272 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
April 6, 1895. 
wanted a thing she was determined to have it. Hours, days 
might elapse, but she did not forget, and in her own good time 
she won the day. Placed on the sofa and told to stay there, she 
was too knowiug to disobey outright, but placed herself always 
in feigned slumber, on the extreme edge, and allowed herself to 
slide over until she fell upon the floor, when she would look 
about with an air of great surprise, as one who said, "What, 
did I fall? Well, now I am here, I may as well stay." 
Her persistence would make one nervous, it was so nnfailing. 
On^one occasion she spied a mouse issue forth from a hole in a 
corner. Thenceforward, day in and out, Rhoda sat bythe hour 
before that mouse hole, oblivious to all else. 
We used to quote, 
" And waited patiently about, 
Till Mary did appear," 
and would laughingly say, "Rhoda, are you waiting for 
Mary?" 
This became in her mind the mouse's name at once, and we 
had only to inquire, "Where's Mary?" to send her flying to the 
corner. The grave little figure seated there so motionless 
became so upsetting to the nerves that I used to say, "Rhoda, 
Mary isn't there. She's gone to the city in the steam cars." 
Her implicit faith in my word was touching, and she always 
gave up the watch till the whistle of the train was heard, then 
she would run to me with excited panting, and inquiring looks, 
until I said, "Yes, there are the steam cars. Now you can look 
for Mary," and the vigil was again resumed. So far as I 
remember this was the only deception practiced on her. 
$ Whenever a member of the family was away, Rhoda always 
inquired on each train's advent, if they were coming, and when 
at last she was answered yes, would run down to the station 
with joyful barks. 
But the story of all her funny little ways would fill the 
paper. How she gave the* alarm when the lamp was smoking 
and coaxed a neighbor in to repair the mischief; how she 
would sit up before the stove and beg by waving her paws, for 
us to open the draft or cast on more coal, this being a request 
which she would request quite as brazenly in the neighbor's 
houses; how she adopted a thick, long tangle of black hair cut 
from a visiting dog named Zip Coon, as her doll, and kept it 
under the lounge, bringing it out for the admiration of the 
callers when her mistress requested her to "go get little Zip 
Coon"; how she lamed her foot by a street car, and enjoyed the 
petting and sympathy she received, and, long after it was 
healed and forgotten, would suddenly exhibit it with drooping 
mien, and abject contenance for the commiseration of a friend 
who hadn't seen it at the time; how she would coax to be 
allowed to visit with her mistress, and be content to know she 
could go "to-morrow," and how when to-morrow came she 
began the day quite of her own accord, with whimperings and 
teasings, and the production of such articles of apparel as she 
thought would be needed, to hasten the time. 
^.Rhoda never made a mistake in all the visiting list. The 
destination once announced, she always confidently led the 
way. Once told she might go, there was no denial after that. 
Wnen we were about to set forth, 1 sometimes said, jestingly, 
"Oh, no, Rhoda, I think you'd better stay at home." "Will 1, 
indeed?" she would declare, with a defiant sniff, and run far 
out of call. Yet, were I to pronounce this same mandate with- 
out previous promise, she would sink to the earth in abject 
despair and sorrow. 
Her sense of fun was a very strong oue, and she delighted 
to play practical jokes upon the more stupid ones, all of which 
regarded her as a vastly superior being. She would secure 
some small treasure, and begin guarding it and gloating over it 
and extolling its merits, till she would have a row of them 
seated before her quite wild with envy and curiosity, and then 
she would dart away and leave it for them to fight over, and 
to find it was a pebble or a piece of paper, 
j; Sometimes, wishing to know the whereabouts of her master, 
T would step out of doors, where lay Rhoda, Availing for me 
(for she would forego the delights of a hunting trip to remain 
with her mistress), and say: "Rhoda, where is the man? Co 
find the man," and she vastly enjoyed conducting me to him, 
or giving me to understand that it was impossible lO follow. 
But this time the spirit of mischief was plainly in Rhoda's 
visage, as I put the question. "I'll show you," quoth she, and 
led the way with much prancing and mincing, to a little 
culvert before the front gate. "Nonsense," I said, "The 
man, go and find the man." 
