Instinct 149 



slay a man, or a witness to take his life by false accusation, 

 but you cannot make a dog tear his benefactor. He is 

 the friend of man, save when man incurs his enmity." 



George Jesse, in writing on this aspect of the dog's 

 character, touches a note, which I think wonderfully dis- 

 cerning, as to the attitude of the dog to man : 



" It has been well remarked, that the poets of various 

 lands, and different ages, have delighted in commemorating 

 the virtues of this favourite animal, as though they recog- 

 nized in his devotion to man, something of the love and 

 obedience, with which man should look up to his Heavenly 

 Father and Almighty God." 



It always seems to me, as if the dog turns to us, as though, 

 in the meantime, all he knows about God, must come to him, 

 through us. 



I have very seldom indeed known a really treacherous 

 dog ; that is to say, one that will bite the hand that cares 

 for it. So rare indeed has this been, as to prove that 

 such a condition of mind in the dog is entirely abnormal, 

 and, as a matter of fact, I have always been of the opinion 

 that such animals were insane. 



I remember the case of a very large, fine, bull mastiff, 

 which was offered to the War Dog School. It had never 

 been off the chain for four years, as it was so savage, that 

 no one could approach it with safety. With great diffi- 

 culty, it was sent to the school, and had to be taken out of 

 the railway van, by means of long poles. On arrival, it was 

 fastened to a kennel, but its behaviour was so outrageous, 

 and as there seemed a risk of its breaking away and attack- 

 ing the staff, the opinion was formed, that it would have 

 to be destroyed. Preparations were made to this end, when 

 Mrs. Richardson pleaded to have one day more for a final 

 experiment. 



