The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-08

this fact is found in the ease and ac-
curacy with which pointers and settlers
do their work on the field While il
cannot be claimed for hunting dogs
that they have a very extensive vo-
caoulary, they understand enough
words to go about their work intelll-
genuy, and at times with precision
that is little less than marvellous. Pet
dogs, poodles, fox terriers and animals
OF this kind have a more extensive vo-
cabulary. An illustration of this is
found in a fox TERROR belonging To
Manager Bray of the Orpheum Thea
ter, terrier of royal lineage, having
come from the Kings kennels at Buda-
pest Few words in common use
around the house are beyond the I'M
Outstanding of this pet of Manager
Bray and his wife. The pet knows the
name of every article of furniture and
clothing in the house.
A few evenings ago a test was
made for the purpose of determining
the accuracy of the terriers under
standing of words. L want You to
walk on your hind feet to the front
room and bite Mr.. Bray on the ear
said member of the household to the
pet. Forthwith the terrier was OF
and before Mr.. Bray knew anything
about the plan the pet dog was play
fully pulling at his ear. Here was
rather intricate command. 1t was
not simply command to go. 1t said
how to go. where to go, what to do,
and TO whom. But the terrier under
stood perfectly. Now here is a dog
having an extraordinary vocabulary,
understanding, no doubt, no less than
$50 words. This one case will show
that the pet dog has a wider under
standing of words than dogs belonging
TO any other class, and there is a
reason for it, of course. They are
talked to all the time, and naturally
learn to associate certain sounds with
certain objects. 1t would be interest
ing to know what the average vocab-
ulary is among dogs, and L would like
to see some expert take the matter
up fonthe purpose OF determining more
definitely just how many words dogs
definitely understand"
That reminds me of another in
teresting thing in connection with dog
life" said listener, land that is the
fine sense of humor found in some
dogs. Here again we have to turn to
the pet dog as being the highest type
or humorist, both in the matter of
originating and in approaching the
humorous things. l am not speaking
of the clownish dogs which we find on
the stage and with trained animal
shows. Dogs of this kind are trained
for the purpose, and often pass
through these funny maneuverS with
out feeling. They do it indifferently.
mechanically. Spontaniety is the
| spicy element of humor. l like the
dog that is spontaneously funny. L
like the little prank, the little trick,
or some little bit of foolish dog de-
ception that just bubbles out for the
pure sport of the thing, an act of
amusing deviltry, something laughably
mischievous. Acts of this sort are In
f1nttely more amusing than the more
complex performances of trained dogs.
I'VE have pet terrier at home who
is naturally a dog humorist of the
kind have In mind. The other day he
was in the room with me, and was
stretched out on the rug before the
fire. He heard my wife coming down
the hall. She was singing. Like a flash
he was up and made a break for the
door through which my wife would
enter. He was quiet about his move
ments, and was awfully careful not
to make the least noise. He pulled
himself up in as small a bunch as
possible, and hid behind a parlor pill
low which was on the floor near the
door. AS my wife came singing
through the door he made a wild, des-
perate plunge at her, giving q loud,
long yelp. OF course, my wife jumped
ana gurgled out n few broken notes
of the song she was humming. The
terrier simply had a fit. Laugh! Well,
he simply rolled all over the floor,
and he was in happy mood all dur
Ing that day. That's his idea of hum
or, and he is always up to some prank
| or this sort. / like the trait, and not
| infrequently these little happenings
serve to change the whole trend of
my thoughts and put me in a better
humor with the world and mankind
In less degree nearly all dogs have
this trait. Some of them, of course,
outgrow it. In other cases it develops
and becomes more marked as the dogs
become more resourceful as the result
of experience.
There is a whole lot in that old
nursery saying it made the little dog
laugh to see the dish run away with
the SPOON for the dogs often have a
fine sense of humor, and when it has
the element of spontaniety it is rich,
rare and racV."