THE DOG 49 



altruistic motives beyond the limits of his own kind. With 

 this extension of his affection must have beeun the pfrowth of 

 that large motive, which is the most distinguishing feature of 

 our modern life, which leads us to go forth in a loving manner 

 to the living beings about us, not only to our flocks and herds 

 but to the life of the unsubjugated realm as well. Thus, in a 

 way, we may look upon the dog as affording the first steps on 

 the path of culture which was to lift man from his primitive 

 selfishness to the altruistic state to which he has attained. 



Great as has been the work of man upon the dog — it 

 deserves, indeed, to be ranked high among all the accom- 

 plishments of his culture — there is reason to believe that if 

 he but go forward with understanding in the ways which 

 have hitherto led him blindly to his success, the final result 

 may be very much more perfect than that which has been 

 attained. It is on this account that I feel it fit to make 

 a strong protest against the system our breeders pursue. 

 Except in the case of dogs used in sport and for herding 

 sheep, the sole effort appears to be to create breeds which 

 shall exhibit peculiarities of form which are mere extrava- 

 gances, and move the real lover of this noble animal to indig- 

 nation. In these preposterous and unseemly tasks no care 

 is taken to continue the mental development on lines which 

 have been established by long use. Still less is there any 

 effort to essay the development of the intelligence in ways 

 which are clearly open to us, and which afford possibilities 

 of lifting this species to a yet nobler companionship with our 

 own kind. 



It seems worth while for our associations of doQf fanciers 

 to undertake to develop varieties of dogs solely with refer- 

 ence to the intellectual qualities of the animal. I venture to 



4 