- "Yes, he was there," Rhoda reiterated. He certainly was, 
under those boards, if I would only look, As I advanced, to 
please her, her tail wagged faster and faster, and as I stooped 
and looked under, she gave vent to what was indubitably a 
derisive bark, and flew far away out of sight and tearing. 
How the dog learned was something that daily puzzled us. 
There seemed more than the soul of a dog in hpr. Instances 
are many of the quick grasping of a new idea. One day, feel- 
did, without illustrative gestures. Being reluctant, as I have 
said to perform her tricks readily, she rather required some 
decision in one's utterance, and one day, to try her. I said in a 
casual and indifferent voice: "Rhoda, I wonder if you would go 
and shut the door for the lady!" Rhoda, who sat in a chair by 
the window, at her favorite occupation of watching sparrows 
on the lofty telegraph wires, looked around for me to sav again 
"Shut the door," but I said notning and she gazed forth again. 
Presently she looked at me again and I looked at her. She 
gazed at the birds, but her tongue began to lick her lips 
nervously— a sign of mental disturbance— and she turned im- 
ploringly to me onca more, evidently wishing me to be a little 
more peremptory, but I still sat looking at her, and unable to 
bear it any longer, she got down, crossed the room, and gave 
the door a violent slam. Was not this conscience and memory 
-^Her'tricks were not at all remarkable, except her knowing 
her right paw from her left, which seems to me a difficult thing 
for a dog to know unerringly, and one she never stumbled on, 
unless much distracted by outside interest. 
9 When singing and playing I used sometimes to introduce 
words and sentences which I knew she would understand, and 
which would briug her promptly to my side to listen, much to 
the amusement of callers, till I ran them into a jingle I called 
"Bboda's song," to which, as the objects multiplied more 
rapidly she would listen with her little head tdting over 
farther and farther at each line, till there seemed danger it 
would screw entirely off. 
| These classic strains ran as follows: 
, , Dear little Rhoda, 
^ " Riding in the steam cars, 
Rhoda saw a kitty cat, 
Rhoda saw a mousie, 
, | The mousiej the kitty cat, 
The birdie, the steam cars, etc. 
Her appreciation of this lay was immense. 
But while I smile retrospectively, it is with a heartache, for 
though it is a year since Rhoda's loving brown eyes have 
looked into mine, the old horror is yet fresh when we set gayly 
forth Rhoda and I, after the deep snow-stoi-m, to plough our 
wav to a neighbor's. I had been ill for four long weeks, and 
Rhoda had not left my pillow except under compulsion, and 
then she had collected all the small articles of my personal 
property she could find, and sat on them in a kind of pro- 
prietary frenzy. To-day was the first day we had gone to 
walk and her happiness knew no bounds. I saw her ahead of 
me on a snowy rise, floundering about on her back and kicking 
all her little^heels in the air in a very unladylike but exuberant 
fashion. I saw her again when tbe cruel freight train had 
passed, lying on the railroad track, a pitiful little brown and 
white morsel— so still, so still. Rhoda, who, it seemed to me, 
could never die, was gone in a flash, in an instant, in the very 
midst of her happy, loyal little life, gone somewhere out into 
space. Is it strange that one's first wild thought should be, not 
there she lies, but where is she? Is it strange that to-day one 
cannot keep back bitter tears for the loss of the staunch, lovins 
little friend and comrade whose mistress was all her world— or 
that one should feel sure that somewhere in another world 
there will be waiting the same little white and brown friend, 
with .loving and delighted greeting, else the heaven that^the 
lover of dogs pictures, will not be quite complete. 
GREENE, R. L MaRIANA M. TALLMAN. 
POINTS AND FLUSHES. 
THE INTELLIGENCE OP THE DOG. 
