FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



larly slaughtered in certain abattoirs in 

 Saxony." The consumption of large ra- 

 tions of dog meat sometimes causes di- 

 arrhea. Among savage races "in those 

 places where dog-eating is the custom, 

 and where young and fat dogs are con- 

 sidered great delicacies, much care is 

 bestowed on the young puppies, and 

 only too frequently have travelers seen 

 young mothers give them the breast." 



Sundry uses of the dog — I n Alaska, 

 Siberia and elsewhere, large numbers of 

 sledge dogs are used, and for this work, 

 dogs seem to have great endurance. 

 While on a trip they are fed chiefly on 

 fish. A team of nine dogs is expected to 

 pull a load of 600 to 1,800 pounds, de- 



bringing them back at night without 

 the assistance of man. It is impossible 

 to enumerate all the uses which may be 

 made of dogs. It is likewise quite out 

 of the question that we should describe 

 or even enumerate the breeds of dogs 

 of which about 320 have been recog- 

 nized. 



Dogs are capable of becoming more 

 intimate companions, and of under- 

 standing our desires better than any 

 other of our domestic animals. In fact 

 the idea of companionship is frequently 

 first, and that of utility second in the 

 mind of the dog owner. While dogs 

 may be of the greatest use and value on 

 the farm, they may also become a source 



Fig. 445 OSTRICHES REARED IN" CONFINEMENT 



pending on the grade and character of 

 the country. Sheep could not be man- 

 aged under present conditions on the 

 western ranges without the help of the 

 trained sheep dog. The breed best suit- 

 ed for this work is the Collie, the Scotch 

 Collie being preferred. These dogs show 

 great intelligence at their work and are 

 of the utmost importance in the man- 

 agement and protection of the sheep. 

 Dogs are also employed in herding goats 

 and according to Carrington a distinc- 

 tive type of goat dog has already been 

 developed in Texas. This dog is a cross 

 between the Collie and the hound. They 

 sometimes do all the herding, taking the 

 goats out to range in the morning and 



of nuisance and trouble. Thus dogs 

 have proved the greatest curse of the 

 sheep business over large areas in many 

 of the central states. They may also 

 become a nuisance in destroying poul- 

 try. In general it is not advisable to 

 keep any but healthy, vigorous dogs 

 which are distinctly useful in some di- 

 rection or at least show no bad habits. 

 From their well known habit of eating 

 carrion, dogs may be instrumental in 

 carrying such diseases as glanders, an- 

 thrax, tuberculosis, etc. Then they may 

 carry tapeworms which later infest 

 sheep, and for this reason all dogs which 

 are allowed about sheep pastures should 



