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DOG

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Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 379 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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DOG  , the See also:

English generic See also:term for' the quadruped of the domesticated variety of Canis (Fr. chien) . The See also:etymology of the word is unknown; " See also:hound " represents the See also:common See also:Teutonic term (Ger . Hund), and it is suggested that the " English dog "—for this was a See also:regular phrase in See also:continental See also:European countries —represented a See also:special breed . Most canine experts believe that the dog is descended from the See also:wolf, although zoologists are less certain (see See also:CARNIVORA); the See also:osteology of one does not differ materially from that of the other: the dog and the wolf breed with each other, and the progeny thus obtained will again breed with the dog . There is one circumstance, however, which seems to See also:mark a difference between the two animals: the See also:eye of the ' dog of every See also:country and See also:species has a circular See also:pupil, but the position or See also:form of the pupil is oblique in the wolf . W . Youatt says there is also a marked difference in the See also:temper and habits of the two . The dog is generally easily managed, and although H . C . See also:Brooke of Welling, See also:Kent, succeeded in making a wolffairly tractable, the experience of others has been the See also:reverse of encouraging . G . See also:Cuvier gives an interesting See also:account of a See also:young wolf which, having been trained to follow his See also:master, showed See also:affection and submission scarcely inferior to the domesticated dog .

During the See also:

absence from See also:home of his owner the wolf was sent to a See also:menagerie, but pined for his master and would scarcely take any See also:food for a considerable See also:time . At length, however, he became attached to his keepers and appeared to have forgotten his former See also:associate . At the end of eighteen months his master returned, and, the moment his See also:voice was heard, the wolf recognized him and lavished on him the most affectionate caresses . A still longer separation followed, but the wolf again remembered his old associate and showed See also:great affection upon his return . Such an association proves that there is very little difference between the dog and the wolf in recognition of See also:man as an See also:object of affection and veneration . H . C . Brooke succeeded in training his wolf so well that it was no uncommon sight to see the latter following his master like a dog . The wolf did not like strangers, however, and was very shy in their presence . In the Old and New Testaments the dog is spoken of almost with abhorrence; it ranked amongst the unclean beasts: See also:traffic in it was considered as an See also:abomination, and it was forbidden to he offered in the See also:sanctuary in the See also:discharge of any See also:vow . See also:Part of the Jewish See also:ritual was the preservation of the Israelites from the See also:idolatry which at that time prevailed among every other See also:people . See also:Dogs were held in considerable veneration by the Egyptians, from whose tyranny the Israelites had just escaped; figures of them appeared on the friezes of most of the temples, and they were regarded as emblems of the divine being .

See also:

Herodotus, speaking of the sanctity in which some animals were held by the Egyptians, says that the people of every See also:family in which a dog died shaved themselves—their expression of See also:mourning—adding that this was a See also:custom of his own time . The cause of this See also:attachment to and veneration for the dog is, however, explained in a far more probable and pleasing way than by many of the fables of See also:ancient See also:mythology . The prosperity of See also:Lower See also:Egypt, and almost the very subsistence of its inhabitants, depended upon the See also:annual overflowing of the See also:Nile; and they looked for it with the utmost anxiety . Its approach was announced by the See also:appearance of a certain See also:star, Sirius, and as soon as that star was seen above the See also:horizon the people hastened to remove their flocks to the higher ground and abandoned the lower pastures to the fertilizing See also:influence of the stream . They hailed it as their guard and See also:protector; and, associating with its apparent watchfulness the well-known fidelity of the dog, they called it the " dog-star " and worshipped it . It was in far later periods and in other countries that the appearance of the dog-star was regarded as the See also:signal of insufferable See also:heat or prevalent disease . In See also:Ethiopia, not only was great veneration paid to the dog, but the inhabitants used to elect a dog as their See also:king . It was kept in great See also:state, and surrounded by a numerous See also:train of See also:officers and See also:guards: when it fawned upon them it was supposed to be pleased with their proceedings; when it growled, it disapproved of the manner in which their See also:government was See also:con-ducted . Such indications of will were implicitly obeyed, or were translated by the worshippers as their own caprice or See also:interest indicated . Even r000 years after this See also:period, the dog was highly esteemed in Egypt for its sagacity and other excellent qualities; for when See also:Pythagoras, after his return from Egypt, founded a new See also:sect in See also:Greece, and at Croton in See also:southern See also:Italy, he taught, with the See also:Egyptian philosophers, that at the See also:death of the See also:body the soul entered into that of various animals . After the death of any of his favourite disciples he would hold a dog to the mouth of the man in See also:order to receive the departing spirit, saying that there was no See also:animal which could perpetuate his virtues better than that quadruped . It was in order to preserve the Israelites from errors and follies of this See also:kind, and to prevent the possibility of such idolatry being established, that the dog was afterwards regarded with utter abhorrence amongst the See also:Jews, and this feeling prevailed during the continuance of the Israelites in See also:Palestine .

