Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy

Born	Fedor Jeftichew 1868 St Petersburg, Russia
Died	1903 Thessaloniki, Ottoman Empire
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Nationality	Russian
Occupation	Entertainer
Employer	P. T. Barnum
Children	None known
Parent(s)	Adrien Jeftichew (father)

Fedor Jeftichew, also known as Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy, was a famous Russian performer. He was born in 1868 and passed away in 1904. Fedor was known for having a lot of hair on his face and body. This condition is called hypertrichosis. His father, Adrien, also had this condition. People said Jo-Jo looked like a Skye terrier dog because of his long, silky hair.

Early Life and Performances
Joining P. T. Barnum
Later Years and Legacy
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Performances

Fedor Jeftichew was born in St Petersburg, Russia. He started performing in Europe when he was just five years old, in 1873. He was about five feet eight inches tall. He also had very few teeth, only four or five.

Jo-Jo could speak Russian, German, and a little English. When he performed, he often dressed like a Russian cavalryman. He would sometimes bark at the audience as part of his act. He was a very busy performer, sometimes doing shows up to 23 times a day!

Joining P. T. Barnum

Jo-Jo traveled around Europe and Russia, performing at fairgrounds. He was discovered by a man named Charles Reynolds in London, England. At the time, Jo-Jo was performing with his father, Adrien, who was said to look like a poodle.

Reynolds thought Jo-Jo could be presented in a more professional way. So, he brought Jo-Jo to the United States in 1884. When they arrived, a press conference was held. Journalists were even allowed to gently pull Jo-Jo's hair to make sure it was real. The New York Herald newspaper called him an "extraordinary" and "interesting curiosity."

In 1884, Fedor Jeftichew joined P. T. Barnum's famous circus. Barnum promoted Jo-Jo as "the Human Skye Terrier." He told audiences that Jo-Jo was found by a hunter in the wild parts of central Russia, though this was not true. Barnum advertised him as a truly unique wonder of nature.

Later Years and Legacy

Jo-Jo continued to tour with Barnum and Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth. He performed in Europe in 1901 and 1902. Sadly, he died in Greece in 1904 from pneumonia while on tour.

Jo-Jo's story has been remembered in popular culture. He was even the subject of a song recorded by Annette Funicello in the 1960s. He also appeared as a character in an episode of the television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.