Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-14
CANINE BLUE BLOOD.
A DOG FANClER TALKS ABOUT THE
 DIFFERENT BREEDS.

High Priced Animals for Pets-Actresses
 and Women of Wealth tho Greatest Pa
 troEs-Pugs Not So Stupid as They Look. The Best Burglar Alarm.
 There is a little one story and a half brown frame house in Beethoven place on the North Side which has been honored with visits from Mrs Langtry, Aimee, Lillian Russell, Kate Castleton and many lesser lights of the stage; where fashionable turnouts with fair occu- pants hailing from the ''avenues'' frequently call, and where it is a common thing for the postman to drop perfumed notes signed by members of the "exclusive four hundred" The house is occupied by Mir. Gus Berg. But he, personally, is not the attraction to Dearborn and Prairie avenues and the theatri- cal stars. It is his stock in trade that is the lodestone. This stock consists of pug dogs, spitz dogs, terriers, King Charles spaniels and all the other breeds of dogs on which women are prone to lavish affection and care, and the visitor upon his entrance to the cot tage is immediately surrounded by scram- bling, tumbling and barking crowd of the good natured little brutes.
 A FRIEND TO THE DOGS.
 'I started out" said Mir. Berg, ito raise and keep all kinds of dogs, from mastiffs down to poodles; but the big dogs used to fight among themselves and chew up the lit tie ones for recreation. So gave up all my shepherds, fox terriers, bull dogs and the other bigger breeds, and confined the stock to the little fellows you see-and a happy family they make Where do I find my trades O, among transients, mostly with the theatrical people; in the city, among the best people we have" Mir. Berg, with the true fancier's volubility, entered into long dis quisition concerning dogs, in the course of which he expressed the opinion that much opprobrium was undeservedly cast upon the pug, which is generally considered to possess about as much intelligence as q stoughton bottle
 Fact is," Mir. Berg said, ia pug is not such q fool as he is painted, and has his fair share of brains. Almost any dog will be a fool if no pains are taken to instruct him. Plugs can learn when an effort is made to teach them but many women appear to think tho only purpose for which the pug was ere ated was to furnish something to be senti- mental over and to tow around at the end of string. l know good many instances of pugs showing unusual intelligence Actresses almost always buy pugs. They are fashion able dogs, and on account of their size are easily carried around the country
 "A peculiar thing in connection with a pug occurred on Dearborn avenue recently. A we'll known lady who lives there had given her pug lobster claw for plaything Shortly efterward tho pug gave birth to five puppies. Four of them were perfect, but the fifth had malformation of the left fore foot which resembled lobster claw Another Dearborn avenue lady nursed a paralyzed pug for two months and refused to allow him to be chloroformed. Then, when the beast finally died, she carried him to a cemetery and buried him. I like dogs, but it strikes mo there is such q thing as carrying senti- mentality concerning them little too far''
 DO ANYTHING BUT SPEAK
 What do you consider the most intelli- gent dos!n
 "A shepherd, by all odds. Shepherd dogs can do about everything but speak, and they arc uniformly of a kindly disposition. John L. Lincoln, Jr., of Mo- POT Rush street, has a magnificent kennel of shepherds, about a dozen in all. It is one of the finest kennels in the west, and the owner takes great deal of pride ill his animals. Mir. Henry J. Cobb, of l62 Rush street, also has two or three fine shepherds. Greyhounds look nice, but they have little intelligence and are simply nice pieces of furniture and good for nothing ex- cept to train for coursing. St Bernards will take rank with the shepherds, but they are so big and clumsy that they are undesirable animals for the city. Jim Boutilleaux owned one for time, but, as he always had to take the dog with him wherever he went, the animal became all incumbrance If he shut him up and went away the dog would chew up the door or jump through the win dow in order to get out and follow his master. Once Jim inadvertently closed the dog in barber shop and had forgotten him until he was reminded of the error by hearing a crash of glass, and turned ill time to see the animal come through the window carrying the sash with him. He finally sold him to Milwau- kee man for $500. Albert c. Huston, at No 3,s75 Cottage Grove avenue, owns one of the finest St. Bernards in the city, and Phil Reitz, a wholesale butcher of Lake View. owns an imported pair that he values at $500
 "Then the German mastiff is an intelligent ooS, ouo SeNeidi uue specimens or the breed 1 are owned here. Empress, the property of Mir. Anderson, of Booths oyster house, is one of the finest bred animals in the vest Mir. Anderson purchased her in Boston. Sam Kittson, of Mo- 257 Dearborn avenue, has a | fine mastiff, and Floersheim, the jeweler. possesses valuable pair which he imported. l The German mastif is graceful and quick in | his movements, and in that respect is prefer able to the English hound, which is heavy , and slow.
 Throwing aside the fashionable fad for | puss, and considering the thing in every | light, it seems to me that King Charle, spaniel is about the best and handsomest dog for household pet. Yet they are scarce. There are not, to my knowledge, dozen of them in Chicago. Marshall Field has one: so also has W. F. Goetz, of the City of Paris; but just at present do not call to mind any other owners of these animals. Perhaps the principal reason for their scarcity lies in the price. good King Charles costs from S1 t, SoOa