Chapter 1

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ANECDOTES OF DOGS.

BY

EDWARD JESSE, ESQ.

"Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends." POPE.

With numerous Engravings.

LONDON: HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. MDCCCLVIII.

LONDON: Printed by G. Barclay, Castle St. Leicester Sq.

PREFACE.

The character, sensibilities, and intellectual faculties of animals have always been a favourite study, and they are, perhaps, more strongly developed in the dog than in any other quadruped, from the circumstance of his being the constant companion of man. I am aware how much has been written on this subject, but having accumulated many original and interesting anecdotes of this faithful animal, I have attempted to enlarge the general stock of information respecting it. It is a pleasing task, arising from the conviction that the more the character of the dog is known, the better his treatment is likely to be, and the stronger the sympathy excited in his behalf.

Let me hope, that the examples which are given in the following pages will help to produce this effect, and that a friend so faithful, a protector so disinterested and courageous, will meet with that kindness and affection he so well deserves.

It is now my grateful duty to express my thanks to those friends who have so kindly contributed original anecdotes to this work, and especially to Lady Morgan and Mrs. S. Carter Hall for their remarks on the Irish wolf-dog.

I have also to acknowledge my obligations for various anecdotes illustrative of the character of peculiar dogs, extracted from Colonel Hamilton Smith's volumes in the Naturalist's Library and Captain Brown's interesting sketches; as well to the Editor of the "Irish Penny Magazine" for his extremely well-written account of the Irish wolf-dog; and to other sources too numerous to mention.

The present new edition is considerably enlarged, both in matter and plates, and, to suit the taste of the age is presented in a cheap and popular form.

My Publisher has, as usual, lent his aid, and is responsible for some of the additional anecdotes, for the account of the _Setter_, and for all after page 458, including the chapter "On Feeding and Management."

EDWARD JESSE.

_East Sheen, Sept. 1858._

ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD.

TITLE. PAINTER. ENGRAVER. PAGE

1. Spaniel & Newfoundland Dogs W. Harvey W. Branston 1 2. Retriever W. Harvey W. Branston 54 3. Tail-piece W. P. Smith T. Gilks 83 4. Deer-hounds W. Harvey W. Branston 85 5. Tail-piece W. P. Smith T. Gilks 132 6. Newfoundland Dog W. Harvey W. Branston 133 7. Tail-piece W. P. Smith T. Gilks 184 8. The Colley, or Shepherd's Dog Stewart Pearson 185 9. Tail-piece W. P. Smith T. Gilks 239 10. St. Bernard Dog W. P. Smith T. Gilks 240 11. Chasseur & Cuba Bloodhounds Freeman Whiting 250 12. Tail-piece W. P. Smith T. Gilks 263 13. The Terrier W. Harvey W. Branston 264 14. Tail-piece W. P. Smith T. Gilks 299 15. The Blenheim Spaniel W. Harvey Pearson 300 16. Tail-piece W. P. Smith T. Gilks 330 17. The Poodle Carpendale Pearson 331 18. Tail-piece W. P. Smith T. Gilks 352 19. Vignette W. P. Smith T. Gilks 353 20. Otter Hunting W. P. Smith T. Gilks 361 21. Tail-piece W. Harvey Vizitelly 366 22. Greyhounds W. Harvey Vizitelly 367 23. Tail-piece C. D. Radcliffe E. Landells 382 24. The Pointer W. Harvey W. Branston 383 25. Tail-piece W. P. Smith T. Gilks 399 26. The Setter W. Harvey W. Branston 400 27. Tail-piece Bewick Bewick 411 28. The Comforter W. R. Smith Pearson 412 29. A Pugnacious Pair Cruickshank Cruickshank 417 30. The Foxhound C. D. Radcliffe E. Landells 421 31. Hounds in a Bath C. D. Radcliffe E. Landells 437 32. The Beagle W. R. Smith T. Gilks 438 33. Tail-piece C. D. Radcliffe E. Landells 439 34. The Mastiff W. Harvey Whimper 440 35. Tail-piece W. R. Smith T. Gilks 453 36. The Bull-dog W. Harvey Vizitelly 454 37. Tail-piece W. R. Smith T. Gilks 458 38. Tail-piece Seymour Pearson 481 39. Feeding Hounds C. D. Radcliffe E. Landells 482 40. Tail-piece W. R. Smith T. Gilks 490

