Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-01-24
DOGS PRONE no MADNESS.
Whether Certain Breeds Are More
Liable Than Others.

Harrison Weir, the English artist and
illustrator, renowned as a student of
natural history, writes to the London
Standard on the sub est of hydrOphobia
as follows: ga short time since letters
appeared in the Standard relating to the
muzzEng of dogs, etc. One from a
vegetarian stated that if dogs were only
fed on vegetables there would be no
madness. 1 was too busy at the time to
reply to this assertion, but now do so.
I had a collie dog that, to my knowledge,
was never fed on other food thu bis
cults in the winter and oatmeal and
vegetables in the SIMMER, yet, for all
tins, the dog went mad-nOr was 1t bit
ten, as no wound could be discovered on
it. Again, how viii the vegetarian
reconcile his theory with the fact OF the
deer IN Richmond Park going mad
Surely these never ia ted meat.
''Again, I cannot think for one mo
ment that those who keep entirely use
less dogs ought to oh ect to the other
portion Of the community endeavOring
as much as possible to protect themselves
from a direful, painful, horrible death.
What man keeps for his pleasure ought
not to be to the detriment of others. I
know Of nothing so wearying to the suf-
feriHg, tired and sleepless as the con
this the alsJ continual fear of madness,
and is it too much to ask that such dogs
should be prevented from doing bodily
harm either to the human or brute crea.
ton
''But this is not the reason Of my
writing, though it leads to il. For
many years have thought il would be
well if the breed Of every dog showing
particular and sudden ferocity or mad
ness could be reported, and thus it
might be observed whether any che
breed was more prone to this oUtburst
than another. For very long time
have endeavOred as much as I could to
find out whether there existed any diff
ference In this respect; and, as far as I
can ascertain, in all truthfuInegs L am
bound to say that I believe there are
more retrieYers on the list than any
other breed eight OF nine to one.
have never heard of mastih so ia ling.
VeIy few fox terriers, two or three
pointers, two spaniels, no greyhOunds,
nor dachshunds, no. pOCdles, but the
number Of retTieYers have been extraCr-
binary and continuous Only a short
time since, IN conversation with q friend
who kept a retriever, / said, i would
not keep one if / were paid G200 year.
why, said he, you would find he is
the IlOSg u61iAglLAul cog 6LC. i saw my
friend the other day, when he told me
the dog had suddenly bitten several
children and had to be destroyed, and
he then mentioned other cases. When
I last wrote on this question call atten-
ton to the retriever, and I received
number of letters. all stating cases
within the writer's knowledge of the
peculiar unreliability Of the breed. I
may add, although am very fond Of
dogs, nothing would induce me TO have
or keep a black retriever,
s'What I wish to ask through your
columns is this, that In some way or
other a report should be furnished,
either by the police CT others, making
known In cases Of madness or atinquests
the breed or breeds of such dogs for the
purposes Of science, and for noting
whether 1t is really undesirable that such
and such breeds should be kept ct all.
i am told that the POmeranian is an uIl-
/ certain dog, and in some countries IS
not allowed, but of this am not ac-
/ Guainted. But I think it is time that
+ some method should be adopted to learn
/ the statistic of madness IN the breeds
/ of dogs. so that some me3suz es should
+ be taken to prevent the fearful eOnse--
+ quencss Of hydrOphObia beyond that eis
] simply uauEzhng.