[ Sporting Magazine ]
The Sporting Magazine (1792 - 1870) is considered the first general sporting magazine, though in its later decades it gave considerable emphasis to fox hunting. But it published all manner of sporting-related material, from news stories to poetry to calendars of upcoming sporting events. The subtitle of this magazine was "Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chace, and every other Diversion interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize and Spirit." [more at Wikipedia]
The November, 1818, issue carried a brief note entitled "Newfoundland Dog's Sagacity" with the subtitle "An Etching by Howitt." That is a reference to Samuel Howitt (1756? - 1822), an English painter and engraver who specialized in animals.
At the Ferry-house, at Worcester, was some time ago kept a Newfoundland dog, famous for having saved the lives of several people from drowning; and so fond was he of the water himself, that he seemed to consider any disinclination to it in other dogs as an insult on the species — at least if a dog was left on the bank by its master, with intent to oblige it to follow the boat across the river (which is narrow there), and stood yelping at the bottom of the steps unwilling to take the water, the old dog would go down to him, and with a gasping noise, as if in mockery, take him by the back of the neck, and throw him in, in the manner endeavoured to be described by the accompanying plate. (80)
The full-page engraving by Howitt appeared on the following page:
This anecdote will subsequently appear, with varying minor edits and without being accompanied by the Howitt engraving, in several later works: The Percy Anecdotes (1821); Thomas Brown's Biographical Sketches and Authentic Anecdotes of Dogs (1829); and American Phrenological Journal (1869).
