KENNEL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10629, 18 December 1897, Page 6

KENNEL NOTES.

[BY MARVEL.j /__•',' The sheep dog trials at the late Auckland Agricultural Society's Show were in everyway ft success. They were under the management of the Auckland Collie Club, Mean F. W. Edwards, T, H. Bosworth, and 0, Read actiug as stewards. The entries wrs far in excess of previous years, and Mint; really good work was done by some of the animals. The spectators mustered round Iks i paddock in strong force, and showed that appreciation of the work by frequent or plause. „ wjs We understand that Mr. T. H. Boswortij hou. sec. of the Auckland Collie Club, bar received a letter from the secretary of the' Wellington Collie Club, suggesting an affiliation with their society. The matter will ». laid before the committee at an early date. The Pall Mall Gazette publishes a very interesting account of the employment of dofl as beasts of burden for the transport of supplies to the miners in the new goldfieldi: at Klondyke. It seems that thenattrt Yukon dogs are much more valuable ; than the imported ones, as the-later have to get acclimatised to the exceptionally severe winter weather in that lone ' land.Their food consists principally of fish; usually salmon caught in the Yukon River.'-,.T0; pounds of dried salmon is a dogs daily ration. Last winter, that kind of nan soil; from lOd to 2s a pound, and bacon that was only fit for dog's food cost Is 7d a pound/-* some of the larger camps on the Yukon, doj• boarding-houses have been established, wherethe animals are properly oared tor'at from 25s to £3 a month. The greatest care is 1 taken of these animals, and buckskin mocassins are provided to keep their feet from being worn raw on the ice and snow. ' -• -'p The following are from the English Stow It is' not often that partridges are found to be pugnacious, nor collie dogs cowardly, but a case of this kind occurred the otw, day, when a tenant on the estate of*. : Buchanan, of Hales, crossing one of his MM with his Collie beside him, the latter ran w. and began to chase a brood of late-hatched. partridges, which ran flapping and screamM; about, being too young to fly onfc of danger, The old bird, however, quickly came to tw rescue and gave the collie such a drobbins that he ran away howling right out ol: ttj ; field, and could not by any means be entw ItD enter it again. It is by no means a com-; mon occurrence, and the old birds must M'!' been aware that their brood was tooyoungto-, fly out of danger, or they would never MJJj exposed themselves to it as they did. _ , We have never told our own experience »| the homing instinct in a dog of our own, m this is an opportunity not to be lost. '. He««; an Irish Terrier, clever like all his kind, «g there was a fair share of the national humow in his disposition. Ho was a champion, Wj we will not name him, although not evened j fees could charm him back from the bapPJ; hunting erounds, so the advertisement be no use to the writer. The Irish gent* man from whom we bought the dog, i"3SHI to,our inquiry, said the dog was .bailt,'»j sport—indeed, and yes, he would warrant ml broken" to ferrets and for rabbits, vW.r would also retrieve. It. was a long .Wjji before ,we had an opportunity $<•; try the champion, but we wearied friends with his praise. The oWg came, however, when we were invited W t big rabbit shoot, and told to bring."" wonderful dog. We took him by }**£ \ Eufield, and thence in a trap some aj*|B£j| to our appointment. His first exploit «* to snap at the ferret when it emerged to 10». ] at tho scenery. We tried to pass that MS i by. saying it was his high spirits, and t». j hereaHy knew better but he did not, "M was highly proud of himself,' althongn •» <4 tried to persuade him, but unsuccesjnn'Jj; as he kept out of reach. ; Soon after*«.K-f a shot, and on looking round for our do*.; retrieve the rabbit, found that theriU»m«P.r the gun went off he had instincted for 'Ms for all; he 3was worth. When got Wggl Enfield Station in the evening, there w.ra i sitting on the platform, waiting. - ';".';';'