American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-03-20
About Dogs.

Most of our agricultural population, as
might be inferred from the discussions
at public meetings, especially at those of
wool-growers' associations, are not favor
ably disposed toward dogs, or inclined to
favor their increase. And yet nearly all
our farmers, as well as people engaged
in other pursuits, keep these animals.
Whether the breeding of dogs should be
discouraged by unfriendly legislation"
or otherwise is a question that we do not
propose here to discuss; but assuming
that in the future, as in the past, our
farmers will continue to keep them, we
submit a few suggestions in regard to
their management and the peculiarities
of the different breeds most commonly
in use.
In the first place we call attention to
the fact that here, as with all other varie-
ties of domestic animals, it is important
to secure pure blood-not because a we'll
bred pointer or greyhound will mature
earlier, or clay on" more and better
flesh than mongrel, but because OF the un-
deniable fact that the well bred sorts have
more sense, can be much more easily in
structed in their duties, and usually have
much better dispositions and temper.
As rule the pure bred dog will not kill
sheep. The foxhounds and Newfound-
lands are possibly an exception. The
shepherds dog is kind and we'll dis
posed animal SO long as you find work
for him to do. But he is very indus
trious, and when young will chase and
worry sheep and other animals as mat
ter of pure mischief.
The pure-bred bull dog, we think, will
never be found worrying sheep unless
led on by others. The same is true OF the
pointer. the greyhound, the terrier and
the coach dog.
Of q far
considered much less important in our
day than they were thirty or forty years
ago. indeed, except in frontier settle
ments, our best farmers make little use
| of them except lin the case of the we'll
| trained shepher6 to aid in herding and
driving stock; or as watch dog at the
dwelling. Our own experience suggests
no other use for q dog on a farm, and
| therefore the selection and training
should be with reference to these OBJ,
jects. As to driving trespassing ANIMALS
from our fields with dogs, every intelli-
gent farmer knows that it won't pay
They can be put out sooner, and certain
ly with less injury to growing crops,
without the dog. And then as to the
| lesson supposed to be taught, SO that
these pests will keep away in future, we
believe the effect, especially on a long
legged, long-snouted old scrub sow, is
| precisely the Otner Way-tO increase
| their cussedness, so to speak. Oul
youngest hopeful has tried his "coachy'
on the turkeys, who were disposed to be
too sociable about the house. Many OF
the turkeys lost their tails-and that was
ALL
Dogs should be taught to stay at home
In some of the States the law authorizes
the killing of any dog found &c roaming a,
large without the presence of his owner
A very good provision, for dogs accus
toned to this practice are usually worth
les and, when roaming" are fatally
bent on mischief" Correct habits il
this respect, as in all others, can only bt
established by proper early training
the young dog must never be allowed t.
leave his home, with or without hi
owner or keeper. If he once gets a tast'
for Z" society," he becomes a !" CAD abou
dog" and may as well be killed first a
last.
A well-trained and intelligent watch
dog, that is always at his post, is, in GU
judgment, a very valuable animal; an
everyone who has had his dwelling
guarded by these faithful sentinels know
how serious the loss has seemed whel
they have been taken away-how lonely
even, it has appeared, as we have ap
preached our home, when the familia
watch-dog's bark was no longer heard
National Liue-St0ck Journal.