Did I hear someone say you want more wiener dog art in your life?

You've come to the right place!!! I am pleased to present....

(fanfare, please!).....

The History of the Wiener Dog

The wiener dog, though lowly and seldom noticed by uninitiates, has a clear and definite place in the history of the Western world. Whether long-haired or short, black or red, the little stubby-legged creature is undoubtedly the unsung (and often unnoticed) hero of many lives and tales (not to mention tails).

We will begin in high seriousness, as befits the subject. Even so great an artist as the genius Leonardo da Vinci drew the wiener dog, as the following pen and ink drawing testifies. Clearly, even in the Renaissance, the wiener dog was not only known but venerated.

But wait! The wiener dog's place in the history of Western culture goes back further than that. The next image in our gallery is my favorite, and a rare piece, I might add. It depicts a little-known fact about the legendary (and not-so-brave, it turns out) St. George.

St. George and the Wiener Dog

St. George and the Wiener Dog, c. 1300s
Artist: Unknown
Oil on Canvas, 64x52" (162.5 x 132 cm.)
As at least three art historians allege, St. George never vanquished a dragon, as legend asserts. Over the centuries, after countless retellings, the story has been slightly embellished. Quoting from an ancient fifth-century scroll (and usually in unison), they maintain that George rode into the countryside that famous day to dispatch "an extremely long and mean little creature living near a well-traveled road in the north of England that caused great irritation to passersby, be they Angle or Saxon." And this so-called creature, these same historians theorize, was most assuredly a wiener dog. The subsequent discovery of this very old painting has only reinforced the views of these three experts, causing them to become insufferable dinner guests.

All hail the mighty wiener dog!

Scooter and his Dad

And now, let us explore the modern wiener dog's existence. Few people know what reality is like for the wiener dog, whose brain is probably about the size of a hazelnut. (Okay, okay, a couple of you out there know exactly what that's like, but that's a different story.) For those who have never gone spying on the little creatures, here are a few rare glimpses of the secret life of the wiener dog, courtesy of Gary Larson of The Far Side: morning, noon, and nighttime.

"Whoa! Maybe I'll just pass on my usual barking frenzy..."

I'll bet you didn't know these things, now, did you? I hope you feel properly educated now to the daily grind of these little four-footed wonders.

All hail the mighty wiener dog!

Our Miss Maddie (Madame Blavatsky)

Our Grainnie as a puppy (with her Guardian Our Grainnie visiting from heaven

Angel Dog watching over her!)

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