SOMETHING ABOUT DOGS. 



BLENHEIM or Marlborough 

 spaniels, which greatly resem 

 ble the latter in form and gen 

 eral appearance, get their Eng 

 lish name from Blenheim Palace, in 

 Oxfordshire, where the breed has been 

 preserved since the beginning of the 

 eighteenth century. 



Mastiff is the term applied to a very 

 large and powerful species of the ca 

 nine family, and there is considerable 

 conflict of opinion regarding the origin 

 of the word. Some claim that it is de 

 rived from the Italian mastino, or 

 the French mastin, both of which sig 

 nify large-limbed. 



This word, they say, was gradually 

 corrupted into masty, a Lincolnshire 

 expression, meaning very large, muscu 

 lar, or big, until it gradually assumed 

 its present form. Others, again, say 

 its true origin is the old German mas- 

 ten, to fatten, because the mastiff is a 

 large dog, and seems better fed than 

 any other. 



These animals were very highly 

 prized by the early Romans, who 

 matched them to fight in the arena 

 with wild animals. It is related that 

 very often two or three mastiffs de 

 feated a lion in such combats. 



Poodle is derived from the German 

 pudel, a puddle or pool. This dog was 

 originally German, and the name was 

 probably given it because of being very 

 closely allied to what is known as the 

 water dog. They are without doubt 

 the most intelligent of all canines. 



The shepherd dog called collie in 

 Scotland, from the Gaelic cuilan or 

 puppy gains its title from the fact of 

 its being used to watch sheep, and pro 

 tect them from marauders of every de 

 scription. 



As to the derivation of the word 

 bull-dog, it is only necessary to state 

 that this species was exclusively used 

 in bull-baiting, and from that circum 

 stance arose the name by which it is 

 universally known. A cross between 

 this and the terrior is appropriately 

 termed the bull-terrior. 



The Alaskan dog is almost human in 



intelligence. He weighs about 100 

 pounds. Heavily laden, he will travel 

 sixty miles a day, says the St. Paul Dis 

 patch. With twenty dogs in a team, no 

 two of them are in a straight line from 

 the driver. When unhitched for the 

 night they pile upon the first blanket 

 that is thrown upon the snow, and 

 there they stay. When you crawl into 

 your sleeping bag, and pull a robe 

 over it, the dog will get under the robe. 

 Unless you are careful he will be inside 

 of the bag in the morning. The ani 

 mal's endurance is phenomenal, and 

 they are capable of strong affection. 

 They are great fighters. A traveler 

 who recently returned from Alaska 

 says of the treatment accorded these 

 faithful animals: "The whip that is 

 used on them is the crudest thing; of 

 its kind that is known to man. Thirty 

 feet in length, and two inches thick 

 near the short handle, it has a lash ten 

 feet long that cuts like a knife. The 

 Russian knout isn't to be compared to 

 it. When a dog is struck you hear a 

 sharp yelp, and then your sleigh whirls 

 past a bit of fur or possibly a piece of 

 bloody skin lying on the snow." 



Recently a little girl named Lillian 

 could not be found. It was early in 

 the afternoon when she was missed. 

 There was great excitement, for it was 

 feared the little girl had been stolen, 

 or fallen into the river not far away. 

 Searchers were sent in every direction, 

 but there was no trace of the little girl 

 even when night came. Among the 

 most earnest searchers was Lillian's 

 pet dog, Rover. He ran about with 

 his nose to the ground hunting every 

 where. When night came lanterns 

 were lighted, and the people still 

 looked for, and hoped they would find, 

 Lillian. 



Rover had come back to the house, 

 arid in some way he went down an un 

 used stairway. At its foot was a win 

 dow that opened into a small room 

 that had not been used in a long time. 

 Rover gave three sharp barks, and the 

 little girl's grandfather hurried to the 

 part of the house where the dog was. 



221 



