lO 



OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



narr(.)w, deep one ; but we pass nuw to an 

 exterior description of the animal. 



First in line come the skin, the hair, the 

 color, and the physical conformation. 



The skin of dogs which have not been over- 

 petted or too delicately reared is rather thick form the boundaries between these patches of 



or "part," along the back and on the legs. 

 Thus Mother Nature herself takes care of their 

 toilet. Yet it is curious to observe how she 

 allows the hair on the chest, the belly, and 

 under the neck to get tangled. The joints 



Ex.\jn I I (ir Till El.\stic Skin of the Neck 



hair that are so different 

 in direction. The longer 

 the hair the more erect it 

 is on the joints; hence 

 those curious tufts that 

 we find behind the 

 paws of certain breeds. 

 These tufts are called 

 "feathers " ; we find 

 them on the tails of set- 

 ters, and wherever a 

 variation in the direction 

 of the growth of the hair 

 exists. In dogs with 



and solid. In many it is 



supple, especially about 



the neck and head. All 



d o g s have u ]3 o n the 



head, near the jaw and 



abo\'e the eyes, sex'cn 



little round ])rotuber- 



ances from which spring 



several sensitive hairs, 



which have their nerves 



and roots in those ])ro- 



tuberances. In healthy 



dogs that are properly 



cared for the skin is 



odfirless, but at the least negligence or the rough or wiry hair it does not lie in the normal 



least illness a very disagreeable effluvium is direction, but grows erect in every direction, 



given forth. in a confused mass. 



The hair of dogs protects them from atmos- The different kinds of hair play a great part 



pheric influences, and also, in certain cases, at bench shows, as we shall see later. Two 



from injury to the skin. Though dogs gi\'e kinds are specially distinguished from each 



much less time to their toilet than parrots other, — the long-haired and the short-haired, 



— in both of which come a legion of 

 varieties, such as glossy, rough, bristling, 

 curly, wavy, woolly, silky, frizzled, etc. 

 These nomenclatures describe themselves. 

 The Pomeranians have long hair, while 

 the German watchdog has it short and 

 glossy, the griffons bristling, retrievers 

 curly, Russian wolfhounds wavy, English 

 sheep dogs woolly, some poodles frizzled, 

 and certain Maltese dogs, also Yorkshire 

 terriers, silky. 



The color of dogs, or, properly speaking, 



of their coats, plays a great part in the 



\'aluation of breeds, and also, unfortunately, 



in the estimation of fashion. Which is the 



finest color .? Put it to public vote and the result 



would have only a passing value. The idea of 



beauty changes with each epoch, and the choice 



between the black, red-brown, uniform brown 



or striped, yellow, gra}', or white of our dogs 



depends on circumstances and on the purpose 



'T^S.^rVlT'^^^^ 



EwiirLE OF "Fr^TiiFK ' o\ Tin T \u 



or cats, there is really no gniund of complaint 

 against Iheni on this score. Their hair falls 

 naturally into place ; upon the back and along 

 the flanks it lies with regularity from the front 

 towards the hind c|uarters, and in certain long- 

 haired dogs we can distinguish a dividing line. 



Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 



