THE KENNEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22714, 29 October 1935, Page 2

THE KENNEL

By Breeder.

"Breeder" will be pleased if dogownens and others concerned will forward him notes of interest for his consideration with a view to their insertion in this column.

At the Hawke's Bny Show last week Mrs M'Donald's Samoyede Snow King won three firsts, a special, and the Samoyede Shield presented by the Hawke's Bay A. and P. Society for the best Samoyede in the show, being placed over Mr R. R. Dunn's latest importation. King was bred by a Dunedin enthusiastic Samoyede fancier, Mr Pred Zaffer, and is by Snow Chief ex Snow Queen. This is the second big win King has had recently and I offer Mr Zaffer my hearty congratulations. Mrs T. U. Eraser, of Milton, informs me that the Pomeranian bitch Tow Tow, the property of Mrs Ridgen, of Christchurch, has been on a visit to her stud dog Marigold David. The latter was made best Pomeranian at the Otago Kennel Club's show under Mr Solcr and Tow Tow was a good winner at the South Canterbury Club's show under Mr W. Henderson. The result of this mating is awaited with interest. It is Mrs Eraser's intention to take David to the Christchurch show as well as a bitch puppy Gold Queen, of which there are favourable reports. Last week I had the pleasure of a visit from Mr L. S. Gibson, of Wellington. Mr Gibson will be remembered by old fanciers as the secretary of tho original Otago Kennel Club. We spent a very pleasant and interesting hour talking over old times and old doings. I was pleased to see him looking so well and still interested in the dog fancy. Mr A. More's smooth fox terrier bitch Kowhai Bonnie Morn by Midnight ex Kowhai Vanity has whelped a litter of four nice puppies to Mr W. Henderson's well-known stud dog Stowaway. Mr Alex Begg, of Broad Bay, has disposed of a promising black cocker dog pup to a Wellington fancier. Mr Arthur Gill's little wire-haired fox terrier bitch, purchased by him in Auckland some time ago, is now quite settled in its new home and is coming on In the right way. Local dog fanciers are now turning their atention to northern shows. The Canterbury Kennel, Club's show in Christchurch on November 14 and 15 promises to be well up to last year's figures. Messrs Wade, Wilson and Rastall are the judges and these gentlemen should get through their work in record time. The Wanganui show is on November 13 and 14, and Mr W. Henderson, of Dunedin, will take all breeds at it. Wanganui fanciers evidently have a liking for Mr Henderson as this is the second time he has judged their show, his previous visit having been about four years ago. Mr R. Stout, president of the Southland Kennel Club, is awaiting the arrival of a litter of cairns. As his breeding stock is really high class, he has every prospect of breeding a champion. Mrs Wall, of the Mahaki Kennels, reports that as far as North Island shows are concerned Stocksmoor Smartset is now to be retired. It is to be presumed that, after his six successive wins as best in show of all breeds, he has secured his full championship status. What would be of interest to fanciers would be to see one of Mr W. M. Jack's wires, notably his latest importation Talavera Dainty, competing against Smartset in the near future. Two recent arrivals in New Zealand from Australia were the Pomeranians Kara Golden Repeat and Beverley Danny Boy. They arrived to the order of Mr P. Rogers, of Wellington, and are from the kennels of Misses Perry and Robertson, of Sydney. Mrs G. D. Tonks, of the Cambroc Kennels, reports the arrival of a fine litter of Scottish terrier pups—four dogs and one bitch. The dam it Ratanui Bonnie Wee Thing and the sire, their kennel mate Ratanui Young Loch invar. Bonnie Wee Thing is by New Zealand ch and Australian gr ch Olympian Black Watch ex ch Ratanui Some Scotch. Lochinvar claims as his sire the English imported dog ch Sensational Necessity. Mrs Tonks has mated her Scottie bitch Cambroc Kiltie M'Callum (ch Olympian Adair (Aust.) to her stud dog Ratanui Robbie Burns —Ratanui Mac (Aust.) ex Ratanui Lorna Lux (Aust.). MELBOURNE ROYAL SHOW. Mr D. T. Sinclair, of Napier, who judged all breeds at the recent Melbourne Royal Show, returned to New Zealand last week, and in the course of an interview with a northern pressman made some interesting comparisons between the dogs he judged and the best we have in New Zealand. "With few exceptions," he said, " the quality of the dogs which came before me was superior to our New Zealand specimens." " Pekingese astonished me with their marvellous quality right through, with the exception of one or two straight in front. Pomeranians were also very good and better than we see in New Zealand. Alsatians were also better, a few being outstanding. Collies were the outstanding breed of the day, being better in coat, heads and hocks than our clogs. Cairn terriers did not impress me, not one being quite as good as seen here. Sealyhams I liked very much. They were a better size, had shorter backs and better heads, were beautifully trimmed and put down in much better order. Scottish terriers produced some wonderful classes of good quality. They are better in heads, coats and size than in New Zealand, but fronts and mouths were not so pleasing. Irish terriers were outstanding in quality, with wonderful coats, good colour, legs, feet and fronts. Wire-haired fox terriers were pleasing right through, but I was not so impressed with the smooths, a variation in sizes being apparent. Airedales were a revelation not a bad one being shown. Cocker spaniels compare favourably with New Zealand and springers were real springers, being better in size and type than ours. Irish setters I liked immensely and Gordon setters were really good. Curly retrievers were magnificent specimens, with good coats and colour, beautiful tight curls, lovely heads and nice size." POINTS TO LOOK FOR IN A SMOOTH FOX TERRIER. With reference to the " essential" points of a fox terrier opposed to nonessential or purely fancy points a writer in The Dog World has the following to say: — " The essential points are presumably the points which are required in order to allow a terrier to do his work with the least effort. " Cutting out, for the moment, the question of temperament and character (for we all know that a terrier must have these in order to do his work) and taking each main point in turn, let us see which appear to be the most valuable points of the dog, always assuming that he is not too small nor yet too big. He must be necessarily mobile, energetic and tireless, and in order to be this lie must have legs and feet. His legs must he sound, that is to sny, straight, and in the case of the hind legs they must be properly " angulated," to borrow a common Alsatian term. That is to say, they must be well

