No one really knows when Stubby was born. Everyone's best guess is 1916. He was a street dog. Often described as an "uncertain breed", somewhere between a Boston Terrier, or American Bull Dog. He called the streets of New Haven, Connecticut home.

Being the highly intelligent dog that he was, he started hanging around the Yale University campus, and made friends with a group of soldiers training in the 102nd Infantry Regiment. One of these soldiers, a young private named Robert Conroy developed a sweet spot for the small dog. He is the one who named him "Stubby" for his size and tail. The group of soldiers even taught Stubby how to salute.

But what role could a dog have on a battle field? TONS! Because dogs have such acute hearing, Stubby could actually warn the men in the trenches when to duck and cover. He could hear the high pitched whistling of artillery shells coming before the soldiers. He also could find wounded soldiers in "no mans land" and help direct medics and others to their location. Also because of his custom gas mask, he could alert when there was an attack. 

His biggest claim to fame (if the before wasn't enough), Stubby chased down a German spy during the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne. He chased, bit, and dragged the spy back to American lines. Thus, Stubby was rewarded the Iron Cross (taken from his prisoners uniform), and promoted to Sergeant.

By the end of his term at war, Sgt. Stubby had been made a custom jacket to hold all of his pins and medals, also including his two wound stripes.  When all was said and done and the 102nd Regiment was heading home, yet again Robert Convoy packed up Sgt. Stubby and took him home.

After the war, Sgt. Stubby returned a hero. He marched, and led parades all over. He stayed the faithful companion of Robert Convoy. Following him to Georgetown University, and on to the FBI.

Sgt. Stubby died in his sleep, in March of 1926. He had an obituary printed in the New York Times. It was half a page long. He was then preserved, and placed in a mount. Robert presented this mount to the Smithsonian in 1956 where it is still on permanent display in the “Price of Freedom: Americans at War” exhibit.

As we take this day to remember those who fought for their lives, and ours. We should always try to remember that its not the size of the dog in a fight, its the size of the fight in the dog. Who would have thought, that one little Boston Terrier mix would have made such a huge impact on such a horrible time. He brought companionship to the men and women separated from their family. He risked his life to help those who chose to show him some kindness at a time when he was in need.  This little dog was an amazing creature and should never be forgotten.


If any of you have CRAVE -- I suggest you take a look at the movie Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero. It's a kid friendly cartoon movie, telling Sgt. Stubby's story. While its more of the warm hearted version, by the end I was still in tears. Definitely worth a watch. 

Over time, dog clothes became less popular as most dogs started joining families of the middle and lower class where a collar was the more practical accessory. But, dogs in clothes were still a hit in higher society, and more functional clothing was introduced to military and police force dogs. But then we enter the 2000's. The land of internet, celebrity, paparazzi, the original "influencer", and the "purse dog".

I remember growing up with German Shepherds, and always wanting a "purse dog", I wanted the cute little puppy that I could take with me everywhere, and have coordinating outfits with said dog. Thank you Paris Hilton & Britney Spears. But here lies the resurgence of dressing your dog. Collars became less about practicality, and more about how much bling you could fit onto that thing. If you were wearing a pink dress, your dog had to be wearing a pink outfit. Jackets, vests, overalls, shoes, hair clips. You name it, it was made for a dog.
  

It really is no wonder that dog fashion expanded into costumes. Because we as humans have developed deep attachments to our pets, and they have come to fill an emotionally supportive role we try to continue that bond by dressing them in clothing. It's just as much of an expression of our personality as it is for the dog.  Also its biiiiig business!!!! In the United States, Americans spent 52 BILLION (yup, with a B) on just dog accessories in 2020.

So, there we have it, the history of dog clothes. Who knew it was such a long and fashionable tale. From war dogs to pocket pups, our fluffy companions have always held a special place in our hearts. We dressed them to protect them from harm, we dressed them to make sure they were stylish, and to protect them from a harsh winter. And now, we deck them out for Halloween to match our family costumes. Because they are family. No matter what way you look at it.