#learningwithhamsters

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Meet #Smoky, a golden tortoiseshell female and the second of the #HeroPups to be introduced! Hoping to get through a few more tonight. Smoky was a Yorkshire Terrier and famous war dog. All 4lbs of her served in World War II. She was found by an American soldier in a foxhole in the jungle of New Guinea in February 1944. Corporal William A. Wynne, from Clevelnd Ohio, bought her for two Australian pounds. Smoky spent the next two years backpacking through the war with Wynne. She lived in many adverse climates and slept on his bed and shared his rations. Other war dogs would have access to special diets and veterinary care but Smoky did it. Despite that she thrived. She was credited with twelve combat missions and awarded eight battle stars. She survived 150 air raide on New Guinea and a typhoon at Okinawa. Using a parachute made especially for her, she parachuted 30ft. Smoky would warn Wynne about incoming attacks so much so he called her an "angel from a fox hole". She also learned many tricks which she used to help build the airbase at Lingayrn Gulf. After the war, many memorials were erected in her honour and awards given to her posthumously. Smoky is also seen as the first recorded therapy dog. She would accompany the nurses to incoming battlefield casualties. She continued to work as a therapy dog during and after the war. Thank you Smoky for being such a brave dog. Your human Wynne, and all his companions, were so lucky to have such a special dog. Smoky reminds me that though you may be small, you can do great things. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClPMsdMPlF0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#smoky #heropups #learningwithhamsters

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The last of the #HeroPups is sweet #Togo, and one of my favourite dogs of the bunch. Togo is a golden tortoiseshell female. Some asked for Balto, but instead I give you Togo. Togo was from the same kennel as Balto, bred by Leonhard Seppala. He proved his worth as a sled dog when he was 8 months old when Togo caught up to him during an overnight trip. Seppala harnessed Togo to control him. As they continued, Seppala kept moving him up the line until he was sharing the lead. He logged 75 miles on his first day which was unheard of. In 1925, the diptheria epidemic was ravaging Nome, Alaska. The only safe method to transport the serum from Anchorage to Nome was by sled dog. Thus began the relay called the "Great Race of Mercy", in which more than 100 dogs relayed the serum 1,085km to Nome. With temperatures at -34 degrees, Togo and Seppala covered over 273kms in just three days. Once they collected the serum, it fell to Seppala and Togo to bring the serum back to Nome. Across Norton Sound, the team became stranded on an ice floe. Seppala had to think quickly, and he tied a rope to Togo, and tossed him five feet across the water. Togo was his only hope. He attempted to pull the floe supporting the sled, but as he did the line snapped. Togo, the wonder he was, snatched the line from the water, rolled it around his shoulders like a harness, and pulled his team to safety. After covering 148kms more, Seppala and Togo made the serum handoff in Golovin, which was 125kms from Nome. It was there Gunnar Kaasen and Balto took the serum and rode into Nome, becoming the hero and saving the town. While Balto and Kaasen were given a lot of the glory, Seppala and Togo were the real saviors. In total, the team travelled 420kms from Nome in three days, a truly incredible feat. Togo, your quick thinking, bravery, and endurance ensured your musher, Seppala, was able to get the serum to Nome, Alaska and save many lives. Your problem solving on the ice saved your musher and your fellow dogs. You are such a very good pupperdoggo. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/Clb8hChv9xg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#heropups #togo #learningwithhamsters

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We are almost at the last of the #HeroPups! This is my probable keepers, Donnchadh, aka #Duncan, and she is a golden tortoiseshell female. She is named after the dog owned by Robert the Bruce (legend has it my family is related to him and his sword is somewhere in our family). In 1306, Edward I of England used Donnchadh, Robert the Bruce's Dog, to track Robert. While he did lead them to Robert, Donnchadh then turned on Edward and defended his master. Robert the Bruce then became the King of Scotland. Donnchadh was thought to be a bloodhound, and his name is Gaelic and consists of the words "brown" and "noble". The modern rendition is Duncan. Donnchadh, you were a very brave dog to defend your master, and help him lead Scotland to independence. In some ways, I may owe my life and family to Donnchadh, since we are related to Robert the Bruce! Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClZOEaOAoLD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#heropups #duncan #learningwithhamsters

