The dog in our fanart Clifford The Big Red Dog Sticker is the title character and the main protagonist of the Clifford the Big Red Dog book series, written by Norman Bridwell and published in 1963, and the television series of the same name. Clifford is based on and inspired by Norman Bridwell's childhood desire for a dog the size of a horse. Clifford is a giant, friendly red dog owned by a young girl named Emily Elizabeth, with whom he lives in New York City.