bent at the hocks, wide at the pelvis, strong and powerful and muscular. The corresponding bones of the forehand must also be well bent; in other words the animal must have sloping shoulders; he must also have thick pads to his feet. These points are typical of what can be termed essential points, as against shortness of back, length of head, smallness of ear, colour of eye and set-on of tail, which are merely Fancy points and appeal as they do to our athletic tastes more than to our material instincts, they are important, but not so important, from a practical point of view as the points without which a terrier could not possibly do a hard day'a work. "Another essential point is, of course, coat, for some reason this is treated as being more important in Wires than in Smooths—e.g., 10 points for Smooths and 1.5 for Wires. Lentil of neck is important, but scarcely an essential, but is usually to be found with a good shoulder. " Some judges admit frankly that they attach more importance to what we may call the fancy points. Others look first for the essential points and apparent ability to stay, gallop and follow their fox up a drain. If the Smooth Fox Terrier is to remain in the hands of sporting people who are able to appreciate the make and shape of a well-made animal that can do the work as well as look nice, then I suggest that the latter type of judge is the more valuable to the breed, and there will be less risk of it deteriorating into a mere " fancy" animal as so many of our national breeds have done. "Although I would never attempt to define the meaning of the word " beauty," I would sugest that in Fox Terriers it is the perfect bone structure and the rounded, efficient muscles, working in efficient harmony and correct leverage that gives most pleasure to the eye that can appreciate such things. Fortunately, the Smooth Fox Terrier has very few purely fancy points, and that is why I like him best. He does not have to have bloodshot eyes, a snub nose, and undershot jaw, ears that flop into his feeding bowl, crooked legs, and not even his markings matter much, for which Fox Terrier breeders should be very thankful indeed."