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The next of the #HeroPups is #Roselle, a sweet little golden tortoiseshell female who I heavily suspect is long hair. Roselle is one of the smaller pups and may be hard to tell as being a tortoiseshell as her markings are quite light, but she certainly is! Roselle is named after the very heroic guide dog, Roselle, who was born at Guide Dogs for the Blind in California in 1998. Roselle was with her own in the World Trade Centre during the September 11th attack. The day of the attack, she was asleep under her owner, Michael Hingon's desk on the 78th floor in tower 1. She woke up when the plane hit 15 floors above them. She was able to calmly help Hingson to stairwell B, despite all of the chaos surrounding her. Roselle led her owner and 30 other people down 1463 steps of the tower. The descent took just over an hour. As they exited, tower 2 collapsed and sent everyone into a panic. Roselle stayed focused on her job and calm. After, she made several public appearances, and was awarded a joint DIckin Medal with other guide dog, Salty, who guided his owner, Omar Rivera, from the 71st floor. Their medal reads: "For remaining loyally at the side of their blind owners, courageously leading them down more than 70 floors of the World Trade Center and to a place of safety following the terrorist attack on New York on September 11 2001". Roselle's courage, focus and dedication to her owner is inspiring. What a very good pup she was. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClR4mMkA6zn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#heropups #roselle #learningwithhamsters

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Gasp! Not all golden! This is #Mancs, a black male from the #HeroPups and one of three black based babies. He is named after the most famous rescur dog of the Spider Special Rescue Team in Miskolc, Hungary. Mancs was a German shepherd born in 1994. His name means "paw". He was particularly skilled at finding earthquake survivors, and then alerting his rescuers. He was so good at this job that he could tell the rescuers if the person was alive or dead, and communicate this to other members of the team. If the person was alive, he stood up, wagged his tail and barked. If they were deceased, he would lay down. Mancs participated in many rescue missions, but it most well known for his rescue of a 3yr old girl who spent 82 hours under the ruins after the Izmit earthquake in 1999, Turkey. Mancs passed away on October 22, 2006 of pneumonia. In 2015 his rescue team was awarded the European Citizen's Price for their 20 years of work saving lives. The child he had rescued, Hatira Kapaln, attended as a guest of honour. Mancs was a most very brave doggo, who's hard work saved many lives. What a good boy. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClPVRt7Affn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mancs #heropups #learningwithhamsters

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The first of the #HeroPups to introduce is sweet little #Barry, a golden male pup named after a most heroic pupperdoggo. Barry was a St. Bernard-seque dog (his breed predates the modern St. Bernard) who lived from 1800-1814. He worked as a mountain rescue dog in Switzerland and Italy. Barry worked for Great St. Bernard Hospice. Barry was one of the most famous dogs of his breed. As a mountain rescue dog, he saved over 40 lives. "Barry's most famous rescue was that of a young boy. He found the child asleep in a cavern of ice. After warming up the boy's body sufficiently by licking him, he moved the boy about and onto his back and carried the child back to the Hospice. The child survived and was returned to his parents." In honour of Barry, one dog at the Hospice is always named Barry. The Fondation Barry du Grand Saint Bernard took over breeding these dogs in 2004. We are honoured to name one of our Hero Pups after this very goodest of good boys. Thank you Barry for all the lives you saved. You are a hero! Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClMV2w_AGut/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#heropups #barry #learningwithhamsters

