“Dogsbody” was the name 19th century seamen gave to dried peas that had been soaked and boiled in a cloth. Evidently, it has an unappetizing appearance when served as a meal leading the sailors to call it, “dogsbody.”
We find this unfair in light of “Boxer’s” story, the dog who started the tradition of having a Bully breed as a regimental mascot.
“Boxer” was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who “trained” in Cairo with the South Staffordshire Regiment in 1882. When the regiment was ordered to march with Lord Wolseley in Khartoum, they embarked on the journey via train. Sadly, when Boxer was startled by the sudden noise of the train’s engine as it departed, he jumped from the moving train and was seen lying at the side of the tracks, dead or unconscious.
The regiment arrived, and days later as it was encamped at Assiut awaiting orders for the final phase of their march, a bedraggled and excruciatingly thin dog staggered into camp and collapsed. It was Boxer! The dog had walked for over 200 miles along the railway tracks in the heat of the relentless desert sun to rejoin his people. This feat marked the start of the tradition of having a Bully breed as a regimental mascot.
Image of General George Patton’s Bull Terrier, “Willie” (named for William the Conqueror) found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information.