Good Dog! Bad Dog!

Ask, Apr 2004

Sure, your dog can fetch the paper. But would she save you from a charging buffalo? Read on for a few tales-some true, some maybe tall-of famous canine heroes and villains.

Togo Saves Nome

In January 1925 the deadly disease diphtheria struck Nome, Alaska. It was very contagious, but the town had no serum to treat it. So it was up to the Siberian Husky Togo and 20 sled dog teams to relay the medicine from another town, 674 miles away. The weather was brutal-several dogs froze-but Togo's team traveled 260 miles, carrying the serum on the longest leg of the relay. Thanks to Togo and the other good dogs, the serum reached Nome just in time to save the town.

Seaman Saves Lewis

One night in 1804 an enormous buffalo blundered into the campground of Lewis and Clark. As the panicked animal raced toward the tent where the explorers were sleeping, Lewis's Newfoundland dog, Seaman, flung himself in the buffalo's path and chased it away. Forever grateful, Lewis named a stream in Montana, Seaman's Creek, in honor of his brave dog.

Barry Saves Lost Travelers

Born in 1800, Barry the St. Bernard saved more than 40 people lost in the snowy Swiss Alps. According to legend, he once found a little boy at the edge of an icy cliff that no human could reach. Barry carefully woke the freezing child by licking his face. Then the boy threw his arms around Barry's neck, and the big dog carried him to safety. Today, St. Bernards are still bred at the mountain monastery where Barry worked. The handsomest dogs are always named Barry.

Urian Bites Pope

About 1530 Henry VIII, the king of England, wanted a divorce, but the pope said no way. So Henry sent Cardinal Wolsey to Rome to change the pope's mind. As was the custom, the cardinal bent down to kiss the pope's toe. But Wolsey's greyhound, Urian, thought his master was in for a kick to the nose. The faithful dog lunged forward and bit the pope's bare foot. The pope was hopping mad and refused to grant Henry's request.

Diamond Toasts Gravity

In the late 1600s Sir Isaac Newton was just putting the finishing touches on papers explaining his law of gravity when he got up to answer a knock at the front door, locking his dog Diamond in the study alone. The little Pomeranian went berserk, racing around the room and finally bumping into a table. Some lit candles tumbled over, and the only copy of Newton's research went up in flames. The scientist was so upset that he didn't get out of bed for weeks. It was a whole year before Newton could bring himself to write out the work again.

Moritz Can't Sleep

Manfred, Freiherr von Richthofen, nicknamed the Red Baron, was the most famous German flying ace of World War I. His close companion was a Great Dane named Moritz, who slept on the baron's bed every night. On April 20, 1918, the restless dog kept the baron awake all night. The very next day, enemy aircraft shot down the baron's plane. Coincidence? Or was the baron too sleepy to outfly the enemy?