The Great Dane. 333 



whilom operator, " nor do I think I shall go near his 

 bench ; no, not if I knows it ! " 



I fancy from the above and other experiences I 

 have gained, that no other variety of British dog 

 possesses the same strength of mind, and is so ready 

 to resent a supposed injury as he. It is dangerous 

 to thrash some of them ; they may turn on you, or 

 will surlily growl ; and in fighting with any opponent 

 they are not always able to discriminate between the 

 hands of their master (who may be interfering in the 

 combat) and the throat of an opponent. Still, 

 faithful and intelligent, many of them are thoroughly 

 trustworthy when their master is about — not always 

 in his absence. They possess great power and 

 activity, and are most symmetrically built. The 

 Great Dane is usually a good water dog, but there 

 are some which will not swim a yard. 



As we know him here as a companion and a guard 

 only, no more than passing allusion need be made 

 to him as a sporting dog, to hunt the wild boar and 

 chase the deer. That he was used for these pur- 

 poses long before he came to be a house dog there 

 is no manner of doubt, for his portraits can be 

 recognised in all the great pictures of hunting 

 scenes that took place in the Middle Ages. 

 This is the reason I place him in the group o£ 

 Sporting Dogs. 



