A Very BIG Chicken Bone

Chicken Dog

Mmm...Chicken wings!

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Man's Best Friend

Ever wonder where the old saying, "A man's best friend is his dog," came from? Well, if you guessed Warrensburg, Missouri, you were right!

Senator George Graham Vest won a court battle and the hearts of dog lovers everywhere when he paid his famous tribute to the dog during the 1870 Burden vs. Hornsby court case in Warrensburg. The speech included the line, "The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog."

The "eulogy to the dog" won the case for Charles Burden whose favorite hound, Old Drum, was shot by a neighbor & brother-in-law, Leonidas Hornsby, who had sworn to shoot the first sheep-killing dog that came onto his land. Although Hornsby had hunted with Drum and acknowledged him to be one of the best hunting dogs he had ever seen, he also suspected that Drum was the dog that had been killing his sheep. Hornsby, carried out his threat when one night a dog was found prowling in his yard. That dog was Old Drum.

Burden immediately sued Hornsby for damages, and the trial quickly became one of the strangest in the history of this area of the country. Each man was determined to win the case. After several trials at magistrate court and district court, punctuated by appeals by the loser in each trial, the case finally reached the Supreme Court of Missouri. The award of $50 in damages to Burden for the loss of his favorite hunting dog was upheld.

The many trials involved prominent attorneys on both sides. David Nation, whose wife Carrie made a name for herself in the Temperance Movement, appeared for Burden in one of the early encounters. The last jury trial, held September 23, 1870, in what is now the Johnson County Historical Society museum, featured the most prominent lawyers.

Hornsby, the defendant, was represented by the firm of Crittenden & Cockrell. Tom Crittenden had been Lt. Col. of the 7th Cavalry, Missouri State Militia (Federal), in the 'late unpleasantness'. He was to go on to the Governership of Missouri in 1880; Tom Crittenden issued the reward that motivated the Ford brothers to kill Jesse James. His partner was Francis Marion Cockrell, recently a Brigadier General commanding the 1st Missouri Brigade (CSA), one of the hardest-fighting units in the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Cockrell later spent 5 terms in the U.S. Senate.

Appearing for Burden was the Sedalia-based firm of Phillips & Vest. John Phillips had been a Union Colonel & Tom Crittenden's immediate superior; he was later a congressman and a federal judge. George Graham Vest had been a strong secessionist, having written Missouri's Articles of Secession while in the state legislature in 1861. His war service was in Richmond representing Missouri in the Confederate House of Representatives and Senate. He later served in the U.S. Senate for 4 terms.

Perhaps because he spent the war talking rather than fighting, George Vest was known as one of the finest extemporaneous speakers in an age when the spoken word was the most important means of communication for most people. Vest's closing argument in the Old Drum case, known as his "eulogy to the dog," won the case and became a classic speech, recognized by William Safire as one of the best of the millenium.

Through the direction of the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce and coordinated efforts by many dog lovers across the country, Old Drum was immortalized in a statue on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in Warrensburg on September 23, 1958. Previously, in 1947, Fred Ford of Blue Springs placed a monument to Old Drum at a crossing of Big Creek where Old Drum's body was found.

While no record was kept of the last half of Vest's tribute to a dog, the first portion has fortunately been preserved. It was this speech that originated the saying, "A man's best friend is his dog."

WARNING - GET A TISSUE BEFORE YOU CONTINUE!
George Graham Vest speaking:

"Gentlemen of the jury, the best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter whom he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us -- those whom we trust with our happiness and good name -- may become traitors in their faith. The money that a man has he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads. The one absolute, unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world -- the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous -- is his dog.

"Gentlemen of the jury, a man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow, and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.

"If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace, and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death."

[From The Story of Old Drum]

Von Queston Kennels

Aamon is one of nine pups sired by Queston, a stunningly beautiful, big Dobe imported from Holland. There are photos of the other pups as well as a few video clips of Queston in Schutzhund action HERE. Von Queston Kennels are small and up-and-coming breeders, highly recommended if you're looking for a Dobe bred for stable temperament, size and strength.

