The big ceramic dog on "Friends": was there a backstage story about that thing?

After its first use on the show it seemed like it kept popping up in
the background. However, since it was so huge it was never exactly
inconspicuous.

It also seemed like a prop that wasn't exactly appreciated. At one
point someone had painted a big smile on it. That didn't seem like
something the character of Joey would have done to a gift from a
friend, so clearly it was defaced by the prop people with no concern
about continuity within the show.

So what was the story with that thing? Was it an expensive prop the
production company was stuck with after the original "Joey moves out"
storyline?

et472...

There is an episode that deals with it. I think it was something Joey
bought for Chandler, but I'm not certain. Something like Joey got
some money, or maybe just credit, and decided he should give Chandler
a present, so he picks something really useless. And the treatment
of the prop reflects that, as in they can't get rid of it, but wish
it would disappear.

Anim8rFSK...

Huh? Aren't we talking about the dog that Joey bought when he was
blowing through his Dr. Drake money, and when they repossesed
everything, Ross felt sorry for him and bought one thing as a keepsake?

et472...

Apparently we are. I knew there was something about Joey spending money
he shouldn't have. But surely like a lot of things that hung around,
nobody really liked that dog?

wendyg...

"So, is he house-trained, or is he going to leave little bathroom tiles
all over the place?"

What I want to know is why that dog isn't with Joey in LA.

Anim8rFSK...

Yeah, that crossed my mind too.

Rob Jensen...

I bet Chandler put him into storage for safekeeping, expecting Joey to
be back within a year or two, when most people attempting to seek fame
and fortune in LA call it quits and move back home.

TeleAddictus...

That is, if the dog even made it to Monica's and Chandler's new house.
If I remember correctly, in the last episode Monica pays one of the
movers to have it "accidentally" fall off the truck.

-- Rob

Anim8rFSK...

Well, it was a gift. They were carrying all Joey's nice (well,
expensive) things away, and Ross wanted to buy him something, but
whatever he picked was WAY too expensive, so he settled on the dog as
the only thing he could afford. So it had sentimental value. And Joey
liked it well enough to buy it in the first place.

altec3220...

According to the IMDb:

Joey's statue of a white dog was originally given to Jennifer Aniston
as a good luck present from her best friend when she started acting.
She offered to lend it to the show for the episode where Joey became
rich and bought a lot of stuff. After that episode, the producers
decided to keep it.

Anim8rFSK...

cool :)