My interest in breed history was recently piqued thanks to friends Rod and Amy Burkert of GoPetFriendly.com. In their cross-country travels to help folks plan pet-friendly trips, they stopped in St. Charles, MO. There they stumbled upon a statue of Lewis and Clark’s Newf and sent me this awesome picture.
This Newf must have been important to the Lewis and Clark story, so much so that he was commemorated in bronze. But how could this dog have impacted this famous journey in a significant way?
Well, I did a bit of digging …
According to the Journals of the Lewis Clark Expedition, the dog had been there from the very beginning:
Summer 1803, Lewis oversees construction of big keelboat in Pittsburgh, then takes it down Ohio River, picking up Clark and some recruits along the way. With Lewis is a Newfoundland dog, Seaman, he has purchased for 20 dollars.
Prices sure have gone up, but the fame has increased too. And here lies the meat of the matter. Seaman was recently named the #1 celebrity pet in Glamour Magazine’s 6 Greatest Celebrity Pets of All Time because:
The friendly Newfoundland helped Sacajawea greet Native American tribes circa 1805, leading the way west for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
So that’s why he was so important. You can read more about Seaman and his famous journey in A Sagacity of Newfoundlands at the “Discovering Lewis and Clark” website. It covers everything from Seaman’s endless mosquito bites to his loyalty while grieving and guarding Lewis’ grave.
OTHER HISTORIC NEWFS
Seamon is just one example of Newfoundland fame and historical influence. I found these too:
- PORTHOS, author JM Barrie’s Landseer Newfoundland, was the inspiration for Nana in Peter Pan
- PILOT, the companion of Mr Rochester in Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre, was “a great dog, whose black and white colour made him a distinct object against the trees – a lion like creature with long hair and a huge head.”
- BOTSWAIN, Lord Byron’s Landseer Newf, would drag his poet back to shore every time Lord Byron tipped his boat in deep water.
Some unconfirmed but interesting notes: A Newf may have been one of 3 surviving dogs from the Titanic and one may have rescued Napoleon Bonaparte after he fell overboard in the Isle of Elba.
WHAT’S YOUR BREED FAMOUS FOR?
What historic events is your breed famous for? Share your story below. Got a mixed breed? That’s at least twice the likelihood of fame on one side or the other (or the other, or the other). Pick a side and start digging! It’s like genealogy for dogs. I can’t wait to see what you find!
Thanks for joining the blog hop. Hope you have a great time meeting new people and catching up with old friends.
What a fun idea to post about what each breed is famous for. Wish there were more hours in the day to accomplish everything.
Felissa, Davinia, and Indiana http://www.twolittlecavaliers.blogspot.com
From Wikipedia:
– During the 16th century, a small type of spaniel was popular among the nobility in England. The people of the time believed that these dogs could keep fleas away, and some even believed that they could prevent forms of stomach illnesses.
– These dogs were sometimes called the "Spaniel Gentle" or "Comforter", as ladies taking a carriage ride would take a spaniel on their laps to keep them warm during the winter.
– Charles I kept a spaniel named Rogue while residing at Carisbrooke Castle, however it is Charles II that this breed is closely associated and it was said of him that "His Majesty was seldom seen without his little dogs". There is a myth that he even issued an edict that no spaniels of this type could be denied entry to any public place.
That's just a few of the interesting tidbits I found. Check Wiki for more!
Woof! Woof! WOW! very interesting. Will definitely check out the site. Happy BLOG HOP Saturday. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
Vizslas are famous for snuggling with their owners. That's about it.
I find that a particulurly noble trait! What more could one need? I did do a quick Wiki search which produced some interesting history too. Check the site for more…
– The ancestors of the present Vizsla were the trusted and favorite hunting dogs of the Magyar tribes who lived in the Carpathian Basin in the 10th century. Primitive stone etchings over a thousand years old show the Magyar hunter with his falcon and his Vizsla.
– The first written reference to Vizsla dog breed has been recorded in the Illustrated Vienna Chronicle prepared on order of King Lajos the Great (Louis the Great) by the Carmelite Friars in 1357.
– Companion dogs of the early warlords and barons, Vizsla blood was preserved pure for centuries by the land-owning aristocracy who guarded them jealously and continued to develop the hunting ability of these "yellow-pointers". Records of letters and writings show the high esteem in which the Vizsla was held.
– The Vizsla survived the Turkish occupation (1526-1696), the Hungarian Revolution (1848-49), World War I, World War II and the Russian Occupation. However, Vizslas faced and survived several near-extinctions in their history, including being overrun by English Pointers and German Shorthair Pointers in the 1800s (Boggs, 2000:19) and again to near-extinction after World War II.[11] A careful search of Hungary and a poll of Hungarian sportsmen revealed only about a dozen Vizslas of the true type still alive in the country. From that minimum stock, the breed rose to prominence once again.
When I saw the statue, I mostly thought of how cool it must have been for Seaman to be with his human companion for the entire trip. And the ultimate, never-ending exploring that this dog got to do. No tethering in a back yard for him. No waiting patiently for someone to come home from work to play with and feed him. Is there any better life for a dog like Seaman than that?!
Sounds like you have the spirit of Lewis in you, Rod! Touring the country in your RV, working right along side your dogs? I bet Lewis, wherever he is now, wishes he had a Winnebago. And, while it?s not quite the same, I?ll bet your dogs are pretty grateful not to have all the mosquito bites Seaman did.
Well, there was this little serum run to nome, Alaska, and one of the dogs statue is in central park!
What is Your Breed Famous For?: http://bit.ly/cPAVur via @ThisOneWildLife<p class="ubervu_reaction_link">via uberVU
What is Your Breed Famous For?: http://bit.ly/cPAVur (via @ThisOneWildLife)<p class="ubervu_reaction_link">via uberVU
Um, no comment? :/ //What is Your Breed Famous For?: http://bit.ly/cPAVur RT @ThisOneWildLife via @RodBurkert<p class="ubervu_reaction_link">via uberVU
From Twitter…
Um, no comment? :/ //What is Your Breed Famous For?: http://bit.ly/cPAVur RT @ThisOneWildLife via @RodBurkert
Actually, this is a terrific time to talk about the American Pit Bull Terriers' wonderful qualities. According to Wiki, the beginnings of this breed were benign enough:
"The American Pit Bull Terrier is the product of interbreeding between terriers and a breed of bulldogs to produce a dog that combined the gameness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the bulldog. These dogs were initially bred in England, Ireland, and Scotland, and arrived in the United States with immigrants from these countries. In the United States, these dogs were used as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock, and as family companions."
According to a Hub Pages article on Famous American Pit Bull Terriers, "Pit bulls were once a sign of dignity and strength to the United States and for the people therein. The never-quit attitude that they held was a statement towards the United States. They were once posted in advertisements, on magazines, and in movies."
Just one of the famous dogs they highlight there is Stubby:
"Sergeant Stubby died on March 16, 1926, as a hero, yet today, many people do not know who he is. Sergeant Stubby is the most decorated dog in military history, and the only dog to have been promoted during battle. He fought for 18 months in the trenches for France during WW1 for 17 battles. Stubby warned his fellow soldiers of gas attacks, located wounded soldiers in No Man's Land, and listened for oncoming artillery rounds. He was also responsible for the capture of a German spy at Argonne. After his time in the war, Stubby met Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Warren G. Harding. He was, also, made a life member of the American Legion, the Red Cross, and the YMCA."
Read the article for more of these heroic dogs!