Train Up A Child ...

Robert James was a farmer and a Baptist preacher in rural Missouri. One day a stray dog wandered into the preacher's yard. The preacher's two young sons were quickly taken with the dog, running and playing with him as boys will do. Even the preacher became fond of the animal.
The whole family was visibly upset when word reached them that a new family had recently relocated to their town, and that the family's dog had disappeared. The description of the dog matched the stray perfectly - a solid black dog with three white hairs on his tail.

Not wanting to disappoint his sons, the preacher came up with an idea: Paint the three white hairs on the dog's tail black with shoe polish.
When the dog's owners came by, it was obvious that the dog recognized his owners. "But," the preacher subtly argued, "This can't be your dog. He doesn't match the description. There are no white hairs on his tail."

Robert James' family managed to keep the dog. But, in the process, the minister lost his sons. The preacher's sons were Frank and Jesse James.