KENNEL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7852, 14 July 1911, Page 2

KENNEL NOTES

(By “Fit zroy.’*) OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE WELLINGTON KENNEL CLUB. Correspondence is invited from canine fanciers and others interested in this column. Letters will bo treated con* fidcmially, and questions answered (through the column) at the earliest op* portunlty, Corresiiondcnts are requested to sign their names, but a nom may also bo used if necessary. Letters should reach this ofiico not later than Wednesday for reply in the following Friday’s issue A Little white on the chest of a- dog which should be all black, such as a black pug. black retriever, etc., slightly handicaps a dog, but is not a disqualification in the show' ring. Mr Harry Lauder, the music-hall demigod, owus as a constant companion a- pedigreed Scottish terrier. A dog show held a few’ weeks ago at Charleroi, a largo manufacturing centre in Belgium, was attended by .20,000 people. Mr K. Shanley (Wellington) writes: —At this week’.' Napier show' my Australianbred smooth-coated fox-terrier dog Newcastle Warlike was placed first in colonialI bred, and the open clashes, beating a j large class. including last year's celebrity I Birchloy Bel voir. “J.M.C.”—In most features the beagle 1 may be described as being Like a dwarf i fox-hound, except that the beagle is leas maesivc In the skull and muzzle and wider In the chest. The height varies from almost sixteen inches to under twelve inches. Like many of the larger sporting breeds they' are more or less susceptible to distemper, but mange, is not more frequent* among beagles than other varieties. They are splendid rabbit hunters, and lor that reason alone are well worth raising. They are full grown at two years. .Thin breed is almost unknown! at New Zealand shows, and if bred from good stock should command a ready sale. There arc two varieties, the rough and tho smooth. “P.S.N.” (Palmerston North) writes: “What is tho desired weight of a full grbw'n pug?” A pug dog should weigh, about 161 b, and a bitch 15lb or thereabouts. Tho alliance of a canine brother and sister may not bo injurious in any way, certainly not to the latter for future breeding, and most likely the progeny may be very good both in stamina and show points. Much depends, of course, upon ■whether the brother and sister are good dogs, and constitutionally strong, and whether much in-bred. If tho latter, the puppies, or some of them, may suffer a little mentally. Washing with a- good dog soap is the most effectual way of cleaning a dog's skin, but too much washing has a tendency to soften the coat. A spaniel should he washed at least two days before going to a show. The secretary of tho New Zealand Kennel Club advisee mo that the following arc dates of shows bo far fixed: —Auckland, July 28th and 29til; Dunedin, August 3rd, 4th and sth; Christchurch, August 9th and 10th; Oajna.ru, August 18th and 19th; Wellington, August 23rd. and 24th; Marlborough, ! August 29th and 30th; Nelson, first week in September or thereabouts. An English fancier who is applying to tho English Kennel Club to try to get bull* terriers included in the list of sporting dogs, writes; “I think they arc one of the most sporting breeds in existence, and their inclusion in tho non-sporting breette is au insult to thorn. 1 hope all lovers, of the breed will help me in this, I have used them myself iu India to hunt jackals, foxes, wild cats, etc., and also have run down and killed wounded antelope with them, and they have also been need after wounded tiger with success- They certainly are as sporting as any of the ter* riers who axo justly classed as such." It is a strange anomaly that bull-terriers should be classed everywhere as a nonsporting brood, whereas tho Airedale terrier is listed as a sporting variety. As the summer time is coming, it should bo borno in mind that greyhounds, to keep them healthy, should have regular exercise; and tho best time to give them this la early iu the morning and late in the afternoon or evening, when the sun is* not too hot. Puppies should also bo allowed out in the early morning, before they have their morning meal, and again in tho evening before supper, as when confined to a yard they take little exorcise. It is well also to walk them out in tho roads, which is good for their foot; and also take them on to a ploughed field, where they generally enjoy a gallop, besides this is also good for their tcet. The oxerciso on the road is beneficial in getting them used to tho traffic; though in these days oi motors It would not do to loose them. They may also be taken to the nearest railway statiou and accustomed to be led up and down the stairs, which makes them bandy in after life.

