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Show 120 I 'PECIAL E .. /PUESSIONfo; : CHAP. V. afterwards be aroused. It is now so firmly inherited or innate, that it is transmitted equally to both sexes. A female terrier of 1nine lately had her puppies destroyed, and though at an times a very affectionate creature, I was 1nnch struck with the manner in which sh then tri d to satisfy her instinctive maternal love by expending it on me; and her desire to lick my hands rose to an insatiable passion. The same principle probably explains why dogs, when :C ling affectionate, like rubbing against their masters and being rubbed or patted by them, for from the nursing of their puppies, contact with a beloved object has beco1ne firmly associated in their minds with the emotion of love. The feeling of affection of a dog towards l1is master i. combined with a strong sense of submission, which is akin to fear. Hence dogs not only lower their bodies and crouch a little as they approach their 1nasters, but sometimes throw the1nsel ves on tho ground with their bellies upwards. This is a moven1ent as completely opposite as is possible to any show of resistance. I formerly possessed a large dog who was not at all afraid to fight with other dogs; but a wolf-like shepherd-dog in the neighbourhood, though not ferocious and not so powerful as my dog, had a strange influence over hi1n. vVhen they met on the road, my dog used to run to meet him, with his tail partly tucked in between his legs and hair not erected; and then he would throw himself on tho ground, belly upwards. By this action he seen1e<l to say n1ore plainly than by ·words, ''Behold, I a1n " your slave.'' A pleasurable and excited state of mind, associated with affection, is exhibited by some dogs In a very peculiar manner ; namely, by grinning. This was noticed long ago by Somerville, who says, CHAP v. DOOS. "An<l with a courtly grin, tho fawning houn<l Salutes thee cow'ring, his witle op'ning no c U pwartl he cnrls, and his largo sloe-black ey Melt in soft blanuishmcnts, and humble joy.' 121 The Oluuw, book i. Sir JV. • cott's fatnous Scotch greyhound, Maida, had thiR habit, and it i. comJnon with terriers. I ~~~v~ also se n it in a. Spitz and in a sh\'op-~og. Mr. 1\JIVIere, who has particularly attended to tlus expr ssion, iufonns me that it is rarely displayed in a perfeet 1nanner, but is quite common in a lesser degree. Tho npper lip during the act of grinning is retracted, as in ~narling, so that the canines are exposed, and the ears are drawn backwards; but the general appearance of the animal clearly shows that ang r is 11ot felt. Sir C. Bell 3 remarks "Dogs, in their expression of fond" ness, l1ave a slight eversion of the lips, and fYrin '' and sniff amidst their g:unbols, in a way that b ro,, sembles laughter." Some persons speak of tho grin as a s1nilo, but if it had been really a s1nile, we should see a similar, though more pronounced, movement of the lips and ears, when dogs utter their bark of. joy ; but this is not the case, although a bark of JOY often follows a grin. On the other l1and, dogs, when playing with their comrades or masters, alinost always pretend to bite each other; and they then retract, though not energetically, their lips and cars. Hence I suspect that there is a tendency in son1e dogs, ·whenever they feel lively })leasure combined with affection, to act through habit and association on th same muscles, as in playfully biting each other, or th i1· 111asters' hands. I have described, in the second chapter, the gait and -------- ---- :! 'TJ10 Anatomy of Expression,' .1844, p. H·O. |