The Most Loyal Dogs In History

 One of the reasons why dogs are the most popular companion pets is their incredible loyalty and faithfulness to its owners and family. Some dogs are so loyal that they would protect their families even if it meant giving up their own lives. There are many stories about indivudal dogs who waited for their owners for years even after their human had passed away. There are not many other animals that are like that. 

1) Hachiko
Lets start with the symbol of dogs loyalty, the famous Japanese Akita named Hachiko! Most dog lovers heard about Hachikos loyalty. The popularity of the Hachiko story skyrocketed when his story was filmed. Hachiko used to wait on its owner at the end of each day at the train station. One day, its master died and did not return home. But Hachiko kept his routine and came back every day to the train station to see if his owner come back. He waited on his master for 10 years until his own death.

2) Greyfriars Bobby
Another dog that showed amazing loyalty even after its masters death if Greyfriars Bobby. Bobby was a Skye Terrier that belonged to a night watchman John Gray. When John died and was burried, Bobby would go and spent every night at his masters grave. He was doing it for 14 years until his own death. Today, Bobby has a statue at the entrance to the Kirkyard, Scotland, near the graveyard.

3) Salty and Roselle
We all know about the Septbember 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. And as in all the tragedies, there are some heroic stories as well, and this story is about two service dogs who were in the World Trade Centre during the attacks with their blind owners.
Salty was even released by its owner to go and save herself. But she returned and helped its owner to slowly go downstairs from the 71st floor and saved her life. Roselle was on 78th floor when the attack started. She led her owner and 30 other people down 1,463 steps out of the tower. After descending over half the distance, they passed the firemen who were heading up. Both, Salty and Roselle are true heroes who showed incredible loyalty!

4) Kostya
Another incredibly loyal German Shepherd is Kostya from Russia. Kostya was the only survivor of a car crash where her owners sadly died. After some time, people started to notice a stray German Shepherd on the same street and same spot, just where the car accident happened. People tried to adopt Kostya, to rescue her, give her home, but she always refused. She did not want to leave the spot, where she saw her owners for the last time. She was kept going to the same spot for 7 years, until her own death.

5) Bobbie, the Wonder dog
Lets mention one story with happy ending. The story of Bobbie, the Collie mix, also known as the Wonder dog is fairly popular. It is a story of a dog and its family, who went on a road trip from Oregon to Indiana to visit its relatives. In Indiana, Bobbie was attacked by group of other dogs, ran away and get lost. The family tried to find Bobbie for several days before leaving, but they were not succesful.
What a surprise it was, when Bobbie showed six months later in Oregon and returned to its family. He was mangy and dirty and his toenails worn down to nothing. He traveled for more than 4 500 km, which is 2 800 miles to reunite with its family. He traveled over wintry peaks, rivers and vast plains, but he made it!

6) Waghya
Dogs loyalty is famous all around the world and story of Waghya comes from India! Founder of Indias Maratha Empire was a big dog lover and he had a loyal dog by his side. The dog was known as Waghya. The legend say, that when the ruler died, the dog mourned and jumped into his owners funeral pyre. Whether if the story is true, or if it is only a legend, it shows that the dogs loyalty is truly valued all over the world.

7) Delta
The story of Delta is very old. Her body was found in the ashes of Pompeii. We do not know what breed she was, but it was some kind of a very large protection dog, possibly Roman war dog. She was wearing a silver collar with three heroic deeds engraved on the collar. She saved her owner Severinus from drowning in the sea, than she fought off attackers who were trying to rob him and she also protected Severinus from a wolf and saved his life for the third time.

8) Dżok
The story of Dżok is very sad and it is famous in its homeland, Poland. Dżok was a black mixed breed whose owner suffer a heartattack and died in Krakow on a roundabout. Dżok was waiting his master on this exact spot and in the area close to the roundabout for one year. He was fed by locals, who loved him. One year after waiting on his master, Dżok was adopted by older woman, but not long after the adoption, she died as well. Dzok run away loitering around the railway area and tragically died under the wheels of a moving train.

9) Gelert
Gelert is a legendary Welsh dog who has a grave in a city of Beddgelert. Gelerts story is written on the tombstone and it literally reads the following: "In the 13th century Llewelyn, prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without Gelert, ‘The Faithful Hound’, who was unaccountably absent. On Llewelyn’s return the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The prince alarmed hastened to find his son and saw the infant’s cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood. The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound’s side, thinking it had killed his heir. The dog’s dying yell was answered by a child’s cry. Llewelyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but nearby lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain. The prince filled with remorse is said never to have smiled again. He buried Gelert here”.

10) Canelo
This story is from Spain. Canelo accompanied his master wherever he went. He often times went to hopsital with its owner as well. Canelo used to wait outside the hopsital for its masters return. One day his master died in the hospital due to medical complications. Canelo patiently waited for its masters return. Not for days, not for weeks or months but for 12 years. Canelo story has a sad ending, because after 12 years of waiting, Canelo was hit by a car infront the hospital and died as well.

11) Baekgu
Baekgu is a Korean Jindo dog. Jindo dogs are known for their extreme loyalty and homing instict. Baekgu was a dog of 83 years old woman. Baekgu was sold to a new owner to another city located 300 km away. But Baekgu wanted to return to her original owner, escaped and found a way back home. The story is well known in Korea and there are documentaries and cartoon stories about Baekgu.

12) Fido
Adopted dogs are often times the most loyal and Fido is a perfect example. He was adopted as injured puppy by Italian man named Carlo Soriani. He took care of Fido, give him shelter and food and Fido loved him for his kindness. Fido used to accompany his master to a bus station, from where he went to factory where he worked. Fido would wait at the bus stop every day until Carlos return. It is important to say, that this happened during the Second World War and when allies bombed Italy, they also bombed the factory where Carlo worked. Carlo died during this bombing, but Fido did not know that and waited for his masters return. He waited day after day his whole life for 14 years.