A dear friend gave me, many years ago, a rough, white terrier puppy,
which I called Alp. I fed him with my own hand from the first, and he
consequently evinced the warmest attachment to me. No animal could be
more obedient; and he seemed to watch my every look to ascertain what I
wished him to do.
The expression of his countenance showed his intelligence; and whenever
I talked to him he seemed to be making the most strenuous efforts to
reply, twisting about his lips in a fashion which often made me burst
into a fit of laughter, when he would give a curious bark of delight, as
much as to say,--"Ay, I can utter as meaning a sound as that."
I felt very sure that no burglar would venture into the house while he
was on the watch.
I never beat him in his life; but once I pretended to do so, with a
hollow reed which happened to be in the room, on his persisting,
contrary to my orders, in lying down on the rug before the fire whenever
my back was turned. As I was about to leave the room, I placed the reed
on the rug, and admonished him to be careful. On my return, some time
afterwards, I found the reed torn up into the most minute shreds. On
looking round, I saw Alp in the furthest corner of the room, twisting
his mouth, wriggling about, and wagging his tail, while every now and
then he turned furtive glances towards the rug, telling me as plainly as
if he could speak,--"I could not resist the temptation--I did it, I
own--but don't be angry with me. You see I have now got as far away
from the rug as I could be." Alp, seeing me laugh, rushed from his
corner to lick my hand. He ever afterwards, however, avoided the rug.
For his size, he was the best swimmer and diver among dogs I ever saw.
He would, without hesitation, plunge into water six or eight feet deep,
and bring up a stone from the bottom almost as big as his head, or dash
forth from the sea-beach and boldly breast the foaming billows of the
Atlantic.
After seeing what Alp did do, and feeling sure of what he could have
done had circumstances called forth his powers, I am ready to believe
the accounts I have heard of the wonderful performances of others of his
race.
A young Newfoundland dog, living in Glasgow a few years ago, acted,
under similar circumstances, very much as Alp did. As he sometimes
misbehaved himself, a whip was kept near him, which was occasionally
applied to his back. He naturally took a dislike to this article, and
more than once was found with it in his mouth, moving slyly towards the
door.
Being shut up at night in the house to watch it, he in his rounds
discovered the detested instrument of punishment. To get rid of it, he
attempted to thrust it under the door. It stuck fast, however, by the
thick end. A few nights afterwards he again got hold of the whip, and
persevered till he shoved through the thick end, when some one passing
by carried it off. On being questioned as to what had become of the
whip, he betrayed his guilt by his looks, and slunk away with his tail
between his legs.