Down through the ages, one thing is true: A vital part of the first family has had four legs. From George Washington’s faithful companions (he had as many as SEVEN French Hounds and actually helped to develop a new breed, with names like Sweet Lips, Tipsy, Mopsey, and Truelove to name a few) to Richard Nixon’s beloved Checkers, who stayed with him through the very dark end.
So here at YUP PUP, we thought that a proper way to celebrate the Nation’s First Dogs (#firstdog) and the presidents who loves them, would be to post a president-a-day story of their love for their Furry Best Friend (#FBF).
For this first, we figured we would go with our Nation’s first President: General George Washington.
General George’s love for his dogs was very well known. He had many dogs at his side and actually developed a new breed of foxhound. Which earned him the title: Father of the American Foxhound.
His love of dogs was so great in fact that during the American Revolutionary War, the dog of opposing General Howe from the British Empire.
When the dog was found, with a tag bearing Howe’s name, he was brought to Washington’s battle tent. Washington, understanding the value of a family member being lost, order the dog returned to General Howe, unharmed, with the following note:
“General Washington’s compliments to General Howe does himself the pleasure to return to him a Dog, which accidentally fell into his hands, and by the inscription on the Collar appears to belong to General Howe.” (source)
A wonderful comment that even during the war, George kept his values -and love for dogs, intact.