DOG SHOWS MUSICAL TALENT
EVERY now and then a dog is seen on the stage that seems to almost have human intelligence. This dog shows exceptional musical ability when he sits on the bench of an automatic piano and pats the keys, as the piano plays. That he has a musical sense of rhythm is shown by the fact that he pats the keys in time with the piece that is being, played. He is owned by a Berlin vaudeville performer.

Tramp Poodle Wins Leather Boots in Long Hike Across the Country

UNLESS a tramp poodle dog is lucky as a hitch-hiker he needs boots for a cross-country hike. C. C. Maupin, of Philadelphia, left New York on a hike to Los Angeles. At West Newton, Pennsylvania, he was adopted by the poodle shown at the left and they continued the hike together. About 500 miles on the way, somewhere in Indiana, the poodle had worn off its claws, making further walking impossible. So the dog was carried until the hiker met an old cobbler who suggested the unusual shoes shown in the picture. They were made to measure out of bits of leather and uppers of women’s high shoes and fastened about the legs by snap fasteners. Incidentally the picture shows the second set of half soles. After a few weeks in them, the little feet healed. The poodle continued to wear its boots even after its feet were healed, thus preventing a recurrence of its disability which might have further delayed his long trek.

DOG COTTAGE transports tiny chihuahua from kennel-to-kennel when she competes for top honors in English dogdom. The lady’s snootful name is Dalhabboch Emima-Maud.

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These Dogs Are Really “Hot”

Radioactive beagles are pointing the way to better safety devices for workers in atomic energy plants.

A PACK of 300 sad-eyed, floppy eared beagles are serving as canine guinea pigs in an unusual University of Utah project designed to investigate the hazards of industrial radioactivity. Financed by the Atomic Energy Commission and directed by Dr. John Bowers, the studies will show what happens to bone and tissue when radioactive substances are injected into the dogs. Beagles were chosen for the experiments because they are anatomically close to human beings, have a sound genetic pattern, ideal disposition and are easy to handle in the research laboratory.

Radioisotopes used in the injections are radium, plutonium, mesothorium and radiothorium. These materials have a particular affinity for bone structure. Lodging in the bones, the radioactive particles continue to emit rays which affect the marrow—part of the “blood factory” of the body—and eventually are expected to produce tumors.

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Dog Rolls Tires for Sport

ROLLING old automobile tires down the street is the favorite sport of Mickey, a Boston bull dog owned by M. Brown of Venice, California.

Mickey, who always had a liking for anything that rolled, learned to pick up the tire, balance it, and keep it rolling down the street without any aid or suggestion whatsoever from his master. A skillful push with his front paws, as he runs along on his back feet, keeps the tire moving.
It just wouldn’t do to leave a new tire lying about near this dog’s territory.

Super Dog-House was made from the Plexiglas section of a bomber’s gun turret and is a novel addition to the growing number of peacetime uses of products of war. At right, three-year-old Nancy Evans, of Detroit, Mich., makes friends with a cocker puppy, one of three occupants of the latest in abodes for canines.

Motor Ambulance Carries First Aid to Injured Dogs

DOGS injured by autos on the roads near London, England, now are cared for by a motor ambulance. A veterinary gives first aid on the spot, and if there is hope of saving the life of the pet, it is placed on a thick bed of straw and carried to a kennel for further treatment.

The ambulance is ready for service day and night, and is summoned by telephone. All the farmers living near the roads in the district outside of London covered by this service notify headquarters as soon as they are aware that an accident has taken place, and the cyclecar immediately starts.

Fido Gets Motorcycle Side-Car
BEFORE the bicycle went modern and acquired a motor, Fido could get his Sunday airing with the rest of the family under his own power. He can never hope, however, to keep up with the speedy motorcycle, so one English dog lover has installed a miniature sidecar for Fido’s private use. The tiny sidecar is equipped with its own private celluloid windshield which folds back as shown in the photograph below, protecting the dog from the elements.

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Secrets of FAMOUS DOG TRAINERS

HAVE you ever murmured “impossible” while watching the antics of famous dog performers at the theater or movies?

If so, were you correct in your assumption? It all depends on the stunt and who was doing it.

In movie comedies, dogs frequently are called upon to do the “impossible,” according to Harry Lucenay, who has spent fifteen years in training canine movie stars, including the renowned Pete of “Our Gang” comedy fame. Veteran of more than 200 comedies and feature pictures, this dog has made a fortune before Hollywood cameras. But natural born actor and comedian though he is, Pete himself would be amazed at some of his screen antics.

