Swissy HeroesReturning home from a day at the hunt, Stephanie Child unloaded her horse from the trailer and took him into the barn for grooming. She dressed him for outdoor turnout and headed to the pasture with him. We’ll never know what happened next, although we know that the violent connection of Stephie’s face with a horse’s hoof figured prominently in the scenario. From the trails of blood, we can imagine Stephie’s struggles as she tried to find her way to safety. What we do know, beyond doubt, was that Ruff, her Swissy, saved her life that night. Swissy owners expound upon the heroic qualities of their breed. To include the words “Swissy” and “heroism” in the same sentence is redundant. In fact, if heroic attributes, or a lack thereof, could be accurately assessed in a mere two minutes we would probably write the quality into the breed’s standard. But maybe we’ve only fallen victim to some of the greatest masters of propaganda ever born. You see, Swissys are convinced that their understanding of the ways of the world is far superior to that of their foolishly naïve, bi-pedal family members. They are amazed that we have managed to survive as long as we have without their constant supervision. Their intervention is required in every aspect of our daily lives to keep us out of harm’s way. (“Yeah, sure, I recognize that brown truck and uniform. But do we *really* know that he’s the UPS man?”) Legends from the old country followed the GSMD across the ocean and are well-known by the breed’s fans. There is the story of the farmer’s neighbor who perhaps had a bit too much drink with the camaraderie during his visit. Surely he would never have made it home safely that night without his canine escort: his host’s Swissy. Then there is the story of the dairyman’s Swissy who was harnessed to a loaded cart one morning in preparation for making the day’s deliveries. The farmer, feeling poorly, went back into the house to rest for a moment and fell into a fevered sleep. When he awoke later he found the dog in the yard with a now-empty cart. It seemed that when the farmer failed to return, the dog went on and followed his regular route, allowing his customers to help themselves to their orders. New legends have grown with the GSMD’s introduction to the U.S. After learning of an incident where a family dog innocently discovered the shallow graves of a family whose disappearance had long baffled police, Matt Zarrella wondered if a dog couldn’t be trained specifically to find bodies. The result was Hannibal, Matt’s partner in the Rhode Island State Police Search and Rescue team and the state’s only body (cadaver) dog. Gaining national media recognition, Hannibal had a talent that ranked him among the best search and rescue dogs in the country. He could sniff out bodies lost in the depths of the ocean and locked in rivers of ice. Because of him, many children spent the night in warm, dry beds after being lost in the wilderness. In fact, his last night was spent rescuing a group of lost kids. Hannibal died on April 18th, 1996 and the news of his death was reported on the front page of the local newspaper and was the lead story on the evening news in his home state. Hannibal was truly a hero. There are also many quiet heroes in our breed. The Swissy possesses a sensitive and intuitive character, making them excel as canine ambassadors and therapy dogs. They recognize who is fearful of their imposing presence, or who could benefit from a little roughhousing, or who simply needs a gentle look, nudge, paw. And sometimes the occasion for heroic acts arises out of an everyday reconnaissance, as was the case one day when my Bart happened upon a neighbor in distress. Cricket had two young geldings escape and, heady with their new-found freedom, they were spinning and rearing, threatening to bolt at any moment. Bart arrived on the scene, sized up the situation and promptly herded the horses through the gate Cricket was holding open. After checking to make sure that everything else was in order, Bart calmly dusted off his paws, accepted his hugs and cookies of thanks, and headed back home. “Aw, t’weren’t nothing Ma’am. Ay’m a wurking breed. It’s what we do.” But of all these and other noble and unselfish acts of courage, the one that most touches me personally is that of Ruff’s. After Stephie couldn’t find her way into her home, she crawled into her car. Ruff crawled in after her. Throughout the freezing night, he guarded her unconscious body, wrapping himself around her to keep her warm and cleaning her wounded face. The next morning, it took a trusted friend to convince Ruff to surrender Stephie to the paramedics. Stephie spent a week in the intensive care unit and subsequently had to undergo several surgeries to reconstruct many of the bones in her face. Her doctors assured her that without Ruff’s care she would not have survived that long, wintry night. He saved my friend’s life. He’ll always be my hero. Cilla Phillips |