WONDERFUL DOCS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144134, 2 July 1913, Page 7

WONDERFUL DOCS.

FIGHTING AND TRACTION MACHINES. The Labrador dog is practically a wolf. Smaller than the wild wolf, he makes up the deficiency by a superiority in courage. Suddenly scenting a polar bear, a dog team will gallop after him and dash to the attack, harness Vnd all, before the driver can unlash his gun. According to Dr. Grenfell in his book on Labrador, the dogs seom to be almost invulnerable against nature. Thev never lose their way, they will attack fearlessly any other animal of the country, and are remarkably clever at fishing for themselves. A female is usually chosen as the leader, and the ideal team is a mother and a dozen of her town pups: “There can be no question that the dogs love to be driven, They go perfectly wild with excitement when they -are in harness. The komatik rhnst be lashed to a stump or stone, and the line cut only when the driver is ready to go. The team then shoots off like an arrow from a bow. “They are, of course, flesh eaters, and, by nature, purely carnivorous, only touching meal and .farinaceous fowls when compelled by dire hunger. During my years in Labrador, they have killed two children and on© man, and eaten another. (In another place the author states that tke'‘Labrador wild wolf has never been known to kill a man.) In the case of the second man the evidence went to show that ho was not killed by the dhgs, though his dead body was devoured by them. In that case (winter of 190®, a man, his wife, and son got lost. Thoir bodies were found only when the snow melted away during the following summer. Of the owners of the dogs only the bones were discovered. As the dogs returned in good condition after a fortnight’s absence, all of them were shot. The other man killed (al/o in 190® was driving home, and had badly fed, savage dogs. He was apparently beating them, when they fell On him and nearly tore him to pieces. Each of the two children fell down in the midst of a pack that had been fighting. , . , “The dogs will kill almost any- kind of domestic animal quite naturally. 1 was passing a house one day into which an elderly lady was driving a goat. 1 heard a shout and noticed my leading dog was calmly proceeding on the way dragging the unfortunate goat in his mouth by the hind leg. “The great beauty of a dog-team is that it seems to banish all conventionalities. You can go anywhere and everywhere with no roads, no hedges, no walls, no restriction but your own will; and that will, without rein or bridle, you make your dog’s will. Dogs can carry you up almost the steepest snow slope and down again in safety. They do not slip or sink in, and if they fall over even a high cliff in the winter they are very rarely hurt. They seem to understand what you say, and so form a better companion than a horse. They are automobiles which need no handling of their machinery. They enjoy travelling almost more than their masters enjoy it. They learn to love you as only a dog will, and if ft were not for their occasional outbreaks of wickedness, they would make the best of companions. As it is, I know of no greater pleasure possible than a large, strong team, a good leader, a brisk, bright spring day, and a really long journey to go.”