THE ESQUIMAUX Doc. 475 



the back. The average height I should take to be about 22 inches. They are to be found 

 of various colours pure white, black-and-white, grey, red, and other colours. 



" As regards temper, I consider they will compare favourably with any other breed 

 They are interesting companions, most affectionate, and not quarrelsome. The scarcity of 

 bitches must necessarily make breeding Esquimaux a difficult thing, for I am unable to hear 

 of any in this country except those I possess myself, which consist of a red bitch, Zoe, bred 

 by one of the dogs in the Zoological Gardens, and two young ones of my own breeding by 

 Sir John Franklin out of Zoe, from one of which I hope very shortly indeed to be able to 

 breed. Since commencing to write this Zoe has given birth to her fourth litter of pups ; on 

 each occasion she has whelped on the sixtieth day, and, singularly enough, the only litter I 

 have bred from my Chinese bitch Chinese Puzzle was whelped at the end of the same time. 



" In Lapland there is a breed of dogs considerably smaller than the Esquimaux, with a 

 soft dense coat, pointed muzzle, erect ear, but much larger in proportion than that of the 

 Esquimaux, and a closely-curled tail. They are rarely to be seen, and are obtained with 

 difficulty. The best which has come under my notice was one exhibited at the Crystal Palace 

 in 1880. There are dogs in Iceland much resembling this breed. I have lately seen a dog 

 which might easily be mistaken for an inferior Esquimaux, but which, I was informed, had 

 been brought from Sweden, where it is used in hunting the elk, keeping it at bay till the 

 huntsman comes up. 



"The Norwegian is a handsome dog about the size of a Collie, which, in some respects it 

 resembles ; it wants the wolfish appearance of the Esquimaux, and unlike that dog, carries 

 the ear, which is somewhat larger and more pointed, sometimes pointed forward, at other 

 times thrown back, which the Esquimaux never does. The coat is thick and straight. I 

 have seen them of different colours : my own dog Admiral being black mixed with grey, 

 white chest, legs, and feet. I consider him the finest specimen I have seen at present : he was 

 obtained for me direct from Norway by a friend who took considerable trouble to secure the 

 best he could obtain. He was exhibited at the last Alexandra Palace show, where he was 

 awarded a silver medal by the Rev. Grenville Hodson, and was afterwards placed first in the 

 variety class at Margate by Mr. Lort, the only times he has been shown. He is an active, 

 good-tempered dog, and very companionable, and the breed only wants to be introduced 

 into this country, when I think it would very quickly become a favourite with the public." 



When we read of the great services rendered to his master by the Esquimaux dog, we 

 cannot help regretting the arbitrary and unnecessary law which prohibits the working of dogs 

 in this country. We fully admit that the animals would be used differently to the manner 

 in which the Esquimaux dogs are treated in their native land, but still even under the 

 altered circumstances we fail to see why Englishmen should not be permitted to consult the 

 dictates of their own discretion in this matter. Dogs of all sorts and sizes are used on the 

 Continent to draw little carts, and they do not appear to dislike their tasks, or to suffer from 

 ill-treatment. With such examples before us we are of opinion that the lot of many a dog 

 would be made a happier one if he was allowed to make himself of service to his master, 

 for then a number of animals who now rarely get a run would be assured of a good 

 constitutional two or three times a week. Objections have been raised against the practice 

 that dogs would be overworked, but this no more applies to dogs than it does to horses 

 and the same steps which are now used to reduce the latter proceedings to a minimum 

 might be applied when dogs are under consideration. 



