Critter Alley

Critter Alley

Monday, October 12, 2009

Happy Columbus Day



Image from Active Dogs newsletter

I always love a holiday. Today is Columbus Day and all local, state, and federal employees get to enjoy a day off.

Mine will be spent cleaning up, organizing, and (if I'm lucky) getting at least one Christmas present purchased.

I wondered about Christopher Columbus in usual fashion. Could he be one of our ancestral dog owners?

According to the Active Dogs newsletter, Columbus likely did not bring a dog on his first voyage to the New World. However, at the age of 29, it is reported that he purchased a dog for $31 (a vast sum in those days). The breed is not described.

On a subsequent voyage, a letter that Columbus wrote to the King of Spain notes his discovery of a tiny dog previously not seen by the Europeans.

We know it today as the Chihuahua.

Happy Columbus Day to all!

2 comments:

The Word Place said...

Hope you get everything accomplished! Interesting info on Columbus and his dog(s). I'm not sure I'd have wanted to sail the high seas in one of those flimsy ships, had I two legs or four!

Anonymous said...

Happy Columbus Day to you!