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION--Value, propensities, and origin of the dog, 1 _et passim_--the wolf partially domesticated, 6--wild dogs of Ceylon, 15--Sir Walter Scott's bull-dog terrier Camp, 16--the dog and the pieman, 17--death of a dog from affection for its deceased mistress, 18--frozen fowls rescued by a house-dog, 19--Sir R. Brownrigg's dog, 19--the author's terrier Phiz, 20--a dog fond of travelling by himself, 20--runaway horse caught by a dog, 21--lost money guarded by, 21--dogs can reckon time, 22--death of a dog from joy at the return of his master, 22--faithfulness of a dog to its charge, 24--the dog's character influenced by that of its master, 25--sense of smelling, 26--duel about a dog, 28--murder prevented by, 29--a faithful dog killed by mistake, 30--sporting anecdotes of Smoaker, Bachelor, Blunder, &c., 31--intelligence of the dog, 42--tact in cat-hunting, 44--find their way home from long distances, 46--bantam rescued from a game cock, 46--perception of right and wrong, 47--turkey punished for gluttony, 48--speaking dogs, 48-9--a singing dog, 50--creatures of habit, 50--Caniche and the breeches, 51--distinguishes his master's customers, 54--a robber killed by a dog, 55--Dr. Hooper's dog, 55--the fireman's dog, Tyke, 56--the fireman's dog, Bill, 60--dog used as a servant, 61--Mr. Backhouse's dog, 62--the post-dog's revenge, 62--dog returns from Bangalore to Pondicherry, 63--Mr. Decouick's dog, 63--a dog saves human life, 64--guards a chair dropped from a waggon, 64--rescues his master from an avalanche, 64--spaniel tracks his master to Drury Lane, and discovers him in the pit, 65--large dog rescues a small one from drowning, 65--a canine messenger, 66--contrivance of a Newfoundland to get a bun, 67--dog lost for nine weeks in the dome of St. Paul's, 67--support themselves in a wild state, 69--laughable account of the transmigration of souls in connexion with dogs, 71--sheep-dogs in the Pyrenees, 76--Mrs. S. C. Hall's dog, 77--musical spaniel of Darmstadt, 77--Lord Grenville's lines on the dog, 82.

THE IRISH AND HIGHLAND WOLF-DOG.

History of the Irish wolf-dog, 86 _et seq. passim_--supposed recognition of a wolf-dog of the Irish blood royal, 86--lines on the Irish wolf-dog, 88--anecdotes from Plutarch, 89--the dog of Montargis, 90--the dog of Aughrim, 93--wolf-hunting in Tyrone, 94--sheep-killing wolf-dog, 107--Buskar and Bran, 112--incident with Lord Ossulton's hounds, 116--Bruno and O'Toole, 117--a deer-hound recovers a glove from a boy, 119--Sir W. Scott's dog Maida, 120--a deer-hound detains a suspicious person, 120--follows a wounded deer for three days, 121--Comhstri drowns a stag, 122--Scotch dogs much prized in England, 123--Llewellyn and Beth Gelert, 124--Lady Morgan on the Irish wolf-dog, 127.

THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.

