Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1874 — Intelligence of Hogs. [ARTICLE]

Intelligence of Hogs.

Hoos often show great intelligence and aptitude to learn. A forester had a Chinese pig which followed-him like a dog, came at call and ran up and down stairs. It learned to bow ana perform several tricks. It was very expert in hunting mushrooms; and, when told -to keep watch, it would remain at its post until called away. When its owner said “I am going to kill you,” it would.lie down on its back and stretch out its legs. When Louis XL was sick, in order to relieve the sadness of his mind, a nobleman thought of teaching a pig to dance and bringing it before him. It was not long before a pig could hop about very well to the sound of a bagpipe; they then dressed it with eoat, pantaloons, necktie, hat, sword, etc., —m short; all that the court gentlemen of the time were accustomed to wear, and introduced it in*o the presence of the king. The animal bowed, danced and followed all orders in the most artistic manner, untßegetting tired, it became so awkward that iflie king roared with laughter, to the delight of his courtiers. ~~— ’ . —' Au English gentleman carefully trained a hog for hunting. Slug, for so the hog was called, was very fond of the chase, and was ever on the alert when the huntsmen were preparing to start, but the dogs could not endure its company, and their owner was never able to make use of both at the same time. Slug would scent a bird from a great distance and would dig in the earth to show where it had' beenr When the birds hopped, it followed like a dog. Hogs have been trained for draught. A countryman was in the habit of going to 8t- Alban’s market in a small cart drawn by four hogs; another countryman won a wager that his hog would carry him on its back four miles in one hour. These facts are cited to show that the hog is a more intelligent animal than we give him credit for. However, every kindhearted person will disapprove of teaching dumb creatures to perform tricks. For our own part, we take no pleasure in seeing dancing bears and spelling pigs; for the process of training draws so deeply on our sympathy that we look upon everything of the kind as the torturing of animals.—Our Dumb Animals.