Growlithe, a puppy that looks like a tiger cub has always confused people. The design of Growlithe is inspired by Asian lions, therefore it has round ears and a mane. It is based on Japanese guardian dog statues, Komainu, and Okinawan shisa. The Pokédex describes Growlithe as a puppy and it shares most of its traits with dogs, we can assume that Growlithe is a dog Pokémon.