Character, &c., 133--saves people from drowning, 135--Baby, 136--saves a child from being run over, 136--saves a spaniel from being drowned, 137--saves a gentleman from drowning at Portsmouth, 138--saves a man in a mill-stream, 138--calculating dogs, 138--Sabbath party disturbed by a dog, 139--Archdeacon Wix's dog, 140--a Newfoundland brings away breeches containing money belonging to his master, 143--commits suicide, 145--saves a coachman in the Thames, 146--tries to drown a spaniel, 147--uses his paw as a fishing-bait, 148--in carrying two hats puts one inside other, 148--three dogs previously enemies unite against a common foe, 149--a dog saves his drowning enemy, 151--releases himself and companions from captivity, 152--a swimming-wager amusingly lost by a dog's care, 153--the dog as postman, 153--swims for ten hours in a tempestuous sea, 153--saves his dead master's pocket-book, 154--Lord Grenville's lines on the, 155--Newfoundland dog ducks his aggressor, 157--carries a rope to the shore, 158--saves an ungrateful master, 158--guardian of a lady's honour, 160--anecdotes of Mr. M'Intyre's dog Dandie, 160-5--a Newfoundland causes the detection of a dishonest porter, 165--saves twelve persons from drowning, 166--watches over his drunken master, 167--his humanity occasions a disturbance at Woolwich Theatre, 167--carries a lanthorn before his master, 168--saves the lives of all on board the Durham Packet, 170--drowns a pet lamb out of jealousy, 171--rescues a canary which had flown into the sea, 171--saves his old master from robbers, 173--St. John's and Labrador dogs, 176--long remembrance of injuries, 177--discovers a poacher, 178--discretion and revenge, 178--returns from Berwick to London, 179--the Romans had some dog of the same kind, 179--liberates a man who had fallen into a gravel-pit, 180--Boatswain provides his mistress a dinner, 181--a trespasser detained, 181--Victor at the Battle of Copenhagen, 182--a Newfoundland dog retrieves on the ice, 182--fetches a coat from the tailor's, 183--lines by Lord Eldon, 184.

THE COLLEY OR SHEPHERD'S DOG.

Saves the life of Mr. Satterthwaite, 186--the Ettrick Shepherd's dog, Sirrah, collects a scattered flock at midnight, 188--Hector, 189--points the cat, 191--has an ear for music, 194--hears where his master is going, and precedes him, 196--a wonderful sheep-dog, 199--a bitch having pupped deposits her young in the hills, and afterwards fetches them home, 201--cunning of sheep-stealing dogs, 202-5--a sheep-dog dies of starvation whilst tending his charge, 206--discrimination of a sheep-dog, 207--a sheep-dog remembers all the turnings of a road, 208--follows a young woman who had borrowed his mistress's cloak, 211--Drummer saves a cow, 212--Caesar rescues his master from an avalanche, 213--a sheep-dog snatches away a beggar's stick, 214--a colley conducts the flock whilst his master is drinking, 214--dishonesty punished, 215--a sporting colley, 216--a colley buries her drowned offspring, 217--brings assistance to her helpless master, 217--saves his master from being frozen to death, 219--his master having broken his arm sends home his dog for assistance, 220--a colley punishes a tailor's dog for worrying his flock, 221--the sheep-stealing colley, 222--a colley distinguishes diseased sheep, 228--the Ettrick Shepherd's story of the dog Chieftain, 230--a colley feeds his master's lost child on the Grampian Hills, 232--the shepherds' dogs of North Wales, 235--training a colley, 238.

THE ST. BERNARD DOG.

Mrs. Houston's lines on the, 240--peculiar intelligence of, 241--the monks and their dogs, 242--a dog saves a woman's life, 243--intuitive foreboding of danger, 244--a dog saves a child, 245--revenges his ill-treated master, 247--a St. Bernard dog named Barry saves forty lives, 248--destruction of a whole party by an avalanche, 249.

THE BLOODHOUND.

Habits of the bloodhound, 251--its remarkable scent, 252--pursuit of Wallace with a bloodhound, 253--bloodhounds employed for hunting negroes in Cuba, 253--a bloodhound traces a miscreant twenty miles, 255--Sir W. Scott's description of a bloodhound, 255--extract from Wanley's "Wonders," 256--a bloodhound discovers a lost child, 257--the Spanish chasseurs and their dogs, 258--a sheepstealer discovered by a bloodhound, 260--atrocities of the Spaniards, 261.

THE TERRIER.

