Dog Names Meaning Wisdom

In August 1923, the family decided to take a trip to Wolcott, Indiana to visit relatives. They took Bobbie along on the journey. Unfortunately, shortly after the family arrived in Indiana, Bobbie was brutally attacked by three dogs. The pooch ran off in fear and pain. The Braziers searched for their beloved Bobbie but had no luck locating the dog. They were forced to return heartbroken to their home in Oregon without their four-legged family companion. The family sadly resigned themselves to the reality that they would never see Bobbie again.

Six months had passed after the family returned home when one day they heard a noise at their front door. They opened the door, and there stood Bobbie. He was nothing but skin-and-bones. His fur was filthy. The dog's toenails had been worn down to stubs, and the pads of his feet were raw and bleeding. The wise dog had found his way home and had set out on the daunting trip. He had walked 2,551 miles across the Continental Divide, rapid rivers, and through winter blizzards to arrive back. Estimates show that the dog had covered approximately 14 miles each day to reach his family. How the wise dog had known the way to go or how to find home remains a mystery. 

Bobbie's story gained national attention. Many people who had encountered Bobbie along his journey wrote to the Brazier family to tell them about meeting Bobbie. The Humane Society of Oregon was able to use the documented letters to establish the route that Bobbie had taken from Indiana to Oregon. 

This amazing dog received medals and was given keys to cities throughout the state. He was even bedecked in a jewel-studded harness and collar. Bobbie was the guest of honor at the Portland Home Show where an amazing crowd of 40,000 people came to meet him. At the show, he was presented with a lavish doggy bungalow. 

Bobbie's fantastic story was featured on "Ripley's Believe It or Not."  A book was written about him called "Bobbie, the Great Collie" by Charles Alexander. Bobbie even starred in his very own silent film called, "The Call of the West."  A reel of the original movie is stored at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library. 

The wise dog Bobbie, who had journeyed thousands of miles, passed away in 1927 and was buried at the Oregon Humane Society. Film legend Rin Tin Tin laid a wreath in honor on Bobbie's grave.