The Training Begins

There is nothing more rewarding than the trust and obedience of a Dobe. I had the pleasure (and privilage) when training my previous Dobe, Abaddon, of working him with a guy who had trained Air Force Police dogs for over twenty years. I'll post stories about this experience in due course, but perhaps the most important lesson in obedience training I learned was this: you can't do a thing with a dog unless you have its attention. Aamon is already showing signs of this attention. For example, he's content to relax on his bed while I sit nearby reading a book and drinking coffee. However, if I get up and walk anywhere, he'll jump out of his bed and follow. There are rewards for this, either an encouraging word and patting, or a tiny piece of dried beef strip. My instincts tell me Aamon is going to be an absolute delight to train.

A Dog's Breakfast

Fresh mince, beans, carrots, corn and potato -- just what a growing boy needs! This gets dished up three times a day on a bed of Pal Puppy kibble. For in-between snacks, there's chicken wings. Yum!

Naming Conventions

Aamon

In demonology, Aamon is a Marquis of Hell. He appears as a wolf with a serpent's tail and breathes fire. According to Wikipedia, he tells of things past and future, and reconciles feuds and controversies between friends.

The name seems apt for a Dobe with a tail. Many people perceive the breed as being demons of the dog world -- a perception that any owner of a Dobe will tell you is flat out wrong. Whatever the case, like the cheeky nature of Dobes themselves, I'm not going to dispell the myth and so I've named my new baby Aamon.

I considered naming him Qi (pronounced chi). Aside from being my favorite Scrabble word, it means life force in various Eastern cultures. Interestingly, Aamon appears in ancient Egyptian mythology as Amun -- the deification of the concept of air. As such, he came to be associated with the breath of life. And that's just what he is to me: the breath of life after the death of my most favorite dog ever, Abaddon.

It's been almost two years now since Abaddon died -- time enough to move on.

Ode to Dobes

The following is an excerpt from a book about Dobes. It speaks for itself.

We had neighbours once who watched our Dobermanns and then one day announced, "we have decided that a Dobermann is the Cadillac of dogs." Most persons who have owned Dobermanns will agree. There are other fine dogs; then there are Dobermanns - the dog of dogs.

Talking about Dobermann ownership is a little like trying to explain a family relationship, for a Dobermann demands and takes a full place in your life. A Dobermann either trains you, or is trained by you, and for most of us, it is a little of both. You can't put a Dobermann away, forget about him and take him out when you want to show him off. A Dobermann isn't built that way; he wants to be with you, to help you, torment you, love you, and guard you. And he will work out ways to get what he wants.

A Dobermann is an affectionate animal; but his affection is noble. You can't bribe a Dobermann with a pat on the head. He doesn't enjoy "just being petted" the way other breeds do. He wants to be close to you, to have your hand on his head, to rest his head on your knee, or to sit on your shoe with his back to you. He won't leave you for a stranger who offers to scratch his ear. Scratching an ear may be nice, but it isn't as nice as resting his rump on your shoe.

Seldom do you find a "licking" Dobermann. A single kiss - a touch of the tongue, a touch of his nose to your ear - that is his way of special greeting. To lick (unless you have a wound that needs healing) would be too undignified for most Dobermanns. Yet with his black eyes, short tail, and graceful body he can tell you more plainly how special you are than could all the licking and rubbing or petting in the world.

A Dobermann is an energetic dog with lots of strength, speed and agility. He can run with a horse, manoeuvre quick enough to catch a rabbit, track faster than a bloodhound, tree mountain lions, and beat you to the davenport every time if you let him. A Dobermann is a gentle dog with the firmness of the strong. He will let a baby teethe on his ears and nod with pleasure. He will take his six year old mistress walking to show her off and guide her with the mature judgement that knows it is well to let a six year old have her own way - unless it is dangerous.

A Dobermann is a sensitive dog, keenly alert to your feelings and wishes. If someone visits you whom you don't like, watch the dog, for he will be watching your visitor. After he has been with you a few years, you will find often you don't need to speak a wish. He will know and respond. You become a part of him, and he becomes a part of you; and the only tragic part of owning a Dobermann is that a part of you is buried with him when he dies."