IN AUDUBON'S LABRADOR 



them. The Eskimo dog is as gentle and affec- 

 tionate and as fond of human companionship 

 as any dog when properly treated. My experi- 

 ence here at Harrington and elsewhere bears 

 this out. At Battle Harbor I once enjoyed the 

 friendship of one of Dr. Grenfell's dogs and 

 found him as intelligent, trustworthy, and 

 lovable as any well-brought-up canine. The 

 vast majority of Eskimo dogs in Labrador are, 

 however, savage and treacherous, and unless 

 this is borne in mind it is dangerous to go 

 among them. There are numerous instances 

 of these dogs turning on men and children 

 who had fallen down among them, and tear- 

 ing them, sometimes fatally. If one dog 

 springs at a human being, all the other dogs 

 of the pack are incited to follow suit. A bold 

 front, care not to trip and fall, and the use of a 

 stout staff or a large stone will keep the dogs at 

 a distance. Strangers from ignorance are gen- 

 erally less watchful of the dogs than are the 

 natives. The reasons for this savage dispo- 

 sition are not far to seek. In winter the dogs 

 are generally insufficiently fed, and worked 

 hard and abused. In summer they are gener- 

 ally not fed at all, but are left to pick up 



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