrue

Why would Dobermans damage their ears and not for instance cockers, bassets, beagles, pointers, setters, and not lots of other breeds with even longer ears ?
And why should Dobermans damage their tail, and not most hunting dogs and all the other with long tail and thin skin ?

In my long life, I have heard of One dog who got a s called "blood ear" ear, and that was a Dalmatian .
My whippet got her tail in a door that slammed because of draft, and whippets usually carry their tail very low.
Well, she got at couple of stitches by the vet, and problem over.
Just the rare case of bad luck.

I have seen and heard of many, many dogs who damaged their paws and noses, but we don't chop off paws and noses to prevent the dog from hurting them

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Why would Dobermans damage their ears and not for instance cockers, bassets, beagles, pointers, setters, and not lots of other breeds with even longer ears ?
And why should Dobermans damage their tail, and not most hunting dogs and all the other with long tail and thin skin ?

In my long life, I have heard of One dog who got a s called "blood ear" ear, and that was a Dalmatian .
My whippet got her tail in a door that slammed because of draft, and whippets usually carry their tail very low.
Well, she got at couple of stitches by the vet, and problem over.
Just the rare case of bad luck.

Interesting story, and I agree that under most circumstances like you mentioned it shouldn't be required. I guess I should have stated that I was referring to working individuals. Dobermans at least traditionally were used in much more strenuous working environments than the average dog. They took on the role of soldiers and guardians that are commonly used by Belgian Mallinios dogs today. The threat of serious injury was very real.

Of course, the majority of dobies are used as pets today making the issue even more redundant. Very few seem like they could preform the tasks of their ancestors, which is both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, it's safer for both the general public and the dogs but on the other, they could lose the intelligence and bravery that people love them for.