THE KENNEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23809, 16 May 1939, 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 Mr R. Best, of Timaru, reports that his West Highland white terrier bitch Heaton Jean has whelped a beautiful litter of five pups—all dogs. These pups were sired by Mr John Macdonald’s imported dog Jerry of Whittier (Dougal of ex Judith of Whittier). As both dogs have a good number of wins to their credit Mr Best expects to get something good, fro this mating. Mrs J. Johnston, of Waitepeka, reports that her blue-roan cocker bitch Agility Belle is nursing four fine dog pups from a litter of eight dogs and one bitch These pups are by her kennel mate Lyndon Brocade, a beautiful blue-roan bred by Mr and Mrs D. O’Connor, of Gore. Entries for the North Otago Kennel Club Show to be held in Oamaru on Saturday, May 20, are, I understand, well up on last year’s figures. A good number of dogs and their owners from Dunedin will be present. This is a one-day show and any owner who is looking for a really enjoyable outing should make a point of being present. Dr McKillop, of Christchurch, will judge all breeds. Mr F. Pepper, of Wanganui, who judged the Otago Kennel Club Show last year, has been appointed to adjudicate s' the Gisborne Show on June 3.

The New Plymouth Kennel Club Show has been fixed for Thursday and Friday, June 22 and 23. As previously stated Mr W, Henderson, of Dunedin, has been appointed judge and will take all breeds. When passing through Melbourne last week Mrs Lola Macdonald Daly, the English dog breeder and judge, who adjudicated at the Sydney Show, said that she had thoroughly enjoyed the show, and that her trip to Australia had proved to be a most delightful holiday, states an exchange. Discussing the awards at the show, Mrs Daly said: “The standard of the dogs shown generally was high. In some classes quality ran very close, but for the most part the best in each breed was outstanding. I regarded the Irish setter as the best exhibit _ to come before me, but my decision was not acceptable to the other three judges, who preferred the cocker as best exhibit in the show.” This remark confirms the views which have been expressed in many quarters condemning :he practice of allowing more than one person to adjudicate in making a special av ard. Hugh Dalziel in his book on dog diseases says:—“The causes of abortion and premature parturition are various. A low diet, causing extreme poverty when the system requires extra support for the growth of the unborn pups, and the secretion of milk for them afterwards, is likely to cause it; and, on the other hand, a plethoric state of the body from over-feeding and want of exercise is a likely cause, and very severe exercise, jumping from a height or over fences, and what is too common, blows or kicks on the abdomen. It may be brought on by drinking foul water, eating putrid food, or anything likely to cause inflammation of the bowels, violent diarrhoea, and consequent straining. Young bitches bred from before the system is matured, and old worn-out ones, are most likely to abort. Preventive measures consist in general attention to health, both in regard to the food and water given, and the sanitary condition of the kennel, and the permitting of regular, but not violent exercise, and in selecting only for breeding purposes bitches that are matured and in vigorous health.” That should be useful guidance for amateurs, and it ought to be carefully noted, because it is of very real importance to prevent abortion ever happening. BAN ON GREYHOUNDS Coursing at Lismore, one of the most popular dog-racing towns in Australia, where big meetings are held regularly, almost received its “ marching orders ” from Lismore Municipal Council recently, states a writer in a Sydney paper. Even now its operations will be seriously restricted. Following a report by the health inspector, who asked the council to determine whether it desired greyhounds banned from the municipality, it was decided that in future it will be an offence to keep more than two greyhounds on any premises within the municipality. And it will also be an offence to exercise a greyhound on a footpath. A new regulation also provides that greyhounds must not be kept within 30 feet of a house, church, workshop, or place where food is stored. In some localities, to accommodate a dozen dogs, kennels have been built, and owners have made a fulltime job of training them. It is felt that it will have a farreaching effect on Lismore coursing. FEEDING DOGS IN WINTER Writing in Our Dogs, England, Medicus says;—ln my “ Notes ’’ which were published in the Christmas Number there were references to several matters which it was not possible to deal with at the time, but which are quite important. One of these was that of feeding dogs in winter-time. Now it goes without saying that the feeding of dogs when snow and ice are all around and their diet when summer suns are glowing must need variation. So many dogs are kept indoors more in'winter than in summer, and the tendency is for them to idle about—generally if possible near a fireplace, where they encourage any latent tendency to eczema or other skin irritation Food must depend prim-

arily upon the amount of exercise a dog gets. Subject to that it may be suggested that in regard to meat the dog in winter-time should have the allowance of fat meat increased; the more vigorous and prolonged the outdoor exercise taken the more proportionately should the fat be increased. Normally I like to give raw meat to a healthy dog, consisting of about 80 per cent, lean and 20 per cent. fat. In winter-time I should, as a rule, increase the quantity of fat to about 30 per cent., leaving 70 per cent, for the lean. For the rest the diet should consist of wheatmeal whole ground food, and it should continue to be given twice daily viz., at, say, 8.0 a.m. and 7.0 a.m A drink of warm, meaty soup with the mid-day bone in cold weathei is an experiment worth trying. At this time of year when turkeys, poultry and game are more largely consumed particular care is needed to prevent dogs from getting the bones, seeing that they are apt to splinter, cause perforation of the bowels with blood-poisoning, and generally death as a result. SHOULD LARGE DOGS BE MUZZLED? A proposition is floating round Sydney that large dogs should be muzzled and dog fanciers are peiturbed. A muzzle prevents a dog from perspiring. Imagine the outcry if men and women had to go about perpetually clad in a heavy woollen overcoat —summer, as well as winter Dogs do not perspire from the skin when in health. They perspire freely from the pads and from the muzzle. Dogs are compensated for their inability copiously to perspire through the skin by discharging their moisture in their breath. When a dog is hot or the weather is close and humid, instead of its body becoming wet with perspiration, it commences a rapid respiration with the tongue hanging full out, and this is its means of becoming cooler. In plain words, a dog perspires mostly by its tongue, and muzzling dogs would be the greatest cruelty ever inflicted on dumb animals in any hot country. Muzzled dogs cannot extend their tongues to perspire and obtain a cooler condition. AMERICA LEADS At a moment when the pundits of the fancy are putting their heads together to discover the reason for falling entries and to find a method of attracting a new public to the fancy, writes Mr L. C. Wilson, in Our Dogs, it makes one envious to read of an American show; “ 15.000 spectators filled every box and every arena seat and milled about the huge ring where only the favoured few on the rail could gain a clear view.” If scenes of enthusiasm such as this when best in show awards were being made were common in this country, it would give the fancy a great fillip. Contrast this with the awarding of best in show at our English shows. Even at Cruft’s, which admittedly is the greatest show of them all, the supreme award is made with a limited audience. What have the Americans got that we haven’t? Why cannot we turn our great championship shows into big box office attractions? It is idle to pretend that if we could' get a football crowd just as densely packed and as enthusiastic round the ringside, no benefit to the fancy would accrue. Every spectator, not actually a fancier, is a potential fancier and as such is worth cultivating.