BOOK VII. XII. 5-9 



cautious do not give the alarm unless they have 

 discovered something for certain, whereas the rash 

 are aroused by any vain noise and groundless 

 suspicion. I have thought it necessary to mention 6 

 these points, because it is not nature alone but educa- 

 tion as well which forms character, so that, when there 

 is an opportunity of buying a dog, we may choose one 

 with these qualities and that when we are going to 

 train dogs which have been born at home, we may 

 bring them up on such principles as these. It does 7 

 not matter much if farm-yard dogs are heavily built 

 and lack speed, since they have to function rather at 

 close quarters and where they are posted than at a 

 distance and over a wide area ; for they should always 

 remain round the enclosures and within the buildings, 

 indeed they ought never go out farther from home 

 and can perfectly well carry out their duties by 

 cleverly scenting out anyone who approaches and 

 frightening him by barking and not allowing him to 

 come any nearer, or, if he insists on approaching, they 

 violently attack him. Their first duty is not to allow 

 themselves to be attacked, their second duty to de- 

 fend themselves with courage and pertinacity if they 

 are provoked. So much for the dogs which guard 

 the house; our next subject is sheep-dogs. 



A dog which is to guard cattle ought not to be as 8 

 lean and swift of foot as one which pursues deer and 

 stags and the swiftest animals, nor so fat and heavily 

 built as the dog which guards the farm and granary, 

 but he must, nevertheless, be strong and to a certain 

 extent prompt to act and vigorous, since the purpose 9 

 for which he is acquired is to pick quarrels and to 

 fight and also to move quickly, since he has to repel 

 the stealthy lurking of the wolf and to follow the 



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