The Portland daily press., 1894-07-16
oTRAA PEOPLES DOGS.
They Have Far More Disagreeable Traits
Than Ones Own Dog

Than Ones Own Dog.
The proverb, Love me, love my dog"
puts heavy strain on human affections.
Each of us of course feels a sense Of soli-
darity with his own hound s'He was
faithful, he was kind, and he very seldom
whined, we murmur as we reflect on the
merits of our old dog Tray. Interesting
anecdotes illustrate man S feeling of union
with his dog. We almost say that these
two are one flesh. Thus in Glasgow a
drover was heard to observe to stranger:
WAS it you that trampled on ma doug's
taos? For if it was I'd gle We cIour on
the heid-and there it is!'' This friend of
the dog was inexorabilis acer. He did not
wait to learn whether, as a question of
historical fact, the stranger had tramped
on his dogs toes or not; still less did he
pause for an apology. He struck him at
once, SO much is each man kind of body
corporate with his tike. Thus we may
observe that, when two dogs began to
tight, each spirited proprietor belabors the
others dog, and the men are at war, owing
to the quarrel between their subject de-
tendencies. No man resents his own dogs
behavior, however maddening, and often,
to keep the friend, we are obliged to en-
dure the dog.
Now, all dogs are not equally agreeable
to all. The friends of Launce, especially
such of his friends as wore farthingales,
had much to suffer from that stony heart
ed cur Indeed we all have much to suffer
from other mems dogs. Thus, 'tput case"
that you dine out. All through dinner
you are aware that pup is bestowing his
affections on you under the table. In the
drawlngtroom you discover that the lower
portions of your 'faultless evening dress''
(M1ss Braddon) are mere decorative
frlnges. The pup has converted them into
rags and tatters. This seems an extreme
~ humorous circumstance to your host,
because the pup is his pup. Perhaps he
thinks 1T will be t. making O. t. poop"
But it costs money, not to mention the ir-
ritating nature of the adventure. A mans
calves are dear to him, but his friends dog
makes them the theme of playful but NOR
dant sallies. If the sufferer gives the dog
what-in the opinions of persons who are
not owners of dogs-he richly deserves,
then the affection is ended. tThey had
been friends in youth till the dog came
in, like death, and broke up their fair
companionship. Our friends dogs are apt
to stay out till $3.50 a. M, and then on
cold, foggy night to bay, zap, yell and
howl under our windows. If one shoots at
them, it is resented. AS no dog ever yet.
Weakened his master, the guest must rise,
open the door, stand shivering in the fog
and admit the abominable cur. Job him
self in these circumstances would probably
have hurled whatever was hard and heavy
at dear little Bingo, but to act thus is sim
ply to provoke the blood feud. Even to
admit that trees have branches, that there
are ropes and that many opine that dogs
have threats is resented as a kind of bias
phemy against the family idol. A dog is
always going where he gets his toes or tail
trodden upon. The yowl he sets up is
enough to destroy the nerves of a poet or
other person of high strung organization.
But no man ever pities the victim of his
dog. Quite the reverse. 1t is Bingo, the
downtrodden, whom they cocker and pet
and condoie with. Of course these acct
dents mainly occur to fox terriers, whom
we take to be at once the shrillest, the
most self engroSsed and mentally the
most vacuous of the brute creation. Fly
far from the man OF woman who cherishes
a fox terrier. This creature would Justify
a divorce. In fact, an addition to our laws
should at once be made. We should see,
in the edifying reports, Smith versus
Smith and fox terrier. Saturday Re
view.