Trails of Terrier Character.

Evening Star, Issue 8267, 12 July 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

Trails of Terrier Character.

• The time approaches when, for routing out rabbits and hedgerow and bush shooting, the utility of terriers as companions of the gua is particularly demonstrated. Perhaps, a3 a clog for shooting, the terrier ia generally appreciated only by those who know what capital qualities n good one possesses. We had a yellow one—a mongrel, it ia true which we would have backed against DDy pointer or spaniel for not running over anything furred or feathered within range of her keen noso. We have seen her silently and swiftly flush pheasant after piieasant, close to the shooter, in a manner which the best-bred spaniel could not surpass. There are three sorts of terriers, says ' Kod and Qau,' which, when well bred and well broken—a very simple education is Fufiicieut—are admirable with the gun. These are the fox terrier, the wire-haired ones, and the Skyes. Of the black-and-tans some few liavo been good ; but moat of those which have come under our notice are better Tor rats and "vermin" than for use in .shooting. All the terriers, however, are finenosed, and some are capital water dogs. The rough-haired ones especially can often bo made, as far aa their size allows, very soft-mouthed and accurate retrievers ; bur, obviously, the bigger class of game is not within the scope of their capacity. Tilt: FOX TERM KM, Fox terriers, when v/ell entered aa youngsters, make splendid rabbit dogs. Their conspicuous marking renders them les3 liable than others to bo shot by mistake—a fate which not infrequently befalls rabbit dogs. Wo have known a puppy of this breed obstinately insert himself into a rabbit burrow which the older dogs had passed as empty, and there remain, despite ail persuasions, gentle and othorwise, till the keeper incredulously introduced a ferret, with the result of turning cut a fine rabbit, much to the puppy's credit. A good dog of this breed slipa through brambles, furze, aud tangle grass like a weasel, and he is not hampered, as the rough ones are, by the tangling of his coat. If the fox terrier has a fault it i.i his impetuosity and his tendency to quarr'.l with the other dogs. He seems tireless, and his pluck makes him never give in. However, we prefer a wirehaired one for general use as a gun terrier.

THE WIRIMIAIRED IiRKEn. Some wire haired terrier 3 havo become water dogs of the befit kind, and we have known the;n retrieve partridges from turnips and underwood in a satisfactory fashion. They are often extraordinary in their keenness of nose. A small, qaiet dog of this sort, working to his master'a signal, has found a list bird which the professional retrhver, with much fuss and noise, had completely blundered over. Sometimes wire-haired make capital little dogs for beating out the borders of a stream ; but they frequently cannot resist plunging in after a water rat. One that will retrieve and takes water, as most of them do, is invaluable. As you are working a long borderiog of sedge, with rush clumps here and there, and have the chance of finding mallard, teal, snipe, and moorhen, a small dog that has a good scent, and threads in and out quietly, ia far better than a bouncing, splashing water spaniel of the ordinary wild type. When we speak thus of the wire-hair or rough terrier—there are several sort 3 and sizes, and we can only use a genera) compendious term—we allude only to those dogs which have had their natural intelligence cultivated. There are many terriers that can only yelp at people, snap at horses' heeJa, and hunt rats, which they seldom kill. But a terrier of clever ancestry—breeding in theso nondescript wire-hairs counts for nothing, as far a3 shooting goea—ia a most intelligent little dog, as anyone may find out who chooses patiently to make the dog from puppyhood a companion, and talk to him in the way which clever dogs seem to understand. THE SKYE.S. We have always considered terriers—especially mongrel ones —as among the cleverest of dogs. They are much cleverer than certain dogs of the larger and admired breeds. A dwarf, a3 a rule, is cleverer than a giant. As for the Skyea, there are so many called so which are not Skyes. A genuine one is very companionable. The brown eyca and tremulous ears show the intelligence of the littlo creature. It is not as "forward" as those we have mentioned, and requires encouragement ; but when the tug of war comes in defending his master, or in attacking a weasel or a rat, and getting his blood roused, he is second to none. We had, many years ago, a brace over which a good deal of rough shooting was done. They worked very well; but they were very different in temper. One was a most sagacious, reflective, silent dog ; the other, with equal sagacity, wildly excitable. One retrieved game as far as he could; the other never would. For rabbit, partridge, and wild pheasant shooting they were useful allies. They did not heed the weather ; land and water were all the same to them. As a rule, many of what are called Skyea are ladies' pets, that would probably fly howling at the sound of a gun ; but when a terrier haß been properly broken and talked to he seems to pick up notions with much ease. He has in some instances an inexplicable habit of running on three legs.