KENNEL NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21717, 11 May 1934, Page 2

KENNEL NOTES

[By TilL-WAGGKfc.]

Harptree Wendy, by Strathclyde Bos’n ex Harptree Primrose, the nice little Sealyham bitch owned by Mr H. MacCallnrii, of Mornington, last Friday whelped live splendid puppies, only one, however, being a dog. Unfortunately the dog and one of the bitches failed to survive. As Mr MacCallum has two bitches on order, and thinks of keeping one for himself, the present order of things is eminently satisfactory, although losing the only dog was a blow. The puppies were sired by the winning Oaraaru dog, Ophi Prince Serenada, by ch Brazen Biltong (imp.) from Ophi Queen of fjjieeba (imp.). Prince Serenada was bred by Mr F. G. Saville, of Fairlic, and is owned by Mr G. C. Hayhurst, of Oamaru. Captain Olphert, of Lower Hutt, is Harptree Wendy’s breeder. In reference to these fascinating little terriers, the ‘ New Zealand Fancier’ has tire following;—“Captain Olphert, of the Harptree kennels at Lower Hutt, has now taken possession of his lated importation, the bitch, Badlands Rio Rita. Bred by Mrs Hill, of the famous Redlands kennels, Notts, England, Rita -is by Redlands Reflex out of Byrk Busy Bee. The latter is by Ch. Redlands Rebel out of Tarra Cheeky, whilst the sire is by St. Margaret’s Merit out of Bagdale Prima Donna. Champions cluster thick in tho bitch’s pedigree, including Ch.. St. Margaret’s Surprise, Cr. Brash Binks, Ch. Brash Fortune, and Ch. Brash Bean, which should give a fair indication of her quality. Prior to leaving England she was mated to Redlands Ranger, winner of the limit, open, and challenge, at the Crystal Palace show in August, 1933, and she whelped two dogs and three bitches in quarantine.” Unfortunately three of these puppies did not survive, and there is only one of eacli six now living. Both, however, are lovely little specimens of the breed, the dog appearing at present to be the more attractive of the two. Rita herself is a very classy animal and should easily hold her own when put into the show ring. She has an all-white body and tan ears that are small and well set on, a splendid neck and glorious head, finished off • with the correct shaped muzzle. A well-placed dark eye finishes off a most attractive little terrier. An event creating considerable interest in Wellington is the recentlyarrived litter of Great Danes. There are eleven in this family, the dam being the harlequin Reverie of Trothy (imp.), belonging to Mr W, T. Barton, of the Terrace, Wellington. Reverie is by Reflex of Radwinter from Phantasie of Trothy, and was bred by Airs H. S. Jevons, of the Old Country. sire is a real brindle. He is Samson of Oubo'rough, imported from' the, fambus “ Ouborough ” kenhels of Air James Vi. Rank, of Surrey, England. Apparently it is Air Barton’s intention to rear all the puppies, as an Alsatian has been engaged as foster-mother, and she is rearing half of them. A visit to Air and Airs Zaffer’s kennels proved delightful. Housed is a litter of really first-rate pups—four dogs and two bitches—all looking in the pink. Two of the dogs and one bitch are exceptional m the matter of bone and size; they promise to make handsome adults. All the pups are sturdily built and carry heavy coats. Their tails are set on correctly and carried iu the right place, straight along the back. Dark eyes seen! to be general, among them, also small, nicelyshaped ears. On breeding these pups should be very hard to beat, as some of England’s foremost dogs figure in their pedigree, Cr. Kara Sea being one of their near forebears. Air Zaffer’s pair were bred by Air J. Alaike, of Australia, from Show White and Yukon Quebn. 4 dog that has made very little progress iu New Zealand so far is the bull-terrier, a somewhat surprising state of affairs. Air Ellis, of Alasterton, seems to be about the only one who breeds them at all. This enthusiast has a really good pair, which he obtained from Australia some’time -go The hitch, ch. Holden Diamond Donnie, is again in whelp to Arran Holden Chinook, and if this venture turns out as Successful as the last some of these puppies may possibly find their way io the show bench. Noiio of the oth.r litters have appeared so far. ■ Causes of Coat and Skin Trouble.— First of all it is necessary to understand something about the skin of the dog. It varies in different parts of the body, being thickest along the back and thinnest underneath, particularly at the thighs. The skin of the tail ;s thicker above than underneath. (When a dog is excited or angry tho hair will stand up along the spine and upper tail surface.) Consequently where the skin is thickest the hair is strongest iu fibre. Aloreover, when a dog contracts skin trouble or some other parasitic disease the tendency is for it to attack where the skin is thickest, because there it can get the best lodgment. On the other hand, when the animal is suffering from impurity in the blood the effect is more likely to show itself in parts where the akin is thinnest, because blood impurities naturally seek an exit at the easiest point. The dog does not perspire all over like a human being or a horse; he gets rid of his perspiration by panting, and so we get the explanation why eczema and surfeit show themselves as a rule on the belly, armpits, and thighs. We also see why a bad attack of skin disease will do so much damage (very often permanent) to the upper part of the coat. The skin there, being thicker, is capable of more serious damage, not only by the parasite, hut by the process of ejecting him; and once the “roots’’ are destroyed there is little chance of complete recover*. General Principles in Coat Treatment. —A dog in perfect health ought never to have any coat trouble. Proper feeding, ample exercise, clean bedding, and regular grooming arc tho essentials. Worms are, as is well known, a frequent cause of skin trouble; they are adventitious—they get hold of the healthiest, cleanest, best-kept dogs, and a look-out must always ho kept for them. They are an “ extra,” and must bo dealt with as occasion may arise. Their effect is wrought upon the digestion, and they give rise to impurity of the blood, just as does wrong feeding. Now, when a dog begins to lose his coat freely (except during the heat of the summerwhich is the natural time for the coat to be moulted), nr when he begins to scratch, an- examination should bo

made. The coat should ho carefully combed' out, and any definite eruption bo treated at once with a reliable ointment. Harsh But Clean Skim—lf, on examination, it is found that the dog's coat is dean and free from eruption—except, perhaps, that it is a little ied where the dog may have been scratchier and if the only condition noticeable is dryness and sourfincss, the tnlv thing to do is to use a brush freely to got rid of the scurf, and then give the skin a thorough dressing with coco rnut oil (or better still, with woolf.it and cocoamit oil mixed in the proportion of one part of the former to tw > parts of the latter). The best way ro ho this dressing effectively is to use the hands; only thus can you get right down to the skin, and so produce the emollient effect that is needed. Where a mistake is so often made is in using strong sonps and skin lotions in a blind, aimless way, when the one thing needed is simple emollient treatment, and probable blood medicines and a change of diet. Many skin lotions contain potash and’ soda “and - other “emulsifying” agents, and the effect of using those things ,is often to damage, if not destroy, the oily nutriment of the hair, with the result that there is no longer any living root from which now hair ■may spring. So you may got bare patches on the coat that arc incapable of being remedied.—* Australian Hog and Cat Gazelle.’