The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-02-27
SHYL0CK IN sLUMs CODE OF Etiquette
Animals Have a Sort of Rough
Moral System.
The Little Dog With Bone Is Oftea
Filled With Courage in Moral Con-
seriousness Of the Justice of
His Claim.

Every animal lover can tell numer-
Gus stories illustrating the devotion Of
animals to their human protectors.
Anecdotes Of one animal risking it's
life to save another are rare, but still
sufficiently numerous and authentic to
leave no doubt as to the occasional ex-
isteIce of a deep love between ami
mails. But any close observer of ma
ture will know that there exists
throughout the brute creation a sort
of rough moral system which, in the
case of domestic animals, translates
itself into what really amounts to a
code of etiquette.
The old proverb, "The dog with a
bone has many friends" is nothing
else than a recognition of canine Ell
quette, says Tit-Bits. 1t does not mat
ter how small is the dog with the bone
1t may be a Pomeranian surrounded
by mastiffc. The mastiffs will still re-
main friendly. They will hover round
the Pomeranian, perhaps whining for
a morsel (Which is never offered), and
eagerly picking up any splinter that
may be dlnpped, when nothing would
be easier than to bowl the little dog
over and seize the bone.
You will notice, further, that the lit
tie dog becomes filled with new cour-
age, presumably in the moral con-
seriousness of the justice of his claim
and will growl and even snap at dog
he otherwise fears if the latter should
come too close.
But the moment a dog drops his
! bone a new rule of etiquette operates,
for it becomes the property of the first
dog which cares to pick it up. True,
a dispute will sometimes arise as to
whether the bone has actually been
dropped within the meaning of the
act" But once this ia clear the law
of the bone will be observed by all
save the exceptional "hooligan' dog,
met with occasionally, which outrages
all the laws of dogdom, even to the
biting of his master.
Another rigid social law is that no
gentleman dog must ever, in any cir
cumstances, offer violence to lady
dog. 1t il not the slightest use to
plead that "she began it." If fe-
male should so far forget herself, as
not infrequently happens, the mere
male has no alternative to enduring
her snaps save seeking safety in
flight
Of course a dog, being only canine
after all, will sometimes, under severe
provocation, break this law. But IL he
is one of a pack it is ten to one that
the other males will set upon him and
mete out severe punishment for his
grave offense.
Moreover, although dog is quite en-
titled % rush suddenly upon a foe and
take him unawares, he may not do
so if the other is eating or drinking.
Dogs are by no means the only ami
mails that have a distinct sense of
property. The squirrel regards his
tree much as the dog regards his bone.
He has definite right to 1t, both as
dwelling and means of subsistence,
and on the rare occasions when anoth-
er squirrel disputes the right or blum
ders accidentally on his tree he will
fight fiercely in defense of that which
the law of the woods allows him to
regard as his own. If he wishes to
forage afield, he must choose a tree
that has not been appropriated by one
of his tribe.
Foxes, too, have a clear knowledge
of the difference between mine and
thine" Farmers may not have no
ticed it, perhaps, but this is probably
because it only applies to other foxes.
Nearly all breeds have their own
areas, and refrain from trespassing
on those of their neighbors.
Mr.. Thompson Seton, the we'll
known naturalist and hunter, has stat
ed that among a particular breed of
foxes. the blue foxes of Alaska. which
are homogeneous, there exists such a
respect for the marriage tie that If
a female loses her mate she will prac-
tically never take another. He tells
the story of hunter who, in all Sc
robustness, remarked: Until we can
break down the high moral standard
of these foxes our profits will be great
ly curtailed."