The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-05
DOGS DISCUSSED.
In Three Chapters.
By ". Il. NEAVE.
CHAPTER III.
Continuation.

CHAPTER II.
Continuation.
A critical scrutiny of the dog tribe
clearly developes innumerable diver
sites Of traits and instincts, that pecu-
liarly and wholly belong to them; some
are wonderful, but none truly admir-
able except a seeming one, namely,
fidelity to his master, his owner. In
mul,ifarious varieties and salient points
of distinction, such as size, shape,
color. special and separate instincts
and grades of weight, from one pound
up to two hundred and atty pounds.
there is found no approach to compari-
son with them, IN the whole animal
creation, except in the one point OF
countless diversity Of varieties. In
this respect snakes, monkies and par
rots may approximate them. The keen,
special instincts, ETC., which distinguish
! the several breeds do not alter or lessen
the evil and disgusting nature, shared
m common, by all kinds of dogs. The
dog is the most perfect specimen OF
the loafer and parasite that lives; tn.
Aattery and s~upplebacked acquiescenct
of
THE HUMAN ToADY.
is thin AMI transparent in contrast with
the easy assumption and smooth. win
ming sycophancy of the dog; and in
| this lies the secret of the average mans
strong love for his W particular dog
and his equally strong aversion to ali
others.
All men are, more or less, suscept-
IDLE to the ~1attery OF entire servility !;
and ON this weak point of humanity the
cunning canine gets his grip. he
elects by instinct, to live as = parasite,
without labor, just as his human pro-
totype, the man of leisure, the gentle
man ~loafer, or sponger does; and, like
the biped boot-lick, he submits to
every sort of indignity meekly, fawns
the foot that kicks, and ticks the hand
that smites him but, as the man toady
vents his pent-up rage at humiliation
endured, by assuming airs of naughty
arrogance towards his social interiors,
domineering over and brow-beating
them, SO does the dog get even by wal
on all others.
MEN AND DOGS.
In fact he wars on and t%yrannizes
over all animate creation, within his
scope, that he feels SUR he a bully,
mangle or kill. But, ualiEe his human
duplicate, he clings to his master In
anversity though, whether from low
reasoning power, force of habit, or the
promptings of gratitude, is an lnsol
vable problem. But that he
WATCHES AND GUARDS
his masters property and premises,
from the promptings of gratitude and
fidelity, Gas is averred by his defenders)
is absurd and a total misconception.
He has not thought of meum ct tuun, t.;
and when he roars and rushes at people
entering on, or even near his owners
premises, he then only vents rage on
any human being, as q compensatory
salve for his wounded pride in abject
submission to his master and family.
Even the cowardly fee, bepch-leg,
yellow-cur and
MONGREL NO~NDRSCRIPTS
lie in wait, inside of fences at night,
to crafty their impotsnt malignity, in
trying, by furious yelping, to stsrtle
and scare all psople passing by on the
sidewalk; and as all of you . testify,
by your W experience, how well
they succeed in bouncing the heart up
in the mouth so to speak, by a sudden,
unexpected outbreak of noisy fury at
your feet, as you pass in lone silence
and seif-cogitation.
But when this irrepressible, newt
able dog n,mo unparalleled pug
n~acious insolence is properly trained
and disciplined, dogs may be made
.entinels of to watch and warn. though
the value Of this dog-servicc is much
over-rated by most people.
EXPERT BURGLARS,
and even chicken and garden thieves
care but little for dogs; poisoned meat
kills them, and squirts from syringes
charged with spirits Of ether or ammo
mia, quietly fit them for easy and
noiseless decapitation. Strong, we'll
secured doors and windows with some
arrangement for bell ringing in the
sleeping room, which the ingenuity of
necessity can devise in multiformity,
with revolver and shotgun ready at
hand, are a hundred>fold more effectu
al for present use and q wholesome eau
sion against similar attempts in the
long future. The inherent
PUGNACITY OF DOGS,
cruel, malignant and destructive to-
wards all animals, even Of their own
kind, is in more or less force, common
to all of them, as before remarked and
even the individual instincts that give
hounds, settlers. pointers, ETC., such
value to sportsmen, are only memorable
impulses to kill innocent, inoffcnsive
animals such as deer. rabbits and birds,
and which instincts, after long and
careful training with constant, watch.
full direction by the sportsman, cater to
his amusement only, as IS clearly i'm
piled by his appellative. Even the
RAT KILLING
pr opensity of the terrier is merely in
stinctive ferocity in that direction. and
is gratifed regardless of whether rats
are pets or pests to man. And so il
is with the individual instincts of all
kinds of dogs; unframed and unres-