THE NEWFOUNDLAND 61 



of his countenance and deeply sagacious look, which cannot be 

 dissociated from great size, and these were among the good 

 qualities which commended this dog to public favour. The Newfound- 

 land's good qualities, however, do not rest here ; he is of a strongly 

 emulative disposition, extremely sensitive to either praise or censure, 

 and should therefore, especially when young, be managed with 

 great care. He is never so well satisfied as when employed for 

 either the pleasure or the advantage of his master, and his strong 

 propensity to fetch and carry develops itself naturally at an early age. 



As a water dog the Newfoundland has no equal he delights in 

 it, will almost live in it and his high courage and great swimming 

 powers might with benefit to mankind be oftener turned to account. 



If we continuously breed from prize winners, however grand in 

 appearance, which are uneducated, and have their natural powers 

 undeveloped indeed, checked we shall soon have lost sterling 

 qualities, and get in return mere good looks. But the two things 

 fine physical development, with high cultivation of those instincts 

 and natural powers are not incompatible, and should be simul- 

 taneously encouraged by dog-show promoters, just as the Kennel 

 Club does for Pointers and Setters by their field trials. 



Water trials of Newfoundlands were held at Maidstone Show 

 and at Portsmouth some twenty-five years since ; but neither could 

 be pronounced a brilliant success. They were each of them in many 

 respects interesting, and proved that, with more experience, and 

 if well carried out, such competitive trials might become more than 

 interesting highly useful. 



Later the British Kennel Association had a dog show at Aston, 

 near Birmingham, and had water trials in connection with it. Many 

 of the competing dogs exhibited intelligent capacity, but the place 

 was unsuitable and the arrangements were very defective. 



Competitive trials will one day perhaps be established as a 

 means of proving to the public, in an interesting way, how best to 

 use the valuable services of the Newfoundland dog in the saving of 

 human life. If so, the following excellent rules, drafted for the con- 

 duct of public water trials of dogs at Maidstone, may be of service : 



TESTS FOR WATER DOGS 



ist. Courage displayed in jumping into the water from a height to recover an 

 object. The effigy of a man is the most suitable thing. 



2nd. The quickness displayed in bringing the object ashore. 



3rd. Intelligence and speed in bringing a boat to shore the boat must, of 

 course, be adrift, and the painter have a piece of white wood attached to keep it 

 afloat, mark its position, and facilitate the dog's work. 



4th. To carry a rope from shore to a boat with a stranger, not the master, 

 in it. 



5th. Swimming races, to show speed and power against stream or tide. 



6th. Diving. A common flag-basket, with a stone in the bottom of it, to 

 sink it, answers well, as it is white enough to be seen, and soft enough to the 

 dog's mouth. 



