Presidential Pups

   Last Saturday we took Grady to Mount Vernon to join some canine friends on the President’s Pups tour. It was a bit of a hot day so Grady loved the time spent relaxing in the shade and visited with his friends Finn and Quimby. The tour itself was full of fun facts but the “behind the scenes” tour was a bit disappointing. We felt more like we were walking on service roads than actually seeing history. There was also quite a bit of stopping, during which Grady was more than happy to lay down and relax, but most of the other canines on the walk seemed a bit restless. Finn had more interesting things to say than the guide and Quimby was more polished. Although we were not totally sold on the sightseeing, we learned lots of interesting facts about George Washington and his dogs!

Grady and Finn

Here are a few of our favorite facts:

• George Washington was a big dog lover and had dogs from just about every one of the AKC’s categories of dogs (Sporting, Hounds, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-sporting, & Herding).
• As a Wheaten Terrier Grady was excited to learn that his true terrier instincts would have been much appreciated at Mount Vernon. Washington used terriers like our Wheaties to keep vermin out of the food that was stored. This food was kept in a basement area underneath the main house and the terriers were rotated throughout the day to keep the unwanted critters from eating the food!
• Washington had Dalmatians on his plantation. The only true coaching dogs, Dalmatians were used as pace setters for the carriage horses as they traveled.
• In addition to being known as the “father of our country,” Washington is also the father of the American Foxhound! His passion for dogs and breeding led him to develop the breed while living at Mount Vernon. According to the AKC the American Foxhound is a blend of the Walker, Trigg, and Goodman foxhounds, all of which Washington kept at Mount Vernon.

Arley & Grady on the tour

After the tour Grady and I explored the grounds of Mount Vernon some more on our own. Dogs are allowed to walk the grounds, they just are not allowed inside the house for a tour. They keep dog bowls full of water at a few locations on the grounds, making them a great place to take your dog for a lovely walk. You do have to pay the admission fees though, so if you plan to make this a reoccurring habit we suggest investing in an annual pass!

Checking out Mount Vernon

Our Mount Vernon escapades were Grady’s first major outing since passing his good citizen test, aside from walks around the neighborhood and trips to the pet store. Of course he behaved wonderfully, and loves spending time with his friends! He came home and spent the rest of his afternoon napping on our cool tile floors!

As always thanks for reading, check back tomorrow for #TBT and a special announcement in the evening!

~Turnercamp