The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-01-16
Consciousness of Dogs.

A dog feels anger precisely as we
do, and after provocationiss is sometimes
vindictive and sometimes placable,
according to. his individual character.
He is susceptible of hatred of the Bit
terest kind. He is SO excruciatingly
Jealous that his life becomes q burden
in the presence of favored rival.
His envy continually leads him to eat
what he does not want, lest another
animal should take it, and to illustrate
the fable of the dog in the manger.
Giuttony holds ont to him tempta-
tions under which his honesty some.
times succumbs but on the hand.
from drunkenness he is nobly eman-
cipated. "A dog mentioned by the
Rev. Thomas jackson (Oxr Dumb
Conapanions), having once been made
SO drunk with malt liquor that he was
unable to walk up stairs, he ever after
declined to taste the pernicious bev-
erage, and growled and snarled at the
sight of a pewter pot. Again, as to
love, Don Juan was q cold and unen-
terprising character compared to a
dog; and as to material affection, the
mother dog feels it with heroic pas
sion, starving herself to death rather
than desert her offspring. Gratitude
may almost be said to be dogs lead.
ing principle. supplying first the
spring of allegiance to his master,
and after reconciling him, with true
magnanimity, to take evil from the
hand from which he has accepted
good. Regret and grief he feels so
deeply that they often break his, heart
Fear is a passion which dogs exhibit
with singular variation, some breeds
and individuals being very timorous,
and others perfect models of courage,
the latter characteristics and fortitude
seeming to be more characteristically
canine. A greyhound has been known
after breaking his thigh, to run on ill
the course was concluded. AS to hope
no one can observe the dog watching
tor his masters step, as in Lendseer's
picture of ..Expectation," without ad-
hitting that he knows the sentiment
as well as we. -
Pride in successful chase may be
Witnessed in every dog, and even felt
in the quickened heart-beats of grey
hound when caressed and praised.
That dogs have personal vanity ap-
pears from the fact that they are so
manifestly detected and demoralized
when dirty aud ragged by long ex-
posure, and recover their self-respect
Immediately on being washed and
combed. Chivalry and magnanimity
may nearly always be calculated upon
in dogs, and wife beating is an offense
to which the four-footed beasts never
descend. The stories are endless of
big dogs generously overlooking the
insults of smaller ours, or taking them
into water and giving them a ducking
for their impertinence, and thence
helping them mercifully back to land.
Sense of propriety bifurcating into
both covetousness and avarice, is COM
mon to all dogs. The kennel, rug,
collar, water-basin, or bone once de-
voted to their use, no dog can see
transferred to another without indig-
nation. Frequently he covets his
! neignbor's house, and attempts to en-
sconce himself in it surrepticiously J;
and almost universally he covets his
neighbor's bone, and purloins it if he
dare. Even from avarice he cannot
be wholly exonerated, observing his
propensity to bury his treasures.
Shame, after transgressing any of the
arbitrary rules imposed on him. dog
displays with ludicrous simplicity ;
but of the deeper sense of violated
modesty which i'll human beings ac-
companies the commission of sin, the
dog evidently knows nothing whatev-
er. Humor, so far as 1t can proceed
without language, the dog catches
readily from humorous master, and
and also the enjoyment ofsuch games
as he can understand. As baby
crows with glee at g bo-peep," so a
Z dog barks with delight at" "go-fetch.
g lisMake-believes runs and false starts,
romps and ticklings, throwing ball
for him to catch on the grass, or 9
! stick to fish out of the lake, all sup.
4ply him with pleasure perfectly anal
agous in their nature to that which
boys and men find in blind.man's buff
aud prisoners base, lordly cricket ant
lady-like croquet. Lastly, faith i'll
beloved superior is perhaps the mos
a beautiful and affecting of all the at
tributes of dog.-Q1drterlq Rerie,c