Congo Dog Names

In the book Good-bye, My Lady, by James H. Street, a boy and his dog are the primary focus. Published in 1954, and reprinted in 1978, it's a short, heartwarming story about what it's like to grow up with a dog companion right by your side. Based on the story Weep No More, My Lady, by the same author, Street seemingly took his previous work and expanded it into this story.

In it, Skeeter, a 14-year-old orphan finds a dog out in the Mississippi woods. He has to get the help of some fellow townsfolk to track and find her, but when they do, they are quick to name her Lady. And soon, Lady is flushing quail, much to Skeeter's amazement. Upon seeing this, he is determined to train her as a bird dog, but there are some obstacles to overcome. For instance, Lady's behavior suggests that she is someone else's dog already. 

But Skeeter has fallen in love with Lady, not wanting anyone to find out who the dog's owner really is. Because that would mean an end to their adventures, their friendship. No more flushing out quail or bird dog training.

Putting it out of sight and mind, Skeeter takes Lady out for another adventure one day and quickly realizes Lady has a dark side: she chases and kills a water rat. This goes against what Skeeter ideally wants a dog to do, and he's young and impressionable, so this is a horrific moment for the poor kid. But alas, months go by and Lady's owner is nowhere to be found, so Skeeter focuses on dog training. And soon, Lady is a proper bird dog, detecting quail from fifty yards away.

But the fame is short-lived. Soon, it's heard that a salesman from out of Alabama lost a Basenji (a dog breed originating from the Congo, which just so happens to be a spot-on description of Lady). And Skeeter, being a well-behaved boy and all, can't keep her. He decides to be honorable, and let the salesman know. He even puts her in a cage and adjusts her onto the salesman's truck. 

So in the end, Skeeter and Lady don't stay together. They are but moments in time that were shared together, before floating apart. But at least Skeeter gained friendship and companionship for months, and Lady got properly trained as a bird dog in the end. Both sides won something, even if they had to part ways.