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I've mentioned good news and I'm here to deliver! Well... Really #Ru was the one to deliver 🤭 a litter of pups early November 3rd! Wallace and Ru welcomed a good sized litter that day and Ru has been a most excellent momma. I can't wait to hear all your guesses as to their colours 😏🙈 These little ones will be the #HeroPups. Our friend @cloey_hearts_critters has always called Ru, "Ru Puppy" because she really does come when called like a puppy. She is incredibly friendly and wonderful and a definite favourite. The pups will be named after the goodest of good doggos that are too pure for us humans to have loved. Animals are such wonderful beings and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to love and care for so many. I immensely enjoyed looking up the names of these brave puppers so we could honour their lives with our little puppies. I am looking forward to a little #LearningWithHamsters as we go through. I tried to pick dogs that spoke to me, many of course are very famous and well known, some less so. Once these little ones open their eyes I cannot wait to name them and share each and every one with you, while we remember some truly phenomenal canines who deserve our love, respect, and in some cases, humble apologies. My first love as a child were dogs. I cannot wait to own a dog eventually. For now, my little Ru Hero Puppies will do 💗🐶. https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck9gCVNASfm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#ru #heropups #learningwithhamsters

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Meet #Leonidas, the first of the #Underpups and a "business on the top, party on the bottom" black tortoiseshell female! Little known fact about me, I have a Bachelor's of Honours in Classical Studies, so I studied a lot of Greek and Roman history during my undergraduate. So when I realised I wanted to name these hamsters after Underdogs in history, I knew I would have to name some after the Battle of Thermopylae. Many of you may know about this battle if you've seen the movie "300". In 480 BCE, the King of Sparta, Leonidas, led an army of 6000-7000 Greeks from many of the different city states to combat the incoming army of Xerxes I of Persia as he tried to get to Attica, in Athens. Using the geography of Thermopylae to his advantage (a narrow passage that would funnel the Persian army towards them) he set up his army. Historical records show the Persian army may have been as large as 300,000. The Greeks held the line for two days and fought off the Persians. Unfortunately they were betrayed in battle and Xerxes found an alternate route around the Greeks. At this point the vast majority of the Greek force retreated. Leonidas remained with 300 Spartans, as well as about 700 Boeotians. The historian Herodotus says this was done to spare their lives. On the third day of battle Leonidas rallied his troops. They were surrounded. Leonidas was killed in battle. His soldiers pushed the line not once but four times to retrieve his body. Vastly outnumbered, the Spartan army of 300 fell. While it was a devastating loss this battle showed that the Persian army could be stopped. It gave the rest of Greece the time to prepare for further battle. By 479 BCE the Greeks were able to push the Persians out and the Second Persian war came to an end. #LearningWithHamsters https://www.instagram.com/p/CdJUjUVrtcg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#leonidas #underpups #learningwithhamsters

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Next of the #Underpups is the sole surviving male pup who is yellow black or melanistic yellow. While we did lose a few females the majority of the pups we lost were male. Unfortunately I had grand plans for the males of this litter - both sending them to other breeders and also lining some up with patiently awaiting adopters... But alas. #Wallace is named after William Wallace, who was a Scottish hero and the main person leading Scottish resistance to the English. The next pups are all named after the Battle of Stirling Bridge and its key players (so you can likely guess one other name if you're familiar with the history). William Wallace led a revolt against English rule. This happened after the death of the seven year old Scottish Queen Margaret in 1290. Edward I then established John Balliol as the new King expecting him to be a pawn for the English. In 1295, instead of joining England against France, Balliol signed an alliance with them. In 1296 Edward I marched North to invade Scotland and deflated Balliol. He assumed Scottish rule. The following year William Wallace began a revolt against the English. They met at Stirling Bridge, which was a narrow bridge crossing the River Forth. The large English army began to cross. The Scottish waited, allowing the army to cross and then attacked. Since bridge was too crowded and narrow, coupled with being cut off from the rest of the army meant the Scottish were able to secure a victory and inflict heavy defeat on the English. Historical records put the English army at about 9000, while the Scottish army would have been between 5000-6000. They were absolutely outnumbered but used their tactics, and again - their geography - to their advantage. #LearningWithHamsters https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLVgY1gqix/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#underpups #wallace #learningwithhamsters