There is a slow but sure ^belief, steadily gaining ground with 
the public, that the dog is an intelligent animal, a belief widely 
different from that of the past, which relegated the dog to a 
class of mentally vacant organisms. Such he then was believed 
to be, and that belief still obtains in a limited way at the pre- 
sent. More intelligent investigation and comparison have 
shown that the old theories rested on no more tangible founda- 
tion than assertion and 'false sentiment, combined with a false 
pride, which refused the dog admission to a mental realm of 
which man claimed the sole, proud possession. Physically, 
man was but a higher development of the animal organisms, 
the material proof being constantly at hand, and comparative 
anatomy has so established it. But the psychological phases 
were not so tangible, and they, therefore, were matter for 
much speculation, It was not many years ago that there was a 
fairly uniform public belief that the dog was not endowed with 
powers of reason. The man who, at that time, would have 
dared to openly advocate that tbe dog had an intelligence 
similar to that of man, differing from it only in degree, would 
have been suspected of a weak head piece himself, and that he 
advocated a silly thiug which wounded man's pride, irrever- 
ently went contrary to honored beliefs, and cherished a whim 
which was unbecoming and unworthy. 1 ; The dog was conceded 
to be a living organism, but man appropriated all intelligence 
to himself. \;u-i 
The theory was that the dog's acts, while they might have 
an appearance of intelligence, were so in appearance only. 
They were really from instinct, as it was assumed were those 
of all the lower animals, all knowledge and the capability of 
it being arrogated by man to himself. Though there were 
many facts which indicated that the dog had intelligence and 
reasoning powers of no mean order, they were summarily cast 
aside and the more pleasing assumption of man being the sole 
animal which could have a thought, was accepted as the true 
doctrine. The faet that the dog had a brain, which it could be 
assumed Nature had not endowed him with for nothing, and 
that he had a nervous organization closely analogous to that of 
man, were not considered as pertinent to the matter, even if 
that fact was generally known, nor was the further fact con- 
sidered that the dog depended on the senses of sight, hearing, 
feeling, smell and taste for his sensations and perceptions, pre- 
cisely the same as does the nobler animal, man. His acts were 
summarily grouped with the acts of birds building their nests 
alike, without thought or prior experience, and with the migra- 
tion of the birds, at a certain season, without a knowledge of 
whither they were going or why thev went, though they all 
had an impulse to go in the same general direction. The bee 
hoards its stores of honey with no knowledge that a winter is lo 
be provided for, and it builds its comb on correct geometrical 
lines, presumably by instinct. To this common plane of 
instinct, man relegated all the acts of the dog. He overlooked 
or ignored the fact that his own acts were not always from 
intelligence; that, in short, he has instincts himself. But he in 
his own case differentiates his instinctive acts from those 
which are from intelligence, but those of the dog aud other 
intelligent lower animals are by him not so differentiated, 
though they can be so treated on the same lines of argument. 
From the common standpoint of reasoning the matter, there 
is one most serious difficulty in estabilshing the dog's just right 
to be considered a reasoning animal, and that is that man takes 
his own mental standard of intelligence as a standard of all 
intelligence. As men have the power of speech, aud the lower 
animal, have it not, or at least only in an extremely limited 
degree, it was an easy matter for mankind to agree that they 
alone were the sole beiugs which possessed intelligence. It was 
not considered that there were degrees of intelligence in the 
mental world as there are degrees of organisms iu the physical 
world. Even among men, mentality varies from the highest, 
exhibited by the Caucasian, to that exhibited by the lowest 
savage races, which live a life no higher than that of some orders 
of lower animals, and who trust quite as much to signs to convey 
their meaning as to their powers of speech. All dog trainers 
insist on conceding intellect in the dog. They constantly 
observe intelligent acts which they cannot understand on any 
other hypothesis. They would do violence to thrir own intelli- 
gence were they to attribute the acts to anj r source other than 
to intelligence. 
I was much impressed with the great change which time and 
a better understanding of the subject had brought about in the 
last few years, on reading in a circular lettei some information 
aud advice by'Mr. R. E. Morgan to his patrons. He says: "To 
begin with, the owner or master of a dog should bear in mind 
one thing, his dog likes to be noticed and made something of. 
Always meet°him with a kind word, a pat on the head, a rub of 
his coat, a good brushing, etc. Always make a companion of 
him at every possible opportunity. If going for a walk or 
drive take him along wheu possible. You will find this: That 
every minute given to your four footed friend you are iiracti- 
cally educating him. A dog will get so used to his master that 
I think, and with reason for it, they will try to imitate, to a 
certain extent, their master's actions. I can recall now a cer- 
tain noted setter (red Irish), of which I have often heard the 
friends of the owner say: 'See how — is imitating John's walk.' 
