OUR FOUR-FOOTED COMPANIONS. 277 



and human friends. At times they seem to almost lose their 

 animal propensities, and to he transformed into living em- 

 bodiments of virtues which are usually considered essen- 

 tially human. Thus, they show gratitude for favors re- 

 ceived, fidelity to trusts committed to them, a sensitiveness 

 which sometimes appears almost superhuman, and an ab- 

 solute devotion which proves stronger than the love of life. 

 We can here illustrate these points only in a few directions. 



5. All dogs, more or less, are susceptible of. being 

 taught, and teachability infers culture of the brain, the 

 possibility of an enlarged intelligence. "Without training, 

 a pointer would point at any kind of vermin as readily as 

 at the game of which the sportsman is in quest, but a well- 

 trained pointer will make no such mistake. Without train- 

 ing, he would only stand pointing for a few seconds, and then 

 run in upon the game and put it up ; but a well-trained 

 pointer waits till be receives the word of command, when 

 his master has come near enough to use his gun. 



6. It may be in part through instinct that a shepherd's 

 dog performs many of the important services which he ren- 

 ders to his master in the driving and tending of sheep ; 

 but it can not be altogether through instinct, for the best 

 shepherd's dogs are always those which have been carefully 

 trained. Even that which the shepherd's dog does with- 

 out training, and which seems natural to him from his 

 puppyhood, is probably very much to be ascribed to what 

 is called hereditary instinct, the fruit of the training of 

 many successive generations. But all can not be ascribed 

 to instinct, whether natural to the race, or acquired and 

 become hereditary. How can any one think so who has 

 observed a shepherd's dog at his work, and marked his 

 prompt obedience to the command of his master — how 

 readily he understands each word or sign, and at once 

 hastens to do what he is bidden ? — perhaps to bring in a 

 number of sheep from a distance, which he accomplishes 



