>>33595395>The legendary dogs are dogs.This is literally incorrect.
The Johto legendary trio are "legendary beasts" and they are all based on irl large cats.
Many refer to them as Legendary cats or Legendary dogs, depending on if they personally see feline or canine features in the individual Pokémon. However, they are more likely based on many different creatures and mythological deities, such as Raijū, the Chinese guardian lions, and the qilin. On top of that, they also seem to have been stylized to fit the classic idea of three jungle cats or jungle beasts—the tiger, lion, and cheetah/leopard.
