The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-07
ALL ABOUT DOGS.
THEIR HABITS AND USES, PLACE AND
HIeTORY,

some stories Concerning Mans Hest
Friend-How Mumanity has been
BENEFITED by Him.
detroit Free Press
MAN AND DOa.
No one could see the many score Of dogs on
exhibition I'm Detroit, every ono OF them with
individuality OF feature. all bright, brainy,
quick In glance and movement, and not COM
prehend how close the alliance between these
animals and man. We are accustomed to re-
gard other animals as more Intelligent the
monkey and the elephant, certainly and
some men even place the horse above the dog.
But the dog combines In himself both civil
lied and savage nature, and It Is upon his
savage nature quite as much as upon bis civll-
zatlon that mankind has relied for MD. 1t Is
the wolf and the fox In him that. at east In
times past, tho human race has employed to
aid It In obtaining food and maintaining eX-
istonce Cuvier. the naturalist, held 1t doubt
full II mankind could have raised itself from
barbarIsm but for the aid Of the dog. 1t
needed the dog to chase the game and secure
It; to guard the flocks against wild beasts,
and the tent or bush habtatIon against an
approaching foe. And 1t Is at least a curious
colncident that to-day dogsare most numerous
In the region OF former nomadic people In
Turkey and In Egypt and Western Asia and
that the habit among wandering tribes OF
keeping dogs is still alive In the Gypsies OF
the present time.
THE DESCENT OF DOGS.
1t has gensrally been considered that dogs
are descended from the wolf IL Is said even
that there Is more difference between some
species Of wolves than between the dog and
tho wolf. but tho discovery of fossil dogs
seems to point rather to common origin Of
d and wolf and fox and iackal. At any
rate. II casts great doubt upon tho wolf the
DRY. The wofish elements Of the dog is not
yet extinct, and Is plainly visible in the Es-
qumaux dog, the Spitz and the Pomeranian
spaniel.
RELIC OF HIS USE.
The ancient use OF the dog In procuring
food for man Is still maintained, although
tho absolute necessity for It has now almost
entirely disappeared, SO that what was once
daily business and toll Is now called
sport" But the prominent feature which
tho dog has played In this very essential ana
vital element in human life is manifest in
the large proportion OF the hunting animals
er's attention Is mainly given TO developing
that species.
DOG STORIES.
The books are crowded with anecdotes of
the dog; his reasoning powers, his affection.
devotion obedience and fidelity. Probably,
in many cases, there Is considerable exag
geration. Men like to tell good stories which
will astonlsh their hearers and make them
selves the prominent person Of the moment
They like, especially, to boast of their pos
sessions Of their horses, their guns, their
dogs, their wives and their boats So that.
In relating what may In Itself be marvellous,
they are tempted to color 1t with their
Imagination. Not all OF these stories, how
ever, are intended to deceive but rather to
rdicule tho wonderful anecdotes; rs, for ex
ample, the man who said II he were to throw
n 50 bill into tho river, his dog would Jump
in and bring him the change In silver; or
that of the blind mans dog, who continued
the business after his masters death, and
accumulated fortune for himself However.
Sir Walter Scott said he would believe any
thing OF q dog.
DOG HABITS.
That dogs have many human emotions Is
no longer disputed. Not only do they show
the ordinary brutal feelings OF fear, anger
and delight, when their appetiteS are affected
in any way but they show human feelings of
pleasure for approval, fear for reproof, graft
tude, jealousy and affectiOnate memory.
Many OF the dogs habits, according to Oar
win, are relies of his wild state. Probably
many have wondered why dog turns round
two or three times and scratches the ground
with his fore paws, before he lies down. Oar
win explains 1t as a relic or remembrance Of
their wild ancestors that trampled down the
grass and scooped out hollow In the grassy
plains and In the woods. The lowering Of the
head and sometimes the crouching which
dogs exhibit when they approach each other
from distance In a hostile spirit Is, he thinks,
another relic OF Darbarsm for many wild
flesh-eating animals crouch and crawl toward
their prey. SO when watching their prey they
will frequently keep one of their fOreegs dOu-
bed up, ready to take q long, cautious step,
and hence, now from habit, civilized dogs do
1t merely when their attention Is aroused. He
says he has seen dog at the foot OF high
wall listening attentively to a sound on the
opposite side, with one leg doubled up, where
there could have been no purpose OF approach
ing cautiously.
Dogs and other flseh-eatlng animals draw
back their ears when they are aroused to the
fighting point, in order that the ears may not
be seized by their antagonists, but Mr.. OAR
win does not think that a dog puts his tail
between his legs when he is pursued or is to
be struck because he is afraid his pursuer
will grab 1t, but in order to withdraw his
whole headquarters out Of reach Of the blow
or bite he Is about to suffer. GratiOlet q
French physiognomst, explains the wagRing
Of dogs tail when he Is pleased by saying
that his joyful emotions run along the whole
length OF the stiff spinal column, and when
they come to the flexible tail they bend it
and shake It, So when dogs feel affectionate
they lower their ears to exclude sound, In
order that their whole attention may be
fixed upon the careSses OF their master.
AFFECTION.
The habit Of licking the hand Of those they
are fond Of or toward whom they wish to
show friendly spirit, Is derived, according
to Darwin, from the clicking" which the fe-
males give their puppies-the dearest object
OF their love the kind of licking" that is,
which shows affection, not the kind other
mothers sometimes give their offspring. So,
he says, the notion of showing affection by
rubbing against their masters comes from a
long habit OF assoclating the contact, while
nursing their puppies, with feeling Of love.
When however, they crouch and drag them
selves along on the ground on approaching
their masters, there is feeling OF submission
and fear, as we'll as affection.
SNARLING.
Snarling is only an uncovering of the teeth
ready for use, and some derive the word
ct rIIyba