I have been doing some family research into World War II and stumbled across a reference to Hitler and his German Shepherd, Blondi.
There are citations quoting Hitler as saying, “The more I know people, the more I love dogs.” And his Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, seemed to relish the idea of promoting Hitler as a dog lover – to soften the dictator’s image. He said:
“The Führer has his great happiness in his dog Blondi, who has become a true companion for him… It’s good that the Führer has at least one living being who is constantly around him.”
But in the closing days of the War, as Germany’s defeat was assured and Soviet troops were closing in on Hitler’s bunker in Berlin, Hitler became distrustful of the SS officers who had provided him with cyanide capsules to commit suicide. Hitler demanded that the capsules be tested on Blondi first (they worked).
The lesson: never assume that every dog owner has the same values as you. But, let’s hope for the sake of dogs that none have the extremist personality of Adolf Hitler!
Kathleen Crisley is Fear-Free certified dog massage therapist and canine fitness trainer. She has a particular passion for working with dogs and their families to ensure injury prevention and quality of life. She specialises in working with anxious and emotionally damaged dogs. Her mobile practice, The Balanced Dog, is based in Christchurch, New Zealand
