Have you heard the story of the amazing dog from Marshall, Missouri? In 1925 Sam VanArsdale bought a Llewellyn setter, who was considered the runt of the little. VanArsdale named the pup Jim and quickly began working him with a hunting trainer. However, Jim was uninterested in training…what happened next is the single craziest thing you never knew happened in Missouri.

VanArsdale decided to take Jim into the fields for hunting even though Jim did not complete training.
David Wilson/Flickr
Jim immediately detected a covey of quail and went on point. He also returned each shot bird on command. Jim went on to excel in hunting and Outdoor Life Magazine named him "The Hunting Dog of the Country".
Jim seemed to fully understand human speech and could do many amazing tasks on command. He even was able to obey commands in other languages and Morse Code.
eyeoh4/Flickr

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After VanArsdale discovered Jim's amazing talents he took the dog to the University of Missouri for evaluations. The vets found Jim to be in perfect health.
Wendy Berry/Flickr
As news of Jim's abilities traveled, requests came in for Jim to showcase his talents on the road. Jim performed in front of crowds all across the Midwest. He even correctly chose the winner of seven Kentucky Derbies!
Jim is the only pet buried at Marshall's Ridge Park Cemetery and his marker never goes without flowers or mementos.
eyeoh4/Flickr
Jim was declared Missouri's Wonder Dog on June 23rd, 2017. However, in Marshall he's always been top dog.
Beth Felice/Flickr
Visit Jim's park and memorial statue on the town square off Lafayette St. in Marshall.

Do you believe the story about Jim the Wonder Dog’s amazing talents? Let us know what you think of Jim the Wonder Dog in the comments below.

You will also want to read about these 8 shocking things that happened in the Show Me State.

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