From Doberman Pinscher News and Views January 1959

Colonel Jet Is Dead – Ch. Dortmund Delly’s Colonel Jet

The Great Colonel Jet.  He was about a year old when I first saw him as he came up from a cellar.  The books say that a great dog should receive proper nourishment from puppyhood on; receive the proper exercise; and be taught to stand and pose and gait.  Colonel Jet had no need for all of this – he was born great.  He knew it – and I knew it too.  He was great the first time that I saw him, and yesterday all that remained of him were his eyes.  AND HE WAS STILL GREAT.  He always had so much heart.  He gave it all.  Yet he was cheated from the day he was born.

After he became a Champion, I saw the Great Colonel Jet again.  I saw him come up out of another cellar.  He was far from being in show condition, but he was still great.  He knew it  — and I knew it.  His owner loved him, but was no longer able to keep him.  In order to be in proper weight for the Garden, Colonel Jet ate a pound of lard a day for two months.  He went to the Garden and he lost, but there wasn’t a person there who didn’t know that he was great.

He was sold there.  And now he began to live in a style.  He became a living room dog.  He ate the finest foods.  He strutted in the show rings.  He became King of the World – won many Best in Shows.  And he WAS great.  He knew it – and I knew it too.  Back to the Garden he went the next year.  He won.  He lay in his stall on a plush blanket and was much admired.  All that year he ruled the show rings, and everyone spoke of how great he was.  It was all very wonderful, he lived like a king.  This was the second year that Colonel Jet lived like a king.

Yes, the Great Colonel Jet lived like a king until he went to the Garden again.  He lost – and those that knew that he was truly great admired him. He WAS great.  He still knew it – and I  still knew it too.  But the world stepped in again … and the next day there was no living room.  He went to live in a kennel – and the Great Colonel jet never lived like a king again. I went with his mistress to see him many times.  He was no longer a king. Some had forgotten him, but each time I saw him come out of his kennel, he was great.  He still knew it – and I still knew it too.  She was able to bring home for a while, but the world would not have it that way.

When he was six years old, he came to live with us, and it seemed that this was somehow meant to be.  His mother had come to live with us when she was older, and once upon a time another dog had lived here.  He died when he was young.  He was the Great Colonel Jet’s younger brother.  To be with us seemed best, for then his mistress would be able to visit him.

When he came here he was great.  He knew it – and I did too.  He was still The Great Colonel Jet.  But he was cheated again – for he had given me his son … and he lived here too … so the great dog, and that he was, with his great heart and capacity for love, could only come into the living room when his son was out.  How he would have loved to have been there twenty-four hours a day.  Each of his owners had loved him, each had wanted to give him the world.  But the world wouldn’t let them.  All the world had to offer him was a part time shift … and he was grateful for that … and still he loved the world.

YESTERDAY, ALL THAT REMAINED OF THE GREAT COLONEL JET WERE HIS EYES … AND HE WAS NEVER GREATER … THEY SHOWED HIS LOVE … AND SAID, “I TRUST YOU”. AND RIGHT TO THE END HE WAS GREAT …  AND NEVER AGAIN DID HE BLAME THE WORLD FOR CHEATING HIM.  WHEREVER HE IS NOW, I HOPE THAT HE’S A KING AGAIN. I’M SURE HE KNOWS HE’S GREAT … HE ALWAYS WAS … AND HE ALWAYS KNEW IT.  I WILL ALWAYS KNOW IT.. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW IT TOO.

Natalie Stebbins