Lesser-Known D0g Breeds - The Silver Sender

With Christmas now over and the New Year having begun,  there is a fair chance that you have been saddled with a present or two that you would really rather not keep.

With Aunt Beryl no longer in town,  now might be the time to dispose of that hideous jumper she gave you or the pair of 100% polyester socks (again) from cheapskate Uncle Norbert. No matter how ghastly the prezzie, there is often a reluctance to actually physically committing to throwing away the offending offering. It would be far easier to are someone to do the deed for you.

There is where one of the more truly obscure dog breeds comes in useful - the Silver Sender.

Golden Retrievers are of course known for their ability to fetch objects, whether birds when out hunting or more commonly balls thrown by anyone willing to play. However, this popular dog has a distant cousin.

It all started off as a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Weimaraner, which resulted in  a dog with the appearance of a retriever but the silver coat of the Weimaraner.

It was soon discovered that when playing fetch with the pups, the young dogs had an extreme reluctance to bring thrown objects bring back, and in fact tended to take them away and hide them. With subsequent generations, this trait strengthened considerably, and with careful training the dogs became very skilled at the ‘sending away’ of objects.

The Delivery Dogs

Sensing a unique business opportunity, the dog was adopted by the legendary Grimleys Department Store in New York. Eager to work, the dog was soon put to good use carrying out local deliveries to customers, and also as a means to promote the store as the dogs went about their work in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Very similar in appearance and build to a Labrador retriever, the delivery dog also shares the Labradors soft mouth tendency - the ability to pick up, hold, and carry quarry gently - although in the delivery dogs case it was shopping bags and packages rather than game.

The Cake Catastrophe

In 1969, the then owner of Grimleys, Max StiltonburgerJnr. III, came up with a publicity stunt whereby one of the dogs, would delivery a cake to the sister store in Boston to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The dog, Binkie the Second, garnered a lot of attention and press as hemade his way to the store.

Unfortunately, just outside of Boston the plan was thwarted when a sudden gust of wind distributed the cake all over the sidewalk. Before Binkie was able to salvage the cake, it was eaten by a pack of squirrels who approved of the cake, apart from the fact that it could have done it have had more nuts. Undeterred by this set back, Stiltonburger sent a replacement cake, this time consisting of two-tiers, by courier and accompanied by his very own personal assistant delivery dog, Beanie the Fourth. Upon rendezvousing the two dogs made a triumphant entrance to Boston in time for the anniversary celebrations. After the cake mishap, all future delivery hounds received a special week's training in Chicago - the Windy City - to help them be better prepared for unexpected gusts.

A Howl Of Protest

Silver Senders are one of the most reliable dog breeds out there. There is in fact only one recorded case where the dog counted be depended on to dispose of an unwanted gift. Yorkel B. Nesbitt of Delaware once received a birthday jumper from his Great Aunt Gertrudemina that was so frighteningly obnoxious that his dog, Dixie, refused to have anything to do with it.