266 MODERN TRAINING. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE DOG. 



Sportsmen who have had an extensive experience with 

 dogs and their performances afield believe, in the gener- 

 ality of cases, that the dog is a reasoning animal. This be- 

 lief is commonly a slow growth, a process of induction, 

 opposed by the beliefs and prejudices of early teachings 

 and the natural penchant of mankind toward self-exaltation, 

 all of which are formidable obstacles to any concessions with 

 respect to mind existing in the lower animals; moreover, it 

 is a universal belief that mind is the distinguishing attribute 

 which elevates man above all other organisms. It is unques- 

 tionably true that man transcends all animals in intelligence, 

 but the possession of reason is that of superiority, not of 

 exclusiveness. 



In many parts of this work, much stress has been laid on 

 the theory that the dog is a rational animal it may be well 

 to adduce some proofs which will make the theory more 

 susceptible of belief, or at least less improbable to those 

 who hold that the dog is endowed with no higher cognition 

 than that derived from instinct. Also it may serve to en- 

 gage the attention of some sportsmen who have not given the 

 subject much, if any, thought. The trainer who is attempt- 

 ing to conduct a dog's training, requiring intelligent acts, 

 on a theory of instinct, is groping in the dark and opposing 

 the evidence of his senses. 



At the outset, it may be proper to explain that the author 



