74 AGE OF DOGS. 



neral result was accurately noted. In such cases as termin- 

 ated fatally, the morbid appearances were attentively ex- 

 amined, by which much light was thrown on future instances 

 of a similar description. 



-*sr**.*sr- 



Age of Dogs. 



Dogs do not, like horses and cattle, present any exact cri- 

 terion of their ag-e ; nevertheless, attention to the following 

 appearances will assist us in determining" the matter. 



At about four years, the front teeth lose their points, and 

 each of them presents a flattened surface, which increases as 

 the age advances; they likewise lose their whiteness. In 

 dogs fed much on bones, and in those who fetch and carry, 

 as it is caviled, these teeth suffer very much, and are some- 

 times broken out, while the dog is yet young. The holders, 

 or tusks, are also blunted by the same causes. At seven or 

 eight, the hair about the eyes becomes slightly grey* Gra- 

 dually, likewise, a greyish tint extends over the face ; but 

 it is not till ten, eleven, or twelve years, that the eyes lose 

 their lustre. When they become dim, general decay pro- 

 ceeds rapidly, though some last fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen 

 years ; and I have seen a mother and son vigorous at twenty 

 and twenty-one years old. Such instances as the latter must, 

 however, be considered as rare. 



Now and then an extraordinary exception occurs : — I once 

 saw a small French dog, which I was assured had reached 

 his twenty-fourth year, and which, at the time I saw him, 

 was still vigorous and lively. I am not aware that much 

 difference exists between the various breeds, as to the age 

 they arrive at. Spaniels I, however, think rather long- 

 lived ; while terriers, on the contrary, I have seldom ob- 

 served very old. The natural life of the dog may be consi- 

 dered as ranging between fourteen and fifteen years. Do- 

 mestication has tended, in some degree, to curtail the period. 



