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Roger Nordstrom | profile | all galleries >> Rick Steves European Tours >> The Best of Scandinavia - 2025 >> Denmark >> Ærø Island >> The Dogs of Ærøskøbing tree view | thumbnails | slideshow | map

The Dogs of Ærøskøbing

The tradition of placing porcelain dog figurines in the windows of Ærøskøbing has its origins in the 19th century, deeply tied to the island’s seafaring culture. These ceramic spaniels, often known as Staffordshire dogs due to their English roots, were brought home by Danish sailors who had traveled to Britain. The figurines quickly caught on as popular souvenirs and soon became a familiar sight in coastal towns like Ærøskøbing, where maritime life influenced nearly every aspect of daily living. Beyond decoration, they carried a kind of coded significance: the orientation of the dogs was said to reveal the whereabouts of the man of the house. When both dogs faced outward toward the street, it meant the sailor was away at sea; when turned inward, it indicated he was safely back home. This practice reflected not just a clever social signal, but the close-knit community life that depended on small gestures to share news in quiet, meaningful ways.

Today, the dogs remain as symbolic sentinels of Ærøskøbing’s heritage. While modern life no longer relies on them for updates on a sailor’s return, they persist as quaint emblems of the town’s romantic past. Their continued presence in windows today helps tie Ærøskøbing’s present-day identity to its seafaring history, creating a link between the functional traditions of the past and the aesthetic appreciation of the present.

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