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 

 whose 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. 



247 



