THE DOG AS A I'ET 147 



they lack the perfect grace, the bewitching 

 playfulness, the altogether irresistible charms 

 of the kitten, they have yet a winning inno- 

 cence of mien and a delightful clumsiness of 

 bearing that are almost equally attractive. 

 But puppies have another side, alas ! It is 

 true that the dog in his babyhood is funny, 

 but he is also mischievous. It is certainly 

 comical to see him frolic with an old shoe, a 

 door-mat, or some discarded garment ; but 

 when he snatches clothes from the line, wor- 

 ries one's best boots, or drags off a valuable 

 table-cover in his pranks, it ceases to be amus- 

 ing, and he will do one as readily as the other. 



It is gratifying to possess a canine follower 

 that one has brought up and trained, but the 

 process requires patience, gentleness, and long- 

 suffering; in fact, the ordinary mortal needs 

 special training in these virtues himself to fit 

 him for the task. Besides the pains required, 

 there is the risk. Baby dogs are almost as 

 prone to disease as baby humans. They may 

 not, to be sure, suffer from croup or scarlet- 

 fever, but they have their own infant disorders, 

 quite as apt to be fatal. 



Because of this uncertainty of life, a young 