Tho honorary secretary of the New Zealand Kennel Club writes:—"There seems to bo some misunderstanding with reference to tho N.Z.K.C. rule governing awards in puppy classes, and it would be useful to fanciers if you will kindly advise that a win in any puppy ckuss debars the winner from competing in maiden and novice clashes at any future show’. A novice class is for all dogs that have NEVKR. won a first prize up to the time of closing tho entries for too show, and a maiden class is for all dogs that have NBVBB won a first, second or third prize at ANY show held under Kennel Olub rules. There appeared in lost month’s issue of the "Now Zealand Farmer" a paragraph under the Fox-Terrier Facts, which may cause exhibitors to misread tho rule.''

"It may bo laid down aA an axiom in connection with tho f-oxtorrier breed (says the Manchester weekly "Our Doga"), that a 161 b fox-terrier made right through as ho ought to bo, can do anything a 2tlb for-terrier can do in connection with foxhunting, but can, theeo conditions bo reversed with the same result? Certainly not in so far aa tho requirement ol going to ground to his quarry is concerned, and that Is probably the ono item upon which tho advocates of the two sizes must part rnendship. "Possibly all our hunting men will be unanimous, indeed are unanimous, that the large sized fox-terriers, which often win on the show bench, are next to useless for their specific avocation of going to ground. On tne other hand, their advocates contend that since all tho underground work that is required of tho fox-terrier is, not to worry and kill the fox in his lair, but merely to boll him, the size of none of the present-day show dogs is such as to prevent him from performing that particular service, whilst he is, they say much more fitted to keep up with tho hounds, until his services are required than is a emallsizod terrier.

"This contention would bo at onco mot by many hunting men with the rejoinder that fox-terriers are not usually required to follow the hounds at all, but are either carried by the huntsman, stationed or kept at farmhouses,. scattered about the hunting country, bo that when Iloynard goes to earth, a terrier may bo brought to the scene without much trouble or delay.

“As ' Mr Redmond, one of tlio greatest living authorities on the lox-tcrricr, la both a show-man and a hunting man, who has bred both big and little fox-terriers of the greatest merit from a show-bench point of view, and who, wo know, ‘enters’ most, if not all, his fox-terriers to the work they are bred to perform, his now mature opinion, based on a very long, and, therefore, ripe experience, would bo of the greatest value to a public thirsting for guidance. “Our own personal opinion upon the two sizes ironi a breeder’s point of view, is very emphatic, and to the effect that rarely do either good little dogs or bitches reproduce themseives at all laithfuily. Themselves bred/ os a rule, from the bigger dogs, in winch the cardinal points in the breed receive greater emphasis, it is from the more elephantine specimens that breeders must repair,, If they desire te save thmsehes a lot of tun*, exi-ense, tr-uo-e, and worry m their ea-n* to produce the ideal." THE WELLL'n GTON SHOW. The Weniugtjn itennei ciub’s annual championship show is to be held on August 25rd and 24th. Entries close August sth at 9 p.m with the secretary, care G-P.O. box 607, or at Messrs Janson Bros’. 105, Cuba street. Copies oi the schedule and entry forms may be Detained from theseerctaries of all kindred clubs; Messrs Janson Bros., 105, Cuba street; Mr Ciia.ter, Progress Mercery Suppiy Company, next 171111003150 and Tombs’; Mr T. Smith, baker, 149, Riddhord street, Wellington South. The following is a list of judges and classes allotted to them. Mr Ivan M. Levy, of Wellington—Bull terriers, Airedale, Scotch, skyc. Yorkshire, Sydney, silky, Australian, black and tan, Pomeranians and toy breeds; Mr S. Johnson, of Palmerston North—Spaniels (all varieties), setters, pointers, fox-terriers and Irish terriers; Mr P. E. Watson. Palmerston Northbulldogs; Mr Paul Hunter—St. Bernards, great Banes, deerhounds, Borzois, greyhounds, retrievers and collies-