Feb. 21, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



93 



COLLIES AT PITTSBURGH. 



Editor Forest rend Stream: 



The statement of Mr. Shaffer, that bis dog was finally al- 

 lowed second by the "managers" at Pittsburgh, reveals a 

 stupidity that so far standsuiu quailed. Where shall we 

 search fOf its peer? "Construction'' won't do; putting a 

 defendant on the jury to try bis own ease falls a bit abort; 

 appointing on a committee fcur out of live who were ineli- 

 gible don*t rival it, Making a rule that a club shall not 

 describe bronge medals as such but must say "'club medals," 

 nor even the wonderful apologies for the A, K. C. that reek 

 so strong, still fall behind this performance. Ho you want 

 to know why? Well, remember that the class was once 

 judged and Rob Roy got first, when Mr. Shaffer "kicked" 

 and it was discovered that his dog had not been judged, the 

 superintendent, acting entirely within his authority as the 

 agent of "the managers," ordered a re-judging, then Prince 

 was put first. I heard the active secretary, Mr. MeClain, 

 read the action of the "meeting of aiauagers," and it dis- 

 tinctly based the reversal of the rc-jadging on its being 

 "unauthorized." This was simply false, the rules distinctly 

 provided for re-judaing in case of "mistake," and what 

 greater mistake could happen than the show attendants 

 leaving an exhibitor's dog on its bench? There was only 

 one justification possible in tins case: that was, that the dog 

 was absent from its bench when the class was called, by the 

 act of its owner or his agent. This would have effectually 

 estopped Mr. Shaffer from any right to a re-judging, and 

 while it. was set up as a defense of "the managers" after 

 their "decision" had been given, it was only as a "I heard 

 so" and was vigorously denied by Mr. Shaffer in my hear- 

 ing. Anyhow, had it been the ease, the stupidity of "basing 

 a verdict on other grounds, when such a solid reason as this 

 could be given, is about equal to the giving a completely 

 bogus pedigree to Corsair, wheu he was probably by DuVer- 

 nat's Lion ex Dr. Sawtelle's Venus. 



The climax was reached, however, when the "mauagers" 

 decided that Prince, although not entitled to be first, was 

 good enough for second ! Isn't this just simply immense ? 

 There was not a "manager" who could till a black and tan 

 collie from a "pure" Gordon (this requires "pure" judg- 

 ment), nor could one of the lot have told whether Caraetac us 

 or a five dollar "shepherd" were the better if put together 

 before him, yet they took it on them to decide that Mr. 

 Shaffer's dog was better thau one of Mr. Evans' St. Bernard- 

 collies! Did mortal man ever Lear before of a show com- 

 mittee (e ven when acting as "managers") deciding on the 

 merit of a dog? "Well' somebody will say, "what, is all 

 this fuss about ? The Western Pennsylvania Poultry Society 

 is dead and will not come up again,"' Just this little thing. 

 If said society now applied for membership in the A. K. ('.. 

 it would be admitted? Several writers (one of whom must 

 have known of this performance) urged it to apply for iv 

 admittance, and past history of the A. K. C. shows that it is 

 ever ready to admit any Falstaffian brigade that may apply, 

 and it is the presence of just such "members of this associa- 

 tion" that makes the A. K. C. obnoxious to many exhibitor?:. 

 1 have twice stated in print, that the owners of the Western 

 Pennsylvania Poultry Society are incompetent to direct a 

 show. Need any stronger evidence than this be given? The 

 late show answered its purpose, the debts incurred at former 

 shows are either paid oft or reduced to a trifling amount, 

 nobody wants "the managers" any more as show directors, 

 hadn't they better quit ? 



Pittsburgh is a great doggy center. At New York in 1883, 

 we won seven firsts and one second with nine dogs shown, 

 mastiffs, bull-terriers, setters and pointers, don't we deserve 

 better management ? 



