KENNEL NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 121, 21 April 1938, Page 10

KENNEL NOTES.

GUIDES FOR DOG BREEDERS. INTERPRETATION OF PEDIGREES. The kennel correspondent of the London Times writes :—- So long as dog breeding remains an art and not a science, breeders who wish to succeed will have to put their faith in the intelligent interpretation of pedigrees. Pedigress in themselves are of no value. Their usefulness depends on the manner in which breeders are able to read them. This is true not only in dog breeding, but in all forms of animal breeding. While some strains unite in a way that is satisfactory, the union of others gives results that are disappointing. Consequently to a large extent we have to proceed by experiment. Thanks to the attention given to the study of the laws of inheritance by biologists, our theoretical knowledge has .been greatly enriched, and no doubt breeders who have taken the trouble to keep abreast of the times have benefited. But the practical man may ask: “Can the theorists breed dogs that are better than those produced by the empiricists?” Years ago Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote: “Scince is a first-rate piece of furniture for a man’s upper chamber, if he has commonsense on the groundfloor.” The two must work hand in hand. CAREFUL OBSERVATION.

Darwin was not above paying a trif bute to the labours of the men who follow rule-of-thumb methods in animal and pigeon breeding. These methods are not haphazard, but are the result of careful observation. The beginner who takes up dog breeding cannot do better than study, with the aid of pedigrees, the system of those who are successful. He will then be able to note the combination of strains by which the best dogs are produced. Attempts at originality may come later when he lias made sure of his ground. Most of the information that he requires is available if he has access to the stud book published annually by the Kennel Club.

The volume for this year has just been issued. Besides information about the rules of the Kennel Club and the principal winners at last year’s shows, it contains many pedigrees of dogs that became entitled to inclusion in its .pages in the past 12 months. The pedigrees of such as have received stud-book numbers in previous volumes can be ascertained by means of the letters placed after the figures. There was a slight increase in the number of dogs registered last year compared with 1936. Fifty-one shows ■were given championship status, compared with 46. Besides the official stud book, many breed societies publish annuals of value to their supporters. The year book of the British Elkhound Society is to bo commended for its comprehensive nature. It includes a .list of the elkhound wins at championship shows last year and a list of all dogs registered. Miss Julia Rands has contributed a study of elkhounds that have exerted an influence on the breed; and Lady Kitty Ritson is responsible for an article on “These Northern Breeds.” A similar publication comes from the British Dalmatian Club. It has an article by Mrs V. M. Eggo on the care of the brood bitch which should be very helpful; and Mrs F. M. Bonney. lias written on Dalmatians in the United States.