The See also:

Hindus also regard the dog as unclean, and submit to various purifications if they accidentally come in contact with it, believing that every dog is animated by a wicked and See also:malignant spirit condemned to do See also:penance in that form for crimes committed in a previous state of existence . In every See also:Mahommedan and See also:Hindu country the most scurrilous epithet bestowed on a European or a See also:Christian is " a dog," and that accounts for the fact that in the whole of the Jewish See also:history there .is not a single allusion to See also:hunting with dogs . Mention is made of nets and snares, but the dog does not seem to have been used in the pursuit of See also:game . In the See also:early periods of the history of other countries this seems to have been the See also:case even where the dog was esteemed and valued, and had become the See also:companion, the friend and the defender of man and his home; and in the 2nd See also:century of the Christian era See also:Arrian wrote that there is as much difference between a See also:fair trial of See also:speed in a See also:good run, and ensnaring a poor animal without an effort, as between the See also:secret piratical assaults of robbers at See also:sea and the victorious See also:naval engagements of the Athenians at Artemisium and at See also:Salamis." The first hint of the employment of the dog in the pursuit of other animals is given by See also:Oppian in his Cynegetica, who attributes it to See also:Pollux about 200 years after the promulgation of the Levitical See also:law . The precise species of dog that was cultivated in Greece at that early period cannot be affirmed, although a beautiful piece of See also:sculpture in the See also:possession of See also:Lord Feversham at Duncombe See also:Hall, representing the favourite dog of See also:Alcibiades, differs but little from the See also:Newfoundland dog of the See also:present See also:day . In the See also:British Museum is another piece of early sculpture from the ruins of the See also:villa of See also:Antoninus, near See also:Rome . The greyhound puppies which it represents are identical with a See also:brace of saplings of the present day . In the early periods of their history the Greeks depended too much on their nets to See also:capture game, and it was not until later times that they pursued their See also:prey with dogs, and then not with greyhounds, which run by sight, but with beagles, the See also:dwarf hound which is still very popular . Later, mention is made of large and ferocious dogs which were employed to guard See also:sheep and See also:cattle, or to See also:watch at the See also:door of the See also:house, or even to See also:act as a companion, and G . Cuvier expresses the See also:opinion that the dog exhibits the most See also:complete and the most useful See also:conquest that man has made . Each individual is entirely devoted to his master, adopts his See also:manners, distinguishes and defends his See also:property, and remains attached to him even unto death; and all this springs not from See also:mere See also:necessity nor from constraint, but simply from gratitude and true friendship . The swiftness, the strength and the highly See also:developed See also:power of See also:scent in the dog, have made it a powerful ally of man against the other animals; and perhaps these qualities in the dog were necessary to the See also:establishment of society .

