Is nothing sacred any more?

[Gob]

For more than a century, he has been seen as the epitome of man’s best friend, known for loyally refusing to leave his master’s graveside for 14 years.



Now, however, it appears the heartwarming tale of Greyfriars Bobby the Skye terrier was a Victorian hoax cooked up by money-grabbing businessmen, an academic has revealed.

Dr Jan Bondeson has uncovered evidence that there were in fact two Bobbies from 1858 to 1872 – and that neither of them belonged to the man buried in Greyfriars cemetery, Edinburgh, whose grave they sat by.

Dr Bondeson, who has published his findings in a book, said: ‘I knew the famous story of Greyfriars Bobby but the more I researched it the more I smelt a rat.’ His research shows the first dog was in fact a stray which wandered into the nearby Heriot’s hospital and was then taken to the graveyard.



James Brown, the curator of the cemetery, treated him so well that he stayed, and locals assumed he was mourning his dead master.


As the story spread, visitors to the churchyard increased 100-fold, with many donating money to Mr Brown and using a local restaurant owned by John Traill, according to accounts found by Dr Bondeson.


He says his research shows the first dog died in 1867 and was replaced with another by Mr Brown and Mr Traill in an effort to keep visitors flocking to the grave.

Dr Bondeson said: ‘Pictures of Greyfriars Bobby show a distinct change in May or June 1867.

‘The first was an elderly, tired dog who wasn’t much to look at, and the second a lively terrier who ran around and fought other dogs.



‘It would also explain Bobby’s longevity – he was supposed to have lived for 18 years, when even today ten to 12 years is a good life span for a Skye terrier.’

He said Bobby was ‘very good for the local economy’ so it wouldn’t have been difficult to persuade those who knew to keep quiet about the con.

He added: ‘There were mutterings about the story of Greyfriars Bobby from various Edinburgh locals “in the know” and many newspaper writers have tried to pour doubt on the legend – but Bobby has vanquished them all.’

There have been a number of explanations of Bobby’s origins. According to some, he was owned by a shepherd.

But Dr Bondeson added: ‘There’s no reason why a shepherd would be buried in the middle of Edinburgh and, as far as I can see, there is no other evidence to back it up.'



The academic, a senior lecturer at Cardiff University, also dismissed the theory that Bobby belonged to local policeman John Gray, buried in the cemetery, as he was too small to have been a police dog.

He said: ‘In my opinion, all the theories about the dog’s life are about as full of holes as a piece of Swiss cheese. After five years of research, I believe he was an unwitting impostor who made use of the sentimental notions of how a dog should behave to get a good life for himself.’

Dr Bondeson said both the dogs were in fact among the many who waited for food in graveyards at the time.

Seeing such dogs, visitors believed they were waiting at their masters’ graves, so continued to look after them.

And, not surprisingly given how well they were being treated, the dogs chose to stay there.

Greyfriars Bobby has been immortalised in a number of books and films, including the 1961 Disney hit of the same name.

Dr Bondeson added: ‘It won’t ever be possible to debunk the story of Greyfriars Bobby – he’s a living legend, the most faithful dog in the world, and bigger than all of us.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1U17zLKUU

[Sean]

Turns out he wasn't loyal at all... the bloke was still holding onto the leash when they buried him!

[Gob]

ROTFLMFFAO!!!

[Long Run]

Any cat could have told you the story was hoax.

[liberty]

ROTFLMFFAO!!!

No Gob, I want believe it, next time they will tell us the story of King Leonidas, his loyal three hundred is just Greek propaganda.

[rubato]

The Greyfriars Bobby story was always inherently suspicious.


The dog trainers I've heard from all say that no matter how much you love your dog and how happy he/she seems to see you they will never recall your existence on their own 2 days after you are dead.


yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

I don't know about that rubato. When either of my kids go away for a while, our dog will always visit there bedrooms and appears to be looking for them for more than two days. A week maybe, but a couple of days I think he is trying to see if they are there or have come back.

[rubato]

I don't know about that rubato. When either of my kids go away for a while, our dog will always visit there bedrooms and appears to be looking for them for more than two days. A week maybe, but a couple of days I think he is trying to see if they are there or have come back.

The dog is repeating behaviors based on conditioning and his/her environment is producing the stimuli which were involved in that conditioning. That does not mean that the dog has a specific memory of an individual person. I think the dog is no more likely to recall me than I am to recall a specific tomato on seeing dish of salsa.

yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

That may be, but when our dogs previous owner visits, the dog definately recognises him. Maybe not by face recognition, but certainly by smell. My dogs hair goes up on the back of his neck any time a stranger (someone he doesn't know or has not met yet) but anyone he has met, he is more than a friendly dog. No ears back nor neck hair up, tail wagging.

[BoSoxGal]

Not only do they forget about you, but after you've been dead a few days and get smelling ripe, they'll eat you.

[Guinevere]

When I'm away on vacation my cat treats my return very differently than she treats the daily arrival of the cat sitter taking care of her. So perhaps her memory is biochemical, rather than sentient, but it is still a memory.

Oh, wait, we were talking about dogs, not cats. Yep, they'll forget you and eat you, for sure.

[rubato]

Actually if you suffer a stroke and stop moving with pets locked into the house with you, dogs will wait longer before starting to feed on you than cats.

yrs,
rubato

[dales]

If my cat wants to gnaw at my tough old carcass, who am I to complain?

[loCAtek]

What about the true story of Hachikō

[BoSoxGal]

We have one of those just down the road:
http://www.fortbenton.com/shep/story.html

I'm not sure I believe these legends. Color me cynical.

[liberty]

Is this one also a sham? Nemo the magnificent

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... d=16222538

[The Hen]

I have seen no evidence in my earlier career, or with any of my owned animals them not being able to recall my existence after two days of me not being there.

Perhaps these animals just didn't want to recall the memory of these dog trainers that you speak of Rubato.

[rubato]

I have seen no evidence in my earlier career, or with any of my owned animals them not being able to recall my existence after two days of me not being there.

Perhaps these animals just didn't want to recall the memory of these dog trainers that you speak of Rubato.

What I am saying is not that they will forget years of conditioning and fail to exhibit a conditioned response to your appearance but that they will never independently recall your existence should you disappear from their lives.

If you died and someone else took them in within 2 days they would be happily accepting treats and taking
'walkies' with the new owner and never ever think of you again. Ever.



yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

never ever think of you again. Ever.

Did a little bird tell you this? Or did you get it from the horses mouth?

I do know that when my son went away for a week our (his) dog was a little "off" while he was gone. The day he got back the dog was his old self.

[Liberty1]

I don't think he's ever owned a dog.

Our dog's go and hang out by the garage door every day around 5PM waiting for me to get home. I go on travel fairly often for a week or so, I was in Huntsville week before last, and my wife says they go sit by the door every day about the same time.