Historical Dog Name Buddy

This Week's cool historical dog names is:

Buddy

Buddy was a female German Shepherd who became the first Seeing Eye dog in the United States.

In 1927, Morris Frank a blind man from Tennesee wrote Dorothy Harrison Eustis. The letter said, "Thousands of blind people like me abhor being dependent on others." "Help me and I will help them. Train me and I will bring back my dog and show people here how a blind man can be absolutely on his own."

Morris Frank's letter moved Dorothy, a champion breeder and trainer of German Shepherds, convincing her that she had to do something to help. She invited Morris to visit her in Switzerland to see what could be done.

Dorothy had become interested in guide dogs after visiting a school in Germany that had taught them to help blind war veterans. An article she wrote inspired Mr. Frank to imagine greater independence for blind people everywhere.

He and Dorothy agreed to pursue this goal together, starting with the training of Buddy.

When Morris Frank took Buddy home, she became the first official guide dog in the United States. Morris and Buddy toured the nation together, attracting attention from the public and the press. People were amazed by their ability to cross busy streets and master other challenges of daily life.

Morris Frank was thrilled by his new freedom and Dorothy Eustis soon opened the first school in the United States for guide dogs for the blind, which she named The Seeing Eye.

There are about 7,000 guide dogs working in America today. They are trained to respond to commands but also to think on their own – to disobey if told to cross the street when a car is coming.

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Photo Credit: Morris Frank, Dorothy Harrison Eustis, and Buddy I, the founders of The Seeing Eye. (Photo: The Seeing Eye)

Unique Dog Names

This week our Historical Dog Name is also a very unique dog name!

This week I chose the dog name:

Nipper

Nipper was the Fox Terrier that appears with the phonograph in the RCA trademark. He was a real dog and was not just some concoction of a marketing department.

Nipper the dog (1884-1895), who was born in Bristol England, got his name because he tended to nip the backs of visitors' legs.

Nipper's first owner Mark Barraud died destitute and Nipper was taken in by Mark's younger brother Francis, a painter.

Nipper would listen to the Phonograph, and Francis Barraud "often noticed how puzzled Nipper was to make out where the voice came from." This scene seemed to make a strong memory for Francis Barraud, because it wasn't until three years after Nipper died that he painted the now famous image.

Francis's final name for the painting was "His Master's Voice."

The painting took on several revisions and changes and the original Phonograph was changed to a Gramophone, but eventually it became the image we all know, and we all remember Nipper the dog!

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Upper Pictures: Nipper the Dog
Lower Picture: Francis Barraud painting his now famous image

Historical Dog Names

This week I thought it would be fun to start looking at some names of dogs that have some historical background.

This week I chose the dog name:

Laddie Boy

Laddie Boy was the name of the Airedale that belonged to President Warren G. Harding, the 29th president of the United States from 1921 to 1923. Here are some fun and interesting facts about Laddie Boy and President Harding:

Laddie Boy (January 23, 1919 to 1929) was an Airedale terrier owned by US President Warren G. Harding and was a celebrity during the Harding administration.

Laddie boy had his own hand carved chair to sit in during cabinet meetings.

Laddie Boy, delivered President Harding’s newspaper each day.

The white house held birthday parties for Laddie Boy, invited other neighborhood dogs to join, and served them a birthday party and a cake made of dog biscuits.

Newspapers published mock interviews with the dog.

Purportedly, the dog howled constantly the 3 days prior to the president's death at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, knowing of his master's imminent demise.

In memorial of president Harding, newsboys collected 19,134 pennies to be remelted and sculpted into a statue of Laddie Boy.

Harding's widow died before the statue was completed in 1927 and the statue was presented to the Smithsonian Institute where it currently resides today.

Some interesting facts about President Harding:

Harding was the first president to speak over the radio.

He was the first president to visit Canada. He stopped in Vancouver on his way to Alaska.

He was also the first president to visit Alaska.

Harding was the first president to ride to his inauguration in a car.

Warren G. Harding was the first president to have a public golf course named after him.

Out of all the presidents, Harding had the biggest feet. He wore size fourteen shoes.

Picture Credits:

1. President Harding with Laddie Boy and 2 children, Photo from The Library of Congress

2. Laddie Boy's Birthday Cake. Description: President and Mrs. Harding’s dog, Laddie Boy, receives a birthday cake on his third birthday. Date: July 25, 1922. Creator: Herbert E. French, National Photo Company. Credit: Library of Congress.

3. Florence Harding and Laddie Boy. Photo from The Library of Congress