DOMESTIC PETS;

THEIR

HABITS AND MANAGEMENT.

CHAPTER I.

DOGS.

THE Dog is unquestionably the noblest of all domestic pets, and he may be pre-eminently styled the friend of man; for, however different dogs may be in other respects, they are all alike in being faithful and affectionate to their masters. Always grateful and never treacherous, forgetful of himself, and loving even the hand that strikes him, watching his master's looks, and obeying his slightest sign, the dog affords a model we might do well to study; for we rarely find man, with all his superior faculties, practising those virtues which are considered only the ordinary qualities of the dog.

Though dogs differ so widely in their forms and habits, we can never for a moment doubt that they are all animals of the same genus: thus, without

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knowing anything of natural history, we feel at first sight that a poodle, a King Charles's spaniel, and an Italian greyhound are all dogs; though, when we look at the difference in their forms, it is difficult for any one who has not studied the subject, to say in what the points of resemblance consist. A naturalist, however, will tell us that the dog is a vertebrated animal, because it has, proceeding from its skull, a back bone, the joints of which are called vertebræ; and he will add that the dog is placed in the class Mammalia, because the female suckles her young; in the tribe Unguiculata, because the feet are armed with nails; and in the order Digitigrades, because it walks principally on its toes; but the cat is also a vertebrated animal belonging to the class Mammalia, the tribe Unguiculata, and the order Digitigrades; and how is the cat to be distinguished from the dog? In answer to this question the naturalist will at once refer us to the claws, which a dog cannot draw into his foot, as is done by all animals of the cat kind. The jaws of the dog are also differently formed to those of the cat; there are two tubercular teeth in the upper jaw, and the eyes have not the same power of contraction when exposed to strong light. Of these peculiarities, the claws afford the most distinctive mark, as the retractile claws of the cat enable her to hold

by them in a manner that is quite impracticable by the dog; while, on the other hand, the greater strength of the jaws enables the dog to inflict a much more fearful wound when he bites, than can be done by a cat.

The wolf and the fox were included by Linnæus in the same genus as the dog; but the pupils of the eye of the wolf are oblique, and those of the fox upright and long, while those of the dog are circular.

There are more than a hundred different kinds of dogs, some that approach closely to the wolf, an animal very nearly allied to the dog in its anatomy; and others so mild and gentle in their manners, and so quick in understanding all that is said to them, that they seem almost like intellectual beings. It must be remarked, however, that though some dogs exhibit the lank and gaunt form, the lengthened limbs, and the long slender muzzle which characterize the wolf, they can always be distinguished from that animal by the position of the eyes, which in the wolf are always oblique, and give its countenance a sinister expression, very different from the open joyous look of the dog.

Some kinds of dogs cannot certainly be called domestic pets as, for example, the blood-hound, the bull-dog, the mastiff, and the Newfoundland dog; but even these large and powerful animals

have the genuine characteristics of their race: affectionate and submissive to their master, they come crouching to his feet, watching his eyes, and wagging their tails with joy at the slightest notice. The bull-dog and the mastiff are fierce and sometimes ferocious to strangers: but no dogs are more obedient to their masters. The Newfoundland dog is naturally of a gentle temper; and, indeed, it has been mercifully provided, that generally the most powerful dogs are of the mildest tempers, while little dogs are frequently sharp and snappish in the extreme. Had the Newfoundland dog the vicious temper of the cur, it would be insupportable.

The bull-dog is, however, an exception to this rule, as it is very often surly; and it has been observed in many cases that flat-nosed dogs are more violent in temper than dogs with long muzzles, though they have generally more intellect. When a dog's forehead is round without any depression, it is said to be a proof of good temper, and when there is a mark in the centre, it indicates intellectual power. There is, no doubt, a great difference in dogs in this respect, as some dogs are so stupid that they cannot be taught anything, while others are so clever that they seem almost like reasonable beings.

Nearly all dogs are gifted with a great acuteness

of scent, and when in doubt respecting anything, they seem to trust to their scent sooner than to their sight. If a dog loses his master, he may be watched tracing his footsteps, by going over the same ground, step by step, that his master had previously trodden.

The small hounds called beagles, have a very curious effect when seen at a distance hunting a hare, as their speed is so much less than that of the animal they pursue, that they are often left at a considerable distance behind, and yet they will be observed to go over exactly the same ground as that trodden by the hare, turning wherever she turned, even sometimes back again, but never stopping or hesitating, and continuing the chase till in the end their victim is taken.

There is as great a diversity in the ears of dogs as in their noses: some ears are small, sharply pointed, and erect, and others are long and drooping; so much so, indeed, that in some of the King Charles's breed, they actually sweep the ground.

Dogs not only bark, but occasionally they utter different sounds, as if they endeavoured to express their wishes. When they bark, it is generally that they are frightened, and they are calling for their protectors to assist them. Hence it is, that little dogs generally bark more violently and are less