KENNEL NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20382, 31 October 1931, Page 6

KENNEL NOTES.

[By CAtitß.]

[.Queries for answer in this column should be addressed ''Caleb," care Tub Pbess, Cliristchurcli, fcnd to ehsure publication ot) any Saturday must bo received not later thaA tho. Tuesday preceding', t Mrs R. O. Johnson, of St. Albans, has disposed of a wire Fox Terrier dog puppy by .Wireboy of Wairiki, ex Lady June, to Miss J. Petty, of St. Albans. Mr E. J. Davis, of Christclmreh, has secured from Mr J. A. Wainscott, of Hamilton, tho white and brown Bulldog biteli puppy Gold Treasure, a fine daughter o£ ch. Bonnie Jock (imp.) and Flapper. Treasure did exceptionally well at the Wellington Show, where she was praised by the English judge. She should prove a decided asset to the breed in the South Island. Mrs A. B. Talbot, of Fendalton, has disposed of a very pleasing brindle Scottish Terrier dog puppy by Scottish Mac, ex Rosemoyne Mimosa, to Mrs Palmer, of Avonside. Mr W. M. Hussell, of Rotorua, has secured a fine brown and white Springer Spaniel dog puppy by Gunner Adair, ex Patricia Guii, from its breeder, Mr R. O. Johnson, of St. Albanß. Mr A. V. Dudney, of Lower Riccarton, lias secured the- young wire Fox Terrier dog Dash of Oldcot, a son of Wairiki Waihi and Rosetnoyne Revelry, from Mr E. Scholes, of Fendalton. Silver Berta, the young Sydney Silky bitch owned by Mrs A. A. Johnson, of St. Albans, has whelped a good litter of five puppies, four dogs, by her kennel-mate, Yarra Wattle Blue. Mord Emily of Rodney, the black artd white Cocker Spaniel bitch owned by Mrs Wheeley, has whelped a good litter of seven puppies, four dogs, by Mr A. |3. Seeker's black dog, Avon Ability.

CANTERBURY StiOW ENTRIES. The largest number of entries for many years have been received for tho 26th annual Show of the Canterbury Kennel Club, to be held in conjunction with the A. and P. Association's Roj&l Show at Addington. 011 November 12th and 13tli. There will be on exhibition more than 240 dogs, of which Alsatians hold pride of place with 41 exhibits, Setters coming next with 28 (Irish 15, English 13), Cocker Spaniels 23 (coloured 12, black 11), Fox Terriers 17 (Smooths 10, Wires 7), aild Sfeulyhams 11. In Old English Sheepdogs and Springer Spaniels there will .be more exhibits than have been benched in New Zealand for the last 20 years. A most successful show should be assured. Major J. Stafford, of Leeston, will be the judge of all breeds, other t,l ian working sheepdogs.

SIGNS OF GOOD HEALTH. Good nutrition and present health are indicated by: (1) A cold, moißt nose, showing that the temperature and circulation' are normal. In sleep, however, a healthy dog's hobo often feels dry and hot to the touch. (2) Bright eyes, with inner lining of lids rosy-pink in colour. Dull and sunken eyes indicate constitutional derangement or old age. (3) A glossy coat and a skin that is easily grasped in tho hand and away from the ribs. Generally speaking, the easier it is to fill the hand with loose skin, the better is the dog's digestion and general health. Poor nutrition and consequent ill-health aro indicated when the skin seems to adhere more or less closely to the ribs> when it does not slide back quickly to its normal position after being released from the hand, and when the coat is dry and harsh to the touch—excepting, of course, in breeds which have a bristly coat. (4) A brisk carriage, and active ear movement. (5) A moist, pink, and uncoated tongue. BRITISH BREEDS. There are in Great Britain at the present time some 80 distinct and officially recognised breeds and varieties of the dog. The Englishman's loVe of the dtig and his methods of selective breeding have gained tor him the reputation bf being the mbst successful dog-keeper iii the world. In priding ourselves upon this deputation w& tnust not forget ( that of the many different kinds of dogs now established as British, not a few have had their brigin in foreign lands, whence spbifiiiiefcs have Been imported, in course of tithe .to be sb improved by selection that they Have come to be commonly accepted as native breeds. | Some breeds are protected from the claim that they are indigenous by the fact that their origin is indicated in their nai es; No one could pretend that the St. Bernard or the Newfoundland! the Spaniel or the Dalmatian are of native Origin. They are immigrants wo have naturalised. In accepting and acclimatising alien breeds we have in almost every case diverted the dog from its original and intended purpose. The Borzoi, which is with us merely an ornamental companion, and oniy * nominally a Sporting dog, is in its native Russia a courageous hunter of the wolf and the bear. Tlib Great Dane is by nature a boar-hunting dog, and the Dachshun, which ire hava softened into a velvety dandy of the drawing-room, is here & stringer to his proper work of drawing the badger, and the snow-white S&mdyede bf qur show benches is essentially a sledge hauler on the, frozen trails of the Par North. For our small pet dogs that lie in cushioned comfort we have always gofre abroad. None of them is of native British origin. «Marty bear in their names the obvious token of their foreign descent—the Pekingese, the Pomeranian, the Japanese) tho Maltese,

and the Brussels Griffon. The Pug is also an acclimatised alien j it came originally from the Far East, as did our King Charles spaniels. We have two terriers, the Clydesdale and the Yorkshire which have been converted into lap-dogs, and there are the miniature varieties of the Black-and-Tah ftritl tho white Bull Terrfers, which are officially classed ai toys. The fact however, that with these four exceptions, all of our popular small dogs of luxury are of exotic origin. On the other hand, it is interestng to note that without any such exception our terriers are exclusively indigenous. We have not borrowed a single breed or variety of terrier from abroad. Of the non-sporting and utility breeds we have many that are equally British in remote ancestry. The Old English Sheepdog and the Collie are among them, so too, ar6 our topically national Bulldog, and his larger relative the English Mastiff. Ttffc) PACK INSTINCT. Owners of three br more terriers often find that when their charges arp let out in the morning they run to gether in a bunch and frequently give chase to every dog that comes in sight When terriers have bieen shut up in kennels all night, it. is only natural that on being liberated they should run wild in this way. They ate simply following the pack instinct, and one supports the other in the headlong stampede.. It is advisable to take the animals out singly or else to have them all oh the leash, and lead them a good distance until their exuberance Thiis subsided before setting thorn free. . The pack instinfct is strdng in all does, but especially so in terriers and hounds of the chase. A pack will go where a single dog would hot The uriitea crowd is always more powerful than the individuals composing it.