KENNEL NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 69, 18 February 1939, Page 6

KENNEL NOTES

RESULTS FROM WAIROA, (By “Kuri.”) At the Kennel Ciub show held at Wairoa on February 1 fox terriers appear to have been the most numerous, and there were only nine of this varir ety s five wires and four smooths. Competition does not appear to have been very keen in the other breeds, only two cockers being benched, for example. The terrier stakes was won by the smooth fox terrier Riversdale Rumba, the sporting stakes going to the English setter Singer Boy, and the ladies’ class to the Alsatian (German Shepherd) Ch. Crumstone Gemma. Now that the railway runs right through to Wairoa the shows there should receive better patronage, and wo can look forward to a good exhibition in that place in the years to - come. Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay people arc keen dog fanciers, and their dogs supplied almost the whole of the animals benched at this year’s affair. POLICE DOGS.

In an account of police dog news in England it is noticed that Scotland Yard has established trained dogs as part of the official aids at that wellknown establishment. Some of the other branches of the Police Department at Home have also added dogs to their outfits. Many breeds have been tried, including Alsatians, Labradors, working collies, bloodhounds and Airedales. The dogs are put through a rigorous training period of six months at special depots, and only those found suitable in every way are retained. English police dogs must bo somewhat different from those used on the Continent, as in the latter place the animal is generally set on to a suspected person, a practice which would lead to some hectic Court cases in Britisli countries. Although some of the duties allocated to trained police dogs in other countries may not be suitable here, one can readily imagine many advantages properly-trained dogs would lie to our own police force. Trained tracking dogs must surely he of service in locating persons lost in the bush, and an alert, well-trained dog of the Tight type would he a most serviceable companion to police officers oil duty at night around wharves and warehouses. Many policemen in this country do; of course, have their own dogs, some of them trained, too, hut the intensive training undergone by police dogs in overseas. which has been adopted now in England, produces a canine aid to police officers of a much higher order than tho usual smart companion dog. Another advantage about the special training course is that dogs are trained for different . purposes ; some are taught to he determined and efficient trackers; others to lie guards, and others again to search for suspicious persons around railway yards, warehouses, and wharves. SPANIEL VARIETIES. . Years ago we used to allude to the long-eared group of spaniels as waterspaniels. Nowadays they are divided into a number of varieties somo of which arc common in our country and others not yet established hero. Cocker spaniels of almost any colour are well-known, springers, or English springor spaniels, a larger dog, usually ooloured liver and white or black and white, probably almost as well known; clumber spaniels, a longer, heavier dog than the cocker, usually white with yellow markings, a shortlegged dog, have been exhibited here, but are not common. Field spaniels, a long, low to ground dog arc not seen here, nor are Sussex spaniels or Welsh springers. All three of these last mentioned varieties are strikingly handsome and useful dogs, somo of the field spaniels possessing a striking appearance. Tho colour of the “field” should be black, or a “sport” from black such as liver, mahogany, or roans. The height is about 3 8 inches at the shoulder, and the weight about 401 b. A picture before tho writer of the field spaniel Ch. Wribbenhnll Watcrhen shows one of tho most beautiful dogs imaginable, much more striking in fact than tho average cocker. Should these dogs over become established in this country they will be popular as companion dogs because of their beauty of form and coat besides being useful in the field for sportsmen. HYDATIDS CAMPAIGN.

Any Biomcment calculated to prevent disease should be supported, and the present activity to dose dogs as a remedy to remove some possible sources of hydatids infection will no doubt be appreciated by everybody*. As we pointed out before, the disease is most likely to be spread by farmers’ dogs which are fed raw offal, and the campaign will probably be less successful in the rural areas, than in the cities, where hygienic surroundings are more appreciated. Cats also can bo responsible for spreading hydatids, but they would be more difficult to treat. We sometimes feel that if the same intensive activity were undertaken to remove the possibility of the sale of milk from cows infected with bovine tuberculosis a far more serious menace to health could be removed, but perhaps that will come later. In the meantime, all dog owners should keep their pets in clean kennels, have them entirely free of worms and fleas and lice, not a difficult matter at all. and see that all faeces are burned or removed. By doing tin’s, and feeding tbo dog on clean food, no raw offal, or better still, no offal at all, and no raw sheep’s brains, no raw rabbits or hares, dog owners will be doing their part in removing any suspicion that they havo been responsible for the spread of disease in the community.

Some time ago we wrote of a young enthusiast who was intending to purchase a puppy of the setter variety, and we have now had ample opportunity to examine the new arrival, an English setter aged ten weeks. A lightly blue-ticked (sometimes called hlue-helton), solid-honed pup, gentle, affectionate, and very attractive. The head is alrendy typical, and the present puppy coat is short and silky. The legs are sturdy and the body shapo, as is usual with young setters, angular. The pup is much more awkward in movement than a terrier of the same ago, bijt there is no nervousness, nor shyness, and about the usual dash of mischievousness common to canine youth. Tho feet are large and the tail is carried level with the hack; when “setting” pigeons on my backlawn the puppy moves . in a graceful manner, singularly attractive to watch, probably not appreciated by the pigeons I’m afraid. This “setting” is a special qualification of'the breed, and is a much different method of approach than that adopted by a young terrier, which invariably rushes straight at the bird.