I would only add to this that they are both inseparable com- 
panions. No, the owner never will regret any attention paid 
his dog, either in or out of the field. It builds up a certain 
bond of friendship that ends only in death or separation. In 
handling my dogs afield, I use an ordinary whistle with a roll 
or pea in it. I prefer one not too loud. W hen I arrive at a 
field that I wish to draw or hunt. I drop my dogs at my feet, 
charge my gun and then 1 use the word 'Go.' " I follow my dog 
or dogs quietly. This I consider of the most essential im- 
portance, as the human voice is far more dreaded by a game 
bird or animal than is the report of a gun. When my dog 
points, I go toward him, but never on a run or in a hurry. Go 
slow. Now is the time when slowness on the part ot a handler 
is a virtue, and oue that the sportsman will do well to culti- 
vate. When near your dog, stop still. I generally say 'To ho, 
sir,' to the dog in a low tone of voice and repeat. Should my 
dog show the least inclination to go forward or to move, I say 
sharply, 'Look out, there.' If a siugle bird, and a person can 
almost always tell, I go to the dog and put my hand on his 
collar and rub his back along the spine the wrong way of the 
hair. This simple thing will often cause the most unsteady dog 
on points to be as steady as a rock. There, is something about 
it that a dog likes and appreciates. When a dog has stood a 
reasonable length of time, 1 flush the bird or birds. Never 
allow your dog to do it. Better lose the shot than ruin your 
dog, for vei*y few dogs that I have seen can or will discriminate 
between when his handler is absent or present, when it comes 
to the length of time he is tojstay on a point. That there are 
dogs that will, I do not doubt, hold their points till about 
the time the handler gets there, and then flush the game 
regardless of all else. I always aim to flush my own birds, and 
find I get better work from my dogs by so doing. When I 
hoot I stand still. Do not stir an inch till reloaded, and be 
very- slow about it too. I used a muzzle loader for years after 
breech loaders came in vogue, so as not to allow myself "to move 
after shooting and to compel the dogs to drop to shot, I would 
still use one were I not afraid of accidents. If a sportsman will 
take, say, thirty seconds rest after a shot before starting on, 
he will do his dog a world of good. As to staunchness and 
steadiness, when I kill a bird, which is often the case, if it falls 
in a bad place for my dog to retrieve, I go as near as I can 
conveniently, but never to the spot where I think it is, and I 
say 'Dead bird. Fetch it.' When the dog finds the bird, I 
walk directly back or near to where I shot , and face the clog, 
and when he comes up I say, 'Sit up.' Then I take the bird 
from him, give him a kind word and start on after the scat- 
tered birds or"more birds. Should my dog attempt to break 
shot or wing, I get to him as quickly as possible, take him by 
the collar and drag him roughly back to where he broke from, 
and then give him a cut or two with the whip. Right here Jet 
me say, should you have a shooting companion, politely tell 
him not to move till you do. Your companion will see the 
force of your request when he sees your dog perform. Let 
me add: Never allow your dog to commit a fault without cor- 
recting him. Do not say, as a good many do: Well, the next 
time you do it ' I will attend to you. Correct at the time. 
Now, in regarding your dog's movements in the field. Avoid 
using your whistle as mucu as possible. The less you use it the 
more your dog will look to vou for guidance, and hunt to the 
gun." 
Nearly an trie arivice in the foregoing is founded on the 
belief that the dog has comprehension, and that he can acquire 
knowledge from observatidn and experience. In short, that 
the dog has a perception of cause and effect, and therefore has 
powers of reasoning. The conclusions of so practical a class of 
men as are the trainers, are worthy of much consideration, for 
their conclusions are from practical experience and not from 
fanciful speculation. 
■tandltng'at^eield^tbials. 
£ In a pleasant, letter, Tunder date of Ma,rch 27, Mr. Thos. John- 
son mentions that it is probable that the Northwestern Field 
Trials Club will not give a field trial this year, as the Con- 
tinental Field Trial Club and Manitoba Field Trial Club should 
fill the field. He says further that this does not, by any 
meaus, cou^ey the idea that the club is dead, but he adds: 
"The Northwestern will lie in a dormant condition, ready to 
come, like the bear out of its winter quarters, resuscitated, 
reinvigorated and ready to take its place again. But when it 
does come, one rule will be vigorously insisted on, namely, that 
it is a dog trial only, not a dog and man trial; and Mr. 
