Walter Esplin Mason

“ Perhaps—but after all, each tale is only another variation of the same theme: dog’s loyalty to man. And as pampered pets, or as valued assistants, in society or out of it, this loyalty justifies the attention and regard they receive. It is the one thing all dogs have in common, and whether in their veins runs the blue blood of generations of prize winners, or the humble strain of some obscure street waif, it is to You, and not to what you possess, not for what you can offer him, that the dog gives his steadfast allegiance. ”

“ The sagacity displayed by a really good sheepdog gathering sheep upon a mountain side, often a mile or more away from his master, must be seen to be believed. When the farmer goes out to gather his flock for shearing or other purposes, far away upon the bleak hillside, little clusters of white spots are all that are to be seen. The farmer takes up a position upon some point of vantage, gives a word or whistle or instruction to his four-footed companion, and the dog bounds away in response till he seems no more than a tiny moving speck occasionally visible in the distance. ”

“ Far beyond the Aleutian Islands, which stretch a grim barrier between the North Pacific and Bering Sea, almost to the bleak coast of Siberia, there lies that part of Alaska not familiar to the average tourist. The Alaska of primeval forests, of great, almost unknown rivers, of vast areas of snow and ice that reach to the desolate shore of the Arctic—the Alaska of the Dogs; and here in the “Land that God forgot,” the dog holds a unique place as an indispensable factor in the settlement of the country. ”

“ Dubby, a McKenzie River huskie, of the Allan and Darling Kennel, whose wonderful intelligence, and a record of over thirty thousand miles in harness, established his reputation as one of the greatest leaders Alaska has ever known.
The amount of rest in the race is a question of judgment with the driver, who must decide how much he can afford to take himself, and give his dogs without the unnecessary loss of a moment; but as he must return with every dog—dead or alive—with which he started, it is to his greatest advantage to keep them in the very best of condition. ”

“ The Russian wolf-hound is the best killer of any of the coursing dogs. Like a bulldog, he holds on to what he seizes; his jaws are very powerful, and it is because of this tenacity that the Russian wolf-hound, or borzoi, as he is frequently called, is used for crossing purposes on the English greyhound and the Scottish deerhound or on the progeny of these two breeds, for the purpose of producing what is known as the “long dog” of the Canadian prairies, where he is used principally for coursing and killing the coyote. ”

“ Perhaps one of the most striking features of the races is the pleasure that the dogs manifest not only in the preliminary training, but in the contest itself. One frequently sees a team of dogs, old in the knowledge of racing, perfectly familiar with the hardships before them, waiting for the signal to leave, and so eager to be off, that three or four men are barely able to restrain them till the dip of the flag starts them on their dash to the Arctic. ”

“ It must not be imagined that the wild mountain sheep, terrified at their unwonted surroundings and the presence of a strange dog, submit tamely to being thus driven past alternative openings without strenuous efforts to break away and bolt in whichever direction their erratic fancy dictates. The master must be on the alert for these attempts, and be quick and decisive in giving his dog instruction as to how to frustrate these sudden rushes. It is upon the promptitude and correctness with which the dog responds to the signals that success or failure depends. ”

“ In form, color and shape they are very much like the English bloodhound of today; indeed, that noble animal is supposed to be the bedrock of all the breeds of hunting hounds that are now in use the world over; and this because of that sentiment and recognition of the variety as the chief pillar or the stay of several of the most valued breeds, that the bloodhound is placed first in the stud books of England and America, and the breed is number one in the catalogues of the all-round dog shows everywhere. ”

“ In appearance the Sussex Spaniel is a sedate and thoughtful looking dog when at rest but is full of life and activity when at work. The skull is massive and heavy for his size with the forehead projecting over the eyes. The jaws are long and square with flews fairly well developed and nostrils large and of liver color. The eyes should be hazel in color, large and soft in expression and should not show any haw. Ears large and well furnished with silky hair. The body is long and round, with chest deep and ample. The hind quarters are very muscular. ”

“ On the race card the shade of the dog’s racing color is noted in the preliminary heats. In the semi-final and final heats the back or scratch dog wears the red collar, the next the white, the next the blue, and so on. If the red dog is first over the winning line, where the judge stands, the judge raises a red flag. Whatever color wins so is a flag of the same color held aloft by the official whose ruling is final. Each “runner-up” must be behind the over or trig mark before his dog crosses the winning line. If dogs start when the cap is fired, but there is no powder explosion, it is no start. ”

“ A dog showing much hound character, but is smaller and lighter in muzzle and bone than the English Bloodhound. The skull should be rounded crossways with the occiput slightly prominent. The eyes are piercing with hound expression and hazel in color. The ears should reach to end of muzzle and as much longer as possible; they are thin, covered with a soft silky coat, and low set. The neck should be clean and of good length without throatiness. Back broad, strong and short and hind quarters very strong and muscular. The stern is not very strong in bone at the root and of medium length. ”

