INSTINCT OF DOGS 



IT is often amusing to hear those who know little about 

 the subject describing the "almost reason" of the St 

 Bernard's dog, and not unfrequently of the Scotch 

 " colley." 



It appears to me that the instinct of these animals is 

 more prominently forced upon their notice, and they do 

 not take the trouble to watch and discover it in the other 

 species. Sagacity is more equally distributed among the 

 different varieties of the dog than such casual observers 

 are aware of ; but it, of course, takes different directions, 

 according to the temper, habits, and treatment of the 

 animal. It would be a waste of time so far to control the 

 keen tempers of sporting-dogs (by which I mean setters 

 and pointers) as to make them perform the duties of a 

 well-broke phlegmatic retriever. The instinctive power 

 may therefore appear greater in one than the other ; but 

 from the quiet easy temper of the retriever, it is much less 

 difficult to develop and make use of his instinct in that 

 particular way: while the setter and pointer, owing to 



