150 OUR HOME PETS 



curving a little upward at the tip. The per- 

 fect Dane is not too heavy, and though he will 

 generally fall below the figures given as the 

 maximum, he should not lack more than four 

 or five inches of that height, and should bring 

 the scales down to between one hundred and 

 twenty and one hundred and twenty -five 

 pounds. Bowed fore-legs are to be avoided, 

 and spreading toes are a decided blemish. 

 The coat of this dog should be glossy, and if 

 it is spotted with black on a white ground, 

 its wearer is entitled to the first rank and the 

 highest value. Blue spots on a very light 

 ground are admissible, however, as are also 

 tigerlike stripes and a plain color. 



As to his fitness for domestication, opinions 

 differ. No one questions his courage as a 

 protector of property; to dispose of a tramp 

 or a burglar is mere play to him. But while 

 admirers assert that he is easily controlled 

 and gentle with children, many persons -de- 

 clare, on the contrary, that he is always a dan- 

 gerous inmate of the household, being, when 

 roused, savage towards friend as well as foe. 

 Of course, dogs of the same family differ in 

 temperament, and unquestionably an entirely 



