The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-04-20
FIERCE ESKIMO DOGS,
They Retain Their Wild Nature
Despite Long Training.
AS SAVAGE AS THE WOLVES.
And Like Their Ferocious Conseners
They Always Hunt In Packs-ln.
stances In Labrador Where They
Have Devoured Human Beings.

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 il Siege In
winter The Hudson Bay coinplny's
agents and the settlers on the eoast 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
pure. unmitieated savage Like his
eengener, 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
mcnt on his way the driver became
i'll and weak and quite unable to con
troll his team. The dogs turned on
them and devoured til" whole family.
An old resident III Labrador told me
that one winters evening lie was sit
ting reading when he heard furious
barking among his dogs outside
Fighting among the puck WAS 50 com
mon that he took no notice of the dis
turbance Next morning the cause Of
the row was discovered. A poor Els
kimo woman WAS coming to the house
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 nd the crossbred ones
have all the same savage Instinct
They have been known to kill II score
or mere sheep in one night, all being
found with their threats torn. but not
one eaten. II 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
iii packs always retain this character
islic. The reindeer In Lapland have
been trained and domestlcated by man
for countless generations. but they still
retain this instinct of the pick As
soon rs the team moves all the rein
deer start off. nothing can stop them
While the savage pack hunting char
actcr of the Eskimo dog remains So
long unchanged. We have ON the 9th
or hand. in setter and retriever dogs
very striking illustration of how an
artificial character can he given To the
dog and ii special characteristic firmly
implanted In II breed and retained fos
centuries II Is. However, purely arii
ncial and Is easily lost For instance
settlers and pointers kept by ladieS n
pets and not trained lose the instinct
Ia point The unframed breed within
Il generation lose il altogether Every
sportsman knows that the young one
are very easily trained aud point na;
urally have seen setter pups onl>
six weeks old setting ut Aies
The instinct for retrieving Is perpat
uated in no breed 50 strongly as tn,
real Newfoundland dog. the fisher
mans friend aud constant Companies
aud the most splendid of all rctlievers
\ remarkable instance of his gifts aud
courage is the story of n Newfound
land settler. George Harvey. how with
the aid of his dog and two chill lren HI
saved les lives In lSi2. In the autumn
of that year the brig Dispatch. Oh hci
way to Quebec with emigrants. III II
tremendous gale of wind struck IL roek
about three miles from IIurvey's resi-
denee nj Isle aux Morris Harvey heard
the signals of distress and immediatcl,
launched his boat. His only help was
II boy of twelve. his girl. sixteen year
old. and his dos TO get close to til,
doomed ship in such Il sea WAS To courl
destruction uatvey's dog understood
what WAS required Of him. He SWAN
toward the ship The seas overWhelm
ed him and drove him back. but final
IN he came near enough, The sailors
threw him II rope which he enu%hl
with his teeth Al last he got back I,
Ilarvcy's boat almost dead from eA
haustion. but with the ropes end firm
" elinehed IN his teeth communica
ton between the boat and the shil
was then established. and with care
and the most laborious efforts every
soul was saved = Judge prowse IN
London standard