Dogs' Sense Of Humour The Power Of Imitation In Dogs

[Oct. 22, 1882.]



The following anecdote may interest those of your readers who are

accustomed to observe the characteristic actions of dogs. I can vouch

for its accuracy, as I was an amused eye-witness, and several members of

my family were also present, and have often told the story.



A friend of ours and his wife were spending a musical evening with us,

and an old, black, English terrier, w o belonged to the house, had been

in the drawing-room, which was upstairs. The dog had been kindly noticed

by our friend, who was partially lame from paralysis. On leaving the

drawing-room the dog followed him to the top of the staircase (we, with

his wife, were waiting below in the hall), and with cocked tail and

ears stood gravely watching his slow, limping descent. When the invalid

was nearly at the foot of the stairs the dog began to follow, limping on

three legs (he was quite sound), in humorous imitation of our poor,

afflicted friend, and this assumed lameness was gravely kept up till he

arrived on the mat. It was impossible to repress a smile, though our

politeness was at stake, and the unconsciousness of our friend added to

the difficulty.



A. R.