DOG FANCIERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 20 June 1932, Page 7

DOG FANCIERS

CARE AND TREATMENT THE OTHER SIDE (Notes by “Bow-Wow”) An experienced e,Ve quickly locates exhibits at a dog show which have been efficiently eared for and prepared by a practised hand. Novices arc mostly to blame for washing their dogs too frequently. This they do in spite of expert advice to the contrary. The coat of a deg and his health will suffer from too frequent washing. The use of wrong soap will cause quite a lot of trouble. Ordinary household coap that contains caustic is unsuitable. Toy dogs need especial care and although there are •vegetable and oil soaps on the market a shampoo wash such as ladies use tor (heir hair is the best to use. Care must lie taken to have the water at the right temperature. Make the water only as hot as the elbow can stand. Correct feeding, too, is most important. The dog is primarily a carnivorous animal and must have raw meat and also mu -t have a good bone to work at. .Fidi and cod liver oil will improve the coat. There was a tremendous response from .readers of a magazine for good stories of their dog pals. There is a story of a Pekinese who outstrips Einstein in intelligence. The owner is Air T. Webster, the famous cartoonist, and the claim is made that his dog can tell the time. The “dog” wears a wrist watch and in my saner moments I am positive that I have seen her raise her left paw at 11.59 to see the watch isn’t slow.

An extraordinary general meeting of the Tail-Waggers’ Club of New Zealand for the purpose of finalising the rules of the club,'will be held at Wellington next week. It is understood that a representative from Nelson will be present.

The Committee of the Nelson Kennc. Club at a special meeting decided to extend the time for nomination for the coming show until Monday next. The number of entries received so far is very satisfactory and everything promises that the show will be very successful. The class for Alsatians appears to be the most popular, and a record number of this class will be benched. The complete catalogue of entries will be available early next week. A complete list of donors of special trophies will be Erinted in the catalogue. Permission has een obtained to hold an art union in conjunction with the show. The following viewpoint entitled “The Other Side,” is of interest: — On almost every occasion that the merits and demerits of our dog friends are being discussed, it is the sentimental side that is uppermost in the minds of most people. But in addition to this aspect there is a very lucrative form of hobby to be considered if breeding is indulged in. On the eve of the Nelson 'Dog Show, at which fixture some very high-priced specimens will be benched, it may not come amiss to relate some of the high prices that have been pa : d at various times for outstanding spenmens of the beautiful Collie. The record paid for a dog stands at £ISOO for a champion Bulldog. Going back to 1870 we find mention of the first high-priced Collie, this being a dog called “Wolf,” which was purchased by the Rev. Hans Hamilton at the then unheard of price of £SO. Then a great improvement was noted in the breed, and a puppy, ‘-‘Guy’s Cliffe,” was claimed at the catalogue price of £SO at the Kennel Club Show. London. Then the famous champion “Caractacus” was claimed by several persons at the catalogue figure of £IOO, and on being submitted to auction according to rules, was oventually sold to the late Mr A. H. Megson for £350. A sensation was caused when Champion Rutland was entered in the £5 selling ,class and was claimed by Mr S. Boddington at that figure only to pass him. on to Mr Megson for £250. Later Mr Boddington purchased Champion Metghley Wonder for under £lO, and again passed him also to Mr Megson for no less than £SOO. He proved a wonderful sire and several times Mr Megson refused £IOOO for him. Probably no Collie has earned so much money in stud fees as this dog. A son of Champion Metchlpy Wonder was Champion Christopher, bought by Mr T. H. Stretch from his breeder, the Rev. Hans Hamilton, for £6O, and sold to Mr Mitchell Harrison, of Philadelphia, for the huge sum of £IOOO, this marbling the beginning of the entry of wealthy American buyers into the E- glish market, one of the most prolific buyers being Mr Pierpont Morgan, the famous financier. Then Arrived on the ! show bench that record breaker Orms- ■ kirk Emerald, shown it Edinburgh up der Mr John Powers. He started his winning career at thirteen months for his owner, Mr T. H. Stretch, but it was not until he was two years old that he was sufficiently furnished with coat to do himself justice and to present to advantage his excellent qualities. The apex of big prices was reached when Mr Megson again decided that the best Collie of the times should glorify his kennels and became the owner of Emerald at a price equivalent to £I3OO. Great Collie that Emerald was, like many others, he was a conspicuous failure at the stud.

One could carry on indefinitely m this vein, but the foregoing shows that th i efforts of kennel clubs such as we have in Nelson and the exhibitions staged can be turned to advantage by any dog lover, who might just as well keep pedgree stock and augment his income as to keep the nondescript.