voted, and anxious to please. I have found them 
eager students of my own moods, and if at any time 
I suggested romp and play, I was met with an in¬ 
stant response. As ready as they may be for play, 
they are on the instant as ready for their duty, an 
inherent sense that is ever uppermost in their minds. 
In this they differ from many other breeds who 
change from one state of mind to another with a 
much greater reluctance. There may be occasional 
instances of vicious individuals, just as they are 
found in other breeds, and very often in man, too, 
but they are rare. Then one finds shy individuals 
that are about as useless as the other extreme.; these 
are usually the results of too intensive breeding and 
should be avoided, both as companions or as breed¬ 
ing animals. 
The many new owners of this great breed are 
asking for a general and elemental information and 
to supply this in a condensed form is the purpose of 
this book. Nor is it the purpose to compare itself 
in any way with the wonderful work of Ritt- 
meister von Stephanitz, whose years of research and 
study have made him supreme in this field, but if 
this book inspires the desire for a more thorough 
interest and a greater love for the breed, then its 
conception will be amply repaid. 
