24 DOGS 



again, I am writing letters, he will be sleeping in front 

 of the fire. But the moment I lick an envelope he is 

 standing by the door, looking up at me. He associates 

 the licking of an envelope with going to the post. 



Ill 



Some years ago I was walking along Upper Leeson 

 Street, Dublin, and saw a King Charles spaniel standing 

 on a doorstep looking up at the bell-handle and whining. 

 As soon as he saw me approaching he trotted down the 

 steps, got in front of me, and sat up " begging." Of 

 course I went and rang the bell, and as soon as the door 

 was opened the little creature turned round and held up 

 his paw to " shake hands." I did not at the time know 

 his owner, but I made the lady's acquaintance some time 

 afterwards. I asked her if the dog had been taught to 

 " beg," to have the door opened and to " shake hands " 

 by way of thanks. She said he had not ; he had been 

 taught to " beg," as pet dogs usually are taught, by feed- 

 ing him with dainties after sitting up, and to " shake 

 hands " after being fed. I could only conclude, therefore, 

 that the dog associated the sitting-up attitude with a re- 

 quest to be given something he wished for, which in this 

 case happened to be the ringing of the bell. He would 

 naturally enough associate the ringing of the bell with the 

 opening of the hall-door. But the ' ' shake hands ' ' gesture 

 caps the climax. He evidently had been taught to asso- 

 ciate this gesture with a feeling of gratitude for food which 

 had given him pleasure ; he felt pleasure at his wish to be 

 let into the house being complied with, and so showed his 

 gratitude in the way he had been taught to show it for 

 food. 



EDWARD STANLEY KOBERTSON. 



June 20, 1909. 



NOTE. The great interest of Mr. Robertson's letter 

 seems to me to lie in the dog's power of making a transition 



