THE DOG. 157 



less and brings punishment, yet, knowing this, obeys from 

 love not from fear. 



Happily, cruelty toward animals, which in the last 

 century was common even among men of high station in 

 the world, is now limited to the rude, the brutal and un- 

 educated, and rare even among them, because they are 

 aware of the disgust it awakens in their superiors. 



Nowadays, a gentleman, known to be habitually guilty 

 of cruelty to his dogs or horses, could scarcely more retain 

 his repute and standing, than if he were convicted in the 

 public mind of ill-treatment of his wife or children. 



Consequently, cruelty is no longer, as it once was, part 

 and parcel of the system of sportsmanship, so far at least 

 as dog and horsebreaking and management are concerned. 



It has been proved, moreover, that cruel breaking is 

 not only inhuman and brutal, but unwise, injudicious, 

 and ineffective. Severity is necessary sometimes, in the 

 beginning, with dogs, as it is with children. Both must 

 be compelled to obey ; and the greater the obduracy of 

 child or dog, the greater must be the mildness, the temper, 

 the steadiness and the firmness of the teacher. 



It must be remembered, that it is not the severity of 

 the pain, but the invariableness of its attendance on the 

 recurrence of given offences, that impresses the conviction 

 on the memory, that the pain is the consequence of the 

 fault. 



When that conviction is gained, future offences arise 

 from forgetfulness, rashness, wantonness, rarely from stub- 

 bornness. In no case should they avoid punishment, but, 

 in the first instance, a slight flogging with a great deal of 



