KENNEL NEWS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 84, 7 January 1928, Page 12

KENNEL NEWS

(By The Showman.)

Whippets. A very nice young dog arrived by the Manuka from Melixiurne tor M. 1. Woodward, of Scinde Kennels, Napier. This is tlie black dog, Stage Prince, weighing 2241 b. lie is beautifully bred, coming from great racing stock. His sire is The Comet, who is by Flying Comedy, ex. Ovidin Fairy, whii-l his dam is Stage Queen, by Sinbad, ex. .Medic. The Comet holds the record for fastest heat in Melbourne. Flying Comedy is a very good all-round dog, who won both‘the flat and hurdle championships in Melbourne in 1923 and 1921. Sire of Alone, holder of Australian championship for 120 yards in 7 2-ssec., Stag Queen, bred in South Australia, did a lot of winning after coming to Victoria. Mr. A. H. Forbes’s (Opawa) Whippet bitch, Jenny (imp.), is in whelp to Prince Comedy. Mr. J. R. D. Johns has mated Peggy (imp.) to Prince Comedy. Mrs. C. O. Forbes, of Fendalton, has sold to Mr. A. M. Holmes, of Wellington, a promising Whippet dog puppy, by Prince Comedy ex. Flyaway. Mrs. J. Erwin, of Opawa, has secured a nice Whippet bitch puppy by Young Argyle, ex. Little Ruby, from Mr. J. it. 1) Johns. Mr. A. Moffat, of Fendalton, has disposed of the whippet bitch Our Goldie to Mr. J. Fitzsimmons, of Beliast. Our Goldie is in whelp to Mr. A. E. Smith’s great galloper, Jock. Irish Terriers. Mr. Woodward, of Napier, has disposed of a three months’ old puppy each to Mr. Woodson and Mr. Wood, of Napier, and another has gone to Palmerston North. This only leaves Mr. Woodward two to quit, a dog and a bitch. Irish Wolfhounds at the English Kennel Club Show. Another Kennel Club Show has passed, and naturally, with it some regrets in connection with our breed, but these are far outweighed by the very apparent improvements shown in the exhibits benched on this occasion. L possibly may have overlooked a hound, although I do not think 1 have, but I certainly do not remember one with a really unsound front. There was a great number of them with excellent legs, feet, ' and shoulders, also good loins, hindquarters, and nice hocks were conspicuous (writes 1. \V. Everett, in "Our Dogs”), Our judge, Mr. N. A. Loraine, would have been very seriously handicapped for testing movement had not a space adjoining our small ring been requisitioned for the job, and this just helped us out of the difficulty. Our breed certainly needs a large ring to. do itself justice in this respect. 1 noticed that bad movers were distinctly in the minority—a most welcome change from a few years ago. 1 well remember one summer show where there was not sufficient room available for a large enough ring, and several of the hounds when moved reminded me of four odd legs being attached to one body, and so ungainly did they move that there appeared no harmony one limb with the other, but that is now, I trust, a thing of the past, and it was entirely absent at the Kennel Club Show. There were also many hounds with good briskets, necks generally clean and of nice length, ears certainly appeared improving both in size, texture, and carriage. There were many very typical heads, and more would have been had these hounds been in full coat.

I think we need pay attention to eyes, as these do not seem to be improving as 1 hoped they would. Irish Wolfhound’s eyes should at least be in harmony with its colour of coat, but many were lighter than that. Another point we must keep in mind is the shape of eye and its placement. All expression is lost if the eyes are too closely placed, together, and the eye of either the Terrier or the Pug Dog shape is to be avoided. It is just the medium between these two should bo sought after—the moderately large and dark eye for preference, with that thoughtful, affectionate, benevolent expression, the combination of which makes it just one entirely its own. Another matter that we must tackle, and pretty seriously too, is length of body. We do need to work for it, but in doing so beware of weak backs, for they often accompany the long-cast bodies; this we must not have at any price, and the depth of brisket and spring of rib must be kept very clearly before us. It is so necessaiy to remember now important it is to have on a hound such as ours a deep brisket as well as a wide one. The width, both of brisket and spring of rib, is just as essential, if not more so, than the depth, for nearly all the pulsation of lung and heart are lateral, not horizontal. One thing I must not forget to mention is “top outline.” While endeavouring to get more firmly established a good, strong, neatly sprung loin, do not let us make a mistake by accepting a hound which has a back and loin in reality showing curvature, and mistake this for "a good arched loin.” I have seen this done, and not long ago, but this latter formation, of course, is wrong, and most probably would impart weakness to their progeny instead of real strength. ’ ... In comparing our hounds with those of about 1892, there is a very wonderful difference in nearly all points—type, soundness, size, and numbers, of course. In those days there were some nearly as short and close-coated as a Great Dane, and which more resembled them but sound and shapely. Heads frequently were more like a heavy-boned, shoiulegged Deerhound, except in the matter of hindquarters, and this part of their anatomy more often than not was everything but sound and shapely. Heads frequently were more like a badly bred Great Dane, anti their ears hung anywhere, and freq tently were very, very large, but of thin texture. To-day our average of height has increased by about four inches, bone is much larger, ears infinitely better, nnd coats are getting much nearer perfection. Legs fo’JmY are hardly ever anything but straight now, while strong, wide loins and muscular hindquarters, with hocks ® lce 'Z low, are "the general-order of the day. On the whole, taking improvements, numbers, and popularity into consideration, 1 think we should be very, very proud of the results of the work put into this noble breed during the past, as evidenced by the wonderful specimens ot to-day. Doe's’ Dispensarv, 7 Stafford Street, off Majoribanks Street, Thoue 21-823. Miss Christmas, canine nurse, Cert. C.N.1., London. Patients visited ot treated at surgery. Dog boarders taken. Surgery hours, 9 to 11 and 5 to ?,—> Advt.