In the magical kingdom of the famous JK Rowling film Harry Potter series, readers discover an array of mystical creatures that capture the imagination and spark a sense of wonder and intrigue. One such creature is Fluffy, the colossal three-headed dog with a demeanor as forbidding as his appearance.
Join us as we venture into the history and likely inspirations of this legendary canine guardian who gave many of us pause (and paws!) Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (the title used in the United States) or Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone somewhere else. Let’s look at Fluffy in both the book and the film adaptation to find out what kind of dog he was.
![photo of a three-headed dog statue and a graphic symbolizing Harry Potter](https://www.dogtipper.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/featured-what-kind-of-dog-was-fluffy-from-harry-potter-900x506.jpg.webp)
Where did JK Rowling get the inspiration for Fluffy?
Although Fluffy’s exact race is not detailed in the series, his design appears to be deeply rooted in Greek mythology, bearing a striking resemblance to Cerberus, the fierce guardian of the Underworld.
In the Harry Potter series, it is revealed that Fluffy, the giant three-headed dog, was loaned to Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, by Rubeus Hagrid. Hagrid is known for his fondness for magical creatures, many of them dangerous (as well as his dog, Fang.)
In the book, Hagrid won Fluffy against a “Greek chappie” in a pub game. (He mysteriously changes his nationality in the film and becomes an “Irishman”.)
“They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled all the space between the ceiling and the floor. There were three heads. Three pairs of wild, rolling eyes; three noses, quivering and quivering in their direction; three slobbering mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
The original Greek background alludes to Fluffy’s mythical inspiration, Cerberus, who is a figure from Greek mythology.
In ancient Greek mythology, Cerberus is a monstrous three-headed dog who guards the entrance to the Underworld, preventing the dead from escaping and the living from entering. This mythical creature is well known in various tales and legends, often appearing in stories involving the gods and heroes of ancient Greece.
![graphic of the three-headed dog, Cerberus, from Greek mythology](https://www.dogtipper.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/cerberus-900x506.png.webp)
Cerberus often serves as a threshold guardian symbol, representing the barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead. He embodies the danger and fear associated with crossing into the unknown, just as the young students at Hogwarts did when trying to outrun the three-headed dog.
The Greek playwright Euripides in his play Hercule Furens (Hercules Mad), wrote, in a scene where Hercules recounts his meeting with Cerberus:
“…Then I took the watchdog of Hades out of the bowels of the earth, and he saw the sun with its three heads, that beast that the sky gods hate.”
This quote alludes to Hercules’ twelfth and final labor where he is tasked with bringing Cerberus, the three-headed dog guarding the gates of the Underworld, to the surface as part of his punishment/service to King Eurystheus. This shows the greatness and difficulty of the task, given that Cerberus was a creature feared even by the gods.
Luckily, Harry, Hermoine and Ron didn’t have to drag Fluffy around – they just helped him calm down with some music!
What kind of dog did Fluffy play in the Harry Potter films?
![photo of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier](https://www.dogtipper.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/staffordshire-bull-terrier-900x506.jpg.webp)
In the film, Fluffy was CGI animation (although his the drool and the paws were not!)
Most viewers agree that each of Fluffy’s three heads has the appearance of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Why is Fluffy called Fluffy?
OK, we all know Fluffy is anything but fluffy, so why the name?
The name “Fluffy” for a giant, ferocious three-headed dog is one of the best known. ironic Harry Potter names. By naming such a fearsome creature “Fluffy,” JK Rowling brought some humor and lightness to an otherwise frightening being, which fits with Rowling’s writing style, where she often mixes the dark and serious with the whimsical and the humor.
Additionally, the name could be seen as an insight into the character of Rubeus Hagrid, who named the beast. Hagrid views his dangerous creatures in a loving and caring way, often giving them names that stand in stark contrast to their dangerous nature. It presents Hagrid’s gentle and loving view towards magical creatures, no matter how scary they look or how much fear they inspire in others. Naming the three-headed dog “Fluffy” speaks to Hagrid’s endearing and perhaps even naive personality.