For example, Pete frequently is called upon to register astonishment by putting his paw behind his ear while sitting up on his hind legs. Due to a dog’s physical make-up, this is virtually an impossibility. How is it accomplished? Simply by having the trainer place the dog’s paw behind the ear before starting the cameras and then shooting the scene in reverse action. A shot then is made of him sitting up in a natural position. In the cutting room the two shots are matched so the action appears to be simultaneous.

When a comedy script called for Pete to smoke a pipe, several plans were tried without success. Finally a profile shot of the dog was made, the cameras being so arranged as to cut out a small portion at the rear. A strip of copper tubing was then fashioned into a Z-shape so one end could be placed between the dog’s teeth, and the other on the outside of his jaw on the side hidden from the camera. To this end was attached a rubber hose that ran along the hidden side to the trainer beyond the camera lines. A pipe was then placed in the dog’s mouth and his trainer, blowing smoke through the tube, supplied realistic puffs. Inasmuch as the rear of the dog was not in camera range, the rubber hose could not be seen.

In another comedy, a young married woman, while making a cake, accidentally put a pan of chicken feathers into the ingredients. The laugh came when Pete was given a piece of cake and started spitting out the feathers. Lucenay experienced little difficulty in getting this effect. After the preliminary shots of the dog munching on cake were taken, the trainer rolled up some feathers in a compact ball and placed them in Pete’s mouth. Cameras started grinding and Pete was told to bark. When he did, the feathers shot out of his mouth.

In another picture, a college weakling became the campus hero when, while being chased by a dog, he succeeded in winning a cross-country race. Here the problem was in keeping the dog at varying distance behind the runner. When the athlete showed signs of slowing up, Pete was to move up within biting distance. Attaching a long piece of piano wire to the dog’s collar so he could govern the dog’s speed from the rear without detection, Lucenay placed Pete’s play ball in the runner’s back pocket. When the actor started to run, the dog was after him to get the ball.

The methods he has used in training movie dogs can be used successfully in the education of house pets, Lucenay says. A dog to be trained must have love and confidence in his master, he warns. Too, he must be taught to respond immediately to commands.

“The reason many dog owners fail at training,” he explains, “is because they lack patience. They attempt to teach everything in a few weeks, when actually, months, and even years, are required to do the job properly.”

The early stages of training should be masked as play, says the Hollywood trainer. Thus, knowledge is instilled without making it a hardship. A hard rubber ball is the best pencil and slate for the canine kindergarten. If the puppy fails to register enthusiasm when the ball first is rolled, tie a string to the ball and draw it along in front of him. After he has been allowed to catch the ball a few times, he will be enthusiastic.

After a time, a newspaper rolled up and tied with a string should be substituted. This in turn can be supplanted by an old basket, or something else light and bulky. By degrees the weight can be increased. Then, holding the puppy by the collar, the object should be thrown and the dog commanded to retrieve it. “If the pup brings the object back,” says Luce-nay, “he should be petted and praised. Walk several steps before removing the object from the dog’s mouth. If he doesn’t bring it back, roll it around in front of him until he picks it up. When he has mastered this stunt, he is ready to carry a parcel or bring in the evening paper in addition to retrieving.”

To teach a pup to sit down, says Lucenay, place your left hand under his lower jaw and gently press his haunches downward at the same time telling him to “Sit down.” To teach him to come when called, a light cord several yards long should be fastened to his collar. After placing him in a sitting position walk away and then give the command, “Come here.” If he disregards the order, a gentle tug will serve as a reminder. When the gentle tug fails, pull the dog slowly toward you, making certain to encourage and pet him when he is within reach.

To teach a pup to lie down in an indicated spot and stay there, Pete’s master gives these suggestions: “Call the pup by name, point to the spot where you wish him to lie, and then in low, even voice tell him to ‘Lie down.’ Naturally, at first, he won’t understand, so after telling him to sit down, pull his front paws slowly forward until he is on his stomach. Place his head on his paws and hold it there for a short time. Loosen your hold and, if he attempts to get up, place him in the original position with the order ‘Stay there.’ Repeat this several times daily for a week or so. At the outset, it’s a good idea to stand over him for a short time to see that he obeys. Then start to walk away and if the dog gets up to follow, place him in the original position with the order, ‘Stay there.’ “Get farther and farther away, walking around him in one direction and then in the other. Then go to another room where the pup can’t see you, but you can watch him. If he starts to get up, command him to ‘Lie down.’ Never allow him to get up until you give him the command, ‘Come on.’ With a good foundation in these points, the dog can be taught many simple tricks.”

It is not hard to train a dog to jump through a hoop or over a stick, Lucenay says. He should be started with a piece of board held edgewise on the ground because if he is used to a stick, he may try to crawl under it. By lifting one paw gently and then the other, a pup can be taught to shake hands. At the same time repeat “Right hand” and “Left hand,” always taking the one demanded and refusing the other. Your hand should be extended to the side of the paw asked for so the other paw cannot reach it.