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Next up is #Hachiko, a sweet golden male pup of the #HeroPups! Many of you likely know his namesake. Hachikō was a white Japanese Akita born on a farm in Japan’s Akita Prefecture - one of the country’s 47 jurisdictions which were each governed by an appointed prefect. He is famous for loyally waiting for his guardian, Tokyo Imperial University professor Hidesaburō Ueno, for nearly 10 following the man’s death. When Ueno would return to Shibuya, Tokyo on the train each day, he would find Hachikō waiting for him at Shibuya Station. This routine continued for more than 9 years and 9 months, until one day Ueno wasn’t on the train. He had passed from a cerebral hemorrhage whilst giving a lecture in one of his classes. After one of Japan’s largest newspapers, The Asahi Shimbun, published an article about Hachikō, commuters started bringing food and snacks with them to the railway station as a treat for the dog whilst he waited for his owner. Hachikō died in March 1935 at 11 years old. It was determined that he passed from heart worm and terminal cancer. Hachikō continues to be remembered in as chūken Hachikō (忠犬ハチ公, "faithful dog Hachikō") in Japanese, honoured with statues, movies and books. May we all have someone who loves us as fiercely as Hachikō loved his human 🥰. What a very good boy. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClXBnrCARTp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#hachiko #heropups #learningwithhamsters

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#Laika, our next of the #HeroPups is a bittersweet one. She is the only black tortoiseshell in the litter and was a bit shy during this photoshoot. Laika was the first living creature to orbit the earth - but this feat came at great cost to Laika herself as it was a one way mission. Laika was a stray dog from the streets of Moscow. She was given many names including Kudryavka, but Laika "Little Barker" was the one that stuck. Before the launch, they had done surgery on the Laika and her back up's, Albina and Mushka, to route cables from the transmitters to sensors that would measure her breathing, pulse and blood pressure. She was placed in the capsule of the satellite on October 31, 1957, three days before her mission. Just before the launch on November 3, they sponged her down in a weak ethanol solution and painted iodine onto the areas where the sensors would be placed. One of the technicians said, "After placing Laika in the container and closing the hatch, we kissed her nose and wished her bon voyage, knowing she would not survive the flight." While she survived getting to orbit, approximately 5-7 hours into the flight, no further life signs were detected. The flight up was terrifying, her heartbeat rocketed to triple its normal rate and her breathing quadrupled. She likely died of overheating after the fourth orbit, as the temperature inside reached over 90 degrees. Laika died terrified, hungry and alone. While her death has been said by some as "an enduring symbol of sacrifice and human achievement" I ask... To what end? Laika was innocent. She had not asked to sacrifice her life for our gains. I had mentioned when I introduced the theme that some of these dogs deserved better. Laika deserved better. She deserved to be loved. She deserves huge apologies. She went through agonizing suffering that didn't need to happen. My heart hurts thinking about it. I can only hope our little Laika will honour her memory, and that this history snippet will help others learn about her needless death. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClWbHzIgn0p/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#laika #heropups #learningwithhamsters

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#Dozer is the next of the #HeroPups to introduce! He is a golden male and oh so very adorable. He is named after a very athletic pup! Dozer, a 3-year-old goldendoodle from Maryland, became famous after he escaped from his yard and joined the 13-mile Half Marathon that was taking place in Howard County, before finding his way home again. He had escaped his invisible fence and participants reported seeing him join them five miles in. He was seen by runners at several points in the marathon, and this YouTube video (https://youtu.be/uhnMAZV9H9g) shows him crossing the finish line at 02hrs14min. He was even honoured with a medal for his participation! A fundraising page was set up by Dozer’s humans to benefit the University of Maryland's Greenbaum Cancer Center, and he has over 15,000 followers on his very own Facebook page. He brought so much attention and awareness to the Cancer Center that the following year an eight-mile race, known as “Dozer’s Dash”, began where he joined in the Half Marathon the year before. His fans were also able to meet him in “Dozer’s Doghouse”, a tent set up by event organizers. Thank you Dozer for sharing your joy with us and for using your skills to raise money for a very worthwhile charity! Like many, I have lost family and friends to cancer. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClWPX5sgNwy/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#dozer #heropups #learningwithhamsters

