NOTES BY TERROR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 35

NOTES BY TERROR.

* . • At the conference of fanciers held at Sydney on Eister Monday, Mr W. Beilby, of South Yarra, in spaaking on behalf of the Victorian fanciers, referred to the manner in which dogs were made eligible for champion classes. The Victorian rule on this luad was altered two years ago, and it was decided »ft9r a considerable amount of discussion that openclass winners ojly should be e'igible to compete in the champion classes. The next item dealt with was the present system of counting "points" at different shows. This important matter was freely discussed, and toak up a great deal of time. Opinions were freely exprested by most of tho>e present. However, by a happy inspiration Mr Beilby moved that the conference should adopt the English system &t present in vogae, wh«reby the difficulty of I "pain's" would be completely done a*ay with. The Referee says this suggestion was hailed with delight by most of the members, and the chairman having stated that he would "take ft vote" oa the motion, it wss eventually de ided by 10 voles to 4- (a substantial majority) that " English Championship Rules" Bhould govern all tha " big "shows to bo held in future in ths respective colonies, and that the best dog in the show (of his breed) is entitled fca championship honours. • . • My reaJe.s are well aware how strongly I have advocated an alteration in the rules of the New Zealand Kennel Club in this connection, and will undtrslaud how pleased I am to etc that fanciers oa the other side are prepared to go even a step iucther in the right direction than I nug.j€6fcd should be done horo. My idia was thut tae N 2J.K C. should niter the systini of couulirg points to eight iv tha open and six in the champion to be olegible for the champion, class, the old sjstein of counting being two wins iv the open class and one in the champion class. The English championship rules require tun in the open and six in the cbainpiou, and it would bo well if this were the universal rule. • . * In the ma'tr of the registration of clubs, Mr Beilby txpihintd tho general way in which this was dealt with by the Victorian Jt\P.C and Dog Society. After some discussion it wns resolved that any specialist olub or BS3Ocafcion with a ra< mbeis' roil of not lean tliau 21 should be entitled to registration. ' . • The following resolution, now known as rule No. 22, was cirried unanimously at the general meeting of the English Kennel Club on February 26 last :— " No dog born after March 1895, nor Irish terrier born after December 31, 1889, can, if cropped, win a prize at any show held under Kennel Club rules." Matters still open to discu>*ion arc, the shape of oars that bull terrier, English terrier, Mftucliester terrier, *nd great Dane owners 6hould breed for. A smull, eemi-eicet ear appears to tind most favour with the terrier men, and for great Dines a small mastiff oar is likely to be sought ait.r. • . • A story is told of a butcher who was the victim of the theft from off the slab of his shop of a leg of mutton by a dog which belonged ti a solicitor. The wily butcher went to the lawyer in question, who was ia ignorance of the pilferage of his canine, when the following dialogue took place:— Tho butcher: "Mr , I've had a leg of mutton stolen from my shep by a dog, and I've come to consult you as to the liability of ths owner. Cau I sue the owner for the value of it ? " Lawyer : " Yeß, I think you can ; what was the value of the leg of mutton ? " The butcher: " Five shillings, and the dog wa3 yours." Lawyer: "Oh, indeed! Well, then, if you give me Is 8d we shall bo straight."— Our Dogs. * . • Now that cropping is being discouraged all sorts of reasons for discontinuing the practice are now put forward. It is alleged that the tails of dogs auswer the purpose of rudders in enabling the animals to turn corners at speed. As evidence of the truth of this allegation ifc is now explained that greyhounds could not pofsifcly turn and follow a hare closely if deprived of their tails, and that even a racehorse would be at great disadvantage in rounding the course if deprived of this moat ornamental appendage. • . * That tails have other uses besides those detailed above is evident, for a scientific gentleman who has been investigating the mysteries of canine language has pract'.cajly set up the theory that a dog speaks with his tail tip. In the case of all huntirjg dogs which pack together the tail is carried aloft, and is very free in movement. There is no doubt that foxhouuds habitually watch the tails of those in front of them when drawing a covert. If a faint drag is detected, suggestive of the presence of a fox, but not sufficient to be sworn to vocally, the tail of the finder is set in motion, and the warmer the scent the quicker does it wag. Others, seeing the signal, instantly join the flr6t, and there is an assemblage of waving tails before even the least whisper is heard. Should the drag prove an unsuccessful one, the hounds separate again and the waving ceases ; but if it grows stronger when followed up, the wagging becomes more emphatic, while one after another the hounds begin to whine and give tongue and stream off in Indian file along the line of scent. Whea the pack is in full cry upon a scent, the tails cease to wave, but are carried aloft in full view. • , • It is said that the reason " dudes " wear eyeglasses is " because all pups are born blind." I consider it almost a duty in defe-* 1 * of our canine friends to state that four-footed pups Me not, strictly speaking, born blind, bat that

