CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



The fore-feet are provided with five toes, and the 

 hind-feet with four toes, furnished with rather 

 longish nails, obtuse at their points, and not 

 retractile. Occasionally a fifth toe occurs on the 

 hind-feet, termed the dew-claw j this is generally 

 removed by the sportsman when the animal is 

 young, as its presence is calculated to impede the 

 animal's movements. The dew-claw is regarded 

 as a sign of degeneracy. The females are pro- 

 vided with both inguinal and ventral teats. The 

 pupils of the eyes are circular. 



The female goes with young sixty-three days, 

 and generally produces from three to five at a 

 birth, and sometimes even twelve, which are at 

 first blind, continuing so for from nine days to a 

 fortnight. About the end of two months, their 

 faculties begin to develop themselves. They shed 

 their first teeth at the end of six months, which 

 are replaced by others that do not exfoliate. At 

 twenty months or two years, dogs arrive at their 

 full vigour. The males continue to propagate for 

 nearly their whole lives, while the female discon- 

 tinues having young ones at about the age of eight 

 or nine years. The average age to which dogs live 

 is about fourteen years ; they frequently, however, 

 live to sixteen, and even have been known to 

 attain the age of twenty years. 



The dog is naturally carnivorous ; but when 

 domesticated, he does not refuse farinaceous food. 

 He uses grass as a medicine; and drinks by 

 lapping with his long flexible tongue. He does 

 not sensibly perspire by the skin ; the superfluous 

 moisture of the body escapes at the mouth by 

 panting, when heated, and by the extraordinary 

 diuretic habits of the animal. The sense of smell 

 is different in different varieties, but in all is 

 sufficiently strong and refined to enable the dog 

 to seek out and follow his master even amidst a 

 crowd. His sense of hearing is also quick. 



The most remarkable feature in the character 

 of the dog is his attachment to man. In wild 

 unpeopled countries, dogs are known to live in 

 hordes, and seek their prey like other untamed 

 animals ; but brought into connection with human 

 society, the dog leaves his own species without 

 regret, and is only happy when belonging to a 

 master to whom he can be faithful as a friend, 

 servant, or companion. In this condition of 

 domestication his ambition seems to be the desire 

 to please. Much more mindful of benefits received 

 than injuries offered, he is not driven off by un- 

 kindness : he still continues humble, submissive, 

 and imploring ; his only hope to be serviceable, 

 his only terror to displease : he licks the hand 

 that has just been lifted to strike him, and at last 

 disarms resentment by submissive perseverance. 



More docile than man, as Buff on observes, more 

 obedient than any other animal, he is not only 

 instructed in a short time, but he also conforms to 

 the dispositions and manners of those who com- 

 mand him. He takes his tone from the house he 

 inhabits : like the rest of the domestics, he is dis- 

 dainful among the great, and churlish among 

 clowns. He knows a beggar by his clothes, by 

 his voice, or his gestures, and forbids his approach. 

 When at night the protection of the house is com- 

 mitted to his care, he seems proud of his charge ; 

 he continues a watchful sentinel ; he goes his 

 rounds, scents strangers at a distance, and gives 

 them a warning of his being upon duty. If they 

 attempt to break in upon his territories, he be- 



690 



comes more fierce, flies at them, threatens, fights, 

 and either conquers alone, or alarms those who 

 have most interest in coming to his assistance. 



CLASSIFICATION OF VARIETIES. 



No satisfactory classification of dogs has yet 

 been attained. We will follow that made by the 

 French naturalist Cuvier, which is founded on the 

 shape of the head, and length of the jaws and 

 muzzle. He separated dogs into three great 

 groups, as follows : 



I. MATINS. These have a head more or less 

 elongated ; the parietal bones insensibly approach- 

 ing each other, and the condyles of the lower jaw 

 placed in a horizontal line with the upper cheek- 

 teeth. 



II. SPANIELS. The head moderately elon- 

 gated ; the parietal bones do not approach each 

 other above the temples, but diverge and swell 

 out, so as to enlarge the forehead and cavity of 

 the brain. In this group are included all the 

 varieties of dogs which are of the greatest utility 

 to man, and also the most intelligent. 



III. DOGUES. The muzzle more or less 

 shortened ; the skull high ; the frontal sinuses 

 considerable ; the condyle of the lower jaw ex- 

 tending above the line of the upper cheek-teeth. 

 The cranium is smaller in this group than in the 

 two previous, owing to the peculiar formation of 

 the head. 



These three groups have, for convenience, been 

 further subdivided into various sections, which we 

 shall now treat seriatim noticing the more im- 

 portant breeds or varieties which have been ranked 

 under each. 



I. DOGS WITH LENGTHENED HEADS. 

 Section i. Half-reclaimed Dogs, which hunt in packs. 



The Dingo, or Australian Dog. The head of 

 this dog is not unlike that of a wolf, on which 

 account Bewick calls it the New South Wales 

 wolf. The muzzle is long and pointed, with short 

 erect ears. He is two feet six inches in length, 

 and about two feet in height. His fur is composed 

 of a mixture of silky and woolly hairs, and is of 

 a deep yellowish-brown colour ; and his tail is 

 long and bushy, resembling that of a fox, but 

 generally carried curled over his haunch, and not 

 pendent. The dingo, though naturally ferocious, 

 is easily rendered tolerably tame ; and in this 

 state many specimens are now brought to this 

 country. They are not to be trusted, however ; 

 and the moment they escape from confinement, 

 all their natural blood-thirsty propensities return. 



The Dhole is the native wild-dog of India, and 

 bears a strong resemblance to the dingo, but with- 

 out the bushy tail of that species : he is of a 

 uniform bright-red colour. The dhole is exceed- 

 ingly swift of foot, and soon overtakes most 

 animals which are the objects of his pursuit. It 

 is said they are exceedingly fond of the flesh of 

 the tiger, and that, in consequence, this animal 

 is prevented from multiplying so as to overrun 

 and lay waste the countries which it inhabits. 



The Pariah is the common village -dog of India. 

 He has a small sharp head, with short pricked 

 ears, and a slender body, and particularly drawn 

 up about the abdominal region ; his chest is deep, 

 his limbs light, and his colour is of a reddish- 

 brown. The native Indians use the pariahs in 