Instances of dogs having saved the lives of their owners by that See also:

strange See also:intuition of approaching danger which they appear to possess, or by their See also:protection, are innumerable: their attachment to man has inspired the poet and formed the subject of many notable books, while in See also:Daniel's Rural See also:Sports is related a See also:story of a dog dying in the fulness of joy caused by the return of his master after a two years' absence from home . It is not improbable that all dogs sprang from one common source, but See also:climate, food and See also:cross-breeding caused See also:variations of form which suggested particular uses, and these being either designedly or accidentally perpetuated, the various breeds of dogs arose, and became numerous in proportion to the progress of See also:civilization . Among the ruder or See also:savage tribes they possess but one form; but the ingenuity of man has devised many inventions to increase his comforts; he has varied and multiplied the characters and kinds of domestic animals for the same purpose, and hence the various breeds of horses, cattle and dogs . The See also:parent stock it is now impossible to trace; but the See also:wild dog, wherever found on the See also:continent of See also:Asia, or See also:northern See also:Europe, has nearly the same See also:character, and bears no inconsiderable resemblance to the British dog of the See also:ordinary type; while many of those from the southern hemisphere can scarcely be distinguished from the cross-bred poaching dog, the lurcher . Dogs were first classified into three See also:groups:—(r) Those having the See also:head more or less elongated, and the parietal bones of the See also:skull widest at the See also:base and gradually approaching towards each other as they ascend, the condyles of the lower See also:jaw being on the same See also:line with the upper molar See also:teeth . The greyhound and all its varieties belong to this class . (2) The head moderately elongated and the parietals diverging from each other for a certain space as they rise upon the See also:side of the head, enlarging the cerebral cavity and the frontal sinus . To this class belong most of the useful dogs, such as the spaniel, the setter, the pointer and the sheepdog . (3) The muzzle more or less shortened, the frontal sinus enlarged, and the cranium elevated and diminished in capacity . To this class belong some of the terriers and most of the See also:toy dogs . Later, however, "See also:Stonehenge" (J . H .

See also:

Walsh), in British Rural Sports, classified dogs as follows: (a) Dogs that find game for man, leaving him to kill it himself—the pointer, setters, spaniels and See also:water spaniels . (b) Dogs which kill game when found for them—the English greyhound . (c) Dogs which find and also kill their game—the bloodhound, the foxhound, the See also:harrier, the beagle, the 'otterhound, the See also:fox terrier and the See also:truffle dog . (d) Dogs which retrieve game that has been wounded by man—the retriever, the deerhound . (e) Useful companions of man-the mastiff, the Newfoundland, the St See also:Bernard dog, the bulldog, the See also:bull terrier, terriers, sheepdogs, Pomeranian or Spitz, and Dalmatian dogs . (j) Ladies' toy dogs—King See also:Charles spaniel, the See also:Blenheim spaniel, the See also:Italian greyhound, the pug dog, the Maltese dog, toy terriers, toy poodles, the See also:lion dog, See also:Chinese and See also:Japanese spaniels . In 1894 See also:Modern Dogs (Rawdon B . See also:Lee) was issued, the See also:simple See also:classification of sporting and non-sporting dog-terriers and toy dogs, being adopted; but although there had been an understanding since 1874, when the first See also:volume of the See also:Kennel See also:Club See also:Stud See also:Book (See also:Frank C . S . See also:Pearce) was issued, as to the identity of the two great divisions of dogs, an incident at See also:Altrincham Show in See also:September 19oo—an exhibitor entering a See also:Russian wolfhound in both the sporting and non-sporting competitions—made it necessary for authoritative See also:information to be given as to how the breeds should be separated . Following petitions to the Kennel Club from exhibitors at the club's own show at the Crystal See also:Palace, and also at the show of the Scottish Kennel Club in See also:Edinburgh during the autumn of 1900, the divisions were decided upon as follows: Sporting.—Bloodhound, otterhound, foxhound, harrier, beagle, See also:basset hound (smooth and rough), dachshund, greyhound, deerhound, Borzoi, Irish wolfhound, whippet, pointer, setter (English, Irish and See also:black and tan), retriever (See also:flat-coated, See also:curly-coated and Labrador), spaniel (Irish water, water other than Irish, Clumber, See also:Sussex, See also:field, English See also:springer, other than Clumber, Sussex and field: Welsh springer, red and See also:white and See also:Cocker); fox terriers (smooth- and See also:wire-coated); Irish terrier, Scotch terrier, Welsh terrier, Dandie Dinmont terrier, See also:Skye terrier (prick-eared and drop-eared), Airedale terrier and See also:Bedlington terrier . Non-Sporting.—Bulldog, bulldog (See also:miniature), mastiff; Great Dane, Newfoundland (black, white and black, or other than black), St Bernard (rough and smooth), Old English sheepdog, collie (rough and smooth), Dalmatian, poodle, bull terrier, white English terrier, black and tan terrier, toy spaniel (King Charles See also:car black and tan, Blenheim, See also:ruby or red and tricolour), Japanese, Pekingese, See also:Yorkshire terrier, Maltese, Italian greyhound, chow-chow, black and tan terrier (miniature), Pomeranian, pug (fawn and black), Schipperke, Griffon Bruxellois, See also:foreign dogs (bouledogues See also:francais, See also:elk-hounds, Eskimos, See also:Lhasa terriers, See also:Samoyedes and any other varieties not mentioned under this heading) .

