A chief's son had two dogs, Black Dog and Spotted Dog. He took them and his wife away during the winter hunting season, but could find no game. The son awoke one night and was able to understand the conversation being held between the two dogs. Black Dog told his younger brother that he should scare up some game for the son, but the other dog replied that he was disinclined because the boy's wife treated him "like a dog." At last, however, he agreed to help if he could eat the remainder of the food. This was allowed, and as a result the son was able to kill a great deal of game.

One day, Black Dog foresaw that "a Fire was coming," that is, an enemy warparty, and urged his younger brother to spy on them. The dogs learned that they were only four days away. Spotted Dog was sent to the village for help, but was only understood after villagers found a šųk-hit'enąxgų. The warriors of the village came to the son's aid, and they wiped out the enemy warparty to the man. When Black Dog became old he left for the place from which he had come. He was the Wolf Spirit. [1]

Commentary: The story repeats itself in the following pattern:

Comparative Material. Two dogs, one black and one spotted [2], are found in Hindu mythology, where they are said to be the messengers of Yama, the god of the dead. [3] They are also said to have four eyes. [4]

Links: Wolf & Dog Spirits.

Stories: having Wolf as a character: Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth, A Man and His Three Dogs, Redhorn's Sons, The Twins Join Redhorn's Warparty, Redhorn Contests the Giants, The Man Whose Wife was Captured, Kunu's Warpath, Morning Star and His Friend, The Origins of the Milky Way; relating to dogs or wolves: The Gray Wolf Origin Myth, A Man and His Three Dogs, White Wolf, Wolves and Humans, The Wolf Clan Origin Myth, The Old Man and His Four Dogs, Worúxega, The Dog that became a Panther, Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth, The Wild Rose, The Man Whose Wife was Captured, The Resurrection of the Chief's Daughter, The Canine Warrior, The Raccoon Coat, Wojijé, The Big Eater, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, Trickster Loses His Meal, Sun and the Big Eater, Redhorn's Sons, Trickster, the Wolf, the Turtle, and the Meadow Lark, Hog's Adventures, Holy One and His Brother, The Messengers of Hare, Grandmother's Gifts, The Hočąk Migration Myth, Bladder and His Brothers, The Old Man and the Giants, Rich Man, Boy, and Horse, Peace of Mind Regained (?); about black dogs: The Gray Wolf Origin Myth, The Old Man and His Four Dogs, Wolf Clan Origin Myth (vv. 1, 2), Wolves and Humans.

This is very similar to the story, A Man and His Three Dogs.

Themes: hunting is bad because of the misconduct of a man's wife (or mother-in-law) towards that which aids the hunt: Sun and the Big Eater, White Wolf, The Red Man, A Man and His Three Dogs; a man understands the language of certain animals: The Raccoon Coat, A Man and His Three Dogs, The Canine Warrior; a canine makes hunting good for a human in exchange for a small left over portion of the kill: White Wolf (deer livers), A Man and His Three Dogs (deer lungs); seeing the approach of an enemy warparty in a dream: The Moiety Origin Myth, The Dog that became a Panther, Wazųka, Porcupine and His Brothers; dogs rescue humans from their enemies: Wolves and Humans, A Man and His Three Dogs, The Dog that became a Panther, The Old Man and His Four Dogs, The Canine Warrior.

Notes:

[1] W. C. McKern, "Winnebago Dog Myths," Yearbook, Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee, 10 (1930): 318-321.

[2] Ṛg Veda 10.14.11, Atharva Veda 8.1.9, A. A. MacDonell, Vedic Mythology (Delhi: Motilal Barnassidas: 1974 [1898]) 173.

[3] Ibid., Ṛg Veda 10.14.10-12, Atharva Veda 5.30.6, 8.2.11, 8.6.11.

[4] Ṛg Veda 10.14.11.