New-York tribune., 1895-02-10


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GROUBIAN
aware that any updoubted specimen had been I'M
ported into England. He therefore sent mis- book
TO press without a portrait and with IA very IN
adequate description. In an English paper oi th's
year devo ed TO dogs there IL nothing about the
Russian wo..h5unds except an advertisement o.
two for sac These both prize winners. are offered
one for thirteen and the other fifteen suineas see
what fashion Will do Such dogs II ~ repTesen''i'
would be cheap in this country at so apiece.
Noblenen and other rich landed piopfietors IN
Russia have Wed with one another IN breeding
fine specimens OF this the national type OF dog.
The most noted kennels those OF the Grand
duke Nicholas and Of Prince boris '''l'@H'
Messrs Hanks. Huntington. and Gould have each
made direct mportations from these noted kehhe's'
and at the bench shows FOR doss ihey stIf' WIN
one another ,or ,hc prizes offered " the for'h-
coming show OF the Westminster Kennel 'lub az
Madison square Garden the display OF Russian
wolfhounds will be much liner than ever oeiof''
and very lkcy the stars in this class VIII receive
the attention recently bestowed on 81 E"iNei'
and other st Bcrnards.
This Russian dog is Of the greyhound family and
hunts either by scent by sight IL. Is very fast
and is used FOR coursing. ior chasing har"s ana
chiefly for chasing wolves Though "A strong dog
he is not equal 10 the destruction Of a wolf unless
assisted So In this sport the hounds are used In
packs on the Russian siepp-- and In the forests
wolves are very numerous. and the dog has there
fore taken lis name rom his chiof employment.
or all the hounds he IL tho han1somcsi. Noi 80
dainty az tn. English greyhound. not 20 sturdy as
tho Scotch leerhound. he b. more bcauifu man
either and as graceful in HIS movements as he s
beautiful. lie Is not " finest example Of canine
courage but he has courage enough Tor the sports
for which he II bred. AMI his great beauty VIII
pardon many shortcomings. Affection ana hdelV
are the qualities that are most generally pF'z'i
IN a dog and these the Woifhound has IN qHsn-
titles that are gratifying II not surprising com
nared with tho collie the poodle or any o, the
spaniel family the wolfhound is not remarkable
for its intelligence. but II H. not deficient III u"
spectacle dog sense The other dogs mentioned
have so much sense that those VINO know them
hos, are least inclined deny tncm IN" reasoning
power its,r In The Tribune there was recently
told the story % the bloodhound that reasoned II
on, that {, he rose from The hearth n rti himself
OF the child that trying 20 cut his ears Win
n pslr o, scissors he would probably tumble the
child into the open hro Now the writer knows ~
a cocker spaniel that found hIs masters pocket
book which had been dropped In the woods. The
spaniel tried to take the rocke;book In his mouth
and then home. Of course. 10 his master. But the
ketbook came unfhst"ned and IN" papers ana
money gold and silver coins. feil out The spaniel
evidently reasoned the matter out ani concluded
that he could not pick mp the coins and the papers
and restore them 20 the pocketbook and then 20
home 20 he concluded TO walt with the lost prop
er'y I'LL some should come for him and Al
The spaniel sat down by the pockctbopk and its
spilled belongings and waited TIL search was made
for him. II eighteen hours before Il" was MS
covered on guard OF the lost yauablcS. There
was an instance OF most Intelligent loyalty II
is quite doubtful whether the Russian wolfhound
would be capable OF such act as this but those
who have known the type ong time give the
dog credl, for great and enduring affection.
In the stories that come to MS rom Russia about
this dog We told that one reason for the esteem
that the dog has is his capacity for remcm-
bering Men who have been called upon through
foreign service he long absent from their estates
are singularlv unanimous In their testimony mat
their dogs remember them and with glad voices
celebrate the homccomings. This Is most en-
gagng quality In dog.
There a wolfdog In ireland several centuries
ago which must have greatly rcsembed the Rus
sian dog. except that according to old chronicles
II was a stronger animal lio.nshed. three hun
dred years ago. spoke OF IT, and Campon. a later
writer says the wofdog "a greyhound of
great bone and limb" Evelyn, the diarist. con
temporary OF Campion. describing the savage sports
OF the bcargarden says: "The bulldogs did exceed
ngIy we'll but the Irish wolfdog exceeded which
tall greyhound, a stately creature. ana oid
beat q cruel mastn" Unless bulldogs and mastins
are much improved In three hundred years tho
olf-hunting greyhound must have become much
loss formidable than he used to be. This Is un-
ouesiionably so in Ireland. where purely bred
specimens unknown. On some estates, now
ever there are hounds which have in them some
| Of this ancient blood. Here IL an anecdote OF the
! intelligence OF such Irish dogs which resemble the
| Russian dogs very closely.
Major O'Bren Irish gentleman. had TWO
| wolfdogs called Watch and Ward They were In
| the habit OF going out every night 10 hunt rats
! and rabbits on the mountain. One morning watch
came home alone He pned and moped about the
| house and seemed very uneasy. II was noticed
| that as soon az he fed he hastcned away With
his meal Instead o: eating g. lie also hung about the
kitchen a strange manner and snapped steedily at
any scraps that fell. The major absent from
! home and did return for weea. lie was told
! OF the loss OF Ward He at once went 10 the
| kennel OF Watch. But Watch was not there
The next day Watch returned and on seeing the
major ran and leaped up TO him and tried 10 pun
him from the house. What. Watch my boy.
said his master, "where's Ward The dog ap-
peared TO understand him. sprang before him ana
bv every sign except speech seemed 10 "isn the
major TO follow. The major put on his nat ana
nrepsred TO go with the dog. who expressed the
| highest delight by barking and lsaping about
Away went Watch toward the mountain the major
following close at his heels. At last they came
10 n low rock: and there with his head )ammed IN
a hole was poor Ward. 1t appeared that In trying
to follow his game he had got his head so tight
/ himself There he had remained for eight DAYS I,
! and there had his companion fed him daIy, WIN
| his own meal. The poor imprisoned amman nan
| suffered very much In his efforts 10 gct iIcs unu
| Rad worn the hair from his neck and shoulders
! lie had become very thin from ms ton''hslIeii,
! Wben liberated both dogs made Rreat oemon,