“Teddy,” was the nickname of one of my favorite presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, although historians said Roosevelt never cared for it. He was a progressive, take-no-prisoners outdoorsman with a tireless nature. Labs love the outdoors and are known for their boundless energy.
Secondly, my father’s favorite dog was named Teddy. Dad described him as loyal and smart. Teddy met Dad every day after school and they would walk home together. Dad would have loved how we named the newest member of our family after his furry childhood friend.
As a kid, I never thought to ask my dad about his dog’s breed, personality, or anything else for that matter.
And I hadn’t thought much about “Teddy” until last month, when Greg, my Uncle Bill’s partner, and husband of 25 years, sent me a box of old photos. Bill, my dad’s youngest brother, had died recently and Greg thought I would enjoy them.
As I sifted through the photos, I suddenly stopped. I picked up one that was sepia-colored and slightly torn. It showed a convertible with my dad as a young child sitting behind the wheel. Two of my four uncles were also pictured. My Uncle Howard stood on the running board in front of my father and my Uncle Junie was standing on the passenger running board behind him.
What first grabbed my attention was a word scribbled in ink on the top. I immediately knew what the word was even though two of its letters were wrong. I looked more closely. There, on the top of the front seat, was a dog sitting as if he knew he was a member of the boys’ pack.
It was Teddy, or as it was written on the photograph, “Tebby.” In my mind, Teddy was a bigger, more masculine dog. This dog reminded me of those my grandmother had as I was growing up — a fluffy lap dog, not a rough-and-tumble, play-in-the-mud boy’s best friend.
My father, his parents and brothers have all passed, so I don’t know anyone I could talk to about Teddy and his characteristics. My best guess, strictly taken from the photo, is that the dog was a mixture of multiple breeds.
If Teddy were still alive, DNA testing would be the best way to get an accurate assessment of him.
But since he’s not, one alternative would be Chrissie Klinger’s list of items (hillspet.com) to identify in a dog’s behavior and appearance that could shed light on the breed.
Klinger asks about the dog’s behavior, such as how often he likes to go outside and for how long. She then has you look at the dog’s physical characteristics such as eye and fur color.
Since Teddy and his family are no longer with us and the photo is in sepia, I can’t answer most of Klinger’s questions. But the way Dad spoke of Teddy meeting him after school and walking home with him, I do know the dog was well loved.
And that’s all we really need to know about any dog.
Karin Spicer is a member of The Dog Writers Association of America. She lives with her family and two furry pets who inspire her. She can be reached at spicerkarin@gmail.com.
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