The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-13
The Emotional Nature Of Dogs

A little reflection shows that q dog
approaches q man much more nearly in
the matter of feeling than either OF
physical or mental characteristics. II
Is startling fact, well brought ont by
Jesse in q synopsis Of the dogs attri.
butes {" Researches" chap. w, that
there are very few human passions
which u dog does not share.
A dog feels anger precisely as We do,
and after prOvocation is sometimes VIM
dictive and sometimes placablc, accord
ing to his individual character. He is
susceptible Of hatred Of the bitterest
kind. He is so excrutiatingly Jealous
that his life becomes n burden In the
presence of favored rival. His envy
continually leads him TO eat what he
does not want lest another animal should
take IL, and to illustrate the fable Of "The
Dog in the Manger." Gluttony holds
out to him temptations under which
even his honesty sometime succumbs !;
but, on the other hand, from drnnken-
ness he il nobly emancipatcd. A dog
mentioned by the Rev. Thomas Jackson
("our Dumb Companions" p. 49,, hav-
ing once been made so drunk with nalt
liquor that lie was unable to walk mp
stairs, ever after declined to taste the
pernicious beverage, and growled and
snarled at the siglit OF u pewter pot.
Again, MS TO love, Don Juan was n. cold
and unenterprising character compared
to n dog and MS TO maternal affection,
tho mother.dog feels it with heroic pas.
sion, starving herself to death rather
than forsake her offspring. Gratitude
may be almost said TO be u dogs leading
principle, supplying first the spring OF
allegiance to his master, and ever after
reconciling him with true magnanimity
to take evil from the hand from which
he lias accepted good. Regretand grief
he feels 80 deeply TINT they often break
his henrt. Fear is passionwhicll dogs
exhibit with singular variation, sone
breeds aud individuals being very tim
orous, and others perfect models Of
courage; the latter characteristics and
fortitude seeming to be more character.
istically canine. A greyhound has been
known, after breaking his thigh, to run
on till the course was concluded; md
in the excellent now volume On the
Dog" by Ilstone Up. 30), is n frightful
story of u foxhound whom its ferOcious
master fogged so savagely for "bab.
bling M tocut out its eye with his whip,
The animal continued to hunt with the
puck till the end Of the chase, where,
upon the human brute, n certain Colonel
Thornton, "took out his scissors md
severed the skin by which the dogs eye
Ind hung pendant during the entire
run" As to hope, no one can observe
the dog watching for his masters step
as in Landseer's picture of "Expecta-
ton" without admitting that he knows
tho sentiment MS well MS we. Pride in
successful chase may be witnessed in
every dog, and even felt in thequickened
leartbeatsof of n Greyhound when caressed
and praised. That dogs have personal
vanity appears from the fact that they
are SC manifestly dcjected and lonor.
allied when dirty and ragged by long
exposure, and recover their self-respect
Immediately upon being washed and
combed Chivalry and magnanimity
may nearly always be calculated upon
in dogs, and wife-beating is MI offence
10 which the four.fOoted beast never de.
Scends. The stories arc endless Of big
dogs generously overlooking the insults
Of small ours, or taking them into water
and giving them good ducking us II
punishment for their impertinence, and
then helping them mercifully buck to
land (sce Jesse's Anecdotes" +" p. l4D.
Sense of property, bifttrcating into both
covetousness nnd avaricc, is common to
alldogs. The kennel, rug, collar, water
basin, or bone once devoted to his use
no dog can sec transferred to another
without Indignation. Frequently lie
"coycts his nCighbor's house" and ut
tcmpts to ellscorcc himself in it Snrrep.
titiously; and almost universally ho
covets his neighbor's bone, aud pnrloins
it if he dare. Even from avarice lie
cannot be wholly exonernted, observing
his propensity to bury his treasures.
Shame, humor, gratitude, in fact, nearly
all other emotional attributes not above
enumerated, are also to be noticed in
dogs.