A Natural History for Young People: Our Animal Friends in Their Native Homes: including mammals, birds and fishesHumphreys, Phebe Westcott
History
A Natural History for Young People: Our Animal Friends in Their Native Homes: including mammals, birds and fishes
Humphreys, Phebe Westcott
Natural history -- Juvenile literature
It is also useless to attempt to mention all the various species of Dogs
that are found scattered over all the inhabited parts of the world; but
certain varieties may be divided into classes. The Sporting Dogs, for
instance, are usually divided into two classes—the Running Dogs or
Hounds, and the Setters or Pointers. The first follow rapidly on a track
or scent, howling and crying all the way, and only stop when they have
captured or lost their game. The second follow silently on the trail of
the game, and only stop pursuing it when the scent announces that they
are close to the object of their search. It is then that they are said
to be pointing or setting. Setters generally lie down and wait for the
sportsman, while the Pointers stand.
Among the Running Dogs might be mentioned the Greyhound, the Hounds of
Saintonge and of Poitou, English Foxhounds, Harriers and Beagles,
Turnspits, Bull-dogs, Mastiffs, etc. The principal sporting Dogs are the
Pointers, Setters, Land Spaniels and Water Spaniels.
It is almost impossible to class all the different kinds of Dogs in
groups, with the many races and sub-races now existing. Some Naturalists
have divided all these different varieties into three classes—the
Matins, the Spaniels, and the Mastiffs, and although this method may
have its faults, it also has the advantage of being easy to remember and
sufficient for practical use.
It is among the Matins that the largest-sized Dogs are found. The
ordinary Matin—the great Danish Dog—is as large as a good-sized Donkey;
under this class are also found the Spotted Danish Dog, the Little
Danish Dog, the different varieties of Greyhounds, the Pyrenean
Shephard’s Dog, the Alpine Dog, and the St. Bernard Dog.
The Spaniels comprise the Wolf Dog, the Chinese Dog, the Siberian Dog,
the Esquimaux Dog—the two latter being used to draw sledges across the
snow—the French and English Spaniels, and what is classed as the Small
Spaniel, including a great number of varieties of “Lap Dogs,” which are
the favorite home pets, in spite of the fact that they are particularly
remarkable for their ugliness, and their small size. The principal
Lap-dogs are the King Charles, Cocker, Blenheim, Small Poodle and the
Small White Dog of Cuba, or Havanese Dog, etc. Then we come to the
Turnspits, with straight and crooked legs; the St. Domingo Dog; the
large Water Spaniel—the most faithful and intelligent of all dogs; the
Little Water Spaniel, Poodle, Newfoundland Dog; Stag, Fox and Hare
Hounds; Bloodhounds, Pointers and Setters.
Among the Mastiffs are placed the Great Dog or English Mastiff, an
animal that is very courageous, and a great fighter; the Thibit Mastiff,
the Small Mastiff, the Pug, the Bull-dog, the Terrier, and Bull Terrier,
the Turkish Dog, remarkable for its almost naked skin, and last of all,
our common Cur Dog, with no distinct characteristics.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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