252 On Sheep-killing Dogs. 
prey. No person should hesitate to sacrifice a vile and 
vicious dog; but, on the contrary, should assist in 
detecting and punishing his enormities. Many dogs 
will, however, chase sheep from wantonness, or ill 
temper; who have not the vice of sheep-killing.— 
They should be at once chastised, checked and watch- 
ed; as it may lead to vicious habits.* But I have 
known dogs worry, and even bite sheep, as they would 
tresspassing hogs, or cattle, who are not to be number- 
ed among the blood-sucking (for this is the test) gang 
of sheep-killers. ‘ 
A great number of my friends, through life, having 
been sportsmen, I would very unwillingly offend those 
who occasionally devote themselves to the amusements 
of the field. I have never disregarded the old saying— 
“love me, love my dog.”’—But truth compels me to say, 
that I have found among sporting-dogs, some of the 
worst enemies to sheep. Hounds are the most atrocious; 
and some pointers, spaniels and other water dogs—bad. 
T join in detesting curs and mongrels, they being pro- 
verbially vagrants and sheep-killers. 
How to regulate the keeping of dogs, so as not to les- 
sen their benefits, while we are correcting their abuses, 
is a difficult task. In Great Britain, their varieties of 
* A young dog, having wantonly bitten and mangled a 
large lamb, so that it died, was muzzled by one of my ser- 
vants, and tied to the dead lamb, for a day and anight, and 
severely beaten. He was entirely cured of his propensity 
for chasing sheep; and would never afterwards approach 
them. 
R. P. 
