The PawPrints of History Reviews

''THE PAWPRINTS OF HISTORY (reviewed on March 1, 2002)

Coren (Why We Love the Dogs We Do, 1998, etc.) argues, with no discernible irony, that events and people as disparate as Waterloo and Richard Wagner would have been very different without the influence of dogs. When Napoleon was escaping from Elba, he fell into the water, a dog jumped in and began the rescue effort, and the diminutive Corsican survived to meet his Waterloo. Just think . . . if he had only drowned that day! That is the level of analysis in this truly dreadful example of what-if? history. If the author had adopted a lighter tone and confined himself to amusing stories, odd coincidences, and the little-known obsessions for dogs held by some of history’s more engaging figures from Cromwell to Custer, this volume might have been mildly entertaining. Instead, we get solemn pronouncements such as: “Dogs do have a way of weaving their influence through human events and subtly altering the course of history.” This is not to say there are no chewy biscuits in the bowl: Florence Nightingale may indeed have been inspired to become a nurse by the sight of an injured dog, and it is interesting to learn that Alexander Graham Bell taught a dog to say “How are you, grandmamma?” But it’s quite a stretch from there to speculate that dogs played a significant role in the development of Freud’s psychoanalytic theories. ''

From the site: http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/non-fiction/stanley-coren/the-pawprints-of-history/?spdy=2001#review

     I agree with this review from the Kirkus Review website, because it did seem kind of ironic that the historical heroes/leaders we read about in our textbooks and such, were influences by their dogs. It also puts into consideration whether the dogs saving their lives would've changed our history textbooks! I loved how Coren told odd stories no one would've every expected, especially the story about Alexander Graham Bell who manipulated/taught his dog to say certain phrases. :)

The PawPrints of History (Pg 237-309)

Summary:
     Although leaders of war are hardly considered ordinary people, they also seek comfort/companionship from dogs. General George S. Patton (American general during WWII) sought comfort from his bull terrier, Willie while another American General Omer Bradley soughed it through his poodle, Beau. Erwin Rommel (German General during WWII) sought comfort of his pack of dachshunds. Commander in chief, General Swight D. Eisenhower had two Scottish terriers. U.S Airforce General Claire Chennault had the company of Joe, his dachshund. Admiral Fredrick Sherman had a cocker spaniel named Admiral Wags. And General George Armstrong Custer, was the youngest general in history until this day, and have as many books written on him as Lincoln. He had the reputation of an 'Indian Fighter' and was very strict in his disciplinary methods, this excluded him from others and caused him to only relax around his pack of dogs. He also hunts with his dogs that consisted of greyhounds, Bulcher, Swift, and Byron and his Scottish deerhounds, Tuck, Cardigan, and Lady.
     George Washington had a lifelong love for dogs because of his passion for fox-hunting. He had a kennel of Virginia hounds (they no longer exist today) named Sweet Lips, Venus, Music, Lady, and True-Love, who shared a kennel with Taste, Tipsy, Tippler, and Drunkard. He gifted his Virginia hounds to people who would eventually make Washington in command of the Continental army and help him become elected for President by the Electoral College. During the battle of Germantown, he returned General Howe's (the British General) dog with a message to him and although the fighting did continue, General Howe respected Washington after that and won battles leniently. He resigned rather than to escalate in brutality towards the rebel colonists. When the war was over, Washington focused on breeding dogs fit for fox-hunting and bred the American foxhound.
     Many Presidents in the Oval Office had companions. President Theodore Roosevelt had a Chesapeake retriever named Sailor Boy, bull terrier named Peter, Manchester terrier named Jack, a Saint Bernard, and many others. His favorite was Skip, a mixed breed; Roosevelt laid him in his coffin himself in the white house garden, although his wife moved Skip to their estate. President James Buchanan had a huge Newfoundland named Lara. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a Scottish terrier named Caacie. John F. Kennedy had a welsh terrier named Charlie and eventually 9 others. In the room of 'vital information, frantic aides, and fearful decisions' about Cuba and Russia, Kennedy called for Charlie, and stroke him for minutes before relaxing and making decisions. Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Warren Harding, Herbert Hover, Richard M. Nixon, and George Bush used their dogs to manipulate public opinions of them, and became a public relations asset. And lastly, dogs were therapeutic in Abraham Lincoln's life, especially Honey, a stray he saved as a kid, along with Jip and Fido in the future.
     In the last chapter, Coren poses questions for the reader such as: Could the expedition of Lewis and Clark have been successful if the leaders, Lewis and Clark had not been saved by the Newfoundland, Seamon, from an angry bull? I think the expedition would not have been successful, unless there was someone who knew what Lewis and Clark was doing and was a good leader. Did the rise of Protestant and it's heated conflict with the Catholic church during Henry VIII of England could've been avoided or delayed if the dog named Urian had not sunk it's teeth into the Pope's toe as a misguided attempt to protect his master? I think the conflict between the protestant and catholic church would not have been in conflict if the dog never bit the Pope's toe, because the Henry VIII had already bribed the Pope to help him null his first marriage. Many times in history, mankind had depended upon the actions of their canine friends. For example, Alexander the Great had depended on his greyhound, Pertias to be there for him, especially on the battle field. Pertias had stopped a raging elephant from trampling over Alexander, opening a way for Alexander to escape, although Pertias did not survive. Alexander was deeply moved by Pertia's loyalty and therefore ordered to have to the dog located, preserved, named after a city, and a statue of him mounted in the central square. Influence of dogs have been helpful no matter the degree or method. Coren argues that if their owners were people whose actions have changed history, then this fact alone would mean that dogs have had an influence on historical events. I completely agree with this theory.

