The Bog as a Culprit. 105 



THE DOG AS A CULPRIT. 



BY JONATHAN COUCH, E.L.S., ETC. 



The history of the dog, with its peculiar sagacity and fidelity, 

 has been treated of in several volumes especially devoted to 

 the subject ; and. numerous are the tales illustrative of the 

 same which still remain unrecorded, but which ought not to 

 sink into forgetfulness. But there is a portion of the character 

 of this animal which appears to have escaped the notice of 

 the writers of canine biography, but which has so far a bearing 

 on its acquired or intuitive intelligence as to show that there may 

 be times when its fidelity to the master or the public property 

 may be at fault, while the powers of reasoning and the force 

 of cunning calculation are not diminished. 



The state of things to which we refer is well known to 

 farmers, and, as far as our information goes, appears to be 

 confined to that variety of the canine race which is employed 

 in the care of sheep ; which form or variety of this animal is 

 believed to stand the nearest to what is understood as the 

 primitive, or natural condition of the race, and which may 

 therefore be judged to be disposed more naturally than others 

 to fall back into the true state of nature, and to be less 

 influenced or governed by anything which education or long 

 habit may have implanted within it, but in which the love of 

 selfish indulgence has again become the governing principle, 

 and what remains of the artificial state is employed only in its 

 own behalf. Other animals which have been brought into 

 subjection to the dominion of man have sometimes shown a 

 propensity to fall back or return to the primitive condition of 

 their race, of which what we term wildness, and an ungovern- 

 able appetite, are the usual characteristics ; and even the 

 " half- reasoning elephant" is not always exempt from the same 

 propensity ; but in the case of the dog it is remarkable, above 

 what has been noticed in other creatures, that with the savage 

 appetite which has excited the individual to throw aside the 

 long-practised restraint of education, there should be brought 

 into exercise so large an amount of shrewdness as even to 

 exceed what has been manifested on ordinary occasions. 



When, therefore, it happens that, amidst the fulness of an 

 abundant larder at the house, a craving shows itself for a 

 supply of raw and newly- slain mutton, it is not from the 

 nearest, and still less from its master's flock, that the want is 

 to be supplied. We can scarcely admit that in this there is 

 any special regard for the master's interest, or love for the 

 individual sheep of the flock ; for the depredator trots off to a 