“ A leader has certain privileges, such as getting into the sled when the driver is not at the handle bars, and reposing in comfort and dignity on the furs while the rest of the dogs lie in the snow; and other perquisites which may occasion bitter jealousy and make necessary the utmost precaution in guarding him from the attacks of his envious team-mates. Sometimes an old leader, discarded or pensioned, will craftily wait for a chance to kill his successor—this chance generally occurring when the new aspirant for honors is tied and at a disadvantage. ”

“ There is no downy cushion before the blazing fire, no chosen corner of the limousine, no tooth brush or manicure set for the work dog of the North; yet they are probably happier than their kin of the governess and college education. ”

“ There is much sport to be had on the Mooi River, in Natal, where a pack of pure-bred otter hounds is kept. And these hounds will not only hunt the water dog but the aforesaid African monitor. Everywhere the hound is useful and especially is this the case in a big and open country like Africa, where a dog is required to be not only a hunter, but a guard and a friend.
In Australia there is a good deal of hunting and the Melbourne hunt is a well-organized institution. Australia is a country in which all animal life increases and multiplies rapidly. ”

“ The maneuvering of sheep at a distance is a feature in sheepdog trials for which more points than are now granted should be given, as it demonstrates unmistakably the excellence of the training and also the actual utility of a dog for field work. Many dogs are under perfect control as long as they are within reach of their master’s stick, but cannot be relied upon implicitly when far away; such a dog is obviously improperly trained. ”

“ The foxhound, the harrier and the beagle are also of great use in Africa for driving certain of the antelope, which keep in the bush, to the gun, and a good deal of sport may be had in some of the rivers otter hunting, and when otter hunting, a monitor, or huge lizard-like creature, is often started in a swamp, and the reptile, taking to the water like an otter, he will provide a good deal of sport. The otters in the Eastern province of South Africa are plentiful and of good size. ”

“ In the first place, it must be acknowledged that unless the master has himself studied the subject with the utmost care and keen perception, success in teaching a dog to work sheep will not fall to his lot. Many a good dog has been spoiled in the hands of an unthinking and unsympathetic would-be trainer, and, conversely, many a vicious, timid, or “wild” dog has been converted by the master hand into a brainy, intelligent servant. ”

“ Strange as it may seem, though the mountainous districts of Wales have been devoted from time immemorial almost exclusively to sheep rearing, the old-time farmers took little trouble in the training of dogs to collect and work their sheep. In fact, previous to the inauguration of the competitions, the duties of the Welsh sheep dog were confined principally to the task of hunting and chasing sheep back again up the mountains whenever they strayed down to graze upon the more fertile pastures in the valley which the farmers reserved for their cattle. ”

“ Weight: 20 lbs.
This is a good boned dog with the appearance of speed and activity rather than of strength, and he should be free of any approach to the whippet type. Head should be long, flat and narrow at skull, level and wedge-shaped, and well filled up before the eyes, which should be small, brilliant and dark. The ears if cropped should be carried erect. Chest narrow and deep, body moderately short with well sprung ribs. The tail is rather short and should not be carried higher than the back, and the coat is close, smooth, short and glossy. ”

“ Such a sight is common today upon the Welsh mountain or in the Scottish Highlands, though it is not given to every man to acquire perfect mastery over his animal; so much depends upon both man and dog. A dog belonging to a man who takes no interest, or has not the knack and patience necessary to teach him is worse than useless. The dog often reflects to a great extent his master’s character. An excitable, hasty-tempered man generally has a headstrong, willful dog that is hard to control. Some dogs, born of a long line of carefully-trained sheep dogs, take to working sheep as ducks do to water ”

“ The head is most perfect when it closely resembles that of a bloodhound. It is long and narrow with heavy flues, prominent occiput, and forehead wrinkled to the eyes. The general appearance of the head should indicate high breeding and a reproachful dignity. The eyes show a kind expression and no haw is visible. Ears very long, so long that in hunting they will often actually tread on them, set on low, and hang loose in folds like drapery. Their texture is thin and velvety. Forelegs only about four inches long. Stern is carried hound fashion, coat short, fine, smooth and glossy. ”

“ The manner in which ambulance, dogs are employed is to help the Red Cross men and doctors to search for wounded within a given area on the battlefield. A dog’s sense of scent and acute hearing enable him frequently to detect the sound of the breathing of a wounded man when inaudible to the human ear. Moreover, a puff of wind often suffices to carry to the dog’s nose the scent of a man lying possibly unconscious in some concealed place. ”

“ If we leave Asia and continue our wanderings and huntings to the South, and reach Africa, we will find plenty of work for our hunting hounds, our coursing dogs and gun dogs. The slugi or greyhounds were the most valued dogs of the Pharoahs. In the ancient monuments the dogs’ places are at the sides of some great personage. It would appear that the tastes of the Egyptians of old were exactly those of the 124ancient Britons, for there is an old Welsh saying which states that “a gentleman is known by his horse, his hawk and his greyhound.” ”

“ The Sled Dogs of Alaska Between the laborer who earns his daily bread by the sweat of his brow, and the spoiled favorite of fortune who neither toils nor spins, there is not more difference than between the workers of the North—the Sled Dogs of Alaska—and the pampered, fur-coated, jewel-hung dogs “in society” ”