Quote:
''Teddy couldn't bear to leave him there beneath the eyes of presidents who might care nothing for a little mutt.'' (Coren 265).

Reaction:
    I loved that quote that was originally explained by Roosevelt's wife, when she reburied Skip, Roosevelt's favorite dog, back to their estate. From this quote, I can assume that Roosvelt's bond with his dog was deep because he considers the fact that future Presidents may not care about this mutt that meant so much more to Roosevelt. He feels that even after death, he didn't want Skip to be unhappy. I also like the fact that Roosevelt's wife was considerate enough to rebury Skip in honor of her husband's wishes.
     Overall, I think this book was nice to read, because it involved a lot of dogs that I never knew existed in the lives of the military leaders, politicians, and people of the nobility that I've learned about in school. And of course, the fact that although dogs seemed insignificant to historians, the dogs had actually made a huge impact on the lives of historical figures we study about today. If only the dogs were included in the school's history curriculum.... :)

The PawPrints of History (Pg 143-236)

Summary:

     There are some people that believe in French philosopher Descartes' theory that dogs do not think, but engage in activities without thinking, but can be programmed into doing certain things. However, a majority of people now believe that dogs are capable of emotions. Of course, in history, most people did not think of dogs to the extent of protecting them with laws, all but Richard Martin. He's named 'Humanity Martin' for being credited with the beginning of animal welfare movement in Britain. He wrote bills to parliament, but was ridiculed; one politician even asked ''Do you even know what cruelty is?'' Martin told him yes, and that he'd show him. He beat him twice and when the politician pleaded for him to stop; Martin told him an animal could not cry for help. In 1822 the first animal welfare act was passed and Martin formed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

     Similarily, in Japan, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi had drawn up laws for the protection of dogs and was a reformer at heart. He was born in the year of the dog and decided to cherish and protect dogs after speaking with a Buddhist priest. He created humanitarian laws such as ''Laws of Compassion'' When strays became a problem for the local people, he created public kennels for them. 

    Laws that protect animals have also benefited humans. An example was when New Yorker Henry Bergh wrote the 'Declaration of the Rights of Animals' and gathered signatures after giving many speeches; it was endorsed by many people. The New York legislatures complied and passed several laws to prevent animal cruelty, even gave Bergh a charter to establish the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). He took up a case to help a young child who was abused at the age of 5 named Mary Ellen because of a woman's plea, and successfully extended the laws to protect animals to cover the abuse of children, since they were equally helpless. He created the American Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and both his organizations have been linked together. 

