Foo Dogs (or Fu Lions) are commonly found guarding the threshold of Buddhist temples. They are seen as defenders of law, protectors of sacred buildings, and to scare away demons.

There is an ancient legend that the Fu Lions produced milk from their paws, so hollow balls were left in the hills by the country people. The lions enjoyed playing with these balls, and being hollow they would collect some of the milk from their paws, which the people would later gather.

These Dogs should always be displayed as a pair, and they make wonderful guardians for children’s rooms, gardens and entry ways. Some say that if placed at the foot of the bed, they are effective in scaring away bad dreams.

The male Dog is usually shown with a ball secured under on of his paws, while the female Dog has a puppy under her paw.

The Peking version (highlighted above) represent the same larger statues found in China in the town square of Beijing. They are each shown frolicking with a ball or “chu.”

Statues come in pairs and range in size from 2 to 9 inches (5 to 23 cm), and are priced from $8 to $96.

To order from the complete listing of all Foo Dogs