Another trainer who believes in starting to train puppies early is Paul Sydell, owner of Spotty and Kiki, two of the greatest dog performers in the world. Not long ago, Sydell introduced another member into his troupe. Her name is Roberta and she was just four days old. At her debut, the little pup stood perfectly balanced on its two front feet in the center of the trainer’s hand!

All dogs are not cut out for performers, Sydell says. Many with the ability to perform don’t care about it and are as useless as those that cannot be taught.

“I’ve spent weeks trying to teach some dogs a trick that a natural born performer can pick up in a few minutes,” he says. “If you find a dog is a show-off it’s a pretty safe bet he has good possibilities.”

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Dogs Ride in “Normandie’s” Dummy Funnel

That dummy funnel on the “Normandie,” which is probably a concession to the old popular fancy that the more funnels, the more power, is not entirely a dummy after all. Inside it are recreation rooms, a theater and kennels for the passengers’ pets.

The dogs live comfortably aboard ship behind stainless-steel bars that surround their oval room, at the center of which is a drinking fountain. The kennels are steam-heated and ventilated, fresh beds of straw are provided daily, and the dogs are allowed daily exercise on a top deck. There are even life preservers for the pups in large, medium and small sizes, and a special menu printed in French offers choice bones, soups, biscuits and vegetables. In case the canine tourist is indisposed, a veterinarian aboard helps him win back his sea legs.

Gas-Raid Shelter Protects Pet Dogs
Air-raid protection, a peacetime program familiarly known as A.R.P. to every English citizen and designed to prepare for the safety of men, women, and children in case of wartime bombing or gas attacks, is now being extended to include animal pets. Recently, Marcus Le Touche, a dog owner of Charlton, Middlesex, developed a gasproof, portable dog house in which his pup would be entirely safe from poisonous fumes. The dog is pictured being urged to try out the new kennel.

Polish Army Trains Dogs To String Phone Lines
Modern warfare may be becoming more and more mechanized, with tanks replacing cavalry and trucks doing the work of mules, but Polish Army authorities are now busily training corps of dogs for military duty. The war dogs are taught not only to carry messages and emergency supplies of food and ammunition, but also to haul reels of wire for stringing field-telephone lines.

Suction Cup Holds Dog

For those who like to shop while taking their dog for a walk, a London girl had an idea. She fixed a rubber suction cup to the end of the dog’s lead that can be attached quickly to any plate glass window. To leave the dog safely tied outside a shop, she merely pushes the suction cup on the shop window. The cup has been found to hold firmly in spite of persistent tugging over periods of an hour or more. Yet it can be removed easily by lifting the edge with a fingernail.

Pup Aids Pilot in Take-off

“Slipstream,” the intelligent dog shown above, superintends his master’s take-offs from the Coast Guard air base at Floyd Bennett Field, New York City. At a signal from Lieut. Charles Tighe, he yanks away the wheel chocks for a take-off.

It’s a Dog’s Life, This Reducing

DOWNTRODDEN husbands who have been forced to take Fido for an airing in the park may now breathe a sigh of relief, for the treadmill pictured here will enable the family pet to get all the exercise he needs on the back porch or the front lawn, and if the weather gets too severe he may do his daily dozen in the kitchen.

The contraption, which was first exhibited at the Los Angeles Dog Show, permits the dog to run for an hour without getting anywhere, and the proud owner may be sure that Fido will not get lost. If a rabbit passes by the dog has a good run while bunny stands around nibbling clover. A flywheel supplies momentum.

Dog Rides Comfortably in Sack on Running Board
When you take your dog along for a ride, but prefer not having it inside the car, it can ride safely and comfortably in this sack, which is carried on the running board. The bottom of the sack is clamped to the running board and the top is fastened to the lower part of an open window with hooks, covered with small rubber tubing to prevent marring the car.

Crippled Dog Walks With Skates
WHEN “Lady Lou,” the Boston Bull pet of a lady in Kansas City, was hit by a speeding motor car and partially paralyzed, it was thought that she would have to spend the rest of her life as a sedentary-invalid. Her owner, however, brought her ingenuity into play and devised for her pet a wheel chair, as shown in the photo above. Two rubber tired ball bearing skates were built onto a truss made to fit the canine’s body and now, despite her handicap, “Lady Lou” is able to get around with surprising ease.

Trick Dog Gets Orders by Radio

BY TEACHING a dog to do tricks under “radio control,” Constable Denholm, of the Sydney, Australia, police force, has fulfilled a two-year-old ambition. In a recent demonstration, he strapped a miniature shortwave radio receiving set on the back of Zoe, an Alsatian police dog, and retired to a shack fifty yards away. Then he spoke commands into the microphone of a portable transmitter. In response to her master’s voice as it came through the ether, Zoe climbed up and down ladders, turned a faucet on and off, took off her collar, and fired a revolver.

