CHAPTER XXV 



The Bulldog 



T is quite appropriate that the bulldog and the smooth 

 sheep dog should be close neighbours in a book 

 treating upon dogs, as illustrations of how demand and 

 then the fads of fancy will separate animals originally 

 of the closest relationship and appearance. We have 

 a few pages back shown that the smooth sheep dog was first of all 

 a division of the mastiff family, coming from the watch or ban dog, 

 which, although the house mastiff, was also capable of driving sheep 

 and cattle. 



We now repeat what we said in that chapter, that the mastiffs 

 were that group of general-purpose dogs other than hounds, spaniels 

 or toys. Terriers were also eliminated and given a name on account 

 of their being used in the chase. Everything else was a mastiff, a word 

 now conceded to mean akin to mongrel, though that is perhaps not the 

 word which, to our mind, clearly specifies their position. Caius gives 

 a very appropriate name for the group when he classifies them as "Canes 

 rustici," dogs of the country — country dogs. According to what these 

 were capable of accomplishing, they were accordingly grouped, and 

 eventually became recognisable as distinct breeds. They were what 

 might be well called working dogs, the large, heavy dogs being used for 

 bear baiting and such sports; the more active of the large dogs used as 

 watch dogs going by the name of bandogs, while the still lighter and 

 more active of these bandogs were sheep dogs. In addition to these 

 there was the "Tinker's Cur," a dog that assisted the travelling tinker 

 by acting as a beast of burden, or pack-horse, carrying his implements 

 and tools; another was a water drawer, turning a wheel, as we now 

 see horses and mules used for many purposes as a substitute for steam 

 power; and still another was the butcher's dog. Here is how Caius put 

 this group on record in his book : 



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