German Shepherds

The new LEGO BrickHeadz Pets theme adds yet another avenue to this already diverse range, and it's sure to be popular among animal fans. Dog lovers and especially German Shepherd owners should love this set, and it would be pretty easy to customise 40440 to look more like a beloved pet, perhaps by changing the bandana colour or something similar. more less

If you are a dog person, or if you're looking for a great parts pack, you can't do much better than $14.99 for 247 pieces. And if you are a cat person or you prefer something a bit lower-maintenance, not to worry, there are more sets in the Pets subtheme, including shorthaired cat & kitten, Budgie, and Goldfish. Based on the customizable Brickheadz set Go Brick Me, I can't help but wonder if LEGO is planning something similar for building custom pet models, and if they are, these sets will give them plenty of inspiration to start with. more less

The German Shepherd breed has a unique appearance, which other results in a black muzzle and darker fur patches on the body. These markings have been captured well on both of the BrickHeadz versions, despite the small size of each. My only complaint is the choice of brick colour used for the lighter fur is too light, a darker brown would have looked a little better. All the Alsatians I've ever known have always been browner. I like the little scarf the larger dog is wearing, as it adds a little character. I wouldn't say they scream as to what breed they are meant to be, which is a good thing has it could be used as a base to tweak the design to a different breed. more less

Overall, these new LEGO BrickHeadz Pets sets are pretty cute and the German Shepherd (40440) is in every way that. They are very simple builds and didn't take much time to complete. Even at $14.99, I think the price point is a bit high and $12.99 would have been a better price. more less

In the end the sets themselves are cute (well, for BrickHeadz) and will certainly please kids who love animals, but AFOLs who want to expand their collection with new parts will certainly pass on these sets. more less

These are an interesting addition to the BrickHeadz series, which has come a long way since the likes of 41585 Batman. I think both of them look like the animals they are trying to portray, which is no mean feat given the size and constraints of the BrickHeadz standard. I'd like to think that more cat colours and dog breeds will be forthcoming but on the other hand I suspect that they are a bit too niche to warrant a whole series of them. more less