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Dogs Are Smart – How about Cats?

Your Pet May Be too Proud to Learn—or Just Stupid. Science Is After the Truth

By PRESCOTT LECKY

Department of Psychology, Columbia University

Are cats as smart as dogs? Judging from the experimental evidence so far secured, the answer is an emphatic “No.” In many scientific tests the dog has proved his superior intelligence. And if the question were put to a popular vote, there is small doubt that the dog would score an overwhelming victory.

But science is not yet ready to hand the dog the palm. The reason is that the cat possibly has not had a fair show. Because the dog is a gregarious, sociable animal that loves its master, is eager to please him, and is fond of praise, it is much easier for it to demonstrate its intelligence than it is for the cat. Solitary by nature and habit, indifferent to its master’s attitude and praise, the cat is difficult to “draw out.”

Now, however, the cat is going to have its day. In the psychology laboratory of Columbia University, New York City, experiments are under way to find out how smart cats really are. Novel and ingenious, the apparatus used in the elaborate tests resembles the combination of a safe in principle. The question is: Can a cat learn to “open the safe” and, if so, in how many tries?

This is how it is done: Three round, flat, wooden plates are set in the floor. They are wired so as to act like electric buttons. Arranged like a safe combination, they open the door of a food box when stepped upon in the right order. For example, the “combination” may be set so that, to get at the milk in the box, the hungry cat must step first on plate No. 1, then on No. 2, then on No. 3. The combination may be 3, 2, 1 or 3, 1, 2.

The tests are conducted in the Columbia animal laboratory under the direction of Professor Carl J. Warden, of the psychology department. It is planned to use the same type of device later for experiments with dogs, monkeys, and other animals.

In previous comparative tests of cats and dogs, the cat has always lost out.

There was, for instance, the experiment made some years ago by Dr. Edward L. Thorndike, a pioneer in animal experimentation, who is now professor of educa-tion in Columbia. Professor Thorndike tried to find out which animal could manage to escape most quickly from a box. Food in sight but out of reach was placed outside the bars. Each hungry animal could release itself from the box when, by random efforts, it happened to strike the latch that operated the door. Though this comes under the head of a mechanical problem, in the solution of which cats have shown some aptitude, dogs turned in a better performance in practically every test.

A wholly different type of experiment, devised by Dr. Walter S. Hunter, professor of psychology in Clark University, Worcester, Mass., aims to determine how long the animal can stick to a fixed plan of action. The apparatus consists of an entrance chamber facing three food boxes. First the animal is put through a training period in which it learns that the box with a light at the entrance is the one that will open. After the connection between light and food is thoroughly established, the real test begins.

THE light is turned on and the animal, seeing it through a wire netting, prepares to run to the proper box as soon as it is released. But now the light is turned off and the animal kept waiting for a short while. How long can it remember which box was the lighted one? Cats remembered for sixteen to eighteen seconds; dogs for one to three minutes. Moreover, in order to remember at all, the cat must keep its head and body pointed toward the box. A dog can turn away and still, in the majority of cases, choose correctly.

Apparently the difficulty for the cat lies in the use of a signal, which requires abstract reasoning. In more recent experiments, the cat saw the food itself placed in the box and the signal was discarded. Now she could remember the right door 67 times out of 100 for periods up to sixteen hours. Unfortunately for the sake of comparison, this modified method was not tried on dogs.

IX ANOTHER still more complicated test, worked out by the well-known animal psychologist, C. V. Hamilton, the dog also defeated the cat. Four doors are provided in the apparatus used in this experiment, all of them leading to food. These doors are kept shut, but one is unlocked for each trial. In no case, however, is the same door unlocked twice in succession. Therefore, the correct method of solution is to try the three remaining doors one after the other. The incorrect way is to try the door that was open before, or to try any door more than once. How did the dog and cat compare in their ability to solve this puzzle? In an equal number of attempts, the dog required 313 trials and the cat 352. Incidentally, the monkey proved smarter than either dog or cat, with a score of 291. That the test is not as easy as it may seem was shown by the fact that a mature person needed 201 trials.

Then there is the question of learning to understand human speech. In this respect, the dog’s superiority is unmistakable, though whether this is due to intelligence or is merely a reflection of the greater interest that dogs take in people has not yet been settled. After sixty trials, Professor Thorndike succeeded in teaching a cat to climb to the top of her cage for food when he said: “I must feed that cat.” To teach it not to climb at the words “I will not feed her” required 380 trials. But even so, the cat would climb in response to any other remark that was uttered, such as “Nice weather we are having,” or “Tomorrow is Tuesday.”