     In the case of Napoleon Bonaparte, dogs were responsible for damaging his first marriage but also saving his life. His wife's dog, Fortune, bit his naked skin during their lovemaking, which resulted in Napoleon's distaste for dogs. His wife cheated on him with a man who formed a fond relationship with Fortune and Napoleon was outraged; he divorced her and married Marie Antoinette, the daughter of the Austrian emperor. When he failed to take over Russian, he was confined in the island of Elba where he owned a midsized yellow dog (Lab/Spaniel mix) who acted as food taster for poison. When he heard the French hated having Louis XIII back on the throne, he left on a small local boat. Apparently he had fallen off and a newfoundland had saved him. When his attempt to seize power again in France failed, he was confined to St. Helena where he died of arsenic poisoning; he had no dog.

      Since dogs provided companionship, it's not surprising that 80% of dog owners talk to their dogs as if they were another person. One of those people was John Steinbeck, the author of 'Of Mice and Men', 'East of Eden' and much more other works of literature. He went on a 12,000 mile trip that took him through 37 states and Canada with a black standard poodle named Charley whom he spoke to about his emotions, observations, and philosophical conversations. Social companion dogs, often the dogs of historical figures and ordinary people alike, kept people from psychological symptoms such as loneliness, stress, fear, etc. An example of this would be Mary, the Queen of Scots. She was raised among packs of dogs consisting of spaniels, pugs, and Maltese in the court of the French king and queen, King Henry IV and wife. She married her husband, dauphin Francis, he died a year later, and during a time of conspiracy and rebellion, she sought refugee in England, but was imprisoned there for 18 years with a smuggled Maltese. When she was beheaded, the Maltese was discovered under her dress and it ran to the space between the severed head of her master and the body, and refused to budge. Seeing this, the executioner pitied the blood-covered dog, washed it up, and presented it to a French princess. Also, the Canadian Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, whose mother, sister, friend, close friend/mentor, and soul-mate from collage all died before his first year as prime minister, had Irish terriers that filled the many gaps of his life. The dogs, Pat, Pat II, and Pat III, would all provide him with emotional support. 

     In China, there was a story of the Buddha that first tamed a lion, who fell in love with a dog who was fearful of his great body. Buddha gave him a small body, but if he couldn't remain a good servant to him, then the obligation of servitude fell upon the lion's heirs. Thus the Lion Dogs would serve and act as symbols of Buddha. During the Manchu Dynasty, Emperor Tzu Hsi (also known as Cixi and/or the Dowager Empress of China) she had relied upon the symbolism Pekingeses in the royal kennel as well as her own personal kennel, to make decisions. When told to consider overthrowing the Emperor (her nephew), she turned to her dogs. A new liter of three had been born. 2 red and 1 yellow Pekingese; this was good luck as red symbolized joy/happiness, and yellow symbolized the color of the earth/China, and the white spot on all their foreheads symbolized blessed endeavors. Sadly this was not completely accurate, since the foreigns took Peking, broke into the Forbidden City, and looted. To prevent the sacred breed of Pekingeses from falling into foreign hands, she had many of them killed, all but 5 which foreigners distributed as gifts. She had fled, but returned to sign the 'Peace of Peking' and returned to reform China. Lion Dogs became virtually extinct after Communists overthrow.

Quote:

''Well, sir,'' said Martin, ''a poor dog or a horse is not able to say that he has bad enough, or too much, and therefore wants protection.'' (Coren 147)

Reaction:

I love that quote. Richard Martin was the man who was credited with the beginning of the animal welfare movement, and by him saying that quote after beating a politician with his cane, he was able to convey the pain animals feel when abused. This quote truly showed that Martin was an animal advocate by not only telling, but showing  the politician the real meaning of cruelty and put the man into an animal's position.