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Five famous dogs from history

From the world's first labradoodle to the dog who orbited the earth, history is full of tales of pioneering pooches.

Here are just five pups whose stories have led the way, as told to the Witness History programme.

1) The first dog in space

Laika, the Russian stray, was the first dog to orbit the Earth.

She was sent into space on a flight in 1957 which had been timed to mark the anniversary of the Russian Revolution.

She died after orbiting Earth four times.

Professor Victor Yazdovsky played with Laika before she embarked on her journey because his father was in charge of the dogs in the Russian space programme.

He told the 主播大秀's Witness History: "She was a very patient dog, very affectionate.

"She was easy to train. She was considered very clever."

Listen: The first dog in space

2) The world's first labradoodle

In 1989, Australian dog breeder Wally Conron was tasked with finding a suitable dog for a blind woman in Hawaii whose husband was allergic to pet hair.

But it wasn't an easy task. Three years later, 31 standard poodles had all been rejected because of coat problems, hip problems and other problems.

Wally decided to breed his best Labrador bitch with a poodle. The result was the world's first litter of labradoodles.

The woman was delighted with her new dog, Sultan.

But, three decades on, Wally believes his creation opened a Pandora's box.

Listen: The world's first labradoodle

3) Roselle, the 9/11 guide dog

After the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, a New York guide dog called Roselle was hailed a hero.

She helped her owner Michael Hingson safely down 78 flights of stairs and away from the Twin Towers before they collapsed.

Roselle received countless awards for her bravery.

"She did not, at any time, act nervous or concerned," said Michael.

"The two of us worked together which is a story of teamwork, second to none."

Listen: Roselle the 9/11 hero

4) The world鈥檚 first robot dog

In 1999, Aibo, the world's first robot dog, hit the shops in Japan with a test sale of 3,000 products. They sold out in 20 minutes.

Aibo could bark, walk, growl, wag his tail, and play with a ball, but he also came with a hefty price tag of $2,500.

Like a real dog, Aibo's personality changed depending on how it was treated.

"If you treated it well, it behaved nicely," said Toshitada Doi, who spent six years on the project when he was a senior vice-president of Sony

Listen: The world's first robot dog

5) Smoky the World War II dog hero

In 1944, Bill Wynne who was serving with the U.S. Army during World War II, adopted a tiny Yorkshire terrier called Smoky.

When Bill caught dengue fever and was sent to hospital, his friends brought Smoky to see him.

Soon the nurses were taking Smoky to visit other patients who had been wounded in the Biak Island invasion.

She had a powerful healing effect on the soldiers and is believed to be one of the world’s first therapy dogs. She went on to become a TV star.

Listen: Smoky the World War II hero

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