28 Vintage Photos of Dogs Being Our Best Friends
Updated: Jan. 06, 2023
If you've ever owned a dog, you know how quickly they become a member of the family.
Puppy serenade
“My mom invited my then-girlfriend (now wife), Dorothy, to meet the family in 1957. Our relationship was going so well that the family dog joined Dorothy for a serenade at the piano,” says Norman Clark of Holliston, Massachusetts. You’ll also love these hilarious cat and dog photos.
A dog for best friends
“For 74 years, my best friend, Jean Conklin (right), and I have shared good times and bad. Here we are in 1948 with Jean’s twin, Jerry.” If you enjoy these cute dog pics, you’ll also want to take a look at these funny dog photos.
Farm dog
Kerysa Ford’s grandma, Martha (Knowles) Ford, wearing a plaid skirt, plays with friends and a dog in the winter at the family farm in Newmarket, New Hampshire. The farm once had cows, chickens, horses, dogs, cats, fruit trees, and an abundant garden.
Second place pride
“My dad thought I was crazy to enter Cinder in a contest in 1950. Imagine his surprise when we came home with a second-place ribbon and trophy! My mother laid on the horn for two blocks to announce our success, and then we proudly posed with my little sister Rosemary,” says Carolyn Nagy of Aiken, South Carolina. (These vintage Halloween photos will make your day.)
Good girl, Jo
“Here is Jo, a very special part of our family, with my daughter Tiffany in 1993. Jo spent many years loving us. And we will spend the rest of our lives loving her,” says Carol Oberlechner of Smithfield, Pennsylvania. Make sure to avoid these things you do that your dog actually hates.
Rescue dog
“Bobo was devoted to my older sister, Kathryn, and me. When I was a toddler, he kept me from falling into a brook. My father took this picture in 1953,” says Diane Bingham Stevens of Hoosick Falls, New York. These dog adoption photos will make you melt.
Guard dog
Lady guards two of her favorite humans, Lars and Chris Erickson, at the family home in Eveleth, Minnesota. The boys’ father rescued her as a pup in a remote Canadian village in the late 1960s.
Always coming back
“Jake stuck to me like glue and came to school with me every day. In 1950, my fifth-grade teacher tried to scare him away, but Jake always came back,” says Hazel Almendinger of Johnstown, Ohio. This is what your dog actually wants from you.
Spot the protector
“Mother always said she was never afraid while Daddy was serving overseas in the Navy from 1943 to 1946 because we had our precious dog, Spot, to protect us. He would be on the back steps every morning and wouldn’t allow any strangers to come into our yard,” says Jeanette Poehlmann of Brenham, Texas.
Barking birthday gift
“Fiffy was my present for my 10th birthday in the spring of 1966, and then my companion for the next 11 years. That little dog was the best birthday gift ever. In this photo, my sister Evelyn is sitting beside me outside our house in Prairie Village, Kansas,” says Suzy Moffitt of South Bend, Indiana. For more smiles, check out these adorable puppy pictures.
Prince the pooch
Even Prince the pooch came along for the ride when Perc and Ada Leidy took a trip to Birmingham, Alabama, in 1928. The couple spent the 1920s in Florida, enjoying the good life.
Sled dog
Katie Mace of New Franken, Wisconsin, shares this photo of her father, Russell Jacobs, taken around 1941. Avoid these mistakes every pet owner makes.
Fraternity dog
“In the fall of 1923 my uncle, Paul Johnson, started Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and pledged to a fraternity. At the end of the school year, Paul brought the house dog home to care for during the summer. Paul lived with his parents on the same farm where I lived with my folks. I was three years old at the time, and the dog and I became quite close,” says Carroll Johnson of Frankfort, Indiana.
Mail call
One of the boys in his jeep patrol captured Jon Holden, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, and his pal Minka enjoying mail call. Jon notes that he also named the jeep Minka. See if you can guess the dog breed based on its puppy picture.
