We couldn’t resist this gigantic, bright, famous dog that everyone recognizes and loves. In Clifford the Big Red Dog’s story, he starts his journey as a runt. Sometimes we might forget that because he is so massive. He’s a huge, lovable success in the realms of children’s literature and even animated TV series, but when this itty-bitty hound came on the scene in 1963, he wasn’t the pick of the litter.

Author and illustrator Norman Bridwell confesses that the larger-than-life canine was originally named “Tiny.” But that just didn’t stick; his wife was actually the one to deem it as too boring and predictable of a moniker. Here we are discussing names for dogs, and we find out that Clifford’s didn’t come easy. Bridwell took the name from his wife’s childhood imaginary friend, in fact. How fitting! He’s fantastical and has inspired imaginations for several generations now.

The story goes that Clifford’s owner and best friend, Emily Elizabeth (named after Bridwell’s own daughter), adopted Clifford as her furry pal even though he was the smallest of his family. No one expected great size or great anything from this red pup. He would only remain oddly little and sick. But Emily Elizabeth loved and loved him so much that he grew and grew until he was over 25 feet tall. That’s a lot of love! And that’s a lot of dog!

If you look into the author’s past, you’ll find that Bridwell really identified with Clifford. He was a runt in his own right, the way we all feel sometimes. He wasn’t gifted in sports or very talented in shop class. His teachers even told him he was no good at art. However, he, of course, went on to sketch and bring to life one of the most iconic doggos of all time. Snoopy gets a lot of hype every year around the holidays, with his big old traditional balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But we’ll give you one guess who the other beloved balloon depicts. That’s right. For some, it’s not officially time to celebrate until they see Clifford high in the sky.

Clifford’s story is a timeless one. He starts out as a runt; he’s different and underestimated. He exceeds expectations tremendously, but he’s still unique, of course. He’s part of a loving family, though, one that would move their life from the city to the country just to make him feel at home. And he’s got the friendship of Emily Elizabeth to sustain him through all of his mistakes and any insecurities or obstacles he faces.