Spike the Bulldog

I was feeling nostalgic over the holiday, so this week's name is:

Spike

Spike was the bulldog from the cartoon Tom and Jerry. Those old cartoons were great, and the characters were really fun. Here is a bit more information about Spike:

Character Name:
Spike

First Appearance:
"Dog Trouble" 1942

Biography:
Voiced by: Bill Thompson and Dawes Butler

A stern bulldog who's particularly disapproving of cats, but a softie when it comes to mice

Spike has a few weaknesses that Tom tries to capitalise on: his possessiveness about his bone and his ticklishness

Relationship to Tom and Jerry:
Friend to Jerry, but not that fond of cats

George S. Patton's Dog Willie

Because of Veteran's Day over the weekend our name this week is:

Willie

Willie was General George S. Patton's Bull Terrior.

General Patton was an avid animal lover. He bought the first of many bull terriers just after World War I for his daughters, Beatrice and Ruth Ellen, and named him Tank. Although Tank turned out to be deaf, the girls loved him and called him by stamping on the floor. In spite of his deafness, Tank somehow always knew when Patton was arriving home and met him at the front door.

The most famous bull terrier owned by General Patton was purchased on 4 March, 1944. He was named Willie, short for "William the Conqueror." Willie was devoted to General Patton and followed him everywhere.

When General Patton bought Willie, he wrote in his diary, "My bull pup . . . took to me like a duck to water. He is 15 months old, pure white except for a little lemin [sic] on his tail which to a cursory glance would seem to indicate that he had not used toilet paper. . ." Willie wore jingle bells on his collar so everyone would know when he was around. He supposedly had his own set of "dog tags," too.


Photo Credit: This photo was taken by a U.S. Army photographer in Europe after D-day, in 1944 or early 1945. It shows US 3rd Army Commander Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. in his 3 star uniform and helmet surrounded by his staff of one and two star generals. At his feet is his English Bull Terrier "William the Conqueror" (usually called Willie).

Napoleon Loved Dachshunds

This week we look at two dog names:

Grenouille and Faussete

Perhaps the most famous dachshund lover of all, was Napoleon Bonaparte. In this early painting of the emporor as a young man, his trusty dappled long-hair dachshund Grenouille stands attentively beside him.

Later in life, Napoleon acquired a taste for smooth-hair dachshunds, like the one included in this later portrait, a female named Faussete, which was probably tan or red in color.

Napoleon loved these dogs passionately, and kept dachshunds with him his entire life. Although he was a fierce warrior general, and he respected the strength and tenacity of his dogs, Napoleon refused to take his dachshunds into battle, for he loved them so and could not bear the thought of losing them to the hand of an enemy.

Having owned several dachhunds over his life, Napoleon was known to weep for days when they died.