The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-02-17
THE NAMING OF DOGS.
Oddities in tho Nomenclature of
Various Breeds.
An Interesting Chapter on the Peculiari-
ties and Origin of CANNES of
Marked Character
istics.

Dog nomenclature isquite an interest
ing subject, saws writer in the Detroit
Free Press. Take. for instance, that
favoritc canine known as the terrier, a
name given the breed from his habit OF
following game into burrows in the
earth. which latter in Latin Is termed
terra by way of quick gradations the
word was metamorphosed into terrier.
A skye terrier is SO called because the
breed was once chiefly raised on the
island of Sllve. one of the Hebrides.
The celebrated Dandy Dinmont terrier
obtained its distinctive title from the
fact of its being depicted as the tavor1te
of n character bearing that name in
SIR Walter Scott's Guy Mannering."
The fox terrier was so named because it
was originally kept as an addition to
every pack of foXhounds. Bloodhounds
derive their name from the possession
of a peculiar power of sccnting the
blood of a wounded animal. In oldcn
times stag hunting was favorlte
amusement of the nobility, and the
dogs used in such sport-part grey
hounds and part bloodhounds - were
given the name of staghounds. Fox
hounds, in like manner, were trained To
hunt the willy animal. Various eNpla-
nations have been given of the origin
of the term greyhound, some authorl-
ties claiming that the prefix grey Is
taken from Fratus, meaning Greek;
others that it signifies great, while stll
others say that it has reference to the
color of the animal. In no other breed
of hounds is the blue or grey color So
prevalent. and consequently the last
mentioned seems the most plausible.
Harriers are chiefly used in hunting
hares in England, while the title bca-
gle. applied to breed which is an in
veterate enemy of rabbits, is probably
derived from the Celtic bcag, or bite, or
the Welsh back, signifying little, they
being in reality n small species of hound.
A pointer is so called because of its
habit of stopping and pointing at game
with its nose. while the setter gets its
name from a like habit. excepting that
it crouches instead of standing when
pointing under similar circumstances.
Newfoundland dogs were originally ma
tives of that country and Labrador.
from which circumstance they receive
their title. In the same manner the
noble St Bernards are so called from
the Alps That rather dangerous breed
called Spitz or PomCranian dogs, va
riety of the Esuuimau. were first bred
in Pomerania. Russia, but the popular
name of Spitz was probably derived
from the erroneous notion that they
originated in Spit2enbergen. Spaniels.
of which there are many breeds, are
supposed to have first come from Spain.
from which circumstance is derived
their distinctive names. Charles |. was
an ardent admirer of a small variety of
this animal, and from that arose the
designation Of his pets known the world
over as the King Charles.
Mastiff is the term applied to a very
large and powerful species of the canine
family. and there is considerable con
fiict of opinion regarding the origin OF
the word. Some claim that it is de-
rived from the Italian mastino, or the
French mastin, both of which signify
large-limbed. Others, aga n. say its
true origin is the old German masten.
to fatten, because the mastiff is a Large
dog and so seems better fed than any
other. Poodle is derived from the Ger
man pudel, a puddle or pool. They ar'
without doubt the most intelligent
all CANNES. The shepherd dog-calle'
the collie in Scotland, from the Gaeh
cuilean, or puppy-gains its title from
the fact of its being used To watcl
sheep and protect them from maraud
ers of every description. As to tn
derivation of the word bulldog it j.
only necessary to state that at one time
this species was exclusively used in bull
batting, and from that circumStanc,
arose the name by which il is univer
sally known. A cross between this an,
the terrier is appropriately termed the
bull terrier