Do You Remember The North Carolina Famous Talking Dog?
We learn the most interesting things from our faithful listeners each day while doing our radio show. But, we never thought a caller would introduce us to the storied history of Barney, the North Carolina famous talking dog.
Of course, we didn’t move to the Carolinas until 2006, long after Barney the North Carolina famous talking dog burst onto the scene. So, we weren’t familiar with his story. However, it turns out he made national news for his talents.
North Carolina Famous Talking Dog
Last week we were discussing a silly question on the air that involved this dilemma. Would you rather have a talking dog or a cat that could pay half your rent? People chimed in with all sorts of answers and reasons why. And then, a caller began telling us that Hickory once had a famous talking dog that would say, ‘I’m hungry.’
We laughed thinking it might have been a joke. Or, perhaps a dog owner thought it sounded like their dog could talk when in reality they were the only ones who could understand it. As you might imagine, my curiosity took over, and I began to scour the internet to find evidence of the North Carolina famous talking dog.
And, just like that I found a You Tube video from 1989 from the old ‘news’ show A Current Affair. They received a video from a local reporter at WHKY in Hickory. And, the report explained Barney was the pet of Mable Wiles in the Hickory/Valdese area. And, not only did Barney the Dachshund enjoy eating off a fork like a human, he would actually alert his owner he was hungry by voicing it.
And, furthermore, Barney could even whisper the words, “I’m hungry.” Mable explained that her dog was 3 months old when he first started talking. And, like many new borns, his first word was ‘Mama.’ And, she said, ‘Barney, are you hungry?’ And, to her shock, he answered, ‘I’m hungry.’
Barney’s Popularity Shut Down Phone Lines
In fact, Barney was so popular his recording overloaded phone lines at the Charlotte Observer when they set up a voice mail with his stunt so readers could call in and listen. A Southern Bell spokesperson said, “The sheer volume of people trying to call Barney is filling up the trunk lines coming in to the Observer building.” So, according to a story that appeared from Deseret News, the paper had to shut down the line.
So, you learn something new every day. And, we’re better for having learned about the North Carolina famous talking dog. We never definitively decided which is better, a talking dog or a cat that pays half the rent. Although, I’m leaning toward the talking dog.
