Brian Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy, and is voiced by show creator Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane uses his normal speaking voice for Brian, as opposed to the vocal modifications he makes when voicing other characters in the show such as both Peter and Stewie Griffin, and Glenn Quagmire. In the Larry shorts, MacFarlane provided the same voice as Brian for a dog named Steve, who also had a similar personality. Brian's image has appeared in numerous publications and merchandising for the series. Family Guy uses a floating timeline in which the characters do not age, and as such the show is always assumed to be set in the current year. In several episodes, events have been linked to specific times, though this timeline is often contradicted in subsequent episodes. Brian has lived with the Griffin family since Peter picked him up as a stray. While he exhibits some typical dog behaviors such as eating garbage and being afraid of the vacuumcleaner, he also possesses various anthropomorphic qualities, such as the ability to speak intelligently and attending college.