On the other hand, Professor Warden and Dr. L. H. Warner, experimenting with the famous dog Fellow in the Columbia psychology laboratory (P. S. M., Feb. ‘29, p. 25), found that he was able to carry out fifty-three simple commands without a single error.

SO MUCH for scientific experimentation, in which neither animal ever comes up to its popular reputation for smartness. The reason for this may be that a good many laboratory tests, especially the earlier ones, failed to give either dog or cat a fair chance to demonstrate its real ability.

It is outside the laboratory that both dog and cat give their most impressive demonstrations of cleverness. And in the mass of anecdotes gathered by reliable investigators, the dog again comes out an easy winner.

Still, there are a number of apparently well-authenticated stories relating amazing instances of the smartness of cats. The English naturalist George J. Romanes, zoological secretary of the Lin-nean Society of London, England, tells of a cat whose master was in the habit of throwing out crumbs for the birds. The cat would hide in the shrubbery and attempt to pounce upon the birds as they ate. On one occasion, the crumbs were strewn in the evening. During the night they were covered by a light fall of snow. In the morning the owner saw the cat brushing away the snow and removing the crumbs to another spot, where it put them on top of the snow! Then it hid in the bushes and waited for the birds. This trick for the pack, it follows him faithfully and grieves in his absence. A cat that would follow its master would be a rare exception, though it sticks to familiar territory and hates a change of scene.

This also explains the obedience of the dog and its sense of responsibility. Being a gregarious animal, it seems to accept an outside standard of right and wrong conduct and to understand what is expected of it. When it breaks a rule, instead of being indifferent, it reveals its guilt unmistakably and will bear punishment. Even if the punishment is severe, it is so dependent upon its master’s company that it is usually willing and even anxious to be friendly again. The cat seems to have no ability to accept responsibility, and if punishment is attempted will either fight or flee.

THE emotional expression of the two animals also is almost exactly reversed, so that the same act may have quite a different meaning depending on which animal is studied. For example, a dog wags its tail as a sign of friendliness, but a cat wags or lashes its tail only when it is angry. Erection of the tail means excitement for the dog, as in pointing game or meeting a challenge, but the cat’s tail goes up when it seems most amiable, as when rubbing against its master’s leg.

Caress a dog and it sinks down with tail lowered, but stroke a cat and it stands upright. In fear, the dog goes flat to the ground, while the cat arches its back to such an angle that the fore and hind feet almost touch. In hunting, the dog prefers daylight, roams freely, and covers a wide territory; the cat as a rule lies silently in wait to pounce on its prey as it passes.

One physical characteristic the dog and cat seem to have in common—there is strong evidence that both are color blind. Though they can very often distinguish between colored objects, this is due not to the difference in color but to difference in brightness. The dog also is handicapped in vision by farsightedness. Since the retina of both animals lacks a fovea, or area of clear vision, it is probable that they see only vague shapes without the sharp outlines of human vision. If there is any advantage as to vision, it seems to lie with the cat. In hearing, however, and also in the ability to distinguish between faint odors, the dog is markedly superior.

THE dog has a larger brain than the cat, but it is the larger animal. In terms of capacity for training, such as minding sheep, carrying packages, standing guard, doing tricks, and so on, the dog again has a marked advantage. But is this due to greater intelligence or merely to a greater willingness to cooperate? The cat may not be interested in jumping through a hoop to please the teacher. On the other hand, it simply may not be smart enough. The present experiments at Columbia may furnish a definite answer.

Traveling Comfort for the Dog

ANYONE who has ever attempted a long motor trip on which a large dog was taken along will appreciate the “Bird-dog’s Palace,” recently placed on.the market.

Made of sheet steel, insulated inside so that the animal will not come in contact with the metal, the “Palace” is so constructed that it may easily be clamped to the running board without marring the finish of the car. The barred door slides upward, permitting the dogs to be released without the driver having to leave his seat. An oil-cloth cover may be unrolled and buttoned into place if the weather is bad or the road dusty. The “Palace” is made in several sizes to accommodate all kinds of dogs.

Dog Now Has His Own Auto Seat

THE pet dog can now ride in a specially designed auto seat mounted on top of the front seat cushion.

The box seat gives the dog an excellent view of passing scenery and leaves the rear seat free for other passengers. The box is held in place by straps running over the front cushion and by two metal braces which are screwed to back of front seat.

Enterprising News Vender Trains Dog to Peddle Papers

CHICAGO has the ideal street corner newspaper vender. He can’t shout, because this “newsboy” is a dog—a well trained police dog that energetically goes about the business of peddling papers.

