64 DOG STORIES 



DOGS AND LANGUAGE. 



DO DOGS UNDERSTAND OUR LANGUAGE ? 



{Aug. 4, 1883.] 



I THINK the question has been mooted in 

 your columns as to whether dogs sometimes 

 understand our language. A circumstance 

 that has just occurred leads me to think that 

 it does happen, where they are highly 

 organised and living much with their owners. 

 While our family party were sitting over 

 dessert, a cork jumped from an apollinaris- 

 water bottle on the sideboard. I took no 

 notice at first, but after the conversation was 

 ended, I got up and looked about for a few 

 minutes, soon giving up the search. My 

 brother asked what I was looking for, and I 

 answered. I had no sooner sat down than 

 our little dog crept from behind a piece of 

 furniture, where she was reposing on the end 

 of a rug, and went straight up to the cork, 

 looking up at me and pointing to it with her 

 nose. It was near me, but the shadow 

 thrown by the table, prevented my seeing it. 



