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My Name is Rudy!

Rudy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:36:16 +0000

My Name is Rudy

Rudy here. This story is about how I got my name or names.

His mom got a puppy in the fall just before she first went to college at the University of Illinois. The dog was a Cocker Spaniel, reddish color, and was named Ike ( I – Key) after General Dwight D. Eisenhower. When she came back for Christmas break, the dog was not her’s but was her mothers. Ike was a great dog I hear. He lived on a farm and got to run without a leash all day long. Can you imagine a complete farm as a Dog Run!

As it turns out many years later, I came along in my mom’s 9th litter. The breeder liked to have puppies named per the American Kennel Club registration (AKC) with a letter that corresponded to alphabetically to the number. I was named with the 9th letter or I. He named me Ike after that first dog he knew when he was a small child and his mom’s or mom’s mom’s dog. They use the “Call Name” of “Rudy” for me, but my official name is Ike von der Neuen Welt, which translated means Ike (Eisenhower) of the New World. How appropriate to be a German Shepherd in the United States of America and to be named after a US General and President that was of German ancestry like me. He who won World War II for the United States of America vs Germany! What a small world it is.

Here is the story I found on his desk that his mother wrote:

“Ike was born October 14, 1952 on Dwight D. Eisenhower’s birthday. Within a month Eisenhower would be elected president of the United States.

Mom and I first met Ike at my best friend’s home when I was home on Thanksgiving vacation (1952) from my first year of college at the University of Illinois. It was arranged that we would get Ike when I was home for Christmas vacation. I don’t remember much discussion about naming him but he was named after our new president, as my mother was a great admirer of Eisenhower. When I got home for semester break at the end of January, Ike was no longer my dog, he was my mother’s dog and remained her dog. She said that when she got up early in the morning they would sit in a rocking chair and rock until everyone else got up.

Mom & Dad moved in the spring of 1954 to the farm north of Francis Park east of Kewanee. At one point after the move Ike was missing. Horrors of horrors!!! I don’t remember if they advertised or saw an advertisement in the newspaper. Anyway a couple picked him up when they saw him as he was going his merry way back toward Bradford and the farm they had moved from. (Sound familiar.) Since he was friendly and had tags on they knew he had to belong to someone. His escapade ended happily back home at his new home.

Ike the Cocker in the Truck

Mom was a Registered Nurse. She worked at the hospital in Kewanee and later for Dr. Giltner in Sheffield. Ike didn’t like it when she got dressed in her white dress, shoes and hose. Mom was a purist as far as her uniform, which was all white in the 50’s complete with the mid-heel white oxford shoes. (You might say they would comparable to the comfortable SAS shoes that women of a certain age wear today.) She would sometimes wear those shoes with her street clothes and no white hose. Ike knew the difference. He knew she might be staying home. He didn’t like for her to be gone.

He didn’t like those shoes. When he had a chance he would get those shoes and either chew on them or hide them.

Mom did some sewing for herself, Dad, Carol and Elaine. (Edie was married and I was in school and later married.) While she would cut out the clothes, Ike would sit on a dining room chair, watch her, and cock his head as if he knew everything about what she was doing. Mom said he was a lot of company.

Since he didn’t like for Mom & Dad to be gone he had his little tricks. He would eat almost everything that Mom would eat including lettuce, which doesn’t seem like something that a dog would like. One night when Mom & Dad went to bed Dad put his hand under his pillow to get comfortable. Something felt strange. There under Dad’s pillow were pancakes left over from that morning’s breakfast.

It seems like I heard that he hid some car keys at one point. I think he liked to go with Dad in the truck and probably would have gone with them in the car although I don’t think they took him too much.

Bradford had a Labor Day parade and festivities in the 50’s. It had to have been Labor Day of 1953 that we decorated Elaine’s bicycle with a window on her basket. A sign said, “How much is that doggy in the window?” The doggy in the window was a song that was popular at that time. Ike went completely nuts when we got him in town for the parade. He didn’t want to stay in the bicycle basket and kept barking at all the people. He was used to the farm with just his family and not all the commotion that goes on in town let alone all the extra people that come to town for a parade and festival. We didn’t realize that we should have taken him to town several times to prepare him for his big day.

Ike liked most people. Dad had several different hired men over the years. There was one young man that Ike didn’t like and everyone knew it. It turned out this guy was the one that had been taking gas from Dad’s gas tank and maybe even took some tires. Ike would have been the only one at home when he took these things.

When the grandchildren came along, Ike seemed to know that he should go to the basement and stay out of their way. He was probably more than a little jealous of all the attention those little kids got. After all if they weren’t there, he would be getting the attention.

