Evening star., 1914-07-19
THE most intelligent dog I ever owned

pets and fT1endS-WaS-partC CT NINA Wire
haired terrier. do not know whether Brace
got his wonderful rat-killing abilities from
his pedigreed mother or his mongrel father.
The little fellow chewed up a surprising
number of slippers and hats before he ar
rived at the age of discretion, and he could
think of and put into execution more mis-
chief in five minutes than an arlStocratlc
pup would dream of in month. However,
we forgave him everything on account of his
affectionate disposition and his cute little
ways.
The children were sure Brace was rat
ter; SO they trapped mouse and put 1T and
the puppy into lidless, empty trunk. With
that cruelty which seems part of the nature
of boys, they squatted round the trunk to
see the pup kill the mouse. Well, the pup
did ultimately kill the mouse; but the death
came about solely because the little creature
did not understand how to play with pup.
The boys kept on catching mice that they
might teach their dog how to be ratter;
but not until the pup was about becoming
a dog did he come to full comprehension
of what was expected of him. That day one of
the boys had caught a rat in trap, and into
the kitchen they went with it and the dog.
They shut all the doors, climbed upon the
stationary tubs, dumped the rat out of the
trap, and thus left that inexperienced pup
at the mercy of cornered rodent. The nose
of the dog was bitten through and through
and bled profusely, and that pup was prob
ably about as mad a canine as could be
found in ten kingdoms. In his wrath he
chewed the rat all up.
TT was tough on the dog; but the boys were
bound to have a ratter, and in week
or so they gave their pup another opportu-
nifty to kill rat In the meantime Brace
...%0 md fft6x f0
the most approved methods of killing rats;
for no sooner had the boys loosened their
second rodent than the dog gave sort of
growl of hatred and after that rat he sprang.
About in the middle of its back he caught
the rat in his teeth, gave it just one quick,
hard shake, and then dropped it. The rat
lay dead, his backbone broken. Then the
pup looked up at the boys as if to say:
@Give US another, won't your"
Of course the boys screamed with delight,
and after that day, for miles around, the
youngsters used to trap rats and bring them
to our dog to kill. If were to tell you how
many rats that dog could kill in a minute,
you would probably not believe me; But
lust put rat where Brace could see it, but
could not get at it, and you had the most
miserable pup on earth.
dog may belong to family and like
every member of it; but there will always
be one person the dog will own as master.
This dog belonged to the younger boy,
whom he would follow whenever and wher-
ever he was permitted to 60.
One Sunday evening the family were
going out to walk. At first the dog seemed
delighted at the prospect of run; but,
CHANGING to turn about, he saw his little
master asleep on the couch. Never before
nor afterward did dog look more ashamed
of himself than that one did. In every way
possible to pup he apologized for his dis
loyalty. We coaxed and coaxed; but go
and leave his master alone in the house he
would not. He would whine softly at us
and wag his tail, and then lay his head up
against the sleeping boy; but come along
with us? No, that he refused to do. So we
went away and left him there, and there we
found him beside the sleeping boy when we
returned.
THE children taught Brace all manner of
stunts, such as lying down and rolling
over, and walking erect, and asking for a bit
of candy, and saying his prayers, to raise his
head only at the word 4Amen, and playing
dead, and pulling wagon. But what
seemed to me the most wonderful thing
they taught hirn-and how they did it do
not know-was to distinguish colors. The
dog had a great assortment of neck ribbons.