48 CHARLES R. STOCKARD 



The German shepherd dog differs from the bassethound in 

 almost all characteristics. It has longer hair and a wolf-like 

 coat pattern of brown agouti and gray. The coat colors vary 

 from black to a light cream but there is never any spotting. 

 The average weight of the shepherd is somewhat more than 

 that of the bassethound. Its ears are much smaller, being 

 of medium size, and are held erect, as in the wolf. The tail 

 is long and moderately bushy and is carried in a drooping 

 or semi-raised position. Plate 2 (figs. 1 and 2) illustrates 

 the physical differences between the two animals. Shepherd 

 dogs are often good natural hunters and may be trained to 

 hunt in various ways as well as to trail human beings. They 

 hunt and run witli the head lifted instead of with the nose 

 to the ground and do not bark while trailing and hunting 

 the prey, though they may bark when they are close in and 

 the prey is at bay. They also offer a sharp contrast to the 

 bassethound in instinctive behavior and posture. The basset- 

 hound is much less active and less excitable than the shepherd, 

 being more inhibited, and its thyroid gland is proportionally 

 larger than that of the shepherd, with larger follicles and 

 more colloid. 



The genetic behavior for many contrasted characters in 

 the various dog breeds has been followed in our experiments 

 and will be discussed in its possible connection or association 

 with the structural quality and function of the endocrine 

 glands in the several sections of this report. At this place 

 the consideration is entirely devoted to the genetics of the 

 achondroplasic short legged character in the bassethound. 



Two pedigreed and registered shepherd bitches were mated 

 to three prize winning registered bassethound males from 

 the pack owned by the late Mr. Erastus T. Tefft who at that 

 time owned one of the only two packs of these hounds in 

 the eastern part of the country. The pedigree records of 

 these animals are as reliable as can be had from breeding- 

 kennels. Since such animals are very valuable, the males 

 at times selling for as much as five hundred dollars, there 

 is little chance of their owners permitting unrecorded cross- 