Its varieties, 265--Peter, 266--a terrier kills a child from jealousy, 268--pines to death from jealousy, 268--guards a lady in her walks, 269--affection of a terrier, 269--Sir Walter Scott's description of Wasp, 270--brings assistance to his imprisoned master, 271--gets a friend to pay his boat-hire, 272--Mrs. Grosvenor's dog, 273--a bell-ringing and message-carrying terrier, 273--a dog knows his mistress's dress, and follows the wearer, 274--anecdotes of a terrier at Hampton Court, 274--a terrier saves his master from being burnt to death, 277--suckles a rat, 277--tries to prevent his master from beating his son, 278--Pincer seeks assistance in dislodging rats, 278--a terrier rescues her two drowned pups, 280--seeks assistance in getting a bone, 281--gets a lady to ring the bell for him, 282--flies at the throat of a man who attacks his master, 282--a grateful terrier, 283--attachment to a cat, 283--clever expedient of two affectionate dogs, 284--Snap, 285--the fate of a gentleman revealed to his family by means of a terrier, 286--a terrier in the Tower follows a soldier to find his master, 288--Snob, 289--a terrier suckles fox-cubs, 290--brings assistance to his canine friend, 291--returns from York to London, 292--finds a thief in the cupboard, 292--friendship between a terrier and bantam, 293--traces his master to Gravesend, 294--Peter, 295--a terrier suckles a kitten, 295--a terrier discovers where his master has travelled by the scent, 296--nurses a brood of ducklings and chickens, 296--brings his master's wife to the dead body of her husband, 297--Keeper recognises his master's vessel after a long interval, 298.

THE SPANIEL.

Sings, 300--affected by a particular air, 301--gathers a water-lily, 303--retrieves a wild duck, 303--a grateful spaniel, 304--faithful to his guillotined master, 304--Dash, her intelligence and fidelity, 305--gratitude for surgical assistance, 306--spaniels in cover, 308--the Clumber spaniels, 308--Lord Albemarle's spaniels, 309--suckling, 309--friendship between a dog and cat, 310--Rose travels from London to Worcester, 311--recognition of his master after a long absence, 312--friendship between a spaniel and partridge, 313--a spaniel avoids being left behind, 315--an adept in shoplifting, 316--takes up his abode at a grave in St. Bride's churchyard, 317--dies of grief for his dam's death, 317--dogs of the poor the most affectionate, 318--a spaniel takes up his abode in St. Olave's churchyard, 319--causes a man to be executed for murder, 320--saves the life of Mrs. Alderman Yearsley, 321--a spaniel's recognition of his old master by scent, 323--a King Charles spaniel alarms his mistress and saves her from being robbed, 324--a spaniel knocks at the door, 326--opens the gate to release other dogs, 326--imitates his master in eating turnips, 327--finds his way from Boston to Chepstow, 328--prevents a cat from stealing meat, 329--Mrs. Browning's lines on, 329.

THE POODLE.

The Shoeblack's poodle, 332--two learned poodles exhibited at Milan, 332--a poodle reminds the servant that he wants a walk, 336--hides the whip, 336--performance in a London theatre, 337--finds his way from London to Inverary, 342--supports himself during his master's absence, 342--friendship with a terrier, 342--discerns a rogue at first sight, and causes him to be detected, 343--enjoys a glass of grog, 344--carries three puppies a long distance, one at a time, 345--fetches his master's slippers, &c., 346--imitates the agonies of death, 346--goes to church by habit without the family, the road being overflowed, 347--watches over the dead body of his master, 347--protects his master's body, 348--climbs up a house in Wells Street, Oxford Street, 348--anecdote of Froll, 349.

THE ESQUIMAUX DOG.

Traditions, 353--Capt. Lyons' account of the, 354--Col. Hamilton Smith's account of one, 359.

THE OTTER TERRIER.

Somerville's description of an otter-hunt, 361--otter-hounds almost extinct, 362--otter-hunting, 363 to end of chapter.

THE GREYHOUND.

Match between a Scotch greyhound and Snowball, 368--Match between a greyhound and a racehorse, 368--its courage and perseverance, 369--a coursed hare dies of exhaustion, 369--a hare and two dogs die of exhaustion, 370--a wild greyhound, 370--greyhounds coupled pursue a hare, 372--a greyhound brings assistance to his drowning master, 372--finds his way from Cumnock to Castle Douglas, 373--canine friendship, 373--King Richard's greyhound, 375--attachment between St. Leger and his greyhound, 377--the Persian greyhound, 379.

THE POINTER.

Its origin and present breed, 384--a pointer punished by her grand-dam, 386--disgust at a bad shot, 387--pointing on the top of a wall, 388--steady pointing, 389--a weather-wise pointer, 389--guards some dropped birds all night, 389--finds his way back from America, 390--traces his master four hundred miles, 390--M. Leonard's dogs, Brague and Philax, 391--a pointer acts as a landing-net, 394--calls the attention of his master to a hare, 394--an extraordinary pointer, 395--a pointer suckles a hedgehog, 398.

