ABOUT

Welcome to Metal Dogs! I’m James Strachan, the founder and the creative force behind each unique piece you discover here. My grandfather started calling me Shug ever since I was a kid, so I am universally known as Shug.

My lifelong journey of creativity was kindled in childhood, transforming from building billy carts to exploring the intricate world of metal art. A pivotal experience with my grandfather, a master of craftsmanship, ignited my passion for design, which has been the compass of my career.

But first, let me tell ya a little bit about me and how I got into making metal art dogs.

As a kid I remember seeing this dog wandering the street and going over to it. Its nose was bloodied and scratched because it must have been fighting with other dogs all night.

I thought I would help it and found a piece of rope in the street. I created a leash type thing with the rope and proceeded to bring the dog back home.

My dad jumped out of his skin when he saw the dog. He thought it was a shark on a leash! But it was a Friendly Bull Terrier that the whole family loved (and he loved the attention!)

My dad went door-knocking to find his owner, who it turned out lived a few houses down on the same street as ours.

The owner told my dad the Bully's name was Thug and then told a few stories about Thug. My dad loved Bull Terriers from that day on. 

After a number of years, my mother saw a bully in a pet shop and decided to surprise my dad by purchasing her. We ended up calling her Fergie.

The name "Fergie" was a bit of a tongue in cheek name. She was named after Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York! (I'm sure you can see the resemblance!)

Our family loved Fergie and she was our family pet throughout our childhood and into adulthood. Fergie was the best dog and our family has always loved Bull Terriers since!

It was my profound love for Fergie that steered my path towards specializing in metal dog sculptures.

Inspired by the joy and unconditional love dogs offer, I decided to dedicate my craft to capturing their spirit and beauty.

What started as a collection available only in Australia has now expanded, allowing me to share these bespoke dog sculptures with enthusiasts around the globe.

I have created 100's of different breeds of dog. Chances are I have your dog breed already. Feel free to browse the collection of dogs on my website. If you are unable to find your breed I'd love to hear from you. Click here to let me know what dog breed you'd like to see added to the collection.