Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-11
RAISING OUR OWN DOGS.

habltually "raise our own dogs.n milk
other departments of useful production
this has no GIBBS and flows; but at all period
OF our history as people, In peace ant
war, prosperity and adversely, we have neYe
been known to flag in this great object q
national pursuit-the ample supply of dogs
In the production Of articles OF food aDt
OF animals for labor or consumption-wt
oftentimes fail. Some sections impor
mules at high prices. We buy beef cattle
and bacon; we buy mutton or do witbou
| it. But while neither pigs nor poultry
sheep, goats nor swine of low degree NAV
| be visible on plantation, 90 where voIT
may, ample demonstration will greet eyt
and ear, that at all hazards "We raise on,
own dogs"
This invaluable animal, which has form.
ed the "primal, eldest" theme of al
school-boys' composition through all the
ages, is none the less appreciated in latel
life. Suchis the universally of "dog cnl.
ture," that not infrequently the most thrift.
less men possess and support the largest
number of them. Faithful dogs Weir
around them repay their Affection
through all the night season. and
assist them by day to consume the
superfuous fruits of the earth. And the
wayfaring man encounters many a wbeIn.
whlthersOever he may go-sometimes al
most too lazy to bark, but quite too mean
not to bark at him by the way-bavinp
half recumbent, to bless him on bis ioIfrna9
with all the meanness he can afford TO ex.
pend.
The general interest which the human
race takes in the canine, ENCOURAGES the
presentation OF some views on this hack
neyed subject, with IAN exposition of the
services rendered by the dog, and some snc-
geStions on the proper treatment of an anil
NAL so generally ''raised."
Perhaps the principal end served by the
dog Is that he keeps the country from he
ing infested with sheep. This noxions
creature would increase beyond bounds.
were it not for the fun the dog has in keep
ing him under. Not that the dog eats
sheep, this timid quadruped. 1t is mere
playfulness, encouraged by the fact that the
sheep does not resist, but only runs from
him. The sheep won't fight, so the dog
has it all his own way, and all the more
fun. 1t is perfectly plain sailing-his
method with the sheep.
The most remarkable fact connected
with this habit is, that the sheep-killing
dog seems never to be domesticated. We
never knew man to own one. The
habit is confined to wild species of the
animal. Mems dogs have often been be-
leved, in a neighborhood, to render this
public service, but their owners never
claim it on their behalf. On the contrary.
they usually dispute it with apparent sur
prise and the indignation of injured inno-
cence. The sheep-kilIing variety is not the
tame dog.
Another feature of canine nature fits him
for What is called the yard dog. 1t is the
feature expressed with equal truth and
poetry in the words following, viz: that
"dogs delight
To bark and bite"
and it is faithfully enioined on us in the
same stanza to "lct 'em''-an Injunction
generally followed, and, indeed, one which
it would be somewhat difficult TO disobey.
This favorite attribute is often INDUCED at
the expense of both the brute creation and
the human, without proper discrimination.
The dog viii even bite the best friend of his
master, unless personally introduced. He
stands on etiquette. A man in dishabille
stands bad chance with a dog. He ad-
mires full dress.
The indiscriminatiOn of the dog in this
regard was once the subject of comment by
a friend OF mine, who remarked that in a
half century of experience he had only once
known q dog to bite the right man. This
really looked as ifthere was discrimination
on the dogs part, but on mistaken grounds
Of evidence. He generally bites the wrong
man.
DOg-owners and raisers labor under
many Authorizations. One is that their
dogs will not bite you. They know you so
well, they are confident, in their own mind ,
that their dogs must know you, too-can't
help knowing you.
l am repeatedly reminded of the story of
two gentlemen entering yard. Says A /:
brother B, please call Off this dog" B.
"Oh, Brother A, be won't bite you" A.
"But he has done bit me-" Such is the
mistaken confidence men have in their own
dogs. Never trust them. Keep the dog
raiser between you and them at all times
conscientiously-or you are in danger.
Freedmen are very successful in dog
raising. Those who have no visible means
of support are usually the most so. A
freedmen will not sell his dog for any price.
There is a sort of superstitious notion en-
tertained by him of the fatal consequences.
The law of cause and effect, it is known,
has not much weight on the Judgment OF
the freedman.
Our generation has been accused of be-
ing thrifJless and wearing out the country
converting the goodly land of our ances-
tors into wilderness. They have not neg
lected, however, to add to its charms that
peculiar one Of being "howling wilder
ness" Night is made hideouS, and day
dangerous, by these vigilant substitutes for
fences and locks. In order to the full de-
velopment of our resources in this line, to
which SO many persons are
peculiarly devoted, ought we not
to import Cinnamon or some
other citizens who are fond of dogs? and by
this means create dog market? Fancy a
heather Chinee haggiing with a freedWo-
man on hind-quarter of hound. Instead
Of New York mddling and low grades of
Liverpool, of Surats and Brazilian cotton,
of Erie bonds and Pennsylvania Central,
let the inquiry be: How is mastiff this
morning? What's the ruling price of cur?
And let Ma'am Venus praise her grey hound
venison, and juvenile Cuifee shout, ''Here's
your uut ldG uCe!
The census taker should have list of
questions: Do you raise your own dogs ?
What number? Value? In what does
their value consist?
We once knew the owner of fancy Ital-
ian greyhound, thoroughbred, to declare
his dog worth $500. He was asked the
question last propounded; "What is he
worth it JOr3" Rather staggered, he at
length retOrted, "Why, what is anys dog
worth it for?" The inquirer could not see
it in that light.
The COW kind is valued according to sew
eral qualities: for work, for beef, for milk,
for hide. The dog differs from the COW in
these regards. Questions arise concerning
sheep for wool, sheep for mutton, hardy
sheep, ETC., but each man is likely to
think well of his own breed of dogs.
Even the ladies expend their affection
on poodles, and behave towards them in
way which, to say the least of it, is very
Wasteful Of the raw material. However, in
such cases Weare not envious. We would not
share these fond caresses either with the
dog OF after him.
Seeing, then, the high appreciation in
which he is held, let us, one and all, cry,
"Hurrah for the dog!" and with full pride
add, 1--WE raise our own" No provincial
product Is the dog. His cultivation is uni
versal. There is no need of Importation,
for we can raise our own. No chance
for eXp0rtatiOn-he can't be SHARED.