Guardians at the Door
In traditional Feng Shui, statuary in the form of lions, lion dogs and dragons are often placed at either side of the front door of a business to protect it against negative energies brought in by visitors to your business. The most commonly known of these statues are Fu Dogs which are half lion, half dog. They come in every material imaginable but the best ones are said to be maid of stone or marble. Very small businesses can place small red lacquered or ceramic Fu Dogs at the door of their business. In this case the size of the Fu Dogs doesn't matter as long as they are placed on either side of the front door.
Fu Dogs, especially the large ones, are usually placed outside the front door, but small business owners can place them inside the business. It is not correct to place Fu Dogs on a windowsill or side by side to each other above a doorway. You need to stick to the traditional "guardian placement of having them on either side of the door. If you don't want the placement of your Fu Dogs to be obvious it is also permissible to bury the Fu Dog one inch beneath the ground on either side of the entrance to your retail or home business. If you decide to bury them, make sure that they are standing up right, and not face down or face up in the ground.
You will find many variations of the Fu Dog in retail stores and in online Feng Shui emporiums. Some Dogs and lions will have a cub beneath one paw and others will show the paw resting on a globe or a treasure chest. The most important thing to remember is that the male figurine that holds the globe or cub beneath his left or right paw should be placed on the left side of the door (as you are looking out of the front door. The female figurine will always have the globe or cub beneath her left paw. She should be placed on the right side of the door. Both are always positioned lookimg out into the street ...never looking inside the business or looking at each other!
Fu Dogs symbolize a powerful protection for your home or business. Almost every home or business in Asia is complemented by a pair of lions, dragons or Fu Dogs either inside or outside their front door.