I forgot to. say that 1 learn on iuquiry that it is a fact, that 

 a vigorous kicker against Mr. Wixora being allowed to take 

 his dogs away before the show closed, actually made an 

 agreement with the "managers" that, if he didn't get his 

 dogs to the show, his entry fees were to be refunded to him ! 

 Mr. Krueger certainly had nothing to do with this, yet the 

 profound "managers" actually tried him for "favoritism !" 

 Great snakes! \y. W.\pe. 



Huxton, Pa., Feb. 15. 



j howls, with muscles set. and tail erect. She was right undei 

 | my nose, but I could see nothing remarkable, till the mattei 

 was explained by Spot, who dashed under a large flat rook 

 close by, from beneath which came a savage growl and a 

 ] screaming dog. 



Mattel's now became exciting around chat rock. Three 

 | flOffB simultaneously made a run for the hole, the poise kepi 

 ; up by the rest was dea fening. Of course I was well -prepared 

 I for the advent of old bruin, so when he came dounderine 



WITH HOUNDS ON BRUIN'S TRAIL. 



I HUNT bears with a pack of from five to twelve black and 

 tan hounds, of Virginia origin, I think; but I procured 

 my first stock from an old and enthusiastic hunter and fron- 

 tiersman, now living in Menard county, Texas. 



On the 10th of April last a Pueblo Indian, belonging to 

 my outfit, returned toward dusk, after the general hunt for 

 fresh tracks of bear and pumas; and not without some signs 

 of mental disturbance— for he was young and a new hand- 

 informed us tha,t he had seen the tracks of a large bear and 

 of a small one; and while watcbiug the valley from the mesa 

 he had also seen a medium-sized black bear crossing an open 

 space - below; he fired at it at a long range and missed. We 

 asked why he did not follow, and he replied bv owning that 

 he was afraid. It, did not take long to see that ail the coup- 

 ling chains, rifles, etc., were in thorough working order, and 

 next morning, shortly after daybreak, we started, C.', the 

 Indian, a Mexican and myself, with three couple of hounds 

 On arriving at the foot of the mesa we tied our horses and 

 proceeded on foot for about half a mile up tire side of a very 

 steep hill on our way to where the Indian had seeu his bear 

 However, before getting there we found a fresh track. It 

 was but the work of a minute to uncouple the dogs and 

 away we went, or I should say, away w ent the hounds in 

 full cry, for we had some distance to toil up the hill before 

 reaching ground level enough to put the pace on. When 

 we arrived at the first bench or fiat the whole pack could 

 be plainly heard running to our right, at the same time we 

 observed the fresh track of a large hear going off to the left 

 and thinking that while we might get a shot at him, the dogs 

 would tree the other on the right, the Indian and I followed 

 his track, C. went after the houuds and the Mexican made 

 straight for the top of the mesa. Expecting one of them to 

 run up as they nearly always do, I walked slowly for half a 

 mile or so, crossed a deep ravine and sat down on the op- 

 posite side in some brush to watch the course of events 

 The dogs had run out of hearing, but were coming back 

 toward us, though still some distance off. I should think 

 we had been here about fifteen minutes, yet it seemed houis 

 when the dogs came to the top of a gulch not far distant' 

