"The One" Dog and "The Others": A Study of Canine Character

Chapter 3: TO THE MEMORY OF “THE ONE”

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About This Book

A collection of character studies and anecdotes examines the varied temperaments and social instincts of domestic dogs, arguing that long association with humans has shaped their intelligence and loyalties. The first section presents five detailed life histories that illustrate distinct canine types, while a second gathers shorter studies and stories that illuminate recurring traits. Subjects include pack origins and their influence on behaviour, the interplay of instinct and training, and the moral and emotional responses dogs show toward people. The accounts emphasize individual variation and the responsibilities owners bear in cultivating favourable qualities, relying on firsthand observation and illustrative episodes rather than technical theory.

TO THE MEMORY
OF
“THE ONE”

A life so close to ours, and yet apart

By all the wide and unsailed seas of race,

But yet a faithful soul, a loving heart

Can send a voice o’er that unbounded space.

We knew thy wants, thy soft eyes told thy love,

Thy joys and sorrows were to us as dear

As though winged words were given thee from above,

Nor any human soul could be more dear.

No man more pure and single in his life,

Thou lov’dst one only and to her wast true.

Thy love was firm, thou seekedst naught that’s new,

Affection’s chain kept out the rule of strife.

So close thy little life twined round the heart,

That of our life thou art henceforth a part.