THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 53

THE KENNEL.

Br Terror.

[Fanciers an.l breeders of dogs are cordiallj inTited to contnbutc Hems to Uns coluuiu. 'Terror ' \wll cndea\our to make hence ne trusts this lnwuttiou be cheeifullj respouded to].

— The English Field writes that: "During his all too short Msit to this country the Crovn Prince of Germany was, for a couple of days, the honoured guest of the Earl of Lonsdale, at Lowthcr Castle Amongst not the least interesting entertainments provided for his Imperial Highness were sheepdog trials and a 'hound trail,' branches of sport which are so much in favom in the North of England. The collie trials took place in the extensive park at Lovvther, over a course laid out in such a manner thai the Royal visitor could view the whole of the work from the terrace of the castle. Half a dozen owners of well-known winners had been invited to attend with two dogs each, and some capital work was done, the Cheviot sheep brought to Lowther for the purpose affording excellent trials. In the end Mr Mason's Jack, from Langdale, was adjudged the winner. The sagacity and extraordinary training of the doga led the Royal visitor to express the extreme pkasure he had in witnessing such a contest. For -the trail hunt six and a-half couples of the crack hounds of the district were present, and they ran over a course exceeding nine miles, which the winner accomplished in 29min, several jother hounds being well up. The Crown Prince was delighted with the fleetnes3 of these trail hounds, and with the exquisite ncses they seemed to possess, running the line without faltering over a rough country."

The Stud Dog. -There is a great tendency, with beginners in dog- breeding especially, says the Bazaar, to run after the moat fashionable sires of the day. And though it sometimes is very necessary to use such, as when certain special characters are required to be stamped, and are not likely to be obtained by the use of any other blood, yet it is, as a rule, questionable whether in the majority of cases better results might not often be attained by using a less fashionable sire. Everyone conversant with the daily life incidental to shows is aware that the average dog is woimd up, as it were, to the highest pitch ; he is taken from one end of the country to the other, in the hope of gaining a prize, and is far too often m quest at stud to be in the best condition for fulfilling tlio c c functions that are required of him. Just as a well-bred bitch that leads a quiet life i.«, as a rule, better as a dam t^an one constantly going the round of the shows, so is a stud dog that leads a less artificial life more likely to yield good results (so long as he possesses the qualities required) than the much -exhibited sire belonging to a person whose only idea is to convert the dog into a sort of money-making machine.

— A Dog Cemetery. — Not the least interestiug of the sights in Edinburgh Castle is a tiny cemetery for soldiers' o<?s, which is situated on" the" 'northern face of the Castle Rock below St. Margaret's Chspel. Here are buried about a score of favourite dogf, once pete of different regiments quartered at the castle. Neat little memorial stones have been reaied to their niernory and simple iiifioriiJticns carved thereon. The only touch of "graveyard humour" is to be found on a stone- which, in addition to the name and date of the dog's death, bears the line, " Let rleeping dogs lie." — Printing by Dog Power. — There is one dog which makes his living by driving a printing press. It is only a development of the old turnspit business, but the dog prints a whole edition of 1000 papers in one hour. The dog is named Gypsy, and is the property of the Plymouth ReA'iew, of Wisconsiu. He is a two-year-old English mastiff, weighs 1001b, and docs his work by running round in a wooden wheel Bft in diameter. To the wheel is attached a belt connected with the presses in the next room, and when the dog has \v&-ked off his copy with one press he sets to work on another. The scoffer in Fleet street says that there are lots of other flogs, sad cnes some of them are, who make theii living, not by driving a printing press, but by supplying "copy" to the insatiable beings who drive the printing press, and who, like the daughters of the horse leech, are constantly crying, "Give, giv«>" — Taking. .Him Literally —A certain gentleman was..-, until -*eceatly, the owner of a valubale. .dog. The collar worn by the animal was of sterling silver, ieally a . work of art, _ and testified to the value of the wearer in the eyes- of his master. Unfortunately, f be animal recently developed an unreasonable" taste for the calves of his master's visitors, with the usual result. The gentleman took his pet out th« other morning, and, after shooting him, told a youth who was in his employ to bury the animal at once. This the boy did^ and, to make a good job of it, he buried the dog with chain and collar on as well. His employer, on being informed of the fact, resorted to sarcasm. "I suppose," he said, "the hole was not big enough to take the kemiell as well? Why did you not make it 'bigger?" The gentleman's feelings may be imagined when, two hours later, he noticed that the dog-kennel was missing, and sought an explanation from the intelligent youth. "I done as you told nic, sir," answered the boy — "I buried it. '

— Probably the largest litter of puppies ever produced from one dam was that of 21, to which a St. Bernard bitch, belonging to Mr Thorpe, gave birfch six years ago. I now hear of a prize collie called Irthlingboro' Day Dream which recently had 17 puppies, most of which died soon after birth Two other more than ordinarily big litters- are mentioned in Our Dogs : the well-known Irish wolf hound bitch, Artara, has had 14 puppies to Dermot Asthore, which, if they survive and take after their illustrious parents, must prove a valuable production, as both Artara and Dermot Asthore are extremely fine specimens of their race, and leading winners at our most important shows. — Home paper.