a sense of praiseworthy trustfulness in the& mammas enables them to reserve their poworg till actually required. With rogat el to the bipod breed these creatures do nofc, as a rule, wear g'asstp, but myrdy a glass, the reason being that the groat flood of ligLt which would h=> darived through, a pair of glasses would be to<> much for the feebleness of their reasoning faculty. •.•Mr J. C. Wood (Vicuna) reports to a contemporary that his cooker spaniel bitch (age nine months) iecently whelped 1* puppies. He adis: ''She heraelf ia very small, and it seemed incredible that one so young should have had so many puppies.** This is certainly aa pxtrordiuarily hrge litter for a spauiel, and worthy of rec jrd. Mr Wood also mentions that he successfully removed arcowgrass from a dog's car by the use of strong poultices, followed by an injection of oil. • . • From London Punch :— A countryman trying to sell a bulldog to a very green customer : " Fi' pounds too much for him ? He's a wondeiful good dawg, sir. Why, he come lo a dead pint in tho street, sir, close agin a' ol' gen'l'man the other dvy — fust o' September, it was, sir — and the gen'l'man told me afterwards as bis name were Partridge ! " Customer: "You don't say so!" Bargain struck. • . ' Spratt's Calendar has the following to say on the subject of tha bulldog :—: — " The rugged, nay ferocious, appearance of the bulldog, his excitable disposition, and short harsh bark exercise a fascination over tha popular mind ; but although the bulldog is the most courageous animal on the face of the earth, he is at the same time one of the most; peaceable of dogs so f&r as the human race is concerned. Moreover, with children he is exceptionally patient and forbearing, provided he is properly treated. So far us the appearance of the hultdog goes it may be briefly laid down that his skull should be large and square, wide between the ears, which should be small and rose -shaped, and of a considerable length from tb.6ie organs to the eyes. His muzzle should be broad and deep, the lower j*w protruding and turning up, his lips pendulous, and his nose, which ought to be jafc blidc, as ntroiuse as possible. Ths eyes must bo dttrk in colour and set wido apart, whilst between them there should be a deep indentation, termed the 'stop,' and this should be continued in a groova running up the skull some little way. The neck should bo powerful, and the chest very wide, the tffect being incrrpso.d by the formation of the front legs, which f.re very short and turn out at shoulder, whilst the great amount of muscle on th« outside of the legs themselves gives them tha appearance of being bowed. The feet should have knuckles well developed and the soles thick. The ribs ought to be well sprung, and tha girth of the dog behind tho forearms veryconsiderable, owing to the depth of brisket, whilst the back should be short and arched, thuß producing the roach or wheel back beloved by fanciers, tucked up at the Joins and considerably lighter behind than in front, thereby giving the desired pear-shaped appearance which is so much admired. The loins are higher from the ground than the shoulders, and beyond them tbe body drops, so that the short tail can be set on ia the orthodox position low down. The stifles and hocks should be atra'ght, and the latter lurn in just a trifla, the hind legs beikg not quite so short as tttose in front. In colour the bulldog may be white, -briudle, fawn, or red, or either of the three latter colours marked with white, black bsing objectionable, whilst the beat weight for a dog is about 451b, bitches scsliog a little less. ' ' From the above it will be seen that the bulldog is c. low-set, cloddily-built dog of considerable muscular development, heavy in bon», and, in fact, far weightier than he looks, though active withal, and, consequently, considerable judgment should ba exercised in feeding him. Although by no means a delicate dog if attended to io a ratianal manner, this breed ia liable to eruptions of the skiu, which are doubtless due to high breeding, but none the less annoying both to the animal aud its master on thai* account."