Tatiana's French bulldog, Ortipo

[rskkiya]

Penny

You have the patience of a saint ... thats it! Saint Penny
the Scholar!

I thought that this was a thread about Ortino Tatiana's  bulldog!

By the way, I had heard that the families pets were not house trained...Is this just a wicked story? Yuc! It would make for an awful mess!

R

[olga]

yes rskkiya! They called the dogs accidents the 'governor'!

[Annie]

I have always liked the story of Joy, but it is sadly ironic Joy got to live out a full life as an English country squire, which is what the Tsar had hoped to do if not refused by his cousin.

This is a very interesting thread, I am an animal lover and I'm so happy to see the Romanovs were, too. Thanks for the Imperial pets page!  I hate to think of the fates of the dogs and cats who were not taken with the family to Tobolsk.

[Janet_W.]

It also hurts to think about the tame deer being shot. And I've wondered about the Tsar's kennel of prized Border Collies. And Vanka, Alexei's donkey. And that elephant kept in their private zoo. (Plus any of the other zoo animals.) Not to mention all of the wonderful horses that Nicholas and his daughters rode.

As an animal lover myself, I've wondered about all these critters. And when we were in St. P 12 years ago, I cherished the sight of every cat I saw, knowing full well that pets simply did not survive the Siege of Leningrad.

[NAAOTMA]

More detail than anyone could ever want to know:

Oriental rugs are great for hiding dog accidents. Victorians knew this to be useful household information. Still holds true today. (My doggies are no angels, despite my best efforts in that arena!)

[AGRBear]

I think you already suspect what happen to the animals in those early months when all the trains came to a halt and food wasn't reaching the cities. And, to make it even more shocking,  when the cats, dogs and horses were just about gone, some of the pieces of meat sold were human.

When a person is starving they will even eat the paint off the wall...

Let's hope the story of the Tsar's animals saw a better fate.  I know the horses of the Austrian Emperor, the beautiful white Lippi___ [oh dear I've forgotten the spelling and no dictionary around], were sent out to the country side.   One of my great grandfathers in Rumania saved a hand full of mares and a stallion....  

AGRBear

[Janet_W.]

Oh yes, I'm aware of what happened during the 900 day siege. Among the luckier ones were certain employees of the Hermitage, who were allowed to bring in their families, take apart some of the books in the book collection and live on the glue and boiled leather.

Despite being an adult--of sorts--I'm still "crazy over horses," and I believe the name you are thinking of is Lippizan, or Lippizaner. Incredibly beautiful horses, born coal black, then they gradually turn white. General George Patton was also instrumental in saving a number of them.

[AGRBear]

...I believe the name you are thinking of is Lippizan, or Lippizaner. Incredibly beautiful horses, born coal black, then they gradually turn white. General George Patton was also instrumental in saving a number of them.

Thanks for helping my spelling.  

And, yes, beautiful and smart, for horses, I'm told.

Anyway,  anyone out there know what happen to the Tsar's animals?

AGRBear

[olga]

Not trying to sound mean, but they're really quite stupid as far as horses go.

[rskkiya]

Olga

Da! Pravda...
Any horse that can be so carefully trained doesn't possess a great deal of inteligence...sad but true.
Its a bit like comparing the behaviour of a cat to a dog...One possesses more instinct ... the other has been bred for obedience and submission, not wit.

(now all the dog lovers will be after me ...EEEK!)

R.

[AGRBear]

Geeeez, I'm wrong, again  :-/

What about Nicholas II's border collies?  Bet they had some brains.

From the report I've heard,  there is one smart border collie  that understand some 200 or was it 300 words.  He's being tested, and, it appears it's true.  For example,  they place a huge circle of toys and he's asked to go to a "ball" and he does.  This doesn't seem like much, accept, he's gone one step beyong.  If the scientists add a toy, say a toy fox, which he has never seen before,  he will look over the other toys in the circle, assumes the newest toy is the fox, picks it up and takes it to the person requesting that toy.  From that point forward, the toy, even if it's a sock, is known to the dog as a fox. So, be careful what you tell your pooch unless you have one big happy 120 pound Golden Retriever like we do who's not as smart as the average retriever, however, he carries a smile as big as his heart.

AGRBear

[Janet_W.]

Yes, I've heard about that Border Collie! The breed was relatively new when Nicholas began establishing a kennel of his own. Many of us alredy know that Iman, his favorite Border Collie, is one of the pets buried on the children's island.

As for animal intelligence, I think it's all relative; at best, we humans have some mighty strange methods of measuring such things.  Besides, give me "heart" over intelligence any day.  

[ChristineM]

Nicholas' favourite dog 'Iman' was a Shetland collie.   He did keep a kennel of Shelties.   Iman was his favourite.   The Emperor was dreadfully upset when he died.  

As far as I understand, After Iman died, Nicholas was determined never to become so close to a pet again.

tsaria

[Janet_W.]

Hmm. Well, I had read they were Border Collies, but I stand (actually, sit!) corrected.

[Sunny]

Agrbear, you are right about the Border Collie who understood over 300 words. That story made the news three weeks ago. Having at one time worked in animal rescue, and having two small, and three larger dogs, this subject is a favorite. I'm with whoever said "I wish I was the person my dog thinks I am"    Don't think I have ever met a person who has displayed unconditional love, and infinite patience to the degree that most dogs do (dogs that haven't been abused by humans)...in the grand scheme of things that is pretty smart.  
 Tatiana's dog went to his death trying to protect her.

Sunny