My protag Beyren has two animal motifs- a bear and a dog. He is affectionally nick-named 'Bear' by friends and- on the darker flip side- called "mutt" and compared to a dog in a derogatory manner by people who dislike him.
Both associations come in part from his being a shaggy-haired slob with a predominantly brown/green color palette, but also have something to do with his personality and history. He's a loner, yet gives off the energy of an excited, friendly puppy and is an obedient underling to a "master" at the beginning of the story. He also comes from a family of low social status viewed as inferior, almost like animals, and is called a "mutt" as a result (a great emphasis is placed on bloodlines and ancestry is his culture).
Oof. Even as the writer, I never thought about what a big part this animal motif played in his character and arc until I happened across this question. Pretty neat, the little revelations you have about your own stories and characters when asked questions you never thought of yourself :]