Puppies for everyone
“I didn’t have many toys as a child, but I had nine brothers, four sisters, and lots of animals to play with on our farm near Ephrata, Pennsylvania,” says Mary W. Martin. “With this group of puppies in 1949, we didn’t even have to share, because there were enough for everyone—with a few extras!”
Look at the camera
Charles Terry, of Elgin, Illinois, holds the leash of his dog, Rush, in this 1927 photo with his pal, Fred Durk (sitting).
Apple picking pup
“Taken in 1957, this picture brings back fond memories of apple picking,” says Dolores Miller of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. “That’s my late husband, Jim Miller, with our dog Teddy, who loved to climb the ladder and visit.”
Corky the farm dog
Animals cared for by veterinarian Roy Kemper and his daughter Anita Kemper Calk, now of Silver Valley, Texas, included Corky the farm dog. These are the most (and least) expensive dogs in the world.
Winter days on the farm
“Our dog, Rex, got atop bales of straw with our children, Gregory, Kevin, and Paula, on a chilly day in the early 1960s,” said Barbara and Walter Mohr of Millington, Michigan. “The slide was taken on the family farm near Otter Lake. That’s Grandpa Mohr’s 1955 Chevrolet pickup truck.” If you’ve ever owned a dog, these cartoons will make you chuckle.
Protective puppy
“My dog, Patsy, was very protective of me,” says Beatrice Lehman Henriott of Knox, Indiana. “If anyone pretended to harm me, Patsy would growl and bare her teeth. She’s on guard duty in this 1932 photo.”
Kisses from Cricket
“This is my nephew, Doug, at 9 months, in 1964,” says Edith Verda of Granville, Illinois. “Just as I snapped this picture of him in his playpen, my little dachshund, Cricket, decided to lap at Doug’s face, much to his delight.”
Pony and pup
“My pony, Rex, and I stopped outside our home near Galena, Kansas, for this 1944 snapshot,” writes Jack Dunn from Wichita. “My dad, Perry, and our dog, King, got in on the posing, too.” These are the 50 secrets your pet won’t tell you.
Trophy winner
“Our beagle, Pebble, scored this trophy at a field trial in 1957,” writes Linda Sprouse-Scott, of Midlothian, Virginia. “That’s my father, Robert Rash, and my brother Wayne sitting with our proud pup on the porch.”
Ball of fluff
“Years ago, a woman came into our place of business and mentioned she raised collies,” says Patricia Crim of Coquille, Oregon, “She said she had a new litter and one didn’t measure up, so she offered the pup to my dad. This golden ball of fluff that we named Lance grew rapidly and was well-mannered and loving.”
From the fountain
“During a family road trip that included a trip to the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962, my grandparents’ dog, Duchess, and I stopped at a fountain for a break,” says Sandra Hicks of Sartell, Minnesota. “A blocked drain had caused the water to pool, so I invited my furry friend up to drink with me. My mother thought she looked so cute that she snapped our picture.”
Winter fun
Growing up along the Missouri River in South Dakota meant lots of winter fun for eight-year-old Roy Soule (left), now of Moville, Iowa, his brother Phil, 6, and their dog, Rex. At McCook Lake in 1949, they had lots of woods and prairie to explore, hunt and fish.
Part of the family
“This picture of my parents, Billie and Bob, was taken in Bethel, Vermont, in 1955. My dad had never seen snow before because he was born in Florida. The dogs belonged to my mother. She got them as puppies and took them everywhere she went,” says Bobbie Davenport of Huntsville, Alabama. To get even closer with your dog, learn about these things your dog wishes you knew.
Babysitter Rex
“This is a picture of my sons, Rob, age 3 (left); little Eddie, age 4 (right) and their babysitter Rex the German shepherd, taken in our backyard in the spring of 1964. My sons are older now than I was at the time of the picture, and Rex is long gone, but I cherish memories of those summers spent outdoors barbequing in the backyard, and time with family and friends,” says Ed Eckhardt of Sun City West, Arizona. Now read up on these fun facts about dogs.
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