Solved Exercise for Precis writing with Title “Nature of Dog vis-a-vis Man” Precis for Class 9, 10, 11, 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Passages with Solved Precis

The leading distinction between dog and man after and perhaps before the different duration of their lives is that the one can speak and the other cannot. The absence of the power of the speech confines the dog in the development of this intellect. It hinders him from many speculations, for words are the beginning of metaphysic. At the same time it saves him from many superstitions, as his conduct justifies. The faults of the dog are many. He is vainer than man; singularly greedy of notice, singularly intolerant of ridicule, suspicious like the deaf, jealous to the degree of madness, and radically devoid of truth. The day of an intelligent small dogs passed in the manufacture and the laborious communication of falsehood, he lies with his tail, he lies with his eyes, he lies with his protesting paw, and when he rattles his dish or scratches at the door his purpose is other than appears. But he has some apology to offer for the vice. Many of the signs which form his dialect have come to bear an arbitrary meaning clearly understood both by his master and himself: yet when a new want arises he must either invent a new vehicle of meaning or wrest an old one to a different purpose; and this necessity frequently recurring must tend to lesson his idea of the sanctity of symbols. Meanwhile, the dog is clear in his own conscience, and draws with a human nicety, the distinction between formal and essential truth. Of his legitimate dexterity with symbols he is even vain; but when he has told and been detected in a lie there is not a hair upon his body but confesses guilt. To a dog of gentlemanly feeling thefts and falsehood are disgraceful vices.

Precis

Nature of Dog vis-a-vis Man

Dog and man differ in matters of duration of life and the faculty of speech. The lack of the latter virtually incapacitates the dog for conceptual knowledge. This is a compensating drawback because it frees the dog from superstitions. Yet, the shortcomings of dog in comparison with man are many: vanity, being touchy about criticism, and inveterate lying. Nevertheless, this vice is pardonable because its gestures are crudely understood even by its master. When it is caught in its lies, it shows an unreserved admission of its guilt. And to a well-bred dog thieving and lying are shameful vices.