THE SPANISH SHEEP DOG. 399 



betrayed it. In all in which he differed from the beautiful 

 Spanish shepherd dog, he was wolfish, both in form and habits. 

 But, though no parlor beauty, Arrogante was unquestionably 

 a dog of immense value to the mountain shepherd. Several 

 times he had met the large wolf of the Appenines, and 

 without aid slain his antagonist. The shepherds who bred 

 him said it was an affair of no doubtful issue, when he 

 encountered a wolf single-handed. His history, after reach- 

 ing England, you know." 



I have been unable to procure any new portrait, known to 

 be authentic, of a dog of this breed. The American editor 

 of Mr. Youatt's work on the Dog, (Dr. Lewis,) states the 

 Spanish sheep dog " is of the same breed " as the great 

 Alpine Spaniel or " Bernardine dog " which is employed by 

 the monks of St. Bernard in rescuing travelers among the 

 storms and avalanches of the Alps. I have seen several of 

 these, and Arrogante resembles them as nearly as can a spare, 

 attenuated, ugly man resemble one of massive proportions 

 and noble countenance the height, length, contour, loose 

 hide, etc., are the same.* But while I strongly incline to 

 credit Dr. Lewis' assertion of the identity of the breeds, I 

 have not felt authorized to give a portrait of a Swiss dog as 

 characteristic of a race of Spanish dogs. 



Arrogante proved himself an animal of immense value. 

 Dull, almost stupid, and apparently sleeping much of the day, 

 nothing, however, escaped his observation, or was subse- 

 quently erased from his memory. If led round a building, or 

 inclosure, or even an open space, at night-fall, in a manner 

 to evince particular design, during the entire night like a 

 sentinel he traversed some part of the guarded ring, permit- 

 ting neither man nor beast to pass in or out from it. When 

 miserable curs intruded on his charge, they were slain in 

 an instant. He possessed almost human intelligence in 

 protecting property of every kind belonging to his master. 

 But, though never the aggressor, the terrible vindictiveness 

 of his temper, when injured, finally cost him his life. 



Mr. Trimmer, in his work on the Merinos, thus describes 

 the mode of employing the Spanish Sheep Dog : " There is 

 no driving of the flocks ; that is a practice entirely unknown ; 

 but the shepherd, when he wishes to remove his sheep, calls 

 to him a tame wether accustomed to feed from his hands. 



* The cut of the Bernardine dog, in Mr. Youatt's work, represents a magnificent 

 animal but the kind of resemblance I have named between it and Arrogante 

 plainly exists. 



