THE DOG. 57 



As with man, so with the dos^ ; civihsation 

 has made existence much more complex. The 

 sources of pleasure of the savage man are 

 few compared with those of the cultured and 

 civilised, yet we find that the means of expres- 

 sion which we possess are but elaborations of 

 those existing long before civilisation began. 

 We must, therefore, look at the dog's past 

 history and find out what were his most acute 

 pleasures, and what the gestures accompanying 

 them, when he was a pure and simple wild beast, 

 if we wish to elucidate his manner of expressing 

 pleasure now. 



There can be no doubt that the chief delisfht 

 of wild dogs, as with modern hounds and sport- 

 ing dogs, is in the chase and its accompanying 

 excitement and consequences. One of the most 

 thrilling moments to the human hunter (and 

 doubtless to the canine), and one big with that 

 most poignant of all delights, anticipation of 

 pleasurable excitement combined with muscular 

 activity, is when the presence of game is first 

 detected. As we have seen in watching the 

 behaviour in a pack of foxhounds, this is in- 

 variably the time when tails are waved for the 

 common good. Tail - wagging is an inevitable 



