Jim the Wonder Dog

A lot of smart things come from Missouri... lets see... there's me.... and ... well just me is all I can think of now. But long before I was born there was a dog that was smarter than most people ever will be. He was Jim the Wonderdog.
Jim was a LLewellyn Setter from Marshall MO. He was an excellent bird dog. Evidently he was the sporting dog of the century (20th century) according to Outdoor life magazine. I will let this video explain more how awesome this dog was, it is hard to put into words...


it is a good video, but it really glosses over the story.

Here are some more Jim facts: Jim could tell the future....
From roadside america: "He could foretell the sex of unborn infants, the victors of World Series and presidential elections, and the winners of seven consecutive Kentucky Derbys. Jim was, in fact, so skilled at predicting race winners that the Van Arsdales had to cut short a vacation to Florida. They'd received a telegram threatening Jim's life if he didn't stop picking winners at the dog track"

He was tested at both the University of Missouri (Go Tigers) and at the Missouri Capitol Building:
From this website:
Sam arranged for a demonstration at the University of Missouri with the skeptical Dr. A. J. Durant, head of the School of Veterinary Medicine, conducting the proceedings. Durant was assisted by Dr. Sherman Dickinson of the College of Agriculture. The Paramount Motion Picture Corporation was there to film the event. As a starter, Dr. Durant gave Jim a thorough examination. He could find nothing abnormal or different from any other dog. The tests, attended by numerous faculty members and students, as well as psychiatrists from Washington University in St. Louis, were held in a large quadrangle on the campus. Van Arsdale began: "Jim there is a college professor here named Dickinson. Show him to us." Jim did, and then was deluged with a succession of commands. A professor asked in Italian to be shown an elm tree. Another directed Jim in French to point out a certain license number. One, speaking in German, wanted to be shown a girl dressed in blue. A fourth requested in Spanish that the dog find a man wearing a black mustache. Jim responded promptly and accurately to all requests.


From roadside america: "Word spread quickly. Jim and Sam soon found themselves hauled before a combined session of the state legislature in Jefferson City, where a test had been devised to debunk the dog. In order to preclude any secret signaling, a Morse code message was tapped out (Sam didn't understand Morse code) instructing Jim to walk to a certain member. Jim did it. The senators and representatives sat dumbfounded as Jim then picked out people with various traits, including the gentleman "ladies speak of as tall and handsome" and the politician that was playing cards instead of paying attention. "

This says a lot about the Dog, but it certainly also says a lot about the Missouri Legislature. They had a joint session to investigate a smart dog!!! This is right out of a Disney movie.

This picture is from a memorial park in in Marshall MO. Every new thing I read about this dog leaves me more dumbfounded. Jim rules. and I thought Louie was smart...