DOG. 



qannot leave the body ; the earth receives it, and 

 the mourner spreads himself upon the grave, where 

 he passes the first night, the next day, and the second 

 night. The neighbour, meantime, unhappy at not 

 seeing the dog, and guessing the asylum he had 

 chosen, steals forth by night, and finding him, caresses 

 and brings him back. The good man tries every 

 way that kindness could devise to make him eat ; 

 but, in a short time, the dog escaping, regained his 

 favourite place. Every morning, for three months, 

 the mourner returned to his protector merely to 

 receive his food, and then returned to the ashes of 

 his dead master ! and each day he was more sad, 

 more meagre, and more languishing. 



" His protector, at length, endeavoured to wean 

 him ; he tied him ; but what manacle is there that 

 can ultimately triumph over nature ? He broke or 

 bit through his bonds ; again returned to the grave, 

 and never quitted it more. It was in vain that all 

 kind means were used to bring him back. Even the 

 jailor, who had witnessed the strength of his attach- 

 ment, used to carry him food ; but his affection for his 

 master seemed to strengthen as his frame became 

 weaker ; and sometime after he had ceased to take 

 any nourishment, he began digging his own grave in 

 the earth which covered the remains of the object of 

 his attachment, continuing in the feeble performance, 

 till he expired half buried in his master's grave." 



There are two very favourite varieties of dogs, 

 which though not exactly spaniels, are yet very nearly 

 allied to them in their attachment, their playful dis- 

 positions, and their aquatic habits. These are the 

 great rough water dog and the poodle. The first is 

 a variety of which the origin cannot be very clearly 

 traced ; the second is understood to be a cross 

 between the first and the cocker. These two resem- 

 ble each other in their covering, and also in their 

 fondness for swimming and their dexterity in diving. 

 The hair of both is very long, and if left uncut, twists 

 into pendent ringlet*, while the curl on the water 

 spaniel is short and crisp like the curls of a wig. By 

 this means it is easy to discriminate the spaniel from 

 the other two ; and the different texture of the hair 

 makes it as easy to distinguish the water-dog from the 

 poodle. The hair on the water-dog is strong and 

 rough, and that on the poodle very silky, about the 

 same in texture as that of the cocker. They are 

 all sometimes called poodles ; they are deservedly 

 favourites as pet dogs ; and they are often trimmed 

 lion-wise, with only a mane, a tuft on the tail, and 

 one on each of the heels. 



The water-dog is a highly useful animal in all 

 aquatic situations or on board ship. He is never so 

 much in his element as when he is fetching and 

 carrying. He brings game to land, recovers light 

 objects that are let overboard at sea, and will plunge 

 into pretty deep water, and fetch a stone from the 

 bottom ; they carry gloves, sticks, and other matters, 

 and they will return for any thing if they have been 

 previously shown it. This dog is of various colours, 

 but not unfrequently black, with the hair fading into 

 brown at the points. 



The poodle is, generally, smaller than the water- 

 dog ; and its soft silky fur gives it a more delicate 

 appearance. It is very playful, and swims and dives 

 well, though it is, perhaps,' inferior in these respects 

 to the other. It is often of very small size and beau- 

 tifully white in the colour, with eyes as black as jet, 

 and very intelligent in their expression. In this form 

 it is an especial pet. 



313 



SETTERS AND POINTERS. The habits of all these 

 dogs are nearly the same ; and though they are not 

 so doc.ile, gentle, and affectionate, they are indispen- 

 sible to all who wish successfully to beat the fields or 

 the moors for sport with the gun. They are dogs 

 of fine scent and admit of very high training. They 

 are silent dogs, and beat or quarter the ground with 

 great activity, discovering the game by scenting the 

 air, standing still at a dead point without moving any 

 part of their bodies when they have discovered it, and 

 after the gun is up and the game down, fetching it to 

 their master. As there is some skill required in 

 breaking or training them properly, a thorough good 

 one is of considerable value. If the dog is not pro- 

 perly trained he is apt to make false points, that is, to 

 point at small birds and other things not worth powder 

 and shot ; and not only at these, but also at the forms 

 or places where game has recently been. 



The setter is understood to be an English dog. It 

 is smaller than the pointer, and not so showy, but it 

 is said to have a better nose, and to be less liable to 

 injury in the feet while beating hard and stony 

 ground. When put to work in enclosures, the setter 

 generally beats round close under the hedges before 

 he begins to quarter the field in breadth. There are 

 two named varieties of setter, independently of the 

 numerous breeds. Indeed, as they are mongrel dogs 

 produced by crossing, chiefly between spaniels and 

 pointers, the varieties of them may be multiplied 

 without limit. Their hair is, in general, beautifully 

 curled. There is, however, a good deal of trouble in 

 breaking setters, and they cannot be always trusted 

 to after they are broke. Their propensity to stand 

 and point is not pure ; for they have it only as they 

 have the blood of the pointer in them ; and in as far 

 as they have the blood of the spaniel, their propen- 

 sity is to give tongue arid put up the game. Of 

 course in the natural state of the animal these oppo- 

 site propensities weaken each other ; and it is onlv 

 by careful training that the one can be rooted out and 

 the other established. But if this is once done, the 

 setter is a very valuable dog ; and though smaller 

 than the pointer, it quarters the ground faster, and 

 can continue longer. 



POINTERS. Of these there are several varieties, 

 independently of breeds. In their general form, 

 pointers bear some resemblance to hounds ; but the 

 muzzle is shorter, the ears smaller, and partly erect 

 and partly pendulous ; and the difference of appear- 

 ance between them and setters may be observed in 

 the portion of the spaniel character which is neces- 

 sarily possessed by the latter. The Spanish pointer 

 is the finest of the whole, and the greatest care is 

 taken by those interested to preserve this breed as 

 pure as possible. His natural tendency is to be 

 silent and to point ; and therefore he not only requires 

 much less training than the others, but is much more 

 sure and steady in his point ; and he is at the same 

 time very obedient and docile. He has the disadvan- 

 tage, however, of being very delicate, both in respect 

 of fatigue and of management ; and thus, though a 

 very fine dog, he is rather an expensive one. As a 

 dog for the rough moors, he is inferior to the seller, 

 as he is unable to endure the fatigue of a long morn- 

 ing, and his feet are very liable to be injured. The 

 English pointer is a cross between the Spanish and 

 fox-hound and harrier ; and though in consequence 

 of this he is more difficult to break than the Spanish, 

 he is upon the whole a more valuable dog for general 

 purposes. He is very handsome, remarkably docile, 