THE SETTER.

Its origin and present breed, 400--smells birds a hundred yards off, 401--acts as a retriever, 402--traces a wounded deer, and brings her master to it next morning, 403--finds a lost whip, 404--gratitude of a dying setter, 405--friendship with a cat, 406--a setter angry with his master for missing birds, 406--falls in love with a mongrel, 407--effect of imagination on pregnant bitches, 408--Medor brings the keys to his shut-out mistress, 409--sagacity in hunting red-legged partridges, 410.

THE PUG DOG.

Its history and progress, 412--a pug saves the life of the Prince of Orange, 413--a lady incurs a pug's displeasure for preventing him from stealing, 414--a pug pronounces the word William, 415--ditto Elizabeth, 416--the Comforter, 416.

THE TURNSPIT.

Recollections of it, 418--an industrious dog punishes his lazy fellow-labourer, 419--one dog forces another to take his turn at the wheel, 420.

THE FOXHOUND.

Somerville's lines on, 421--friendship between a fox and a pack of hounds, 424--dog always attacks the fox's head, 424--a hound finds its way back from Lincolnshire to Frogmore, 425--dog found swimming across the Channel, 425--dog finds its way back from Ireland to Liverpool, 425--three hounds escape from their kennel in Ireland and return to Leicestershire, 426--bitch after losing her eye continues to follow the fox, 427--three hounds hunt a fox alone for seven hours, 428--pack of hounds hunt a fox for eight hours, 428--a hound follows a fox for thirty hours, 429--foxhound follows with her new-born pup in mouth, 429--hounds follow a fox for four days, 430--fox leaps a precipice of sixty yards and is followed by the hounds, 433--foxhounds refuse to eat a bag-fox, 435.

BEAGLE.

Description of, 438--lines on, by Dryden and Pope, 439.

MASTIFF.

Description of, 440--detects and kills a housebreaker, 443--mastiff engages a bear, a leopard, and a lion, 444--prevents his master from being murdered by his valet, 446--gentle towards children, 448--killed by the wheel of a cart rather than desert his charge, 449--attacks a horse which had trodden upon him, 450--drops a snarling cur into the water, 453.

BULL-DOG.

Description of, 454--saves a shipwrecked crew, 457.

DALMATIAN OR COACH-DOG.

Finds its way from France to England, 461--affection for a horse, 462.

GREAT DANISH DOG.

Discovers a murderer under the bed, 464--dies of starvation rather than eat his master's game within reach, 465--rings a convent bell for his dinner, 466.

CUR DOG.

Prevents a man from stealing a bridle, 468--carries his master's dinner to him daily, 470--pursues a pony and conducts him to the stable, 474.

LURCHER.

Hunting rabbits, 477--attacks a fox and is killed by the hounds, 479.

BAN DOG.

Gratitude for a favour conferred, 480.

A French writer has boldly affirmed, that with the exception of women there is nothing on earth so agreeable, or so necessary to the comfort of man, as the dog. This assertion may readily be disputed, but still it will be allowed that man, deprived of the companionship and services of the dog, would be a solitary and, in many respects, a helpless being. Let us look at the shepherd, as the evening closes in and his flock is dispersed over the almost inaccessible heights of mountains; they are speedily collected by his indefatigable dog--nor do his services end here: he guards either the flock or his master's cottage by night, and a slight caress, and the coarsest food, satisfy him for all his trouble. The dog performs the services of a horse in the more northern regions; while in Cuba and some other hot countries, he has been the scourge and terror of the runaway negroes. In the destruction of wild beasts, or the less dangerous stag, or in attacking the bull, the dog has proved himself to possess pre-eminent courage. In many instances he has died in the defence of his master. He has saved him from drowning, warned him of approaching danger, served him faithfully in poverty and distress, and if deprived of sight has gently led him about. When spoken to, he tries to hold conversation with him by the movement of his tail or the expression of his eyes. If his master wants amusement in the field or wood, he is delighted to have an opportunity of procuring it for him; if he finds himself in solitude, his dog will be a cheerful and agreeable companion, and maybe, when death comes, the last to forsake the grave of his beloved master.