The dog has been trained by his master to carry a newspaper in his mouth in such a manner that the headlines are well displayed. The dog wears a little Swiss hat, which bears the legend, “Buy Your Papers From Me.” To a bit of harness is attached a tin cup. When a coin is dropped in the cup, the dog is trained to release the newspaper. As soon as one paper is sold, it is replaced by the dog’s owner.

DOGS NOW NOSEPRINTED TO PROVE OWNERSHIP
Taking noseprints of dogs to guard them against loss or theft is the method being adopted by western owners. When two persons claim the same dog in court, ink noseprints, like the specimen illustrated, settle the matter. Like human fingerprints, the patterns on the nose of the dog are said not to change with age, and therefore a pet need submit but once to having its nostrils smeared with ink. No two dogs have identical patterns so a mistake is impossible.

DOGS BARK TONED DOWN BY OPERATION
Toning down the barking of noisy dogs is the reported accomplishment of an Atlanta, Ga., veterinarian, who has performed the feat upon the pets of a number of apartment dwellers. In the simple, painless operation that he has devised, a dog’s vocal cord is relieved of a small V-shaped wedge on either side. No danger to the animal is involved, it is said, and the only after effect is that an ear-splitting bark is muffled to a dulcet tone that can cause no complaints from neighbors. In the photo at left, a pet is under treatment.

Canine Stable Boy Helps Train Racer

High-strung, temperamental race horses often have mascots, whose playful companionship provides a diversion from the serious business of winning; turf events. Witness, for example, the friendship of Ba-ranca, a thoroughbred, and Flash, a pure-white dog. In the circle at the right, the trained mascot offers the racer a juicy carrot, and at left, he holds the halter and leads Baranca out for a light workout, at their Inglewood, Calif., home. Winner of his share of races, the horse could lead the dog a merry chase if he chose to set the pace instead of meekly obeying the “orders” of his affectionate canine trainer.

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Science Remakes the Dog

How Breeders Are Changing The Appearance and Nature Of Our Canine Population To Bring Out the Qualities That Are Made Desirable By Modern Living Conditions

By Jesse F. Gelders

DOGS are getting smaller. Subject to style trends, the same as clothing, automobiles, and houses, they are adapting themselves— or, rather, being adapted—to the changed conditions of modern life.

People today are demanding dogs that can live in small homes or apartments, and ride in automobiles, without crowding out their human companions; dogs that can keep fit with a minimum of exercise; smart, good-natured dogs, and—an important consideration, sometimes—dogs that will not eat their masters out of house and home.

To meet these new requirements, breeders are applying scientific principles of heredity in bringing out the desired qualities. Already, the appearance and character of the nation’s dog population show the effects of their work—a modern version of the unceasing process which, in the past, has had such amazing consequences as the refinement of the popular Airedale terrier from a mongrel, the conversion of the strain of wolflike spitz into the little toy Pomeranian, and the development of the bulldog into an animal vastly unlike his bulldog ancestors of a century ago.

Largely as a result of the demand for smaller dogs, the Boston terrier, one of the only three breeds actually originated in the United States, today leads all others in American Kennel Club registrations. Next come three other small breeds, the cocker spaniel, the wire-haired fox terrier, and the Scotish terrier. As recently as 1926, the German shepherd, often loosely called a “police dog,” ranked first; but it is now in twentieth place, possibly because the depression made owners more conscious of the cost of dog food.

Through selective breeding, experts have been meeting the demands for smaller dogs, dogs which eat less and can be kept more economically; dogs which need less exercise, and therefore retain better health in cramped quarters. The motor age has restricted the exercise of dogs even more than that of men. It has created a need for breeds which remain in good physical condition when they are walked only on a leash, or at best in close company of their owners, instead of being allowed to run free. Thousands of motorists want dogs adapted to riding in cars instead of to loping for miles alongside horse-drawn coaches.

These changes, occurring now among pedigreed dogs, are by no means limited to that select group. Within a few years they will be reflected by the general dog population of the country. It is estimated that there are in the United States between 500,000 and 1,000,000 purebred dogs, and 15,000,000 or more mongrels; and nearly all their owners are affected by similar conditions.

The mongrels themselves gradually show effects of crossing with whatever pure breeds happen to be most numerous. Look around, and you will see that the “average” dogs today exhibit definite marks of the German shepherd or the Airedale, whose popularity swept the country in recent years. There are numerous inheritances too, from the collie and the bull terrier, while the bird-dog influence is especially strong in the smaller communities. Early in the century, there were widespread traces of the fawn-colored, looptailed pug, but most of them have been lost in the engulfing tide of other blood.

Being no snob in the matter of dogs myself, and having an equal fondness for pure-breds and others, I inquired of Kennel Club officials why every cross-bred is termed a mongrel. The distinction, I learned, is based not on snobbery, but on scientific fact.

