THE KENNEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22268, 22 May 1934, Page 2

THE KENNEL

By Breedee.

The notes appearing In tills paper every Tuesday morning under this heading are the Official Notes of the Otago Kenne! Club. The Secretary (Whitcombe's Chambers) will be pleased to receive notes before Saturday of each week and to pass them on to " Breeder " for Inclusion In The Kennel on the following Tuesday, also advertising material (For Sales, etc.) for insertion at the foot of the column. I am informed that a Kennel Club has been formed at Invercargill and tho members have started in earnest to push things ahead. It is proposed to hold a ribbon parade at no distant, date. Tins is welcome news for all dog fanciers, and the new club can confidently look for plenty of support from members of tlis Otago Kennel Club. The New Zealand Kennel Club must realise that the keen interest that is being taken by southern fanciers is a step in the right direction. They are deserving of all the support the club can give them. Mr R. Trcgea, who a few years ago was one of our foremost breeders of Sydney Silkies, is again making n start at showing and breeding. He has in his kennels a fine pair of young bitches bred from the well-known Tahuna strain whicn he obtained from Australia some years ago. Mr A. G. Betts, president of the Nelson Kennel Club and one of the oldest breeders of smooth fox terriers in New Zealand, has a very nice litter of puppios by Mountain Hongi, a son of Mountain Tempest from York Sailor's Lass, a litter sister of ch York Sailor. Mr J. R. Dickinson's Irish terrier bitch by ch Wicklow Ringer is now showing heavy in whelp to the owner's old dog, which is full of ch Exchequer (imp.) and ch Roscrea Ranger (imp.) blood.

Mr L. Barton informed me during the week that his young cocker spaniel puppies by Church Leigh Stormboy (imp.) ex Miss Coquette are coming on the ri.?ht way. He is very pleased with a pair of blue roans from them. From their breeding they should more than hold their own when benched in October, when they will have their first outing. Mr Thomas Allan has disposed of a promising smooth fox terrier bitch puppy from his nice bitch Merry Peel by Stowaway to a southern fancier who is taking up breeding. This bitch should form a good foundation for the purchaser's kennel as she is line bred to imo. ch Gay Lally (imp.). It is intended to bench her at the Qtago Kennel Club's show in October.

A black cocker bitch from the Alomn Kennels of Mrs J. M'Culloch arrived by the Waikouaiti on Saturday on a stud visit to Mr L. Smyth's imported dog Church Leigh Druson. She is a quality black and should breed some lush-class stock to the imported dog. Mr L. Barton also landed from the Waikouaiti a young Sydney Silkie dog. He was taken ashore before I arrived, but next week's notes will contain particulars of this new arrival. On the s.s. Waikouaiti at the Dunedm wharf is an Irish terrier on his way to his new home. He was consigned by Mr Murdoch M'Kenzie, of Abbotsford, New South Wales, to Miss D. Labey, of Lyttelton. On looking over this dog I fancy his new owner will be very disappointed with him from a show point of view. ATTENTION TO THE FEET. The dog's feet, their shape and condition, are always an important consideration. In some breeds that are intended for running on loose sand, a long, open foot is desirable, but in most of,the British breeds the round cat-foot with toes close together and well knuckled up is preferred. Exercise on soft ground which requires that the foot should spread is detrimental to the approved anatomy of the feet, and for this reason frequent running on hard roads or walking on stone pavements Bhould be encouraged. The hard pavement causes the dog to keep its toes together in a compact bunch; it is good for pads, hardening them against possible injury from broken glass and sharp flints, and it has the additional advantage of wearing down the claws. If the claws are allowed to grow t(jo long they interfere with the free action of the foot and put an undue strain upon the pasterns. I always advise dog owners who live in the country to take their dogs with them as often as possible into the town. This is not only good for the feet, but it also gives a nervous dog confidence in moving about in crowded and noisy traffic. MUSINGS ON TRAINING PROBLEMS.

I am always being asked, writes LicutColonel G. H. Badcock in his book " Disobedient Dogs," at what age it is desirable to commence a puppy's training, and it is a very difficult question to answer, as the breed and individual character of the dog alone can be the deciding factor. Certain breeds are much more precocious than others, and the same applies to certain dogs in each breed.

In n sporting dog, if I were going to choose one from a litter about whose upbringing and individual characters 1 knew nothing, and I had to make my decision more or less on the spot, 1 should ask for the litter to be taken for a walk down a lane or along a

hedge, and I should choose the puppy that was the first to chase a bird that flew out of the hedge. Then I am choosing that dog for a definite purpose, and that is the probability of gaming instinct.

It all depends what you want a dog for when you come to choosing, whether a very young puppy or an older one. Some'people like truculent dogs; personally I detest them, as they lead you into certain trouble sooner or later. When you come to consider training age you have again to take into consideration what you want the dog for. If it is to be a thoroughly obedient dog you can begin his early lessons, quite simple ones I mean, at three months, when you can teach him to get out of the way of your feet, not to jump up, not to lick your hand, and to come when called by name. If you start early to teach these simple things it lessens your task later on and makes subsequent lessons much easier. As a broad principle, however, I do not myself begin much serious training of a puppy till about five months old. It is mucli better to give him all the liberty you can and let both his mind and body develop.

I think the terrier fancy, being precocious, want taking in hand rather earlier than and while you want to be careful how much you try and teach, there are a great many things you can avoid. All puppies, that is puppies that are any good, are by nature destructive, due to wanting something lo cut their teeth on and being overcharged with electricity. I wonder how many puppies a day get chased while they have got hold of something which they are destroying and ought not to, and cither have something thrown at them or are chased round with a stick or a strap. Now that is the beginning of making it difficult to catch a dog when he has done wrong, for after Chat ch-isc round has occurred once or twice, they generally drop whatever they have been worrying and are only concerned with saving their own skins. In a house, of course, a dog gets run down sooner or later, and then, again, as often as not he is assaulted while loose and I dare say it has been a pretty stern chase before he has been caught.

Now you take the same puppy out of doors where he chases a fowl, a cat, shoep or something He oughtn't to, what hope or expectation have you got of chasing him in view of what you have done to him in an enclosed space like a house? None, and you have no right to expect it.

Again, I cannot too strongly impress on you that after the chase punching a dog that is loose is entirely fatal *o after discipline. It makes a dog shy about being caught, and when out there is nothing more exasperating or wasteful of time than chasing a dog that you cannot catch, and I have no hesitation in saying that it is entirely due to mismanagement of the puppy in the house. What should you do? Why, this, of course. If your puppy is tearing yo-ir slipper, instead of frightening him by chasing him until he drops it, go up and take it from him, put a lead on him and lead him away either into another room or some distance away, put the object down in front of him and use any words of command that suit you, such as " No " or " Drop it," and impress on his mind rather than on his skin that he mustn t do it. If you must strap him at least hold him.

I dare say many will not agree with me but that is because they are angry with the dog at the time and it is more satisfactory to vent your spleen on him arid get good value for money than to consider the multitude of troubles you are laying up for yourself afterwards, but what I have told you in regard to this is a fact.

I hope to print occasionally extracts from Lieutenant-colonel Badcock's most interesting book " Disobedient Dogs."— Breeder.

At the monthly meeting of the Otago Kennel Club held last Thursday matterin connection with its forthcoming challenge show in October were gone into very fully. Arrangements for show benches and the hall are well in hand and everything points to the show being one of the best ever held in Dunedin. Members spoke in praise of the date, October, which is a more suitable time of the year in Dunedin for a dog show than that at which shows have previously been held.