THE KENNEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23514, 31 May 1938, Page 2

THE KENNEL

By Breeder

At the last meeting of the executive of the Southland Kennel Club Mr G. I. Moffett presided over a good attendance of members. The most important business was that of fixing the date of the annual show, which will be held on July 15 and 16.

“ Scottie ” writes:—Can you tell me at what age a puppy becomes a fully grown dog?—For the purposes of exhibition a dog cannot be entered in puppy classes after reaching the age of 12 months. I understand that in some sporting circles gup dogs are classified as puppies up to 13 months of age. There is a great disparity in the periods of development before maturity in the different breeds. Some toy varieties appear to be finally set at nine or 10 months. The large varieties, such as St. Bernards, are still developing physically up to two years of age Dogs from puppyhood should be taught to eat green vegetables such as cabbage, etc. They must, of course, be well boiled, and the water in which they are boiled also used to mix in with the rest of their food, because it is in this water that all the vitamins are contained. Naturally spinach is very j*ood, but few people are aware that the shoots of stinging nettles, well boiled, are also excellent.

Hundreds of people in Austria are having their cats and dogs destroyed because the German tax of £5 on domestic animals is certain to be imposed shortly and is expected to be retrospective A licence in the former Austria cost only about 10s. An order has been issued to the public to destroy puppies and kittens at birth, as there are too many dogs and cats, especially in Vienna. The charge for poisoning animals has been increased fivefold, to about 10s, because veterinary surgeons and chemists are having so many calls on their time for this purpose. All emigrants leaving are required to produce evidence that they have paid their dog tax, if they are liable for it, for the current years, as in other parts of Germany.

One feeding a day is generally enough for an ordinary healthy specimen, certainly never more than two, and this only in the case of very cold weather or if the animals are invalids or of the toy varieties. No hard and fast rules can be laid down as to quantity, because some dogs require more food than others, while others are greedy and will endeavour to eat more than is good for them. This is where the owner has to use his powers of observation, for he will find that certain dogs of the same variety will thrive well on a ration that will keep another one poor. The old saying “feeding is half breeding” is very true, and a man with the proper instinct that a stock keeper should possess soon knows how to keep his charges in correct condition without referring to text books. If two meals a day are provided, the morning one should be lighter than the evening feed. HOW THE TEETH ARRIVE A large proportion of canine diseases may be classed as preventible (says a Melbourne writer), but none more so than diseases of the teeth. Some highly prized dogs have had decayed and hollow teeth filled, and a few in the United States and in Germany have had false teeth fitted, but because the life of a dog’s teeth is often the length of his active life and usefullness, prevention of dental troubles is much) to be, preferred to the attempted curing of them. Like most other animals, dogs are provided by Nature with two sets of teeth. No teeth are visible at birth. The first of the milk teeth appear through the gums when the puppy is about 18 days old These teeth are distinguished by their smaller size and snowy whiteness. As a rule there are no distressing disturbances during the process of eruption of the temporary set. They are thin and sharp and, as a rule, appear without any trouble, frequently surprising the owner with the remarkable rapidity with which they arrive It is Nature’s intention that the milk teeth fall out automatically as the permanent or adult teeth arrive, but occasionally some of them, particularly the tushes, or fangs, as they are called, are retained, and it becomes necessary to extract them to allow the permanent ones to come straight and regular. Teething Age The permanent teeth, however, which are due to arrive about the fourth month, are so frequently a source of systemic as well as local trouble during the process of eruption that a close )bservation should be kept on their development Fits and convulsions often attend the growth of the permanent teeth. The exact age at which a puppy cuts the second or adult teeth varies according to the breed to which it belongs. Large dogs, as a rule, cut their teeth earlier than the small varieties. Toy breeds and any dogs which are the result of close in-breeding are in dined to cut their teeth later and lose them earlier than other types of dogs. Bitches cut their teeth more evenly and regularly than dogs, and puppies born in the summer usually get their teeth through earlier and easier than those born in the winter time.

The formation ot the teeth is divided into three structures The hard ename] which forms a white coating on the tooth, the ivory which comprises the main part of the tooth, and in the centre of each tooth is a membrane nerve and small blood vessels to supply nourishment to the tooth. The part of the tooth seen when looking into a dog’s mouth is called the crown. The neck is the

rim of the tooth encircled by the gum and divides the crown from the root. The deciduous or milk teeth are very insecure after the puppy turns 12 months of age, and within the next month the incisor nippers have mostly fallen out or become loose in making way for the permanent ones which are coming through, the gums by then In all probability some badly set teeth are hereditary, but faulty feeding is, in a great measure, 'he cause of bad teeth in degs. From the time they are weaned puppies, should be given bones on which to exercise their jaws, strengthen the the gums, and keep the teeth clean. Tartar should never be allowed to accumulate, as it irritates the gums and induces pyorrhoea It is a good practice to keep the teeth clean and sweet with milk of magnesia, or such powder as carbolated eucalyptus applied with a tooth brush.

THE FINNISH COCK-EARED DOG During the last few years the Finnish cock-eared dog has begun to attract increasing attention among dog-fanciers abroad as well as in Finland.

This dog represents a unique northern breed, found as a pure breed only in Finland. Its characteristic points, according to a table drawn up by the Finnish Kennel Club, are as follows:—Head medium sized and dry. forehead somewhat arched, angle of forehead clearly visible. Muzzle narrow, dry, tapering evenly from above and sides. Nose wart deep black. Lips compressed and thin. Ears cocked, pointed, hair fine, extremely mobile. Eyes medium size or larger, lively, preferably dark. Throat springy; in males it appears to be short because of the thick hair; in females medium length. Back straight and strong. Chest deep. Belly line slightly drawn in. Shoulders comparatively upright. Feet, elbow firm and straight, hind legs strong, hock comparatively straight, paws preferably somewhat rounded. Tail curved energetically from the root in a forward, downward and backward curve, pressing down on the thigh. Straightened out, the tail vertibrae usually reach to the angle of the hock.

Hairy coat on head and legs, with the exception of the back part, is short and close-lying; on the longish, half-erect or erect, stiffen on the neck and back. The stiff hair on the shoulders is sometimes considerably longer and coarser. On the back of the thigh the hair is long and thick, the same applying to the tail hair. The bottom layer of hair is short, softly dense, light in colour. Colour, brown red or yellowish brown on back, preferably clear, lighter shade inside ears, on cheeks, under chin, on belly and inside of, legs, similarly the-back hair of the. thighs and the bottom layer of the tail. White is permissible on chest and paws, also black on lips, and stiff, black-pointed hairs, as in the ears, on back. Total impression:—Body almost square. Shoulder height and length of body 42-48 centimetres in males, 38-45 in females. Pose sturdy,, confident. The whole being of the dog, especially its eye, ears and tail, expresses liveliness. The special characteristic traits of the Finnish cock-eared dog are love of hunting, courage and faithfulness. Used in Finland for shooting birds. The largest kennels breeding this type of dog are those owned by Mr Aarne Louna. of Tyrvaa, Finland.* Dogs from these kennels have already found purchasers in England, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain and Esthonia, while there are one or two specimens ev i in India. The Finnish cock-eared dog has attracted considerable attention in England especially, and it is enjoying a growing demand owing to its intelligence, beauty, faithfulness and courage.