Blondi

[Miikkas mom]

My hubby was watching something on the History Channel (I think it was the History Channel, anyway) last night about Adolf Hitler and I caught a few minutes of the program.

As I’m sure you know, Hitler had a GSD named Blondi. Blondi was killed in the bunker along with the rest of the gang. They tested the cyanide pills on her, I guess. Hitler had a plethora of defects but perhaps the only decent thing about the man was that he was a dog lover and he loved Blondi. I remember reading some time ago, that he was going to let Blondi go…run out of the bunker and out in to the streets but he was too worried that someone would eat her as the Germans were starving for food, by this time. Plus, he didn’t want the Russians getting a hold of her. So, he killed her instead. After she was dead, it is said that Hitler was inconsolable (too bad he didnt care for humans like he cared for his dog...). Shortly after Blondi's death Hitler killed Eva Braun and then himself. Charming fellow

Anyway, I’m wondering what Blondi’s pedigree was. Anyone know? I know she had a liter of pups, while living the bunker. One of the pups was found beside Hilter’s burnt corpse but they never found the other 4 puppies. Blondi was also found next to Hitler.

Don’t know why but I’m curious about this dog and her pups.

[Jax's Mom]

I heard a different story, my version was that he was parnoid about all people around him and wanted to test the pills on her to make sure she was dead-dead and not just passed out... She he wouldn't be knocked out and captured.

(but who really knows why one would kill their dog?)

I'm kind of interested in Blondi's pedigree too though

[Miikkas mom]

Originally Posted by Jax's Mom

I heard a different story, my version was that he was parnoid about all people around him and wanted to test the pills on her to make sure she was dead-dead and not just passed out... She he wouldn't be knocked out and captured.

(but who really knows why one would kill their dog?)

I'm kind of interested in Blondi's pedigree too though

That is actually part true. By this time, he did not trust Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS. Himmler was the one who provided the cyanide capsules to the people in the bunker. So, he wanted the cyanide to be “tested”. By this point, he had made the decision not to let Blondi go so they tested the pills on her.

[bunchoberrys]

I found this on the pedigree database. Hitler also had another favorite shepherd named Blonda:
"She was born in 1926 from Ally von der Grottenau and Armin von Ridekenburg, both dogs about whom little is known nowadays. However, the lines of the grandsire of Armin von Riedekenburg, Junker von Nassau, still exists today - in American showline German Shepherds of all places...."

[GSD_Xander]

I found this article on Wikipedia with a picture about Blondi:

Blondi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[AbbyK9]

I did some research and wrote an article for my blog about Hitler's dogs a while back, which you can find here - Distant Relatives Dogs for Defense K-9 Wish I had footnoted it, as I can no longer find the sources I used for some of it.

The article from "Homes and Gardens", published in 1938, was pretty helpful in my research as it mentions the "model kennels" at the Berghof where Hitler bred Alsatians - Blondi may have been his favorite, but he had others. There's some cute footage of Shepherd pups at the Berghof, too - it's on the documentary "Hitler's Private World Revealed".

The photo below was up on Ebay Germany a while ago, it's a postcard. It's titled Blondi and Wolf. Blondi is the sable, of course. There are some other photos of Hitler with the bicolor Wolf as well but this is the first time I've come across one that had a picture of both dogs and had them identified by name.

[Miikkas mom]

Originally Posted by AbbyK9

I did some research and wrote an article for my blog about Hitler's dogs a while back, which you can find here - Distant Relatives Dogs for Defense K-9 Wish I had footnoted it, as I can no longer find the sources I used for some of it.

The article from "Homes and Gardens", published in 1938, was pretty helpful in my research as it mentions the "model kennels" at the Berghof where Hitler bred Alsatians - Blondi may have been his favorite, but he had others. There's some cute footage of Shepherd pups at the Berghof, too - it's on the documentary "Hitler's Private World Revealed".

The photo below was up on Ebay Germany a while ago, it's a postcard. It's titled Blondi and Wolf. Blondi is the sable, of course. There are some other photos of Hitler with the bicolor Wolf as well but this is the first time I've come across one that had a picture of both dogs and had them identified by name.

Great article, Chris, I enjoyed reading it!

I did know Hitler had dogs prior to Blondi but I did not know he actually had an entire kennel of GSD’s at Berghof. I also did not know about Bella.

You are also correct about Blondi being misidentified. We have watch several history shows about WWII that show a GSD w/Hitler that the narrator claims is Blondi....but it’s clearly a different dog.

[HankGSD]

I came across this thread, doing a search here after reading a blurb yesterday about the Nazis trying to train dogs to talk. Seemed a bit far-fetched, but it got me interested in reading about Hitler and his dogs.

There are several videos on You Tube showing him with his dogs, whether it was Blondi or another one.

YouTube - ‪Hitler and his dog. Technicolor images.‬‏

YouTube - ‪Hitler and his dog. Technicolor images.‬‏

Interesting, yet eerie at the same time, to watch these.

[Anja1Blue]

Originally Posted by HankGSD

I came across this thread, doing a search here after reading a blurb yesterday about the Nazis trying to train dogs to talk. Seemed a bit far-fetched, but it got me interested in reading about Hitler and his dogs.

There are several videos on You Tube showing him with his dogs, whether it was Blondi or another one. YouTube - ‪Hitler and his dog. Technicolor images.‬‏

Interesting, yet eerie at the same time, to watch these.

Thanks for the post Hank! The dog above isn't comfortable, that is pretty obvious. One of the other videos shows what might be the same dog actually on the ground and looking frightened. Hitler liked to portray himself as a dog lover, and I don't think there was any dispute that Blondi was special - whether he was as "nice" to his other dogs might be debatable. I'm not sure her pedigree was ever made clear - just that she was a gift in 1941 from Martin Bormann. And that there were people in the bunker who were very disturbed by her death...
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Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge

[TankGrrl66]

Great, one of my dogs looks like her :/