 and the baying became so audible that I could not stay 

 there any longer; so leaving the Indian behind to 

 cut oft bruin's retreat in case I missed him, I pro- 

 ceeded clown the steep side of the gulch, steadily 

 at first, to prevent falling or making a noise, but as the 

 baying came nearer I increased my pace till I stumbled 

 and rolled to the bottom. However, I was only slightly 

 scratched, not hurt. Struggling up the opposite side, I 

 waited a minute, no longer, for breath. On "they came 1 

 could hear the blundering old bear smashing oak brush and 

 scrub m his course, and snapping his teeth at his tormentors, 

 but they were all well aware of the danger of a too close 

 proximity, and eluded him every time. He passed a little 

 above me, and owing to the dense brush I did not catch a i 

 glimpse of him, but as I ran forward I saw Rosy in the lead 

 as usual, and the rest of the pack a yard or so behind. Let- 

 ting them pass I took to my heels in their rear. Here C. and 

 the Indian, who had heard the dogs alter their course, came 

 running up, and we had a good race to see who would get 

 there first. However, we had not far to go, for on emerging 

 from the brush we found the dogs ascending a trail, at no 

 great pace. I went up just behind them, aud was somewhat 

 disconcerted and puzzled to know why they did not gc 

 faster, and where the bear had gone, when, suddenly, Rosy ■ 

 stopped dead, and commenced a series of long, unearthly 



When they had worried him to their hearts, 

 content, wo tied them up to examine our bear. He proved 

 to be a cinnamon with a very long, sandy coat, probably a 

 two-year-old. for he was small and I should think weighed 

 about two to three hundred pounds. We then went to "look 

 at ! h» rock, which had probably sheltered him all the winter. 

 The hole underneath was just bis enough for him to squeeze 

 in, and must have fitted close all round the body. 



The rest was soon done, the bear skinned, the dogs fed as- 

 much as they could eat, and the remainder of the meat 

 taken back to camp, which was not far away. I do not 

 know what became of the bear that made the 'large track; 

 anyhow we never saw his foot marks anymore. We did not 

 hunt him that day, as t make it a rule always to go to camp 

 after a kill, in order to give the dogs a good rest for the next 

 hunt. 



We found our Mexican in camp: having lost track of the 

 hounds he went home to cook up some dinner, which was 

 very acceptable just then. So ended our first successful 

 spring run, If your readers care to hear anymore about 

 the bears of New Mexico, and the way we hunt them, I wil 1 

 send you some of our fall runs at a future date. 



A, P. F. Coape. 



New Mexico. 



MENTALITY IN DOGS. 



DO fanciers ever realize that there is something in dogs, 

 that in its dim and glimmering way, corresponds to 

 intelligence in man? Perhaps my term of "mentality" may 

 , be objected to as too pretentions, but I know of no better 

 title for that peculiar faculty shown in the preeminently 

 useful breeds of dogs. "Instinct" hardly goes far enough, 

 for that is a quality possessed by all animals, while none, but 

 dogs commonly show the apparent use of a reasoning power, 

 , an ability to distinguish between cases and the course of 

 , action called for under varying circumstances. For instance, 

 a cow will sometimes learn how to pull the peg inserted 

 behind a gate to keep it shut, or to press down a pump han- 

 , die to draw water, or a horse will know his wav home over 

 a road he has traveled but once, et?., etc, But all these 

 seem but imitative in their character. To illustrate, 1 must 

 quote instances in the breeds I know best" i. c, mastiffs and 

 I bobtails, and must be forgiven if I repeat stories that I have 

 told in the past. What prompted my Gipsey (before she 

 departed for the canine paradise she* certainly earned) or 

 yvhat now prompts her son Lion when a woman or child 

 goes off the place, particularly after dark, that they will go 

 I along if they can? If a man goes, they are somewhat 

 indifferent, but if prevented from following a woman 

 or child, they would and will fret in a distracted way. 

 What taught them that women and children needed a 

 protection that full-grown men didn't? Why will Lion 

 allow the housemaid to hammer the hired man and only 

 I frets and fumes, pushing himself between them, whining 

 and barking, but if the case is reversed and the man hain- 

 ! mers the woman, he jumps on the former, knocks him down 

 if possible, cr catches his arm or leg? The man feeds him, 

 ; looks after him, and as far as association goes, the man 

 should be the favored one, yet he never misses taking the 

 side of the weaker party. (Of course, the "hammerings" are 

 all in sport, serious work in that line would be very danger- 

 [ ous were any mastiff around that I have ever known.) What 

 taught Gipsey, Lion, Boadicea, Bertha, Persephone, Lee's 

 Turk, etc., that if the house was left without any of the 

 family, or only one of the women, they must not go out of it 

 until adequate protection returned? Why did the very old, 

 crippled Maidstone Nellie bristle up her back, bare her teeth, 

 growl like a tiger, and advance at a crowd of roughs 

 gathered at my gate? She paid no attention to them when 

 they were quiet, but when the air became blue with curses. 



jump the fence, and without offering to hurt the woman, 

 just growl at her and push between her and the victim of 

 her brutal temper? Forty or fifty years since, Mr. J. W. 