I’ll check these things with my sister, maybe she will remember more things.

Love Mom”

Isn’t that a nice story, she does write very nicely. I think that is were he gets it from.

Oh, the picture was retouched by his niece Katie. She is really good at it because she is in high school. The older ones are not as good at such things or they do not have the software. Thank goodness she does because the old picture needed help and she did it.

Did I mention that these people must really love me? (I hope your people do too.) I have an official AKC registered name of Ike von der Neuen Welt, the have a “Call Name” of “Rudy” and sometimes they call me Boo Boo. It gets confusing but it does help to increase my vocabulary. I answer to all of them and always for FOOD. I know how to hear and spell breakfast, lunch, snack, treat, and dinner. They know it too. I am not a picky eater, but more on that in another story.

Really, it means a lot to me to be named after his mom’s dog. I hear them talking about him. Ike the Cocker had the run of the farm. When they arrived for a visit he was the first to meet them when they got out of the car. He was always on the watch. Once he knew them, he would wag his tail and jump around to greet them because he knew there were 8 more hands to pet and scratch him. When my Mr. went outside, Ike was always following him to keep him out of trouble. They would walk with Mr.’s Grandfather who was doing chores every morning and night; watering and feeding the livestock. When that was done they would go play in the hay mound or another shed like the old chicken coop or tool garage. After a long day in the summer they would sleep under a shady maple tree. In the winter, they would go inside to nap.

I like to do both with my Mr. We have a lot of fun, no matter what name he calls me. The Mrs. wanted to call me Rudy and thus, My name is Rudy!

Dog Run Memories Baltazar the Great Dane

Rudy — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:37:28 +0000

Baltazar the Great Dane Protects Josephine

Hello. Its Rudy from the Dog Run again!

Finding out about dogs from the past and present is one of my
favorite things to do. What I have learned from these histories and
memories–is that it doesn’t matter where the dogs go or where they are
or where they have been. The dogs I learn about at the dog run are always
in someone’s memory.

Today, I learned about a very special dog. I found a very old photograph from
the turn of the 20th century. There is a little girl and a very big dog in the picture.
I had to learn more. I found the photo in a very old treasure chest made out of cedar wood.

There were pictures and books and beautiful linens in the chest. Would there be a clue?
I took the picture and I left it on the table near the dog run. I figured that someone would
find it and start talking about it. I was right. What great information. I learned about
a beautiful story that answered many questions.

Who is the little girl? Who is the big dog? The little girl seems self-assured and shows no fear of
the world or the big dog that towers over her.

They talked. I learned the story.

The little girl’s name was Josephine. This was a popular name near the turn of the
century. She looked pretty in her dress with mutton sleeves. Her hair was cut shoulder length because
she liked to have freedom from all the fussiness of the victorian era.

The dog’s name was Baltazar. When I look at him I realize that he has a very keen expression on his
face with clear eyes. He sits proudly next to the girl. He is a regal king of a dog. He is
a Great Dane! What a big dog! What a little girl.

I went to Google. Yes, the dog run has access to laptops and Google. I found many listings for Baltazar. What did this name mean? Why would he be named Baltazar.

My research showed that Baltazar was one of the three kings of the orient that so many have learned about through reading Christmas stories.

The actual name Baltazar means “protection”.

Later, after I was fed, I sat by the dining room table. My tummy was full. I was dreaming of a big steak. Then they told a story.

Little Josephine went out for her daily walk to the butcher shop. Baltazar walked along side of her. She never needed a leash for Baltazar. He heeled by her side all the way. That day, she went in for a package of sausages. She left Baltazar by the door and he waited. On the way home she came across another dog, a mean looking hound. The hound sniffed out the sausages, and then made eye contact with Josephine and Baltazar. Baltazar looked him straight in the eye. The hound then became squimish and turned away. Baltazar, the King Protector, had saved Josephine and the sausages. When they got home, Baltazar was rewarded by getting his own plate of sausage, mashed potatoes and apple sauce!

Josephine was so proud of Baltazar and she knew that she would never be scared of anyone hurting her again.

I am so happy to learn about Baltazar and Josephine. The dogs in the dog run loved me telling them about this story and sharing the picture I found. I hope that they can tell stories about what they find in old cedar chests too.

Can you snoop around and find some stories to send me?

RUDY IN THE DOG RUN

Old Disney Movie – That a Girl Kelly

Rudy — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:33:36 +0000

“That a Girl Kelly”

Snoop’in Rudy

I can’t help snooping!

Rudy Here. I know, I am not supposed to be a snoop, but I found this story in his printer. He wrote it about his first dog as he was reflecting on ME! Here it is.

