Collecting Dog Buttons Part I: Dogs on Antique Buttons

http://www.dogco.com

Vintage, possibly antique Dog button showing a bitch with her puppies climbing onto the roof of their kennel to escape a flood.

Diana L. Hefti

Dogs have long been a favorite subject on buttons. In fact, dogs were one of the most popular subjects featured on buttons during the 19th Century. Fortunately, modern button makers are also fond of man's (and women's) best friend, and continue to include dogs on buttons today.

One of the most interesting things about dogs on buttons is the variety of settings in which they are shown. Sometimes just the dog's head or body is shown, with no other background, yet other buttons show entire scenes. Buttons exhibit dogs involved in everyday situations like hunting in the field, flushing and carrying game.

Antique metal dog button depicting a boy and a dog inside a kennel.

Some pieces are humorous like one showing a little boy and dog huddled together in a dog house. You will discover performing circus dogs jumping through hoops while other dogs are involved in the more domestic chores of carrying mail or a shopping basket.

Always the dog is held in the esteem of a loyal friend with one charming button showing a little girl hugging a Newfoundland in front of a gate and wall. Another depicts drama with a mother dog and her puppies climbing onto the roof of their dog house to escape a flood.

Just as there are so varied and many designs, buttons featuring dogs were also made in nearly every imaginable material. Metal, glass, jade, plastic, ivory, mosaic, wood, fabric, horn, and many other media have all been used to create buttons. Between the varying materials and the subject shown, there is surely a dog button to appeal to every dog lover.

Antique Buttons

Antique Greyhound dog button painted on black glass and set in metal.

The first buttons can be traced back as much as 4000 years but these were originally decorative and were not used to fasten clothing. But even as the button evolved from a mere accessory to an item with practical use, they continued to each be little works of art. It is no wonder so many are collected today.

Antique fox terrier dog button, reverse painted under glass.

Many different breeds of dogs have been shown on antique buttons. Sporting (or gun) dogs are easily found, with numerous buttons showing setters, spaniels and retrievers. Hounds are seen particularly on older buttons. Probably the most common hounds seen are members of the greyhound family though you will see that whippets and the Borzoi appear in many collections. Terriers of all types are plentiful on antique buttons.

Working and herding dogs also exist. The St Bernard does tend to look very spaniel-like on the old buttons, but can usually be identified when there is a cask present around the neck. Newfoundlands, collies, spitz-type dogs, boxers, great Danes and other mastiff-type dogs are all well represented. Non-sporting and toy dogs like Cavalier King Charles spaniels, poodles, bulldogs, pugs and Boston terriers are also fairly common.

¨ 2005 by Diana L. Hefti Buttons pictured for this article owned by Barbara Johnson, Judy Schwenk, and the author. The author (and readers!) wish to thank both Barbara and Judy for kindly allowing me to share some of their beautiful buttons with the rest of the world.