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Our next pup is Sergeant #Stubby, a black male who is oh so very cute and so far our breeding contract male prospect! Sergeant Stubby was an American Bull Terrier, more commonly known as a Boston Terrier, who was assigned to the 26th Yankee Division in World War I. Stubbs served for a year and a half in the trenches in France, as a member of the 102nd Infantry Regiment. During the 17 battles in which he served, Sergeant Stubbs found and comforted wounded soldiers, and after surviving a mustard gas injury during his first year of battle, he learned to warn his unit of incoming attacks. Since a dog’s hearing is so much more sensitive than a humans, Stubbs was also able to hear the whistle of incoming artillery shells and alert his unit to duck and cover, saving many members of his regiment. Sergeant Stubby was nominated to the rank of sergeant by his unit’s commander after he captured a German spy; the only dog promoted through combat. It is also alleged that he caught a German soldier by his trousers, and kept him there until his fellow American soldiers arrived. At the end of the war Stubby was smuggled home by Corporal James Robert Conroy, a soldier in the United States Army, where he lived until he died in 1926. In 1956, Conroy presented Stubby’s taxidermied remains to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where he is on display in their Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibit. Sergeant Stubby is one of the most decorated war dogs, and in 2018 he became the subject of an animated film titled Sergeant Stubby: An American Hero. Thank you for your service Sergeant Stubby. You were so brave and your courage and skill saved so many lives. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClUHy66Pb6r/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#stubby #learningwithhamsters

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Meet #Steve, a black recessive dapple carrier male from the #DinoPups! Steve is named after the dinosaur Stegosaurus, which lived during the Late Jurassic period. The mighty Stegosaurus gets its name from the word “roof-lizard”. This dinosaur was unique because it was the size of a bus, but had the brain the size of a bent hotdog. Stegosaurus had strong boney-spikes at the end of its tail, however, scientists are unaware if these spikes were used as display or a weapon. The spikes were given the amazingly brutal name “Thagomizers”. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. All graphics/drawings/representations belong to their original owners. https://www.instagram.com/p/BtmWa7zAel-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=s1wafrejeo1y

#steve #dinopups #learningwithhamsters

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Meet #Cera, a black female from the #DinoPups! Cera is named after the dinosaur Triceratops, which lived during the Mesozoic period. The Triceratops powerful jaws that were tipped with a pointed beak. Their name translates to “three-horned face”. Underneath the long horns were part of the bone structure of the skull, however the bone was covered by the horn material. Just like present day buffalos, antelopes and other horned mammals, they re-grew if they were worn out or fell off. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. All graphics/drawings/representations belong to their original owners. https://www.instagram.com/p/Btmds0sAwVs/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16q41gq4n7n06

#cera #dinopups #learningwithhamsters

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Meet #Huxley, a heterozygous extreme dilute yellow male from the #DinoPups! Huxley is named after the dinosaur Huxleysaurus, which lived during the Early Cretaceous period. The Huxleysaurus is a genus of herbivorous styracosternan ornithopod dinosaur. Unfortunately not much is known about this dinosaur since the fossil only included a femur, limb elements, vertebrae, a foot-claw within the deposit it was collect from. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. All graphics/drawings/representations belong to their original owners. https://www.instagram.com/p/BtpGAlBAm_p/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1qhm3181qzdem

#huxley #dinopups #learningwithhamsters