On the 4th of May 1898 a sub-See also:

committee of the Kennel Club decided that the following breeds should be classified as " toy dogs ":—Black and tan terriers (under 7 b), bull terriers (under 8 lb), griffons, Italian greyhounds, Japanese, Maltese, Pekingese, poodles (under 15 in.), pugs, toy spaniels, Yorkshire terriers and Pomeranians . All these varieties were represented at the annual show of the Kennel Club in the autumn of 1905, and at the representative See also:exhibition of See also:America held under the management of the See also:Westminster Kennel Club in the following See also:spring the classification was substantially the same, additional breeds, however, being See also:Boston terriers—practically unknown in See also:England,—Chesapeake See also:Bay dogs, Chihuahuas, Papillons and Roseneath terriers . The latter were only recently introduced into the See also:United States, though well known in Great See also:Britain as the See also:West Highland or Poltalloch terrier; an application which was made (1900) by some of their admirers for See also:separate classification was refused by the Kennel Club, but afterwards it was granted, the breed being classified as the West Highland white terrier . The establishment of shows at See also:Newcastle-on-See also:Tyne in See also:June 1859 secured for dogs See also:attention which had been denied them up to that time, although sportsmen had appreciated their value for centuries and there had been public See also:coursing meetings since the reign of Charles I . Lord See also:Orford, however, established the first club at Marham Smeeth near See also:Swaffham, where coursing is still carried on, in 1776 . The members were in number confined to that of the letters in the See also:alphabet; and when any vacancy happened it was filled up by See also:ballot . On the decease of the founder of the club, the members agreed to See also:purchase a See also:silver See also:cup to be run for annually, and it was intended to pass from one to the other, like the See also:whip at See also:Newmarket, but before starting for it, in the See also:year 1792, it was decided that the winner of the cup should keep it and that one should be annually See also:purchased to be run for in See also:November . At the formation of the club each member assumed a See also:colour, and also a See also:letter, which he used as the initial of his dog's name . The Newcastle dog show of 1859 was promoted by Mr Pape—a See also:local sporting gunmaker—and Mr Shorthose, and although only pointers and setters were entered for in two classes immense interest was taken in the show . But neither the promoters nor the sportsmen who supported it could have had the faintest See also:idea as to how popular dog shows would become . The See also:judges at that historic gathering were: Messrs J . Jobling (See also:Morpeth), T .

