Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-23
THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF DOGS.

A dog feels anger precisely as we do,
and after provOcation is sometimes vim
dictive, and sometimes placable, accord
ing to his individual character. He is
susceptible of hatred of the bitterest
kind. He is so excruciatingly jealous
that his life becomes a burden in the
presence of favored rival. His envy
continually leads him to eat what he
does not want, least another animal
should take il, and to illustrate the fable
of the dog in the msnger GluttOny
holds out to him temptations under
which even his honesty sometimes sue
cumbs; but, on the other hand, from
drunkenness he is nobly emancipated.
A dog mentioned by Rev. Thomas Jack
son (OltT Dumb COBlpdniOasl, having
once been made drunk with malt liquor
that be was unable 10 walk up stairs, he
ever after declined to taste the PERM
cious beverage, and growled and snarled
at the sight of pewter pot. Again, as
to love, Don Juan was q cold and unen-
terprising character compared to a dog;
and as to maternal affection, the mother
dog feels it with heroic passion, starving
herself to death, rather than forsake her
offspring. Gratitude may almost be
said to be a dogs leading principle, sup
plying first the spring Of allegiance to
his master, and after reconciling him,
with true magnaniulity, to take evil
from the hand which he has accepted
good. Regret and grief he feels so deep
ly that they often break his heart. Fear
is passion which dogs e xhibit with
variation, some breeds and in
dividuals being very timoroUs, end 9TH
ers perfect models of courage, the latter
and fOrtitude seeming to
be more Enthusiastically canine. A
has been known, after break
Jag his thigh, TO run on till the course
was concluded. As to hope, no one can
observe the dog watching for his mas
ter's step, as in Laudseer's picture of
1 Expectation, without admitting that
he knows the sentiment as well as we.
Pride in a successful chase may be wit |
messed in every dog, and even felt in |
the quiekened heart-beats ola greyhound |
when caressed and praised. That dogs /
have personal vanity appears from the |
fact that they are so manifestly detected I
and demOralized when dirty and ragged !
by long exposure, and recover their self /
respect Immediately on being washed |
and combed. Chivalry and magnanim- I
ity may nearly always be calculated |
upon in dogs, and wife-beating is an Of /
fense to which the four-foOted beasts |
never descend. The stories are endless I
Of big dogs generously overlooking the .
insults of small ours, or taking them
into water and giving them good duck
ing as a punishment for their imperti-
hence, and thence helping them merci-
fully back to land. Sense of prOpriety,
into both cOvetOusness and
lvarice, is common TO all dogs. The
kennel, rug, collar, Water-basin, or bone
)nce devoted to his use, no dog can see
transferred 10 another without indigna-
ion. Frequently he ''cOvets his neigh
BORIS house, and attempts to enscOnce
himself in it surreptitiOusly; and almost
he cOvets his neighbOr's II
bone, and purloins it, if he dare. Even
rom avarice he cannot be wholly ex-
observing his propensity to
Jury his treasures. Shame, after trans
,ressing any of the arbitrary rules i'm
lossd on him, dog displays with lu-
licrous simplicity; but OF the deeper I,
ense Of violated mOdesty which in hu-
nan beings accompanies the commits +,
ion of sin, the dog evidently knows
lOthing whatever. HumOr, 80 far as it
an proceed without language, the dog |
atches readily from a humorous mas !
er, and also the enjoyment Of such s
.ames as he can understand. AS baby I
rows with glee at "bo-peep," 30 a dog ]
arks with delight at "gO-feteh.n Make I
,elieve runs and false starts, rOmps and !
icklings, throwing ball for him to {
atch on the grass, or a stick to fish out ,
f a lake, all supply him with pleasure \
analogous in their nature to
hat which boys and men find in blind
lan's-buff and prisoners base, lordly
ricket, and lady-like croquet. Lastly,
nth in beloved Superior is perhaps
le most beautiful and affecting Of all
ne attributes of a dog.-QuGrterg Re
leu. b