When pure-bred dogs of the same breed are mated, the puppies are like the parents. But when two different breeds are crossed, even though both dogs are of the purest strains, the characteristics of the puppies cannot accurately be foretold.

A breeder told me of the chance mating of a Scottish terrier and a hound, from which five pups were born, with ears like hounds and bodies like Scotties. What their puppies would be like, nobody could guess. For when mongrels are mated, even two mongrels of exactly the same appearance, their pups may be entirely different, taking a new combination of characteristics from their ancestors. Once there is a mixture, only long, careful breeding can sift out and stabilize any definite type.

Heredity is so certain to play pranks, that kennel clubs refuse to register any dog as a pure-bred unless its ancestors are known for three generations. On the rare occasions when a new breed is to be recognized, proof is required that there has been no variation from the proper type, either in three generations of direct ancestors, or in any pup born in the same litter with any of them.

Breeders seeking dogs of new types for definite new purposes usually have a choice of two procedures. They may cross breeds, as a chemist compounds elements to obtain a new material, but this is a long and uncertain task. On the other hand, they may “refine” an already existing breed, taking dogs which are a little closer than the average to the type they want, and continuing the selection until the entire strain takes on the new, desired qualities.

By such processes, the Scottie has changed his appearance in the last twenty years, developing a more profuse coat, a squarer head, and a shorter body.

The cocker spaniel, originally a hunting dog and one of the first breeds in the American colonies, has since been bred smaller as a pet, and is now being guided back to greater size again, to be used for hunting.

The bench-show setters, bred for their looks, have changed so greatly that they almost have the appearance of a different breed from the field-trial setters, developed for speed and good noses.

Even before the principles of heredity were studied scientifically, breeders unconsciously made use of them, by patiently selecting dogs with the traits they desired to reproduce. There was the case of Polaris, the North Greenland Eskimo dog, whose sled-pulling ancestry gave him such an aptitude for the work that on his first introduction to the harness he pulled a heavy sled three miles through deep snow. The breeder of sheep-herding collies developed such intelligence in the animals that a dog could go alone and select his master’s sheep from the others grazing in the hills, bring them home, and separate the rams from the ewes and lambs before driving them to their quarters.

The short-legged Welsh corgi was bred to do a job of a different sort. He scattered his master’s cattle on the public grazing ground by nipping at their hocks, and when they kicked he had to dodge. In this risky work, his low stature often saved his life. With intelligence specially cultivated for his task, he knew when to go into action and when to stop, by the tone of his master’s whistle.

Among the strangest characteristics cultivated for particular jobs, are those of the Afghan hound, brought to America a few years ago, but used for many centuries as a hunting dog in the mountains of Afghanistan. While he is not so fast as many other hounds on level ground, he has developed high, wide-set hips which fit him especially for running on hills, and for leaping over obstacles. And because he frequently hunted in dense thickets, he has been bred to carry his tail high, like a flag, which his master could see above the concealing brush.

Even more fascinating than the shaping of traits in individual breeds of dogs, has been the creation of new breeds by crossing, for special purposes. Tremendous care was required, to select offspring with just the right inheritances from each stock.

BREEDERS of Chesapeake Bay retrievers, desiring to improve their scent, crossed them with hounds, but were able to preserve the chief characteristics which they had inherited from their other ancestors, supposedly curly-coated retrievers which had been mated with two New Foundland dogs taken from a wrecked ship. Their stamina and their rough, almost waterproof coats enable them to withstand severe storms and work in water chilled by floating ice.

The Chesapeakes share with American foxhounds and Boston terriers the distinction of being the only breeds originated in the United States. The foxhounds were said to have been developed by George Washington, who, to obtain a faster breed, crossed English foxhounds with French hounds given him by General Lafayette.

Boston terriers represent another success of breeders in obtaining just the desired characteristics from a parent stock, this time the English bulldog. Crossing it with the white English terrier, they obtained the bulldog type of head on a dog smaller and more agile than the bulldog. By that time the bulldog had been cultivated into a good-natured though still courageous animal, and those qualities were preserved.

Strangely, a somewhat similar set of ancestors produced the bull terrier, a very different dog. This time, the breeders wanted a fighter, so they chose the bulldog. They crossed him first with large black-and-tan terriers and white English terriers, producing a heavy-set, short-legged, fawn-colored dog. By careful selection they eliminated the short head and nearly all the other old bulldog qualities except the courage. Then the dog was crossed again with white terriers, and the white color, a recessive characteristic, was fixed, so that the dog became essentially the bull terrier we know today.

THE bulldog himself was the result of careful breeding of dogs for the barbarous sport of bull baiting. The bulls which were to be killed were roped to stakes, so the dog did not require real hunting ability, but only ferocity. The heavy, powerful mastiff was crossed with other breeds, among them probably the pug, for a peculiar reason. The bulldog’s chief requirement was to hang on, when he caught hold, and the pug’s short nose enabled him to breathe without letting go.

