KENNEL NOTES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21732, 14 March 1936, Page 11

KENNEL NOTES

[By CALEB.!, '. [Queries for answer In this -column , (mould be addressed to "Caleb," ,cw* "Tn* \ Press,*' Chrlstchurcn. and to ensure publication on any Saturday must be received no* later than the' Wednesday preceding.)

Mr H. Mcintosh, of Fendalton*. reports the mating of his Irish Setter bitch, Molly of Sbandon, to ch. Tara of .Trashna. Some good specimens were produced by this mating previously, including a puppy owned by Miss Kerr, Opawa, which won the puppy class, all breeds, and was second in the puppy and novice classes for sporting dogs at the recent'parade held in Christchurch. Mrs P. Simon, of Hoon Hay, has disposed of a silver grey Cairn Terrier dog puppy from Jill, by her stud dog Rosemoyne Rambler, to Mr Arthur Sucklmg, Christchurch. Mrs H. Spence Clark, of Plas-y-bryn, Clifton, Sumner, is very pleased with a litter of Irish Terriers whelped.by her bitch, Garryowen Peggy. There are three of each sex, and they are an even lot of good colour, claiming for their sire ch. Richley Rufus, who in turn is a son of the well-known ch. Richley Raider: Mrs Stewart Hunter, of Christchurch, has recently had' her Cairn Terrier bitch, Salome of Seeone, on a stud visit to Hamish, the property of Mrs Britten, also of Christchurch. Mrs Hunter has just, disposed of the last dog puppy, a dark brindle, of the same previous mating, to Mrs H. T. Kitto, Wellington. Miss N. Newton,, of The Willows, Ashburton, has disposed of two English Setter puppies from Betsy of Beechwood by Bracken of Beechwood. A dog puppy tan and white, has gone to Mr A. W. Pilbrow, Walnut avenue, Ashburton, • who intends training him for the gun. A promising black and white bitch puppy has been secured by Mrs R. tf. White, Styx. Through this puppy, who will later be registered as Bella of Beechwood, Mrs White gets back into her kennels the strain of the imported Devon Lad and the wellknown ch. Rapanui Joan, which shei lost through the death of the winning bitch, Jill of Beechwood, some time ago. Mrs I. M. Wheeley, of St, Albans, has disposed of three Cocker bitches, litter sisters from Derby Nan by Derby Rooxe, to the following:—Mr Chandler, Sherborne street, Mr E. Adcock, Barbadoes street, and Mr Overend, also of Christchurch. Derby Rooke, although only a young dog, has already sired some winners, one being Derby Lawn, a promising youngster, who won the puppy and open sporting classes at the recent parade of the Canterbury Kennel Club. Mr S. W. Kidd, of Knowles street, St. Albans, an enthusiast of both the popular Scottia and the attractive, u somewhat less known West Highland White Terrier, tells me that he has a litter of each of these breeds at present in his kennels, xiis West Highland White Terrier Bitch, Selwyn Fiona, is rearing a fine lot of puppies to Mr McKay's Barington Bob, and his Scottish Terrier bitch, Sally, has a very nice litter by Mr Johnson's Scottish Mac.

Canterbury Kennel Club The women members of the Canterbury Kennel Club held their bimonthly meeting, the first of the 1936 season, in Ballantynes tea rooms this week, when about 30 members were .present. Afternoon tea was served, several new members were welcomed, and altogether the gathering proved to be the most successful yet held. A very interesting talk on the ancient Chinese Toy dog, the Pekingese or the Lion Dog, as it was known in the early days, and the circumstances in which it made its first appearance in England, was given by Miss A. Hanson Budden, a breeder of long standing. Miss Budden in her talk said that no Toy dog in all time had so completely captured the hearts of English doglovers as did the little Eastern aristocrat which first came to England in the second half of the nineteenth century, and its popularity had not waned with the passing of years. It is told by • authorities on the Pekingese that during the Chinese War of 1860, a group'of English officers captured from the ladies' quarters of the Chinese court half a dozen of their highly prized favourites who were fiercely guarding the body of their royal mistress, who had committed suicide rather than face the enemy's troops. One ot these pets found compensation for the glories of the luxuriously beautiful summer palace in the solid comfort of the Victorian Court, and until her death in 1872 Looty remained the favourite of Queen Victoria, at Whose command her portrait was painted by Sir Edwin Landseer, the greatest animal painter of the period. For two thousand years the little Lion dog held undisputed sway in Buddhist art in China. It was treated with meticulous care, surrounded by stringent royal restrictions. Its breeding was entrusted to the chief attendants and strictly confined to court environment. At court ceremonials they occupied the most prominent places, two being deputed to precede the Emperor, walking on their hind legs with tremendous pomp and dignity to the chamber of ceremonies. Two others followed the hem of the royal robes which were carefully and daintily held in their mouths. The selected four constituted the Emperor's bodyguard. They shared his couch, his food, his I joys, and his sorrows. In her book on Pekingese. Mrs Loftus Allen, orie of the earliest exhibitors, writes: "Pekingese are without doubt the most attractive of all the Toys, and it is little to be wondered at that with their winning ways, their fidelity, their individuality, and their ancient and interesting history, they should have become within the short space of 30 years probably the most widely bred and popular of all breeds of toy dogs. Wherever it went the little Lion dog was truly the friend of man. With subtle flattery it vastly preferred human society to that of its own species. Dogs of other breeds it looked on with scorn, and was always prepared to fight the biggest on sight, but luckily that fight rarely came to pass, a haughty stare from the mighty atom generally being sufficient to send the giant from the field, cowed and slinking." It was in the year 1894, at the Chester show, that the Pekingese was first shown, and the first winner in the variety classes was Mrs Loftus Allen's imported Pekin Peter, a handsome grey-brindle.