ld her
his history as far as I knew it, and also that while I could give her the
dealer's guarantee of the dog I could not of course, endorse it, but that
if she cared to run the risk she could have the dog on approval as long as
she wished. I said in warning that there was something about his eye that
did not altogether strike my fancy, and that if he showed the least
symptom of being anything but affectionate, to ship him to my kennels in
Cliftondale immediately. As he was a handsome dog, with beautiful color, I
could see she wanted him at once, and the dog seemed to take to her in an
even greater degree. I received a letter from her in a week's time, saying
how perfectly satisfactory the dog was in every way, and what a general
favorite he had become with the lady patients there, several of whom would
like me to get one like him for them. I need not say how pleased I was to
hear this, but what was my surprise to receive a letter the next day
asking me to send at once for the dog, as he had bitten the matron. You
may depend that neither she nor any other of the inmates there would ever
want to see a Boston again, and who would want them to? Of course I lost
my money, but that is not worth mentioning. The sorrow I felt stays by me
today. I sent for the dog and kept him at my kennels for five months,
taking care of him myself and never letting him out of my sight, during
which time he was as gentle as a kitten, until one day a young dog man
came down into the yard, and the dog, for some unaccountable reason, as in
the case of the matron, jumped on him and took hold of his sleeve. The
man, being accustomed to dogs, was fortunately not scared. This explained
the low price of the dog, and it is needless to add, he ornamented my
kennels no longer. I can only state in connection with this that that
dealer has sold very few dogs since. I never purchase a dog now, unless I
know the man from whom I buy.

How to breed dogs possessing an ideal disposition is the all-important
question, and I give the rules as followed in our kennels with complete
success. Breed only from stock that you know comes from an ancestry noted
for this particular feature. Many dogs are naturally of an affectionate
nature, but have been made snappish by ill treatment, or teasing. This can
be bred out by judicious care, but where a vicious tendency is hereditary,
look out for trouble ahead. Damages for dog bites come high, and he must
be either a very rich