The taming and husbandry of animals by human beings began at the dawn of our species, and such relationships have benefited mankind throughout our respective animal and human histories. The benefits to mankind were immediate; livestock provided a much less dangerous alternative to securing food for human families, and some animals (dogs, for instance) provided some measure of protection to humans from other, more predatory animals. However, in rural America today, another man-animal relationship is in full bloom, and flourishes like dandelions across the countryside: yard animals.

Yard animals are man-made artificial representations, realistic or caricature in nature, of a wide-ranging variety of animals. The effigies are generally arranged around, throughout or in front of the homes of the owners of said yard animals. They are sometimes clustered in groups of three or more, and in such cases often represent a parent animal and baby animals. Baby animals are usually merely smaller reproductions of the parent animal, and do not generally hold to true differences between parents and babies in the animal world. The two dominant varieties of yard animal are one-dimensional and three-dimensional.

One Dimension

One-dimensional yard animals are crafted either in traditional silhouette (a side-view cut-out painted black) or in side view painted in full colour, which is generally a cartoonish likeness of the animal in question. Full colour one dimensional yard animals are also often represented as clothed in colourful items, such as polka dot dresses or bonnets adorned with large bright flowers. While the sex of such yard animals is clearly absent, gender is discreetly suggested by attire.

Three Dimensions

Three-dimensional yard animals are much more varied and imaginative than their single panel counterparts, and often incorporate a greater element of humanization or, conversely, realism. The humanization of yard animals includes predictable specializations, and incredible detail. The eyes of such animals, while they may be cartoon eyes, are generally humanesque, incorporating a white conjunctiva (the white of the eyes), a dazzlingly bright blue or warm chocolate brown iris, black pupil (sometimes with a twinkle painted in), and long and curling dark eyelashes. Humanized yard animals might also display such coveted human characteristics as dimples, blushing cheeks, rosy red lips and a smile. Curiously, humanized yard animals are often clothed in human attire; some very dedicated yard animal owners even change the yard animals' clothes to match season or weather.

Realism in yard animals, although offering a variety of species choices, does not embellish much on the actual original animal. Generally, they are painted in some weatherproof product in keeping with the appearance of the original animal, and with varying degrees of detail. Common examples of realism include small herds of grazing deer, geese in a frozen lawn gaggle, or a bear mother and cubs.

A leisurely Sunday drive along back-wood roads in any part of the country may reveal such portraits as dogs, cats, pigs, sheep (especially popular in the last two decades of the 20th Century), bear, deer or rabbits.

In the 1990s, a new yard creature was introduced to the increasing menagerie: the human yard animal. Most common among these are, perhaps, the human child in 'time out' attire, the obese female gardener and the leaning, pipe-smoking man (all three-dimensional).

Researcher's Note

There is in the mind of the Researcher at least, a dramatic distinction between yard animals and statuary. Statuary has traditionally been a more artistic choice for the exhibition of animal figures out-of-doors, but historically has been cost prohibitive for many potential consumers of yard animal art or craft. There is, however, a clear and increasing availability of resin statuary (a sort of reproduction of a reproduction). Resin statuary is generally much more affordable to the average lawn decorator, owing, one presumes, to an easier, more economical production process.