Washington Dog Names

Dogs have a long and illustrious history in Washington. Going back before America was even an established country, dogs played a crucial role in our development. As early as George Washington, dogs were involved in our history. One such dog’s name was Sweet Lips.  She was a hound that belonged to a young Washington and accompanied him when he was appointed as representative from Virginia to the new Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Not wanting to part from his family and dogs entirely he chose to take Sweet Lips along on his journey.

Sweet Lips caught the attention of one of Philadelphia’s pillars of society when Washington was out walking with the dog. Elizabeth Powell, married to Mayor Samuel Powell, spotted the pair strolling on Walnut Street one day. She stopped to talk about the dog with Washington and was highly impressed with both the hound and the man. When she extended him an invitation to dinner with her and her husband the mayor, Washington accepted and went on to make a significant impression on Samuel Powell. He recognized leadership qualities in Washington and began to introduce him to other Philadelphia dignitaries. These men were also impressed with Washington’s intelligence and his strength – and with his beautiful dog as well. Washington went on to gift many of them with one of the pups he bred at home.

Washington’s passion for canines even played a part in achieving victory over the British. In the midst of a heated battle at Germantown that Washington’s troops were losing, a small dog was found wearing a collar that led them to believe it belonged to the opposing general William Howe; Washington rescued the dog, fed it, bathed it, and declared a cease-fire and returned the pup along with a note to General Howe. It read: “General Washington's compliments to General Howe. General Washington does himself the pleasure to return to him a dog, which accidentally fell into his hands, and, by the inscription on the collar, appears to belong to General Howe."

Howe labeled the gesture "an honorable act of a gentleman," and seemed to decrease his passion for victory. When he was ordered to "show little compassion to the rebels," Howe resigned and his less skilled replacement eventually lost the war with the colonies. Washington returned to Mount Vernon and developed a new breed, the American Foxhound, a popular breed yet today.