George Washington: hunter, dog breeder, general, President

Long before he became President, George Washington was an avid hunter in Virginia as well as a breeder of superior hunting dogs. He would ride out with his dogs to hunt foxes sometimes two or three times a week.

One of my favorite dog writers, Stanley Coren, writing in Psychology Today explains how George Washington’s dogs paved the way for him to become the leader of the new nation that emerged following the American Revolution.

During his younger years as an educated farmer, Washington knew the fundamentals of careful breeding and began to build up a pack of foxhounds that he called “Virginia Hounds.” When the Continental Congress was formed to discuss the relationship of the colonies to British rule, Washington was appointed as one of the representatives from Virginia.

Meeting in Philadelphia, he was very unhappy because he couldn’t mount his horse, gather his dogs and hunt foxes through the city streets. Then his dog, Sweet Lips, that he had brought with him to Philadelphia as a companion changed the course of his life.

Elizabeth Powel, wife of the wealthy mayor of Philadelphia, noticed Washington walking his dog one day and was impressed with the bearing of both. She stopped him to compliment him on his dog. In their conversation he mentioned his unhappiness at not being able to take Sweet Lips hunting.

Mayor Powel was also impressed with the young farmer from Virginia. Through the Powels Washington was offered a chance to ride with the Gloucester Hunting Club across the river in New Jersey. Members of the club, powerful men of the colonies, were impressed with the young farmer from Virginia, his hunting skills, and his extraordinary line of dogs. These were men who would later lobby for Washington to become general of the Continental Army.

The rest as they say is history.

Coren depicts a George Washington most of us never knew with this charming story:

Washington's affection for dogs is vividly illustrated in an incident that occurred during the Revolutionary War. It was when American forces were trying to contain British General William Howe's troops, who had occupied Philadelphia. During the Battle of Germantown, which was not going well for the Americans, Washington was encamped was encamped at Pennibecker's Mill.

On October 6, 1977, a little terrier was seen wandering the area between the American and British lines. It turns out that General Howe's little terrier had somehow gotten loose and had become lost on the battlefield. The dog was identified from its collar, and brought to Washington. His officers suggested that he might want to keep the dog as a sort of trophy which might weaken the morale of the British general.

Instead he took the dog into his tent, fed him and had him brushed and cleaned. Then, to the surprise of everyone, Washington ordered a cease fire. The shooting stopped and soldiers on both sides watched as one of Washington's aides formally returned a little dog to the British commander under a flag of truce. source

If dogs wrote history, this post would be in every history book.

Comments

[Khyra]

We do have magikh powers!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

[Tom and Icy]

Sweet Lips and Sour Breath. Good names.

[threecollie]

Great post! Very interesting!

[Levi's mom]

I always learn so much from your blog. This was especially interesting.

Levi's mom

[Big_Dave_T]

Never heard that story. Sounds like something I would have seen in a Disney show when I was a kid. When my son bought I Boston terrier, it seems I recall doing a little research on the breed to find out it has early American roots too.

[schnoodlepooh]

that's a nice story. what a kind man.

[Jackie]

george washington just became my favorite president.

[cube]

You can tell much about a person's character by the way they treat animals and those weaker than themselves. Washington didn't lack any.

[Sue]

Very interesting history lesson :)

[Jimmy]

Now that did my soul
good, However, I've been watching too much NCIS......You might want to check that date "October 6, 1977"????? No worries...the source got it wrong too! I'd say it happened 200 years prior to 1977!
But I really enjoyed that story and I know why we all love George Washington now!

[Jan]

Thanks, Jimmy,

I copied and pasted without once noticing that they had the wrong date. Oh, well, too late to bother changing it now.

[Mikul]

Yeh, but Washington describes in his diary how, when an unauthorized breeding occurred, he had the litter drowned. A little more unacceptable today than carrying the dog on a car roof. By today's standards he might never have become president.