Short sketches of the wild sports and natural history of the Highlands / From the journals of Charles St. John, esq.

  • Charles William George St John
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Short sketches of the wild sports and natural history of the Highlands / From the journals of Charles St. John, esq. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    * chap, xiv.] SKYE TERRIERS. 11° poodle, she jumps on the back of the bloodhound bitch, and having looked into her face to see how she will bear it, begins a new search, but finding nothing, goes off for a game at romps with the Newfoundland dog. While the bloodhound bitch, hear- ing the voice of one of the children, whom she has taken a pai- ticular fancy to, walks off to the nursery, the setter lies dozing and dreaming of grouse; while the little terrier sits with eais pricked up, listening to any distant sounds of dog or man that she may hear ; occasionally she trots oft on three legs to look at the back door of the house, for fear any rat-hunt or fun of that sort may take place without her being invited. Why do High- land terriers so often run on three legs? particularly when bent on any mischief? Is it to keep one in reserve in case of emergencies? I never had a Highland terrier who did not hop along constantly on three legs, keeping one of the hind legs up as if to rest it. The Skye terrier has a great deal of quiet intelligence, learn- ing to watch his master’s looks, and understand his meaning in a wonderful manner. Without the determined blind courage of the English bull terrier, this kind of dog shows great intrepidity in attacking vermin of all kinds, though often Ids courage is accompanied by a kind of shyness and reserve ; but when once roused by being bit or scratched in its attacks on vermin, the Skye terrier fights to the last, and shows a great deal of cunning and generalship, as well as courage. Unless well entered, when young, however, they are very apt to be noisy, and yelp and bark more than fight. The terriers which I have had of this kind show some curious habits, unlike most other dogs. I have observed that when young they frequently make a kind of seat under a bush or hedge, where they will sit for hours together, crouched like a wild animal. Unlike other dogs too, they will eat (though not driven by hunger) almost any thing that is given them, such as raw eggs, the bones and meat of wild-ducks, or wood-pigeons, and other birds, that every other kind of dog, however hungry, rejects with disgust. In fact, in many par- ticulars, their habits resemble those of wild animals ; they always are excellent swimmers, taking the water quietly and fearlessly when very young. In tracking wounded deer I have occasionally seen a Skye terrier of very great use, leading his master quietly,
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