April 2023

• Neil Young wrote the song "Old King" as a tribute to a deceased Bluetick Coonhound named Elvis who used to accompany him on his tour bus.

• In the early 1930s, when artist Norman Rockwell traveled to Europe, he left his Collie mix Raleigh at home. The dog was so grief stricken by Rockwell's absence that he refused to eat and his whiskers turned white. When Rockwell returned, he hand fed Raleigh every two hours until he regained his health. Within weeks, Raleigh’s whiskers returned to their normal color and Rockwell kept his promise to never leave him again.

• The popular dog name Fido is Latin for "to trust, believe, confide in." Same root as the Marine Corps' motto "Semper Fidelis."

• One of the earliest documented guard dogs was an Egyptian Sighthound named Abuwtiyuw, also transcribed as Abutiu, and pronounced "Ah-boo-tee-oo." The dog served in the court of Khufu, the second pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty (roughly  2589–2566 BC). His breed was Sloughi, a lightly built hunting dog similar to a greyhound, with a curly tail and erect ears; in fact, his name loosely translates to "pointy ears." The dog’s grave and mummy have yet to be found, but he was given a royal funeral in hopes he would be honored by the god Anubis.

• Although associated with firehouses and nicknamed "firehouse dogs," Dalmatians are also called "plum pudding dogs" because their spotted coats resemble the chopped plums in this famous English dessert. The dogs originated in the Dalmatia region of Croatia.