The Dog Who Knew Too Much

Maybe you never heard of him, but Jim the Wonder Dog was once the most famous dog in the USA. A Lewellin setter, he was insured for $100,000 and that was during the 1930's. A gun dog, Jim held the record for the most birds retrieved, but that’s not what made Jim a Wonder Dog. Jim could correctly answer any question posed to him in any language, spoken or written. He could even understand Morse code. Eventually, he could also predict the future! He baffled all the experts, and mobsters threatened his life. How did he do it? And what do we know now that experts didn't know then? Listen to the amazing true story of America's favorite psychic dog.

Want to follow up on our sources or watch any of the videos we mention? Go to ThisAnimalLIfe.com and click on Show Notes. 

Cernich, Karen, “Jim’s Story Will Make You Wonder, How Did He Do It?”  EMissourian.com Jan. 14, 2017.

Clever Hans on Wikipedia

Dailey, Nancy B., Jim aka The Wonder Dog, Paperback Press, 2018.

Figley, Mary Rhodes, The True Story of Jim the Wonder Dog, Roadrunner Press, 2017.

Hearne, Vicki, Adam’s Task: Calling Animals by Name. Skyhorse, 1986.

Kelly, Kate, “Jim the Wonder Dog: Was He Psychic?” American Dogs, America Comes Alive! 

Gymnasium Mathematics--it turns out ”gymnasium” is a European term for a secondary (high) school.

Mitchell, Clarence Dewey,  Jim the Wonder Dog, Jim the Wonder Dog Inc., 1942. This seems to be the museum’s official biography, and it was written in collaboration with Jim’s owner, Sam VanArsdale.

The Jim the Wonder Dog Museum website

Theory of Mind on Wikipedia