COLOUR SENSE IN DOGS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 771, 21 March 1910, Page 9

COLOUR SENSE IN DOGS.

The colour sense .in the average doffappears to be more highly developed than any.of its other sense, and it' is not too much to say that many dogs;follow en- 1 tirely by colour, asserts a writer .011 nature matters; The other evening, a ladjr friend of mine, who.is in the habit.pt... wearing dark things, went into her . draw- ;. ing-rooni before going to a dance, and her dog, , an Irish. terrier, which , was lying . on the - hearthrug, sprang up, ? growled, ■ and. barked furiously at her, and, had sho , been outside, 'would probably have at... tacked her. Accustomed to seeing its mistress in dark clothes, it'--evidently 7 failed to recognise her in Her ball dress, . though it is quite likely'that the slight > touch of perfume she was using also misled the animal. Only, a tew weeks, ago,. while standing at a busy city,cqrner, I had another proof of my contention. A collie lost its' 'owner in the crowd, : and, as-collies are apt to do, it,became; very excited and rusned about from oh« side - of tho street to the other. But. one' thing I noticed it paid no attention to anyone ■ but ladies in dark grey or brown, ooats. or 1 waterproofs, and as . the "day ' was wet these wire numerous.'; From one to. an-. other it went, and as it approached each its tail threatened to wag,, a 9 if. it thought, "surely : this must .be my..', owner," but a sniff at close quarters dis- * illnsioned' it. This wild career continued., for twenty minutes, and • the dog's' look \ was becoming hopeless and dejected, when • it ran.up to a lady in a dark grey water*.. . proof and, after, a sniff, went; into a canine ecstasy. .. of delight. It was onlj ■' by chance that the animal found its owner, but the point. brought • out . sa •' strongly was that colour was its primary . sense, and, smell only secondary.. Most ,; people, at some tirao or other, have had a strange dog run up to them in a friend-. ■' ly ,manner, only to see it turn' away as : suddenly with a surprised look of dis- ' appointment. Bloodhounds, otter-hounds,.' and fox-hounds, and the .various breeds" 5 of working terriers, which have had theii. : scenting abilities developed by .'hereditary . selection and training, work by- the nose, ' but greyhounds are quita useless if they lose sight of their quarry .when coursing.