Dog - Madra Irish people have traditionally depended upon dogs for companionship, protection, loyalty and hunting. Along with the Horse, Dogs are probably the animal which is most associated with humans, and there are many stories and legends about them. Dog as an Animal guide will never point you in the wrong direction, and will always be at your side. He loved them devotedly, but once in a fit of impatience he struck at Bran and it went and drowned itself from grief. From that time on Fionn would occassionally be haunted by the howling of his hound, and it left him heart-broken.
Loyalty is as highly regarded by the dog, as it is by the human.
The trait most commonly associated with Fox in Ireland is cunning. There are many folktales about how Fox uses his wiles to raid a chicken coop, or better still, slink into the farmer's kitchen itself. When caught, a classic trick of Fox was to play dead, so that the fooled farmer would set off to inform everyone of his latest catch, while the miraculously resusitated Fox would hop up to get away before his return. The reason the Fox could get into so many places is his ability to figure out traps and locks, to many a farmer's frustration. Fox, as a power animal is an amiable, stealthy and clever companion.