Upon the fidelity of dogs, the following facts deserve to be here
recorded: of this property, or other peculiar traits, if they
appertain to any class of sporting dogs, in that class they will be
noticed.
Dr. Beattie, in one of his ingenious and elegant essays, relates a
story, in his own knowledge, of a gentleman's life being saved, who
fell beneath the ice, by his dog's going in quest of assistance, and
almost forcibly dragging a farmer to the spot.
Mr. Vaillant describes the losing of a bitch while travelling in
Africa, when after firing his gun, and fruitlessly searching for her,
he despatched one of his attendants, to return by the way they had
proceeded; when she was found at about two leagues' distance, seated
by the side of a chair and basket, which had dropped unperceived from
his waggon: an instance of attentive fidelity, which must have proved
fatal to the animal, either from hunger or beasts of prey, had she not
been luckily discovered.
As instances of the dog's sagacity, the following are submitted. In
crossing the mountain St. Gothard, near Airola, the Chevalier Gaspard
de Brandenberg and his servant were buried by an avalanche; his dog,
who escaped the heap of snow, did not quit the place where he had lost
his master: this was, fortunately, not far from the convent; the
animal howled, ran to the convent frequently, and then returned.
Struck by his perseverance, the next morning the people from the house
followed him; he led them directly to the spot, scratched the snow,
and after thirty-six hours passed beneath it, the chevalier and his
domestic were taken out safe, hearing distinctly during their
confinement the howling of the dog and the discourse of their
deliverers. Sensible that to the sagacity and fondness of this
creature he owed his life, the gentleman ordered by his will that he
should be represented on his tomb with his dog; and at Zug, in the
church of St. Oswald, where he was buried in 1728, they still show the
monument and the effigy of this gentleman, with the dog lying at his
feet.
In 1792, a gentleman, who lived in Vere Street, Clare Market, went
with his family to the pit of Drury Lane Theatre, at about half-past
five in the evening, leaving a small spaniel, of King Charles's breed,
locked up in the dining-room, to prevent the dog from being lost in
his absence. At eight o'clock his son opened the door, and the dog
immediately went to the playhouse and found out his master, though the
pit was unusually thronged, and his master seated near its centre.
A large dog of Mr. Hilson's, of Maxwelhaugh, on the 21st of October,
1797, seeing a small one that was following a cart from Kelso carried
by the current of the Tweed, in spite of all its efforts to bear up
against the stream, after watching its motions attentively, plunged
voluntarily into the river, and seizing the tired animal by the neck,
brought it safely to land.
The docility of the dog is such, that he may be taught to practise
with considerable dexterity a variety of human actions: to open a door
fastened by a latch, and pull a bell when desirous to be admitted.
Faber mentions one belonging to a nobleman of the Medici family, which
always attended at its master's table, took from him his plates, and
brought him others; carried wine to him in a glass upon a salver,
which it held in its mouth, without spilling; the same dog would also
hold the stirrup in its teeth while its master was mounting his horse.
Mr. Daniel had formerly a spaniel, which he gave the honourable Mr.
Greville, that, beyond the common tricks which dogs trained to fetch
and carry exhibit, would bring the bottles of wine from the corner of
the room to the table by the neck, with such care as never to break
one; and, in fact, was the _boots_ of the mess-room.
Some few years since, the person who lived at the turnpike-house,
about a mile from Stratford-upon-Avon, had trained a dog to go to the
town for any small parcels of grocery, &c. which he wanted. A note,
mentioning the things required, was tied round his neck, and in the
same manner the articles were fastened, and arrived safe to his
master.