1940's GSD with heart - Page 1

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2482520/So-loyal-brave-dog-flew-Luftwaffe-awarded-animal-version-Victoria-Cross.html

A wonderful story article with some great photographs which touches on what this breed is all about.

All the best

Mark 

Thanks for posting this. I answered your post Vondomburgerland.

Interesting are the advanced pack binding characteristics that dog showed and was seen in quite a few earlier GSD dogs. Maybe not so present in most of today's dogs.

These kinda dogs of the past are mythology.....

CA sssssssst, do you also tell children santa is not true?

be smart guys, source and secure every liiter due in the next month, this will cause a spike in puppy sales, i mean the gsd is a piece of lobo and rin-tin all in the comfort of yr own living room.

be quick the public memory is short, i think there is word of a new movie about a talking piglet, won't be good for puppy sales.

On the serious note, I saw many military scout, mine and tunnel, and tracking dogs that performed these heroic tasks. Congratulations to this dog and all dogs that have performed life altering services for man.

Inspiring story during a most difficult era.

 

I have copies of both Damien Lewis's recent book, as above, and an
edition of an earlier version of the story,"One Man and His Dog",
by Anthony Richardson, written in the 60s.  Lewis refers to the
Richardson book in the forward to his own volume.

Have not yet read the Lewis version, having only bought it a few days 
ago,  but it claims to be a more authentic version of the story
 'cos he got it from the Czech airman Bozdech's family;
he certainly had access to these photographs, which Richardson
apparently didn't.  Richardson was a journalist;  I suspect his book
on Antis  was written because of the UK award of the PDSA's
Dickin Medal for animal bravery (not really a 'Victoria Cross'.)

Dickin Medals usually get a bit of newspaper coverage in the UK, they
are not awarded very frequently.

The brave dog is buried in an Animal  Cemetary in Ilford, Greater London,
UK.  Bozdech himself had an interesting life;  he has a biography about him:
"Freedom in the Air", Hamish Ross.  He also wrote three books about his
wartime exploits, himself.  None of these 3 books mentions Antis, however,
but the Ross biog. gives additional info. on man and dog in the years after
WWII ended.

Incredible story! I have heard of a GSD dying just after its master died. The man kept the dog at work, and left it there to guard the place when he went home at night. (He owned the business.) Since he was 100% responsible for the dog's care, no one realized it wasn't eating or drinking.    This dog obviously would have suffered the same fate if Bozdech's mates hadn't intervened.