XXIII 
DOGS IN LONDON 
THE subject of this paper, for which I am unable 
to find a properly descriptive title, will be certain 
changes noticeable during recent years in the dogs 
of the metropolis, and, in a less degree, of the 
country generally. At the same time there has 
been an improvement in the character of the dog 
population, due mainly to the weeding out of the 
baser breeds, but this matter does not concern 
us here; the change with which I propose to deal 
is in the temper and, as to one particular, the 
habits of the animal. This was the result of the 
famous (it used to be called the infamous) muzzling 
order of 1897, which restrained dogs throughout 
the country from following their ancient custom of 
quarrelling with and biting one another for the 
unprecedented period of two and a half years. 
Nine hundred days and over may not seem too 
long a period of restraint in the case of a being 
whése natural term runs to threescore years and 
ten, but in poor Tatters’ or Towzer’s brief existence 
of a dozen summers it is the equivalent of more 
than twenty years in the life of the human animal. 
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