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Mind

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Chap. V

A dog under extreme terror will throw himself down, howl, and void his excretions; but the hair, I believe, does not become erect unless some anger is felt. I have seen a dog who was much afraid of terrified at a band of musicians playing loudly outside the house, with every muscle of his body trembling, with his heart palpitating palpitating so quickly that the beats could hardly be counted, and who pantinged for breath with widely open mouth, in the same manner as does a terrified man gasps for breath. Yet this dog had not exerted himself; but he had only walked wandered slowly and restlessly about the room, and the dog day was cold.

Even a very slight degree of fear is always invariably shown as is notorious by the tail being tucked in between the legs. This tucking in of the tail is accompanied by the ears being drawn backwards; but they are not pressed close back to the head, as in snarling, and they are not lowered as when a dog is pleased or affectionate. When two young dogs chase each other in play, the one that runs away always keeps his tail tucked inwards. So it is when a dog, in the highest spirits, careers like a mad creature round and round his master

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Chap. V

words, 'behold I am your slave.'

A pleasurable and excited state of mind, associated with affection, is exhibited by some few dogs in a very peculiar manner, namely, by grinning. This was noticed long ago with Bard by Somerville, in the case of hounds, who says,

(small type) → (And with a courtly grin, the fawning hound

Salutes thee cow'ring, his wide op'ning nose

Upward he curls, and his large sloe-black eyes

Melt in soft blandishments, and humble joy.)

The Chase, book I.

 

Sir W. Scott's famous Scotch greyhound, Maida, had this habit, and it is common with terriers. and I have also seen it in a Spitz & sheep-dog. A gentleman Mr. Riviere who has particularly attended to this expression in dog, informs me that it is rarely displayed in a perfect manner, but is quite common in a lesser degree. The upper lip during the act of the grinning dog is retracted, as in snarling, so as to expose the canines, and the ears are drawn backwards; but the general appearance of the animal clearly shows that anger is not by no means felt. Sir C. Bell*(3) says remarks "dogs, in their expression of fondness, have a slight eversion of the lips, and grin and sniff amidst their gambols, in a way that resembles laughter." Some persons speak of the grin as a smile

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(53)

(Chapter V.

King

Special expressions of Animals, continued.

The dog, various expressive movements of.— Cats.

Horses,— Ruminants.— Monkeys, their expression of joy and affection— of Painful emotions— Anger — Astonishment and Terror.—