By Ed Stozek
For the Herald

Upon arrival at a farmyard the first contact usually involves a greeting by the official “guardian” of the premises, the family dog.

The term “a dog is man's best friend” was first coined in 1789 by King Frederick of Prussia claiming, “the only, absolute and best friend that a man has in his selfish world, the only one that will not betray or deny him, is his dog.”

For many years our farm dog was my best friend. We had many great outdoor adventures during my formative years.

After listening to the exploits of Sergeant Preston and his dog King on the radio, as well as reading novels regarding sled dog Buck in The Call of the Wild, it made me think of the possibilities of training my dog to pull a sleigh or a wagon.

After several futile attempts he flatly refused to co-operate. Other young lads raised in a rural setting had more success in training their farm dogs.

Clifford Hadway’s parents, Morris and Helen, lived one-half mile south from the Rigby one-room country school.

Walking or riding a bicycle was the preferred way to get to school during the non-winter months. When snow blanketed the countryside, seven-year old Clifford, a Grade 2 student, had an alternative mode of transportation.

Rintie, the Hadway’s farm dog, always gave Clifford a ride to and from school. As noted in the February 24, 1955, edition of the Dauphin Herald, “This has been going on for two years. Clifford trained four-year old Rintie well. Rintie is a faithful dog. He has never refused to do his duty.”

In the morning Rintie was harnessed and then hitched up to a small wooden sled. Clifford hopped on and off they went to school. When they arrived at the school Clifford told Rintie to go home. As 4 p.m. approached, the Hadways hitched Rintie up to the sled and sent him off with the command, “Go for Clifford.”

When Rintie arrived at the school Clifford was always waiting for him. He boarded the sled in preparation for an exciting journey home from school.

In a recent conversation Clifford noted that Rintie was just an ordinary farm dog, totally white in colour. Under Rintie’s “dog power” the rides to school on the wooden sled with red runners and a steering wheel continued for several more years.

My friend Elmer told a story of the use of “dog power” at Winnipegosis. He remarked that his cousin used a dog to haul water as the well water at his farm was not suitable for drinking. Many rural and town people got their water from a well next to the Sass store in Winnipegosis. When drinking water was needed, Elmer’s cousin harnessed the dog and hitched him up to a toboggan. Two empty cream cans were loaded onto the toboggan and the journey began. Once they arrived at their destination the cream cans were filled with well water and it was time to head back to the farm. On one occasion the dog was in a hurry to get home and took off at full speed. By the time Elmer’s cousin caught up to the toboggan, the dog had navigated the load into a ditch and all of the water spilled. They had to go back to town and start the process again.

Another friend shared another dog story. Using a homemade harness that his mother made, Delmar first harnessed and then hitched up the farm dog, Toby, to a small sleigh.

Walking side by side, they ventured several times a month on a two-mile trek to get groceries at Smaluck’s Store at Petlura. Delmar also mentioned that Toby was easy to train and loved pulling the sleigh so much that he would eagerly step into his harness in anticipation of any upcoming trip.

A young boy and his dog always have a special connection. Even though my dog didn't co-operate in pulling a sleigh or wagon, his affection, loyalty and dedication made for many good years of sharing our company with each other.

Countless adventures were experienced on weekends and on days when I arrived home after school.