Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1910-06-14
They Retain Their Wild Nature
Despite Long Training.
AS SAVAGE AS THE WOLVES.

And Like Their Ferocious Congeners
They Always Hunt In Packs-in-
stances In Labrador Where They
Have Devoured Human Beings.
There undoubtedly is an affinity be-
tween the wolf and the Eskimo dog.
For generations the dog has been
trained by the Eskimos. chiefly by the
women. and taught to haul u sledge in
winter. The Hudson Bay company's
agents and the settlers on the coast OF
Labrador vie with each other In get
ting together splendid teams. One
would naturally suppose that dogs of
this kind, SO long trained and associ-
ated with men, would become more or
less domesticated and lose their origi-
nal savage character. 1t is. however,
quite otherwise.
The Eskimo dog Of today is still a
pure, unmitigated savage. Like his
congener, the wolf. he always hunts in
packs. Quite recently an Eskimo. with
his wife and child. was making a jour
ney with his team to nearby settle
ment. On his way the driver became
Ill and weak and quite unable to con
troll his team. The dogs turned on
them and devoured the whole family.
An old resident Mt Labrador told me
that one winters evening he - sit
ting reading when he heard furious
barking among his dogs outside.
Fighting among the pack was so com
mon that he took no notice Of the dis
turbance. Next morning the cause Of
the row was discovered. A poor Es-
for medicine for her sick child. She
stumbled over the heap of snow near
the door. The pack sprang on her. and
some rags and bones discovered next
morning told the tale of her tragic
fate.
The Newfoundland fishermen often
bring home these Eskimo dogs from
Labrador They Invariably turn out
sheep killers, and the crossbred ones
have all the same savage instinct
They have been known to kill score
or more sheep In one night, all being
found with their Threats torn, but not
one eaten. 1t Is simply the savage lust
for blood. The early settlers In New
foundland found the great timber
wolves a terrible pest. They killed
their sheep and cattle and sometimes
attacked women and children. They
were continually chased and killed,
but still they increased. A handsome
bounty on wolfskins, however, even
tually brought about their extirpation.
Animals that hunt or move together
in packs always retain this character
istic. The reindeer in Lapland have
been trained and domesticated by man
for countless generations, but they still
retain this instinct of the pack. As
soon as the team moves all the rein
deer start off; nothing can stop them
While the savage pack hunting char
acter of the Eskimo dog remains so
long unchanged, we have, on the 9th
er hand, In setter and retriever dogs
q very striking illustration of how an
artificial character can be given to the
dog and a special characteristic firmly
implanted In a breed and retained for
centuries. 1t is, however. purely arti-
fetal and is easily lost. For instance.
settlers and pointers kept by ladies as
pets and not trained lose the instinct
to point. The unframed breed within
a generation lose 1t altogether. Every
sportsman knows that the young ones
are very easily trained and point nat
urally. | have seen setter pups only
six weeks old setting at flies.
The instinct for retrieving is perpet-
uated In no breed so strongly as the
real Newfoundland dog. the fisher
mans friend and constant companion
and the most splendid of all retrievers.
A remarkable instance of his gifts and
courage is the story Of NewfaHd-
land settler, George Harvey. how with
the aid of his dog and two children be
saved 1863 lives In 1882. In the autumn
of that year the brig Dispatch, on her
way to Quebec with emigrants, In q
tremendous gale Of wind struck rock
about three miles from Harvey's resi-
dence at Isle aux Morris. Harvey heard
the signals of distress and Immediately
launched his boat. His only help was
a boy of twelve. his girl. sixteen years
old. and his dog. To get close TO the
doomed ship in such sea was to court
destruction. Harvey's dog understood
what was required OF him. He swan
toward the ship. The seas oyerwheim-
ed him and drove him back. but final
~ he came near enough. The sailors
threw him rope. which he caught
with his teeth. At last he got back to
Harvey's boat almost dead from ex-
haustlon. but with the ropes cpd firm
| IL ciinched in his teeth. Communica-
| ton between the boat and the ship
was then established, and with care
and the most laborious efforts every
| soul was saved. Judge Prowse In
| London Standard