 Thompson's Juno was lyiug in a room and two tramps 

 came into the adjoining hall and walked off with a piece 

 of meat lying on the table in the hall; from whence 

 came the impulse that directed Juno to follow them 

 and bring them back to the house? She didn't see the 

 theft. Why is it that any mastiff will bristle up and growl 

 if a crowd assemble near his owner's premises, and stand 

 looking, pointing, etc. , at it ? What suggested the discrim- 

 ination Gipsey made between the glazier she found cutting 

 at a pane of gl ass in the house and the mau who might pick 

 up something in the yard ? The former she knocked down, 

 the latter she obliged to drop what he had taken, and she 

 evidently recognized that one looked like burglary and the 

 other was only petty larceny. Persephone didn't object to 

 a stranger going to the front door, but wheu she saw a man 

 go in the back door she followed and dragged him out of 

 the house by his coat tail. Then the bobtail, Bob, drewtm 

 his inner consciousness for the knowledge that rams should 

 not be allowed to fight, that corn thrown down to the 

 chickens was not to be taken by the hogs, that a sick animal 

 iu the field must be laid aside by him', and all intruders 

 must be kept at a respectful distance, that he must bark like 

 all possessed if he found a sheep in such difficulty as being 

 fastened by the hindleg in a wire fence, that all strange dogs 

 must incontinently be chased out of fields where stock were; 

 if no stock should happen to be in the field, Bob might have 

 a play with the stranger, but let the latter cross the fence 

 to where the stock were, there would be war unless the 

 stranger left at once. Dame Judith knows which cows 

 are dry and which want milking after once seeirm 

 them; the cows which are left in the barnyard she knows 

 are not needed, and afterward never brings them, while 

 slie does know that those taken into the stables are 

 wanted there, and she will hunt all over a field to 

 bring one that she knows is wanted, passing by a dozen 

 times those she knows are not wanted. She also knows 

 that strange dogs are improper visitors in fields with stock 

 but she differs from Bob in that she will attack such a tres- 

 passer with the utmost ferocity, while Bob simply drives 

 them out of the field. Bob knows that a hen's uest found in 

 a field must be promptly reported by barking until some- 

 body comes for the eggs, but as the eggs are not gathered 

 from a turkey s nest, Bob does not report the latter Now 

 not one of the dogs I have mentioned ever received any 

 specific training that led it to perform the work I have 

 described; the mastiffs never received any training what- 

 ever. One of the latter, Boadicea, was bred bv Mr. Wvnn, 

 and he knew no more about her wonderful powers of dis- 

 crimination thau he did of the late Brigham Young's family 

 as she was merely an inmate of his breeding kenuef and her 

 wisuom was not shown until she became a member of her 

 American owner's family. The two bobtails were broken 

 to drive stock, but never taught any of the things I have 

 mentioned. To avoid any appearance of personal interest 

 I may say that of all the dogs mentioned, only three "be- 



longed to me. Of course, this mentality or whatever it may 

 be called, is not an original characteristic of dogs in their' 

 natural state, Tt is fair to presume that the special intelli - 

 gence shown in particular fields of work is the resui .,1' 

 training and use in such work of many generations of 

 ancestors, iu fact, no other contention is admissible, and it 

 is certain that these proclivities are tolerably firmly fixed ins 

 certain breeds; that is, the mastiff has the watchdog qualities, 

 the collie or the bobtail, the stock-caring instinct (par 

 parenthesis, bobtails are elegant watchdogs), but fixed as 

 these traits are.it is simply absurd fco claim that they are 

 inevitable attendants ou the breeds, tbat is, that we can 

 keep on breeding mastiffs in crowded kennels like so many 

 black Essex pigs, and with as much attention to their men- 

 tal aud moral development as is given to a coop of Plymouth' 

