The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-15
A Good Dog Has Value.

Farmer about the value of good dog
on the farm, says:
There is just as great
difference of character in dogs as
in men. Some dogs are self-respecting,
gentlemanly creatures, and one can trust
to their honor as he would to the honor
of a man. But the ordinary mongrel is a
treacherous, noisy, thieving animal that
is a disgrace to a well-ordered farm. Now
1 am no lover of dogs, but can respect
canine good qualities, and can understand
how some of these qualities make a dog
very desirable on the farm; but l do pro-
test against the Unconditional beast that
flies, barking at every one who drives or
walks into the Yard; races, barking, aft
er passing teams and puts in his time at
night and morning chasing the cows as
they go to and come from the pasture.
wonder how many owners of such dogs
realize the loss in milk and cream from
a COW which has been chased by a dog
| wonder how many realize how egg pro-
duction is lessened by the daily raids of a
dog through the flock in his delight at
the CONSERVATION his presence evokes
whether realized or not, the loss is there
Any nervous excitement or fear acts quick
ly upon the nervous system of an animal
are dogs and dogs, well-bred, thorough
bred and mongrel. In the case of this
animal, 1t seems to me that mixing the
breeds has a worse effect upon the char
acter of the animal kingdom with which
l am familiar. A mongrel dog is rarely
courageous, rarely trustworthy, and is up
to every kind of deviItry that a dog s
mind is capable of devising-this, at least.
has been my observation. In the case of
a dog of established breed, character
seems to have been fixed by judicious
breeding-and a very good character it is
in the case of some varieties Now let
US first see if a dog is needed at all upon
the farm, and If so what breed is best
suited for the place.
Many farms are somewhat isolated from
netghbors, and the houses of all are us
ually at some distance from others More
over the women of the family must
often be left alone, not only when the
farmer is away to market his produce.
but when he is distant from the house
in field and pasture. In these DAYS of
of tramps and other ill-minded folk, it
is of the highest Importance to make all
safe at the house. A good dog of one
of the large breeds, affords perfect safety
in this respect, and affords company, too,
especially when the one woman of the
family, it may be, is left alone. Then,
too, a dog can be trained to save many
steps about farm. He can be taught to
carry a lunch or dinner to the field or
wood, to go for the mail, and to execute
many other commissions that otherwise
involve much travel. A good dog affords
protection against proving thieves at
night-the petty thief that robs the hen
roost, the corn bin, the orchard, or the
potato field. The presence about the build
ings of a good dog has a wholesome eff
feet upon such prowlers and many a dol
lar has been saved by the simple knowl-
edge that a dog was kept upon the prem
Uses.
What is the best breed for the farm?
My own choice would be between the
St. Bernard and the English mastiff.
Both are noble breeds. The members of
each have dignity, self-restraint in the
presence of provocation, good judgment
and sagacity, and best of all, trust
worthiness. The st. Bernard is by all
odds the handsomer dog, and, probably,
the most companionable. 1 should not
be surprised if he were also shown to be
the most sagacious. But he does not
greatly distance the English mastif in
any of these respects, and is perhaps,
not so good a watch dog as the latter. 1
have not spoken of the collie, and the
driving of cattle TO and from pasture,
because there are very few dogs that do
not do more harm driving cows than
good. Very few dogs can drive cattle
without exciting and terrifying them, and
this is poor policy. If you need a dog,
get a good one and do not tolerate a
worthless mongrel about the premises.