Kelly was our very first dog. My brother and I were in grade school, and named her after a dog that was the main character in a Disney Show or Movie called “That a Girl Kelly”. The dog in the movie was a German Shepherd like Rudy. Our Kelly girl’s mother was a silver poodle and we do not know who or what kind of dog was her father. Many people thought her father was a wire hair Dachshund. But in reality, I don’t remember ever seeing a wirehair Dachshund in our small town.

KELLY GIRL

She was black with silver in her breed and eye brows. As she aged she got more silver all over. She loved to chase rabbits. She was small enough to go into the culver drain under the driveway to flush them out. We were always worried she would get stuck, but she never did.

When we went to Mayfield’s hill to sled ride in the winter, she would come along with us. She loved being outside. She would run around while we slid down the hill, walked back up pulling our sleds only to repeat our trip. Kelly would follow and then run off to sniff out a rabbit. I never wanted to come in. We were out so long one time that Kelly’s pads started to bleed. She was alright; she had simply been out to long on the ice.

Her mother, Pamper, live a few houses from our. Kelly girl would go there often to visit her. Later, we moved to the other side of town. We had to keep Kelly tied up because she would wonder off. When ever she got loose, we knew where to look because Kelly would always go back to the house where she was born to look for and visit with her mother. I thought she had a homing device in her and I guess she really did. Kelly could always find her mother from either of the two different houses we lived in on opposite sides of town.

OUR SNOOPY

Kelly was our Snoopy. We loved Peanuts and Charles Schulz. Now there is a free online Peanuts comic link http://comics.com/peanuts and a museum link http://schulzmuseum.org

Our Grandpa built Kelly a dog house that she stayed in year round. She liked to sit on top of it like Snoopy. She had her water and food bowls outside like Snoopy too. We put straw in the dog house for her bedding. When I got cold outside we put even more straw in the house so she could stay warm. She loved the extra straw; and would go inside and walk around and around in circles to make a nest. She slept nose to tail in a ball and kept quit warm. When we first got the dog house, I climbed inside with her. She loved it. My parents did not know were I was and looked inside the dog house and there we were.

KELLY DOG IN A LAWN CHAIR

We walked her all the time every day. As she got older Kelly liked to rest in a lawn chair. Also, she loved to ride in the cars and swim in farm ponds.

KELLY DOG DRYING OFF ON A BENCH AFTER A BATH

Kelly loved to dig and got dirty. She hated to take baths which we gave her during warm weather.

KELLY'S PICTURE FRAMED ON A TREE BRANCH

I had an old Brownie Camera from my mom. I learned to take pictures on it and Kelly was my main subject. Here is my favorite picture that I cut and glued onto a cross section of Christmas tree branch I thought made a good picture frame. This is the oldest picture of Kelly we have from when joined our family as a 6 month old puppy.

I find it ironic that we named Kelly after a German Shepherd and now have a German Shepherd Dog named Rudy!
Rudy from the Dog Blog, thats the story he wrote. Did you like it? Send me your comments, OK?

RUDY FROM THE DOG RUN

Memories of Dickens and the Moon!

Rudy — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:38:29 +0000

I can’t help snooping!

Rudy Here. I know I am not supposed to be a snoop, but I found the old one’s diary (paper-can you imagine). This was an entry about my cousin Dickens. He is long deceased. I hear them talking about him a lot. As I look at him I wonder, “what kind of dog is he”. Handwritten diaries were the thing back then. Too bad they didn’t have a blogs to share important thoughts and stories.

To my Dog pals: do you have any stories about Dogs that are long gone? We should all think about our cousins and families.

Seeing the moon in a new light, June 1972

There was no doubt about me being tired. I had worked
hard all week and was looking forward to spending a
quiet weekend up at the lake.

After I had unloaded the car, fixed a light snack, I
was ready for a good night of sleep. In no time I was
Fast asleep, when I became aware that a tiny paw was
scratching at my bedside.

I was more than irritated with this little creature that
had interrupted my sleep and was indicating a strong
desire to go outside.

OK, have it your way I said as we stumbled down the path
and walked out on the pier over the water. He stopped
at and sat down and looked up at me as if to say I have
something important to share with you. I looked at him
in disbelief, and thought to myself you must be crazy to
be out here in the dark, this late at night, having a talk
with a little dog.

He turned from me and in a silent pose, started to
stare up at a big golden orb in the night sky. I looked
up and was overcome with the beauty of the sight. That
night as we lingered in mutual admiration with a shared
experience I saw what I had been too busy to look at
before.

Even now, years later, I can not look at a full moon
and not remember that little dog and the lesson
he taught me that night.