THE KENNEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23362, 30 November 1937, 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. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT " Stockman."—Write to Mr F. G. Saville, Horwell Downs, Fairlie, South Cantez'bury, who has a fine kennel of working Bobtails Mr J. Friend of Invercargill, reports that his curly-coated retriever bitch Gypsy Lady has whelped a litter of three dogs and one bitch to her kennel mate, Waipori Brownie, while Waioori Biddy had 10 pups by Mr T. Pasco's Major, there being six dogs and four bitches in the litter.

The judging at the ribbon parade to be conducted by the Southland Kennel Club in conjunction with the Southland A. and P. Association will be carried out in the Drill Hall on December 15, beginning at 7.30 p.m. An attractive schedule has been approved. Ribbons will be awarded to the three placed dogs in each section.

The Hutt Valley Kennel Club will hold an all-breed ribbon parade on December 4. This parade will be judged by Mr Norman G. Howard, of Devonshire, England, and will be held at " Fallowfield," Lower Hutt. by permission of Dr A. Norman Jones.

Fleas were in plague quantities in some localities last summer, and there is no reason to suppose that they will be fewer this season. As they breed in dirt and sand and dust deposits, it is impossible to control their nests. They like dogs and cats on which to feed. Therefore, get to the animals with the " best for pests." Powdered naphthaline, derris root, insect powder, pul-vex, all of which can be bought cheaply, will free the dog or cat for several days at a time. There is no other way. Sheep dip and other crude solutions are irritants that cause pain to the animals. Cleanliness and the dry powders are safest.

Dogs eat grass when they are feeling out of sorts. Let them! If your dog is seen to be doing it, don't interrupt the business. The dog is eating the grass for emetic or purgative purposes. If as an emetic, you will find that the dog will return a green, salivary ball within about an hour. If as a purgative, the result will be evident in about four hours. Always, where possible, have some of that long, slender-leafed grass growing somewhere on the premises for the dog's sake. A visitor from Germany, who has had long experience with the German shepherd dog, states that we have no dogs of that breed here (says a Sydney writer). Every dog he has seen is too loose-coupled and too high in the leg. and has the wrong type of head. All of which seems drastic enough, and he went on to say that our dogs look like the dogs of Belgium, which have mastiff blood in them for the purpose of working small loads. The true German shepherd dog, according to our visitor, is a strong, short-coupled dog, with short, active legs, and a working character. He believes that our show specimens have been cultured for prize-winning purposes through so many generations that the true working type seen in Germany has been bred away. The illustrations he had seemed to prove this

THE GENESIS OF THE SCOTTISH TERRIER By the Rev. G. B. Gillies Looking back on the great show recently held by'the Scottish Kennel Club in Edinburgh and thinking of the large crowd of interested exhibitors and spectators who gathered around the ring where the Scottish terriers were being judged, one wonders how many of those keen enthusiasts knew that it was only in the year 1879 that the Kennel Club was prevailed upon to provide a class for this now most popular breed. At that first show the number of dogs present was 15, while at the last show in Edinburgh there was a gathering of 20 in one class. That the breed has become so popular is largely due to the enthusiasm and perseverance of the' breeders, who have now produced a dog true to the standard of points set up by the specialist club formed to promote the interests of the breed, and at the same time catch the public favour Colour to Taste One of the most marked changes that have been introduced to suit the taste of the person wishing a good house dog is the colour. When the Scottish terrier was first shown the most common colour was brindle, and there are many who hold that in breeding for blacks the strong pin wire coat, once such a prominent feature of the Scottie. lias been sacrificed. In the early days when blacks were being shown first in competition with the brindles it used to be quite common to hear the remark, " It is quite a good coat for a black." There can be found people showing to-day who think that the old-fashioned hard coat is not necessary. The coat is one of the principal points, and very seldom seen in perfection to-day. The true coat is a double one. The outer coat is intensely hard and wiry in texture. The inner coat, which resembles fur, is very short, soft and close. The outer coat is about two inches long, quite flat, free from curl, and very dense all over the body. A soft coat is very objectionable. Open coats (i.e., those wanting the inner coat) are also very objectionable. Another feature that has changed with the years is the muzzle. The standard of points says the muzzle should be very powerful, and

gradually tapering towards the nose, which should always be black and of a good size. The jaws should be perfectly level, and the teeth square, though the nose projects somewhat over the mouth, which gives the impression of the upper jaw being longer than the under one. Years ago in preparing a dog for show it use to be the practice to trim off the hair from the muzzle to give it the desired pointed appearance and to show the nose of a good size. Now the dog that has not long and profuse whiskers is said to lack furnishings, and the present-day winners have the appearance of square muzzles.

Most modern dogs have Jong heads, but some of them have badly balanced heads, the eyes being set too near the back of the skull, which gives too much length before the eye. with a corresponding shortness from stop to occiput; this imparts a greyhound appearance which should be foreign to a Scottie. Both fore and hind legs should be short and very heavy in bone, the former being straight and well set on under the body, as the Scottish terrier should not be out at elbows. The hocks should be bent, and the thighs very muscular, and the feet strong, small and thickly covered with short hair, the fore feet being larger than the hind ones.

Genera] Appearance.—The face should wear a "ery sharp, bright and active expression, and the head should be carried up The dog (owing to the shortness of his coat) should appear to be higher on the leg than he really is; but at the same time he should look compact and possessed of great muscle in his hindquarters. In fact, a Scottish terrier, though essentially a terrier, cannot be too powerfully put together, and should be from nine inches to twelve inches in height. It is highly probable that of all the terrier tribe, the " Scottie," taken as a whole, is the best companion. He makes a most excellent house dog, is not too big, does not leave white hairs about all over the place, loves only his master and his master's household, and is withal a capable and reliable guard.