 Rock fowls, and still retain their discriminating wisdom- 

 To do this their owner must make them part of his family, 

 part of his daily life, let them lie by his fireside, accompany 

 him in his walks abroad, and learn' to associate themselves 

 with him and his. So the collie breeder cannot with a 

 ghost of reason expect that his collie, bred for show aud 

 show alone, knowing nothing about a sheep, without the 

 faintest idea of which is the "business end" of a cow or horse 

 or whether sheep are to be driven or killed, are to rival 

 Hogg's Yarrow. No doubt much of the old inbred dispo- 

 sition yet remaius dormant in both breeds. I know it is so 

 with mastiffs, hut in the name of common sense how is it to 

 continue if no measures are taken to perpetuate it? The 

 present fashion of making "a mastiff" simply a question of 

 snubbiness of nose, or "a collie" only a rival of a tapir in 

 snout and a bear in coat, will doubtless result in most 

 "typical" specimens, but where will the usefulness of the 

 breeds come in and how many people will continue to keep 

 them when their usefulness is gone? Do you not remember 

 Dr. Gordon Stables' story of the Cockney, inquiring of the 

 Scotch shepherd, who had just sold him a collie at a long 

 price, why he didu't raise collies instead of sheep and the 

 Scot's reply, "We migthna aye find fules to buy them?" 



To carry the war into Africa (how precious little do I 

 know of the geography of this Africa), pugs are pet dogs, it 

 is supposed that ladies and children keep them for house- 

 hold playmates. Yet I have heard it said of this and that 

 "crack," "he (or she) is snappish." Surely a snappish dog 

 is not a fit playmate for little children; and as a matter of 

 information, do your pug breeders ever inquire into the- 

 temper of animals they breed from? Suppose your great 

 crack is bad tempered (I kuow nothing about it) would he 

 not be as extensively used as a stock dog as any other in 

 your land? 



Of course "mentality" does not come withiu the domain 

 of show decision, but is that auy reason for entire neglect of 

 it? When your breeders are breeding animals that the 

 merest infants are to play with, is it not a requirement of 

 common honesty that they sell safe ones? Whether they do- 

 it or do not, I do not pretend to say, but I do know that if 

 they keep on building everything on the twist in a tail (or 

 whatever "type" may be) they will eventually be putting 

 off some very bad bargains on a simple-minded public. 

 It may surprise many to be told that a bobtail is one of 

 the very best of pet dogs, and a most charming com- 

 panion, but it is true nevertheless. Mastiffs are my 

 first love, and I will not concede that any dog equals 

 them, all things considered; but I must admit that purely 

 as companions, no dog I ever knew equals a bobtail. All 

 that we have so far had have that charming disposition- 

 affectionate, quiet, always near one, solicitous of notice, yet 

 never fussy, forcing themselves on attention, overwhelming 

 one with frantic demonstrations, and becoming somewhat 

 of a nuisance. Bob, Sir Lucifer and Dame Judith will jump 

 up beside one for quite a time, yet never jumping on one. 

 With all their desperate courage, and tremendous powers as 

 gladiators, no dog is less prone to pick fights, although 

 when one is forced on them, they become very much inter- 

 ested. This, however, is straying from the subject. What 

 is now on my mind is to impress on all dog lovers, that there 

 is a nobler quality in dogs than "type"; that as our servants, 

 friends and companions, their mentality is infinitely their 

 most important quality, and while we may raise heaven and 

 earth to shorten a mastiff's nose, or lengthen a collie's, or 

 corkscrew a pug's tail, let us keep iu mind what it is that 

 makes. a dog "the friend of man.— IF. Wade in the Illustra- 

 ted Kennel Magazine. 



