THE KENNEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23004, 6 October 1936, Page 2

THE KENNEL

By Breeder

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

Word has come to hand from the " Ivanhoe " Kennels, Ranfurly, that Mr Reid's greyhound, Gay Lass, has whelped a fine litter of six pups, four bitches, and two dogs to the wellknown stud dog Peter Pan. The sire of Gay Lass, Supelite, won the Waterloo Cup in 1926, and the sire of Peter Pan, Osterman, was runner-up, being beaten by half a point, so these puppies are the right type for both showing and coursing. One dog puppy is to remain in the home kennels, and will be ready and a nice age for showing next season. Mr Reid's well-known dog Direct Surprise won the spring cup in the recent South Canterbury Show amidst hot opposition, and has not yet been beaten in the shows in which he has been entered, having been made best greyhound each time. The secretary of the Wairarapa A. and P. Society advises that a new dog pavilion, complete with benches for approximately 200 dogs, has iust been completed and will be available for exhibitors at the show to be held at Carterton on October 29. Mr A. S. Brown, of Lower Hutt, is taking all breeds, except Alsatians, Mr Birkett, of Masterton, taking this breed. At a ribbon parade held by the Hawke's Bay Kennel Association at Hastings, 64 dogs faced the judge, Mr G. Lacey, of Palmerston North. The ribbon for best in parade went to the Irish setter Idstone Didona, owned by Mrs C. J. Davies, of the Idstone Kennels, Hastings. There were 21 greyhounds entered, the largest number seen at a parade for some time. In the puppy stakes there were 15 entries, the winner being the bulldog Bonnie Dinkabelle, the property of Mr J. B. Wainscott. The English setter Braeburn Patch gained first honours in the novice stakes, and the limit stakes saw the greyhound Mae • West winning first place. The toy stakes went to Mr L. M. Willis's Pomeranian Ohariu Fancy Sun Ray. The ribbon for the non-sporting stakes was awarded to Miss S. Townsend's R.C. collie Elmsley Prince Toss, and in the terrier stakes the smooth-coated fox terrier Riversdale Rex, owned by Mr C. Bunker, gained first honours. Sporting stakes and-open stakes went to Idstone Didona.

Owners of gundogs and other working breeds often nave trouble with their dogs' feet, this condition being quite common during the summer months, especially so where the ground is baked hard. In the current issue of Our Dogs (England) "Medicus" gives the following valuable advice in cases of this kind. Foot-soreness is a troublesome thing, and is often caused by thorns, etc., getting into the pad of the foot. In this connection most gamekeepers are familiar with the troublesome red swellings or blisters which are apt to appear on the feet of dogs of all breeds, obviously causing pain and discomfort. One remedy is to foment the swellings with warm poppyhead lotion and then apply a little boracic ointment or carbolised vaseline, either of which makes a good cooling and antiseptic dressing. When the ointment is put on it is a good plan to wrap up the foot, so that the dog cannot lick off the ointment or bite the place. In any event it will generally be found that something like fomentations or poultices are essential, but the sporting dog may be got to work a day or two sooner if his feet be soaked in a solution of alum or boracic acid, to either of which may be added a little tincture of myrrh. Another good plan is to wrap up the sore feet in a linen cloth smeared over with hazeline ointment (after bathing as above to cool and cleanse). Yet another plan—one which perhaps is the most useful in winter time when dogs' feet not only become sore by hard work, but also cracked and tender by the effect of frost—is to smear the feet with lanoline ontment into which has been worked a small quantity of boracic acid, zinc oxide, and finely powdered Fuller's earth in equal parts. MOTORING EYE TROUBLE Car owners are finding that • their dogs when taken for long trips or otherwise run for long distances in cars develop eye inflammation, and over a period of time this gives indication of permanency. "Motoring eyes" is a complaint that is now a recognised trouble, and the best treatment is to bathe the eyes with a solution of loz boracic powder, in one pint of warm water twice a day until the eyes resume normality, and then to refrain from taking the dog in the car for a week or two. Preventively, the dogs should not be taken out motoring too much. • LURCHERS AND DROPPERS Lurcher is the name applied to a cross between the greyhound and sheep dog. In the last century these dogs were the favourite companions of poachers, and were credited with great intelligence, a fair turn of speed, and a good nose. They were often taught to retrieve, and sometimes trained to hunt by themselves and bring the game to their master's cottage, the consequence . being that they were given little quarter by gamekeepers. In order that they might pass for sheepdogs their tails were often cut off. John Meyrick, writing in 1861, remarks that for deer-stalking purposes it was a common practice to cross the rough "Scotch greyhound" with either the "colley" or the foxhound. Mr Meyrick states, however, that he never heard much about the latter cross being employed in deer-stalking, "but the cross between the deerhound and colley is in many forests of the north much preferred to any other breed." The dropper is a cross between the pointer and the setter, and is supposed to possess the good qualities of both breeds, the favourite method of breeding being the mating of a pointer dam to a setter sire. No doubt, the result is a useful dog, but there is no reason to believe that they are any improvement on the pure breeds. ALSATIAN DOGS NEW VICTORIAN MEASURE A Bill was introduced in the Victorian State Parliament recently to amend the law relating to dogs when the Honorary Minister (Mr Mackrell) stated that an additional registration fee of £5 a year, or £2 10s a half year, for Alsatian dogs would be fixed. The present registration fee is 5s a year. The Bill provides a penalty of not less than £lO, and not more than £2O, in addition to registration fees, for failure to register Alsatians aged more than six months. In addition, there will be a penalty of not less than £3 and not more than £2O when an Alsatian, which is not on the premises of its owner, is not muzzled sufficiently to prevent it causing injury by biting, or is not under the effective control of some person by means of a proper chain or cord. THE CHOICE OF A GUN DOG There is no doubt that a well-trained gun dog, which is under perfect control, is a joy to shoot over and a possession the value of which cannot be set down in plain figures. For those who do not already own a gun dog. and who contemplate the purchase of one, these notes are primarily intended. In the selection of a suitable gun dog, there are many factors to be taken into account, the principal being the type and nature of shooting the dog is mainly intended for, the amount of accommodation available for him at home, and the nature of the country the dog will be expected to work. Whatever breed it is decided to secure it should be realised at once that it costs no more to keep and train a pedigree dog with good working qualities than a mongrel of doubtful attributes and origin. _____