Handler vvill use his whistle and do his yelling when so in- 
structed by the judges. The time has gone past to play men on 
the assumption that dogs are really what the handler makes 
them. He adds to their education and, in times past at field 
trials, has assisted them in the manner he could interefere with 
tbe opposing dog, principally by whistling in a tone, or by a 
number of times, of which his dog was taught not to take 
notice. Our club want the training done before tbe field trial 
starts; and then to see to what perfection the dog has been 
trained, coupled with his own natural abilities. It has been 
demonstrated that a dog could win a field trial and never have 
a word spoken. nor a whistle blown; recognized more and more 
every year that the great desideratum of field trials is the 
encouragement of good breeding, and 1 prognosticate that, 
when the rules are so framed that acts of disobedience and 
want of training are punished, by the culprit being thrown out 
of the race, more men will get interested in field trials, and 
will view them as a test of what the handler has done for his 
dog. The industrious, deserving handler will then make 
money, and the lazy loafer will get his deserts." 
^ There is good, wholesome matter to ponder over seriously, in 
what Mr. Johnson says of tbe changes in field trial require- 
ments. There never has been a proper consideration of the 
handler's limitation. ' What he could do for his dog, if the dog 
appeared to be a factor in it, was nearly always credited to the 
dog. Out of this grew all the abuses of handling, such as 
rushing, interfering with the opposing dog by whistling, loud 
and numerous commands, flushing birds, etc. I have a strong- 
belief that Mr. Johnson's predictions will prove true, and that 
noisy and turbulent handlers, whoever they may be, will have 
to remodel their style to meet the new order of things, for truly 
the glory of the juggler-handler is departing. B. YV ATERS. 
Field Trial Progress. 
Gainsville, Va.— I ha ve read with much interest your edi- 
torial; on field trial progress. There is no doubt but that the 
support, given to, and interest manifested in, field trials as. 
they have been managed and run, bears the highest testimony 
for the passionate fondness for sport afield with dog and gun, 
of the American people. 
There is not a doubt in my mind that in many instances they 
have been run and judged unfairly, and the work of certain 
dogs reported incorrectly, and yet,' I have liberally supported 
them for about ten years. Why ? Because for my natural 
"fondness for the sports afield," and a lingering hope to he 
able to assist in the reformation and purification of field trials. 
You say "At the present day, a field trial is so specialized in 
its management, judging and handling, that in theory there is 
little room for improvement." If we hpve a theory on false 
premises, we arrive at false conclusions. What evidence have 
we that human nature is different now from what it was in the 
darkest field trial days? 
It cannot be truthfully denied that the spotting system, as 
practiced by some of the judges, instead of affording compe- 
tition has prevented it. Human nature is the same now that it 
has been always. The spotting system gives a better opoor- 
tunity for the misjudging of field trials than any other yet 
devised. With the most honest, most experienced and logical 
sportsmen, it is impossible to accurately estimate the relative 
merits of dogs not running together under the same conditions. 
A sensible, good dog knows that he cannot find birds and 
do good work under the most unfavorable conditions. A dog 
of mediocrity will do fairly good work under favorable condi- 
tions. 
_ The spotting system, with the purest and best judges, may 
eliminate merit, but never luck. 
The most important stake run in the United States the past 
season, resulted in the mere luck of the drawing, one seriously, 
the two dogs getting the best time of day, and best grounds 
were placed, first and second. The bye was placed third, so 
that there was no competition except as to two dogs out of 
nine. This decision was not just. 
The decision of the most important stake last jear, 1893-4, 
was based on what one judge saw of the running of one dog, 
and two judges saw of the other two that were placed, running 
twelve or fourteen miles apart. Dear Forest and Stream is 
there not much room for improvement? 
There must be something the matter with the judging when a 
very strong cluh is threatened with dissolution, on the simple 
question of the selection of the committee to select judges. If 
that is of such great moment to club members' interests, tell 
me, please, what chance of winning have the outsiders had 
under the spotting system? 
The judging of the All-Age Stake at the Eastern in 1S93, and 
the All-Age and Selling Stakes also was erroneous in 1894. No 
