Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-26
MOST INTELLIGENT ANIMAL.
The Dog Can Rightfully Claim That
Distinction.

O1SC1uCC1Ou.
Every once in awhile 1 see a comment
somewhere, or overhear it spoken. about
tho horse being the most intelligent of
animals" said q gentleman connected
with the Smithsonian Institution to a
Star reporter. "and I am at loss to
understand how such a sentiment SHOULD
e, en- be slightly entertained.
The horse. from a scientific standpoint.
possesses a certain amount Of we'll
oped instinct and memory, but not in
telligence. as the word is understood as
applied to the animal kingdom. The m ,st
intelligent Of animals is the dog. Mans
most faithful friend not only possesses
Intelligence as contradistinguished from
mere instinct but his reasoning faculties
are better developed than any Of the
other dumb animals.
THE dog has been longer and more con-
stantly at the side of man than any other
animal. having been. in fact. mans clos
est companion for many centuries, and
this attachment and affinity will be the
greater as the centuries roll On. A fine
looking horse appears Intelligent and
thus the word has stuck to him, but AS
a matter of scientific fact the horse takes
on the characteristics Of all hoof animals,
and aside from his faculty of memory
and even that is not especially developed
he may be said to be dull. He is taught
few things in life by man. and he re-
another story: it is the dog now.
ITO the average person the bark of a
dog is simply Its bark. and nothing
more. The dogs first instinct is the pres
erVation of his master and the latter S
household, and In the fulfllment Of this
fine devotional trait he is willing and at
times appears by design to be anxious to
surrender his life Injuries and wounds,
even though he later expires therefroIn,
do not diminish this splendid character
istic. And to other people a dogs growl
is simply his 'growl,' but there is a DIFF
ference, in his bark.
Dogs have an tnterrogatOry growl a
warning growl, a menacing growl and Il
fighting growl, which are just as dis
similar to the discriminating student CT
dogs habits are the tones of a human
being in their various pitch indicating
the state of the temper. Their bark pos
sesses the same variations, indicating very
clearly to the observant student the eX-
act condition of the dog mind. while their
bark of happiness is individual and dis
tinct from their other tones.
The emotions of a dog may be an
pealed to in precisely the same manner
as those of the human being. In fact.
your own dog is more sensitive to the
Grange in your own emotions and feel
ings very often than the members of your
own family. and he will often sympathlae
with you by peculiar sympathetic light
in his eyes, by coming very close to you
placing his head against your hand or
licking it, long before any other member
OF the human KIM Ill tne family mas
caught on that there Is something wrong
with you.
The dog manifests and clearly deline-
ates the emotions of joy. indifference,
sorrow. grief, injury and slight, and for
each Of these emotions he has different
attitude and expression. When he stands
between his master and a possible adver-
sary or enemy his attitude of alertness
end willingness to fight for the former
upon the word Of command Is az clear TO
the dog student as Is the opposite one OF
grief, or self-cOnscfous shame, when ne
has been reproved by the hand, voice or
even the eye Of the one whom he is anx-
ious to defend SO readily when asked.
Their faculty Of reasoning might be
shown in many ways. did space afford
but single illustration will suffice. and
1 will take the setter, whose intelligence
has been shown to be very marked. Ills
master will send him into a field to flush
the game. The dog every few minutes
locks back at him. If his master waves
to the left and vice versa. If he throws
the palm of his hand forward outwardly
the dog again changes his position, md
never makes mistake by responding to
the backward call. But sometimes the
mester is mistaken as to the whereabouts
has been known to run back to his mas
ter, and by dog talk in barking tell his
master this. The master at once under
stands this talk and allows the dog to
proceed without further direction. Some
specimens of this fine breed are too in
telligent to hunt with man who can't
hunt so they tell him of their disgust by
ma king scornfully for home by the near
est route. The hunters Intelligent horse
VIC uld remain until he starved II he
weren't driven home