Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1889-01-08
The SCENT oE DOGS

FaDts Clearly Demonstrating the Powsr
A. of Canine Sense of Smell. z
Our sense Of smell is hardly keen
enough to enable US TO understand how
it is possible for the dog TO do all he
can dowith his nose. We can not. for
instance, distinguish by the smell a
rabbits foot from piece of bark,
which it seems most 10 resemble
probably because the bark is the
strongest-smelling substance with
which the foot usually comes in con-
tact.
But mot so with -the hound, or even
with many common cur dogs. Not
only will they recognize the scent of
the foot itself, but, hours after the
rabbit has passed along, they, can fol-
low him unerrinely by tho scent
of the spots where he touched
his light feet TO the ground. What
proportion of the odor OF the
foot can there be left upon spot
where 1t has merely rested for an In
stantP And yet dog with a good
nose first will find an invisible track,
and then will determine, by snufflng
for few yards back and forth. which
way the animal passed. Then he will
follow all the windings and doublings
which The animal has made, either in
search for food, or, after he is "up,n
in escaping his pursuers.
II this be wonderful, what is TO be
said of dogs never confusing the
track of one rabbit with that of an
otherP After n dog has once seen that
rabbit is dead, he will never noticeits
track again, but will set off upon some
other track, which often is much fainter
than that of the one just killed, though
the two may cross each other and
be intermingled in innumerable places.
The bloodhound, which is the keenest-
scented of all dogs, can follow his
master or his victim, no matter how
many others may thread in the same,
path. L = es.e
We can hardly believe that these
things are done solely through the !
sense of smell; but that is the best !
that science can make of IL as yet.
There are many other facts which |
demonstrate the power OF the dogs
scent. i once knew hound which |
would never eat bread, and yet was |
quite fond Of raised biscuit, the same
thing in every respect, save that it con-
tanned little shortening. One might I
take in one hand II piece of bread half
the size OF a pea, and in the other the
same amount OF biscuit, and the hound
would smell OF both, and never make
u mistake in selecting the biscuit. Il
The power OF scent of even the
keener-nosed common dogs, such
as che bulldog, can be tested by
fastening bit of meat TO
string and dragging it about ths
yard when the dog does not see you,
hiding it at the end of the trail and
then afterward putting him on tho
search for it where you started. II he
has good nose, he will 20 over the
same path you took and find the meat
Leave no string on the meat. hoS ever,
us it might injure him to swallow the
string. r....I. 10. ersr.- 4,
All hounds save the greyhound run
entirely by scent When they come
upon too faint scent of track they
will work along it until it grows lresb-
err, and then begin to bay or "glvsi
tongue" There is always II CORE
spondence between the baying and tho
trail An experienced hunter can tell
by the baying not only where the dog
is, but, by the frequency, and conf
dence- OF the sound, how fresh the
trail is--that is. how close upon his