Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/414

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DOG. .156 DOGE. V. Miistiffs. — MnstifTs: bulldogs; pufrs, etc. (the 'wutc'h-dogs,' notnble, as a class, for the extraordinary range of size). VI. Terriers. — English, Scotch, Irish, and Skye terriers; fox-terriers (pure), blackandtnn ter- riers, turn.spits. and the Oriental I'ariah (l(ij;s. For the purposes of this Kntvclopirdia, the domestic dogs have been grouped, and will be found described under the following headings: I'^iELO-Dou; Greyhound; Hairless Don; Hoind; Newi-oi .M)L.NU Doc; Poodle; Pic: Saint 15ek- NARD Dog; Sheep-Dog; Sledge-Dog; Spaniel; Terrier. The Dog in IjAW. The dog occupies an anoma- lous position in the law. Though not belonging to the animals of a wild nature {fcrw naliircc), he was not, on the other hand, like most other domestic animals, regarded by the common law as the subject of i)ro|n.rfy — at least, while alive; though it was held in an early case tiiat a man might have a right of property in the skin of a dead dog. He belonged, like the cat, the fox, and the monkey, to animals of .a 'base nature.' The utility of certain species of dogs, es])ecially in hunting, gra<lually gained for them a certain legal recognition, and in the time of IClizabeth we find it laid down that the law takes notice of grey- hounds, niastiirs. spaniels, and tumblers, and that an action in trover will lie against any one who takes and detains such a dog from the owner. But the offense was not punishable criminally at common law. By a statute of George III. (1770), however, it was enacted that the stealing of any dog was a misdemeanor, punishable by fine, imprisonment, or whipping. In a few of the United States similar statutes have been passed, but in general the dog retains his inferior common-law status in this country, as not the subject of larceny. In most of the States, how- ever, it is probable that an action in trover would lie for the recovery of a valuable dog, though the question has been passed upon only in a few jurisdictions. On the other hand, it is generally lawful to keep a dog, and in the absence of general laws or local ordinances to the contrary, to allow him to go at large. The owner is not responsible for injuries caused by his dog unless the latter is of a savage or vicious temper and the owner knew or had reason to lielieve that the animal was dan- gerous. In the latter case the owner is absolutely responsible without proof of special negligence on his part. So. if a dog, because of his vicious tem- per, becomes a conunon nuisance, the owner may be indicted. And even in a State in which a dog is recognized as property, he may be killed in self-defense, or after due notice to the owner if dangerous to the comnuinity. It is common in many jurisdictions to impose a license or other tax on dogs, and in nearly all States the terms on which they may be kept and allowed to run at large arc regulated by statute or by municipal ordinances. It is not a violati<m of the constitu- tii>nal protection of ])roperty in the I'nitcd States to exIiTminale dogs in the public interest. See Proi'ehtv: Tort; and consult the authorities there referred to. BiBLiOGRAiMiv. Stonchcngc, The Doij. etc. (.sec below) : Gray. "Varieties of Dogs," in Annnln and Ungn:ine of 'Snturnl History, Series 4, vol. iii. (London, 18(19); Huxley. "Cranial and Dental Characters of the Canidic," in ProcrriUntis of the Zoiiloffical Society of London (London, 1880) ; Jlivart, Hogs, .larknls, lt'o/ir.t, and Foxes (Lon- don, ISltO) ; Wortman and Matthew, "The An- cestors of Certain Members of the Canida', Vivcr- ridie, and Procyonidie," Uullilin of llie American Museum of .Yo/iiiu/ Uislory, vol. xii. (New York, IMSUt) : Hcddard, Mammiiliti (London, I'.tOl). The literature relating to domestic dogs, and es- pecially to those used in the chase, is exceedingly extensive in all languages, A .selection of impor- tant books in English is as follows: Caius, Dc Canibiis liritannieis (ante 1572), a Latin essay by a celebrated naturalist of the six- teenth century; (ieorgc Tubervillc, The Noble Art of i'encrie or lluutiuij (London, l;>7ti), the earliest illustrated book of the dog; J. H. Walsh (".Stonehenge"), Dogs of the Urilish Jslands (London); id.. The Uog in Ileiilth and Disease (London, ]85',l). Standard and modern works: W. Youatt, Training and Management uf the Dog ( lx)ndon and N'ew Y'ork, 1850); lev. William Pearce ("Idslone"), The Dog (London and New York, 1872) ; Vero Shaw, Illustrated Docare's Much Ado Ahout Nothing. He utters the much-quoted phrase, "Write me down an ass." DOG-DAYS. See Canicula, DOGE, clnj (It., variant of duea. duke, from I.at. dux, leader). The name of the chief magis- trate in the former republics of X'eniee and Genoa. The first Doge of Venice, Paola Liieio Anafesto, was elected by the people in 007. Be- fore that time the various islands hail been gov- erned by tribtmes, but the divided authority had been found inefficient in times of danger. .t first the power of the Doge was not strictly defined and dcj>ended mainly upon the character of each incumbent, though the consent of the General .Assembly was necessary for a declaration of war or the making of a treaty. An able Doge usually endeavored to make his office hereditary, and in order to do this to have his son appointed as consort : but the people resisted this tendency, as they did not wish 'to live under a lord.' and in 10.32 the anti-dynastic principle triumphed and