Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-04-28
Dogs and Their DOings.

BY REV. F. o. MORRIS, Il. A.
"THERE is a wellauthenticated anecdote |
of two fine dogs at Donaghadee," say the |
Messrs. Chambers in their Anecdotes of |
Dogs" "in which the instructive daring |
of the one in behalf of the other cansed a |
friendship, and, as it should seem, kind |
of lamentation for the dead after one of |
them had paid the debt of nature. This |
happened while the government harbor or |
pier for the packets at Donaghadee was in
the course of building, and it took place |
in the sight of several witnesses. The one
dog was Newfoundland, and the other
was mastiff. They were both powerful
dogs; and though each was good-natured
when alone, they were very much in the
habit of fighting when they met. One day
they had fierce and prolonged battle on
the pier, from the point of which they
both fell into the sea; and, as the pier was
long and steep, they had no means of
escape but by swimming a considerable
distance. Throwing water upon fighting
dogs is an approved means of putting an
end to their hostilities; and it is natural to
suppose that two combatants of the same
species tumbling themselves into the sea
would have the same effect 1t had, and
each began to make for the land as he best
could The Newfoundland, being an ex-
cellent swimmer, very speedily gained the
pier, on which he stood shaking himself
but at the same time watching the motions
of his late antagonist, who, being no
swimmer, was struggling, exhausted, in the
water, and Just about to sink In dashed
the Newfoundland dog, took the other
gently by the collar, kept his head above
water, and brought him safely on shore.
There was peculiar kind of recognition
between the two animals: they never
oil
and when the Newfoundland dog had been
accidentally killed by the passage of a
stone wagon on the railway over him, the
other languished and evidently lamented
for long time"
Mr.. NJ. Westcott wrote, few years ago,
as follows in The Naturalist
"Joseph Parsons, Esq, has fine dog of
the Newfoundland Species who is a very
docile and affectionate fellow to all with
whom he is acquainted, but he is very
sparing of his friendship to strangers, nor
will he hold familiar acquaintance with
anyone until he has seen them about the
premises some time. He is by no means a
savage animal, however, for he was never
known to attack any person excepting on
one occasion, and then he doubtless felt
himselfin duty bound to do so in order to
protect his masters property. On this
occasion the subject of his displeasure was
Lion not liking disappearance, followed
him about. The man, unconscious of the
dogs sagacity, and therefore careless of his
presence, secreted a chamois skin and
water-brush, which the groom had been
using, and was about leaving the place
when he was pounced upon by the dog,
thrown down, and kept there until some
of the men came to his rescue Before he
left they ELECTED from him confession of
the theft he had committed, which, of
course they assigned as the sole cause of
his having been so summarily dealt with
by his detector, for strangers are almost
every day seen in the yard by Lion pass
ing to and fro, without the least attempt at
interference"
We are told by Plutarch of a certain
Roman slave in the civil wars, whose head
nobody burst cut off, for fear of the dog
that guarded his body, and fought in his
defense. 1t happened that King Pyrrhus,
travelling that way, observed the animal
watching over the body of the deceased,
and hearing that he had been there three
days without meat or drink, yet would not
forsake his master, ordered the body TO be
buried, and the dog preserved and brought
to him. A few days afterward there was a
muster Of the soldiers, so that every man
was forced to march in order before the
king. The dog lay quietly by him for
some time but when he saw the murder
ers of his late owner pass by he flew upon
them with extraordinary fury barking,
and tearing their garments, and frequently
turning about to the king, which both ex-
cited the kings suspicion and the jealousy
of all who stood about him. The men
were in consequence apprehended, and
though the circumstances which appeared
in evidence against them were very slight,
they confessed the crime, and we're accord
ingly .punished.-Cham6ers' " anecdotes Of
Dogs"
A remarkable instance of the sagacity
of the dog occurred few months ago in
London. Captain Talbot's man servant
and dog were having their usual daily
stroll along the Regents Park Ornamental
Water, when the feet of man were seen
Just above the water. The servant called
the dogs attention to them, when instantly
Rock dashed into the water. In few
moments he seized hold of the legs of the
trowsers, and struggled hard to draw the
body out, but without avail. Then was
witnessed one of the most remarkable in
stances of dog sagacity ever recorded. The
noble creature suddenly dived down, seized
the man by the coat collar, and in a few
moments reappeared on the surface, drag
ging the body to the shore All honor to
Rock" to John Adams, and also to the
man was restored to consciousness. We
regret that the rules of the Royal Humane
Society have not allowed them to respond
to our appeal for a collar of honor for
Rock, but we are glad TO state that a
number of our friends have cheerfully con.
tributed the needful sum for one with
silver mountings, which Captain Talbot
has courteously accepted. 1t bears the
following inscription;
Presentation Collar, in honor of
Rocks sagacity in saving man from
drowning in the Regents Park Ornament
al Water, April 9th, 1869 Presented by
some of the readers of the British Work.
mdn."
81 was walking, some weeks ago." says
the Rev. b. Grant, "in a neighboTing
town with friend, who was accompanied
by small hali.5red Italian greyhound
AS we approached large factory the dog
all at once started off at a tangent, running
through gentleman's grounds, and meet
ing us again at some distant point. / re-
marked upon the conduct of his dog to my
friend he told me that the dog generally
did so If he were walking with 1t at the
time the factory hands were coming our,
as was the case in this instance. He said
the hands had jeered and laughed at the