See also:

Robson (Newcastle-on-Tyne) and J . H . Walsh (See also:London) for pointers, and E . Foulger (See also:Alnwick), R . Brailsford (Knowsley) and J . H . Walsh for the setters . Sixty dogs were shown, and it was said that such a collection had not been seen together before; while so even was the quality that the judges had great difficulty in making their awards . The prizes were sporting guns made by Mr Pape and presented by him to the promoters of the show . So great a success was scored that other shows were held in the same year at See also:Birmingham and Edinburgh; while the See also:Cleveland Agricultural Society also established a show of foxhounds at See also:Redcar, the latter being the forerunner of that very See also:fine show of hounds which is now held at See also:Peterborough every summer and is looked upon as the out-of-See also:season society gathering of hunting men and See also:women . Mr Brailsford was the secretary of the show at Birmingham, and he had classes for pointers, English and Irish setters, retrievers and Clumber spaniels . Another big success was scored, and the See also:National Dog Show Society was established for the purpose of holding a show of sporting dogs in Birmingham every See also:winter .

Three years later proposals were made in The Field to promote public trials of pointers and setters over game, but it was not until the 18th of See also:

April 1865 that a further step was taken in the recognition of the value of the dog by the promotion of working trials . They were held at Southill, near See also:Bedford, on the See also:estate of S . See also:Whitbread, M.P., and they attracted great interest . The order of See also:procedure at the early field trials was similar to what it is to-day, only the awards were given in accordance with a See also:scale of points as follows: See also:nose, 4o; See also:pace and range, 30; temperament, 1o; staunchness before, 1o; behind, 1o . See also:Style of working was also taken into See also:consideration . In 1865 a show was held in See also:Paris, and after the National Dog Club—not the Birmingham society —had failed, as the result of a disastrous show at the Crystal Palace, a further exhibition was arranged to be held in June 187o under the management of G . Nutt and a very strong committee, among whom were many of the most noted owners of sporting dogs of that time . The details of the show were arranged by S . E . See also:Shirley and J . H . See also:Murchison, but the exhibition, although amost interesting one, was a failure, and the guarantors had to See also:face a heavy loss .

A second venture proved to be a little more encouraging, although again there was a loss; but in April 1873, the Kennel Club, which is now the governing body of the canine See also:

world, was founded by S . E . Shirley, who, after acting as its chairman for many years, was elected the See also:president, and occupied that position until his death in See also:March 1904 . His successor was the See also:duke of See also:Connaught- and Strathearn; the See also:vice-presidents including the duke of See also:Portland, Lord Algernon See also:Gordon See also:Lennox, J . H . See also:Salter and H . See also:Richards . The progress of the club has been remarkable, and that its formation did much to improve the conditions of the various breeds of dogs, to encourage their use in the field by the promotion of working trials, and to check abuses which were common with regard to the See also:registration of pedigrees, &c., cannot be denied . The abolition of the cropping of the ears of Great Danes, bull terriers, black and tan terriers, white English terriers, Irish terriers and toy terriers, in 1889 gained the approval of all humane lovers of dogs, and although attempts have been made to induce the club to modify the See also:rule which prohibits the exhibition of cropped dogs, the practice has not been revived; it is declared, however, that the toy terriers and white English terriers have lost such smartness by the retention of the ears that they are becoming See also:extinct . The club has See also:control over all the shows held in the United See also:Kingdom, no fewer than 519 being held in 1905, the actual number of dogs which were entered at the leading See also:fixtures being: Kennel Club show 1789, Cruft's 1768, Ladies' Kennel Association 1306, See also:Manchester 1190, Edinburgh 896 and Birmingham 892 . In 1906, however, no fewer than 1956 dogs were entered at the show of the Westminster Kennel Club, held in See also:Madison Square See also:Garden, New See also:York; a fact proving that the show is as popular in America as it is in the United Kingdom, the home of the See also:movement . The enormous sum of £1500 has been paid for a collie, and l000 guineas for a bulldog, both show dogs pure and simple; while £50o is no uncommon See also:price for a fox terrier .

Excepting for greyhounds, however, high prices are rarely offered for sporting dogs, 300 guineas for the pointer " See also:

Coronation " and 200 guineas for the retriever " High Legh See also:Blarney " being the best reported prices for See also:gun dogs during the last few years . The foreign and colonial clubs which are affiliated to the Kennel Club are: the See also:Guernsey Dog Club, the Italian Kennel Club, the See also:Jersey Dog Club, La Societe Centrale (Paris),