BOSTON DOG SHOW. 



WE have received the premium list of the fifth annual 

 dog show of the New England Kennel Club to be held 

 at Mechanic's Hall, Boston, Mass, April 3 to 5. The prizes 

 in the prominent classes are: Challenge, $20 and $10; open 

 dogs, $20, $10 and $5, bitches the same; puppies, 85, 13 and 

 bronze medal. In some of the other classes the prizes are- 

 Challenge, $10 and $5; open dogs, $10, $5 and bronze medal; 

 bitches the same, with silver and bronze medals for pup pies. 

 In a few of the remaining classes the prizes in the challenge 

 classes are 85 and $8, with 810, $5 and bronze medal in the 

 open. The St. Bernard Club's cups (two of $35 and six of 

 115 each) will be competed for; also the Collie Club trophy 

 aud two specials of $10 each, and the club medal for the best 

 puppy are offered by the Collie Club. The grand challenge 

 cup of the Fox-Terrier Club will be competed for, and the 

 home-bred puppy stakes will be decided. The club also 

 offers a special of $35 each for best kennels— not less than 

 four— of mastiffs, St. Bernards— rough and smooth— point- 

 ers, English setters, Irish setters, collies and fox-terriers; $10 

 each for deerhounds, spaniels, beagles, bull-terriers, York- 

 shire terriers and pugs. The judges are: Mr. Frederick 

 Gresham, London, England, mastiffs, St. Bernards, blood- 

 hounds, spaniels, collies, fox, Irish, Airedale, Welsh, Skye, 

 Scotch, Dandie Dinmont, Yorkshire aud toy terriers, and 

 miscellaneous classes; Mr. Ch<is. II. Mason, New York. 

 English, Irish and Gordon setters, Newfoundlands, fox- 

 hounds, beagles, dachshunde, basset hounds, poodles, pugs 

 and Italian greyhounds; Mr. C. J. Peshall, jersey City, N. 

 J., pointers; Mr. H. W. Smith. Worcester, Mass., deer- 

 houuds and greyhounds; Mr. J. W. Newman, Boston, Mass., 

 the remaining classes. Entries close March 11. J. W. New- 

 man, secretary, (3 Hamilton place, Boston, Mass. 



CHICAGO DOG SHOW. 



WE have received the premium list of the first annual 

 . deg show of the Maseoutah Kennel Cl ib, to be held 

 at Chicago, 111 April 9 to 13. The judges are.- Major J. M 

 lay lor, English, Irish and Gordm setters, pointers fox- 

 hounds, beagles and Chesapeake Bay dogs; Mr. J. H. Whit- 

 man, reti levers, Irish water, field and cocker spaniels- Mr 

 James Mortimer the remaining classes. In the oromin»nt 

 classes the premiums are; Challenge, $30 aud $10. Open 

 dogs $20, $10 and medal; bitches the same, with $10, $5 and ' 

 ^m ™ r JW'-f • In some of the less important classes it 

 is M0 and $o m challenge classes, with $10, $5 and medal in 

 the open classes. Iu the remaining classes it is $10, $5 and 

 medal. Kennel prizes ot $25 each are offered for St Ber- 

 nards both rough and smooth; deerhounds, pointers Eng- 

 lish, Irish and Gordon setters, collies, fox-terriers, largest 

 ^ nnel . s t>oi-t'ing and largest kennel non-sporting dogs. The 

 Mastiff Club, the St. Bernard Club and the Fox-terrier Club 

 offer valuable specials and m addition there is one of $35 

 S e 1uffnrir^ Ved T stiff ' the .samefor best St Ber- 

 J£? iJ i P eruarJ , PUPPY, silver medals for both 



pointer and setter dogs and bitches that have been placed at 

 &?E!?tS ui d tria V 5 ? 5 f ' or best American-bred collie $35 



