"I say, boys," said Norah, "what should we do without our dear, faithful, old Ponto? He is such a clever, loving, sensible old fellow.""Well, I couldn"t do without him," said Fred. "Teacher says that the dog is the very best friend man has among the animals, and I"m sure of it.
"There are many kinds of dogs. First there are the Hounds. These are the best runners. They are all used in hunting.
"The Greyhound is the swiftest of all. It has a long, slender body and legs. It is used for hunting the hare. It chases its prey by sight.
"The Stag-hound is the largest and strongest of the hounds. It has a rough shaggy coat. They use it for hunting the stag.""Then," Norah joined in, "I have heard of Fox- hounds for hunting the fox; and there are Blood- hounds and Deer-hounds.""Those that you speak of," said Fred, "have a strong sense of smell. They chase their prey by the scent.
"The Spaniels are grand dogs too. Here is a picture of one of them. I found it on this paper about dog biscuits. Look at the fine big head, and the long shaggy coat. It is a Saint Bernard dog. In some lands these grand dogs are used to find people, who have been buried in the snow.
"The other one is the Newfoundland dog, a noble fellow, that saves people from drowning.
The Bulldogs are mostly kept as watchdogs, to take care of the house at night. The biggest and strongest of them is the Mastiff.
"The Sheepdog is the most clever and sensible of all. This dog helps the shepherd to take care of his sheep."SUMMARY
The dog is man"s best friend. He is a clever, loving, useful animal.
The hounds are swift runners. They are used for hunting. There are greyhounds, staghounds, foxhounds, bloodhounds,and deerhounds.
The Saint Bernard dog is a strong, noble fellow. He finds people who have been lost and buried in the snow.
The Newfoundland dog is also a grand fellow. He swims well, and saves people from drowning.
The bulldog and the mastiff are watchdogs. The sheepdog takes care of his master"s sheep.
Lesson 11