With the passing of bull baiting, the bulldog began to be cultivated with two oddly contrasting aims. The ferocity was bred out, until be became a really kindly beast, but at the same time, his ugliness of appearance was encouraged to such an exaggerated extent that it often interfered with his health. Breathing frequently was an effort for him, even in repose; and his lower jaw protruded so far that he often had trouble chewing his food, making him a prize example of unwisely directed heredity.

Like the bulldog, the Airedale terrier had his origin in a questionable pursuit.. Not only was he for a considerable time a mongrel, but he served as the helper of poachers on forbidden game preserves. The poachers worked at night, and wanted dark-colored dogs which would not be conspicuous, and which hunted without baying. They crossed old English terriers and otter hounds first, then Irish terriers and bull terriers, until finally the present type was evolved and stabilized.

CHANGES in the occupations of other dogs, as strange as the reformation of the Airedale and bulldog, have been effected by skillful crossing. The pointer, today’s widely used bird dog, was employed 300 years ago in England for finding rabbits to be chased by greyhounds, which hunt by sight.

Breeders crossed the English pointer with Spanish dogs, to get the superior “pointing” ability of the latter, but they bred out the foreign dog’s other characteristics, as inferior to the native’s. The original pointer stock is believed to have descended from “setting spaniels,” greyhounds, foxhounds, and bloodhounds. Later, to produce a kindlier disposition, the dogs were crossed with setters.

The English setter’s ancestry, quite curiously, includes the Spanish pointer, along with several types of spaniels. The setter himself had started work as a hunting dog long before the advent of firearms; he located birds and crouched while nets were drawn over them.

The English sportsmen’s desire for a dog to chase the fox out of his hole, resulted in the mingling of an amazing array of dog-talent, to produce the popular smooth-coated fox-terrier. Many experts believe the little animal carries the blood of black-and-tan terriers, beagles, greyhounds and bull terriers, with important heritages in alertness, scent, speed, or courage from each.

Another little dog, descended from different stock, became the wire-haired fox terrier. It was crossed with the smooth terrier, to get symmetry and white coloring, but the breeders were careful to retain the rough coat.

Almost as frequently as new breeds have been created, old ones have disappeared or suffered serious declines. The Irish wolfhound, one of the most famous breeds in history and perhaps the largest, degenerated and almost became extinct with the passing of conditions which had made it useful. But an English sportsman, wishing to restore it, crossed the remaining dogs with deerhounds, which he thought were of the same breed. Then he crossed them with Great Danes and Russian wolfhounds, until once again the Irish wolfhound became the tallest known dog, standing as high as thirty-six inches at the shoulder.

MANY other dogs which have become extinct, or almost so, are represented by new breeds in the making of which they had a part. The black-and-tan, or “rat terrier,” for example, whose unreliable temper cost him many friends, still flourishes today in a transformed and reformed state, as a part of the Boston, the bull terrier, the fox terrier, the striking and intelligent Dobermann Pinscher (first bred by a German dog catcher) and in many other popular breeds.

Changing tastes and living conditions which so often decree the end of a dog as a type, frequently make a new place for a part of him—and it is the job of the skillful breeder to see that the right part is saved.

TEST NEW PARACHUTE FOR THE DOGS OF WAR
Foreseeing that troops may be dropped with parachutes from speeding planes, in future wars, Soviet experimenters are trying out a similar means of landing the dogs used in army service. A recent invention is a cylindrical coop for the dog, provided with a parachute that opens automatically when it is tossed from a plane. The shell of the coop, locked closed during the descent, springs open of its own accord when the device strikes the ground. The photographs reproduced here show the device in action during recent successful tests by Soviet aviators.

BAKING AS CURE FOR DOG ILLS IS TRIED IN GERMANY
Ills of dogs are being treated by baking in Germany. For this purpose, and to aid in scientific research, gas ovens have been installed in the Berlin veterinary university’s clinic. The application of heat to animals is said to act in the same way that a steam bath does to the human body.

Death Chamber for Dogs Is Built into Truck
A death chamber for dogs is a feature of a truck operated by the Animal Protective Association of Washington, D. C. Incurably sick or injured animals are placed in the compartment and destroyed by carbon monoxide gas.

Ventilator for Auto Trunk Makes It Safe for Dogs
Hunters’ dogs and other pets can be carried safely in the automobile trunk if a ventilator is provided. A vent which resembles the cap of the gasoline tank can be installed at the side of the trunk, well above the exhaust fumes. It is adjustable so that the proper supply of air can be supplied the dogs in warm or cold weather.