For pulling or storage, it's a sturdy Scottie - wooden toy and toy holder in the shape of a dog

THIS STURDY AND stoic life-size wooden Scottie will put up with almost anything a child can dish out. It's strong enought for adults to sit on, and rolls around on refrigerator wheels mounted to the bottom of its broad-based paws. Because it has a storage area, it can lead a double life as a small toy box.

The Scottie starts out as lengths of 1-by-12 and 1-by-8 clear pine. The form is basically a 7 1/2-inch-wide box with a dog's profile. You add the head and reinforce the legs with short pieces of pine.

Use a saber, jig-, or band saw to cut the intricately shaped pieces and a hand- or power saw for the straight pieces. Besides the materials listed in the box on the facing page, you'll need a screwdriver, a hammer, a nail set, a sander, sandpaper or a wood rasp, a drill with 1/16- and 3/4-inch bits, and polyurethane.

Using the diagram on the opposite page, trace and cut out the parts. The body sides and the head silhouettes are cut from the 1-by-12, the other parts from the 1-by-8. Start assembly by gluing and screwing together the main body pieces. Butt the side pieces (C and D) against the box bottom (E) first, then add the body silhouettes, making sure they clear the side pieces by 3/4 inch. Use a 1/16-inch bit or a #6 pilot bit to prevent splitting.

Nail the three head shapes together and sand to even the edges. Center the head on the shorter part of piece A, then glue and screw the head in place. Measure and cut the notch in the shorter part of piece B so it slips around the head (over piece A). Glue and nail piece A to piece B. Place the mounted head at top front (piece A fits between the sides, B rests on top); glue and screw into the top edges of the sides.

The other halves of A and B make a lid that covers the rest of the box. To ensure an easy fit, sand the edges of A so they clear the sides. Center, glue, and nail it to the remaining length of board B. Add the hinges where the halves of B butt together.

Glue and nail two leg sections to the inner face of each leg. They'll reinforce the bottom of the storage compartment and make a wide enough surface for mounting the wheels. Glue and nail on the ears, and glue and screw on the tail. Then use a wood rasp to gently round any exposed square edges.

Set the nails, fill all nail and screw holes with wood putty, and sand the surfaces smooth. We applied a semi-transparent white stain to the dog's body and finished with a coat of mat polyurethane.

When the surfaces have dried, mount the magnetic catch--one part in the back of the head, and the other in the top of the lid--so the pieces will lock together when the lid is open. Using a 3/4-inch spade bit, countersink and glue both parts of the catch so they barely extend above the wood surface. Screw the wheels (using screws that come with them) to the legs. Last, set an eye screw just below the dog's head for a leash.