The AKC Museum of the Dog

Arty, the Museum of the Dog (MoD)‘s mascot, along with the MoD team, share their story about their Museum.

I’ll be honest. I didn’t know there was a Dog Museum for a long time – and I most certainly didn’t know there was one in Murray Hill, a neighborhood I have frequented enough times that I can guide a tourist to the best non-touristy spots in the area. When I made my way up the speckled granite steps and into the revolving doors of this hidden gem, I couldn’t help but smile with simultaneous amusement and bewilderment as I took in the statues, paintings, and artifacts all featuring the same muse: dogs. How did I miss this place? Where have I been? How CUTE are these DOGS!?

I am joking of course, I’m Arty, the Museum’s dog mascot, and I am at the Museum every day! This story isn’t unlike many others we’ve heard from new guests who’ve made their way through our doors since the Museum’s relocation from St. Louis back to New York City in 2019. The Museum isn’t loud like a Beagle, or flashy like a Poodle; it doesn’t jump in your face like a Boxer or take your breath away with its size like a Great Dane. Instead, it sits quietly like a good dog, waiting to greet the next passerby who happens upon its projected dog shadows trotting across the façade’s front windows.

Once inside, the 2.5 floor, dog-themed gallery chronicles the human-canine connection in a multitude of mediums – from the fine brush strokes of Maud Earl’s oil paint to centuries-old bones of the original Smooth Fox Terrier. Upon delving further into the AKC Museum of the Dog, one finds that, not only is the history of dogs immortalized in art, but the role dogs play in today’s society is actively celebrated with events featuring actual dogs.

I’m a dog myself, so I know each breed of dog is special in its own unique, canine way – but it wasn’t until I started studying the galleries and reading pages out of the Museum’s Library that I began to appreciate man’s best friends – and those who adore them – with a newfound respect. And I’m not the only one.

I have seen the impact of these dog-decorated walls on young minds as they grow from babbling, curious babies, into educated children identifying dog breeds in a work of art while they find clues for a Museum scavenger hunt. These children and their families are most often our neighbors right here in Murray Hill, stopping by on the weekend between tennis practice and dinner time. Our staff has watched them grow within these walls – and in doing so, we have seen the human-canine bond in action as an art itself.

We are the space for dog lovers to see and appreciate the beauty of their beloved pals. We are a quiet escape from the city where grown-ups can take the kids to spend time in our Library and Kids Corner.

More than anything, though, we are your neighbor – and we await you with open paws.

With loving paws, Arty and the MoD team