THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2299, 24 March 1898, Page 42

THE KENNEL.

[Fanciers and breeders of dogs arc cordially invited to contribute items to this column. "Terror" will endeavour to make his department as interesting and up--to-date as possible, but in order to do this he ormst have the co-operation of his readers; hence he trusts this invitation wili fcp cheerfully responded to.l ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. VV. H. X.— The paper does not reach Dunedin in time for this issue. Will insert it next week. KOTES BY TERROR. ! • . • The president of the Sporting Spaniel Clnb, Mr Arkwrighr, has revised the standard ; Df points and descriptions of the several varieties \ cf sporting spaniels, and for the information of \ ianciers I quote from " Oar Dogs." The following description of ths several varieties of sporting spaniels, with scale of points and introduction, showing the objects of the Sporting ! Spaniel Club, is a "copy of a revision by Mr Ark- » right, the president of the club : — i This club was started early in 1897, for the purpohe of recalling attention to the working points of spaniels, which had been neglected iv favour of j f^ncy points', brought latterly into fashion by dog sbows end "Fancier" judges. J Its members intend to breed spaniels etrictl? on ! tporting Hoes, to judge them by a similar S'andard, and finally, to establish working trials for them. They maintain, that ia spaniels the ornamental and theuseful types wereoriginallyinseparable.and arestrenuously oppoiedtothe modern exaggeration _of certain points, both on aesthetic and utilitarian , grounds. The ideal spaniel, like the ideal of all \ [other sportiug dogs, is the one with no faults and ao exaggerations; his beauties lie right in the < 'centie of his possibilities. If aDy point were disproportionate it would be a defect ; he must bs symmetrical. '• hey also hold that the foreign blood— whether of iiound, Dachshund, or terrier — which has been introduced into some modern strains is fatal to the true spaaiel quality, both ia work and appearance, the first giving voices 100 deep and too frequent, the sepoud cooked legs, and tbe third hard inoutlis ; while any one of the three succeeds iv ampliiuting a nature wild and disobedient. And therefore they will insist on the characteristic law wriggling carriage of stern, which is the best external proof that a land .spaniel is free from alien croEses. ] They invite all persons who are in sympathy j y/vh the above views to help the cause of spoit- ; ing spaniels by joining the club. The descriptions of each variety are as iollows : — THE CLUMBER. The clumber is the longest, lovveßt, and largest cf the spaniels. He was bred chiefly foi battue j shooting, to work in a park the forest coverts of the Midlands, where the undeigrowth ii '.hick. Ho is admirably adapted for work of this kind by the excellence of his nose, his slowness, aad docility. He is always mute THE SUSSEX SPANIEL. The Sussex is by no means so slow and heavy as ■ the clumber ; he is higher on the leg and shorter in the body. Still, he is a weighty spaaiel. He is adapted for moderately thick covert aud modeately hard work. Intelligent, docile, and keen of nose, he is not sigDalised either by his build or his colour as suitable for work in dense undergrowth. On scent he should throw his tongue, and have a pleasant note; some good dogs will inform their , iraster the kind of game they are questing by a- j variation of tone. j THE NORFOLK SPANIEL. \ The Norfolk is lighter, higher on the lej=r, and moie compact than either clumber or Sussex, . and more useful as an all-round spaniel ; but of : course he takes .more breaking to mi*ke him steady. He ought to work in any ordinary country without tiring perceptibly. He, like the Sussex, becomes musical on game. THE BLACK ANI> VAIUETY FIELD SPANIELS. The black and (so-called) variety spaniels are identical, except in colour, the black being a fcranch bi ought into especial popularity- by the late Mr Lort. This field spaniel is about the same size as the Sussex, but is somewhat longer. He is capable of doing the same kind of work ;is the Sussex ; he also, as a rule, gives tongue on scent. THE COCKER SPANIEL. The cocker is used to flush woodcock and drive Dut rabbits where there is very rough ground, with dense thickets and precipitous banks. It is therefore essential that he shall combine small size with great activity. He originated in South Waled and D-vonshire. He should yap when on jhot Ecent or in view. THE ENGLISH "WATEE SPANIEL. This water spaniel is perhaps the bast water dog cxtaut, and the hardiest, his thick oily coat preventing him from ever getting chilled He is a keen good worker, but somewhat difficult to break. THE IltlSII WATER SPANIEL. This'water spaniel is of the South Ireland type, which the late Mr M'Carthy improved and biought to its present degree of perfection. He is an excellent companion for wild fowl shooting, and easily broken when young. He is also useful on land, but more as a retriever than as a ipaniel. The "scales of points" are assimilated practically in all the varieties with but slight variations, the following allocation forming tte basis :—: — Skull, Jaws, and Eyes ... ~. ... 15 Ewjs 3 Neck and Shoulders 10 3?ore Legrf - ■ ' Body and Loin , 10 Hindquarters «, *. 10 I"eet 5 Stern 10 Colour 10 General Appearance and Symmetry... 20 Total Points 100 % ' An adjourned meeting of those interested

in the formation of a Sheep Dog Trials Club fer the Gore district was held in the Town Hail, Gore, on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of receiving the report of those gentlemen who had undertaken at a preliminary meeting to ascertain what amount of support the project would be likely to receive. Mr S. G. Inder was voted to the chair. It wan stated that a membership of at least 30 could be obtained for a start, and accordingly it was agreed, on the motion of Messrs E. M'Leod and Jag. BJ'Gill, to form an association to be known as the Gore Sheep Dog Trials Clnb. The following officers were elected : — President, Mr S. G. Inder ; vice- ! presidents, Messrs G. P. Johnston and H. J Smith; secretary and treasurer, Mr W. J. | Johnston ; general committee — Messrs R. Fortune, G. Taylor J. Reid, T. Milne, T. Scott. G. Keir, H. Briggs, A. Cruickshauk, Jan., B. M'Leod, H. M'lntyre, Jas. M'Gill, J. Kerr, A. Glover, W. Murray, P. M'Kinna, and W. Waddell, with power to add. A eub-eommtttee, consisting of Messrs Johnston (2), Smith, Cruickshanlr, E M'Leod, Inder, Waddell, and M'lntyre, was appointed to draft rules and rej gulationa, to prepare a programme, and io ; arrange dale of trials ; to report at a general meeting on Saturday week. This concluded the business. • . * The Western Star has the following ; — j A Rivertonian ia the owner of a Nawfound- ] land and a spaniel. The other nighb they .absented themselves from their kenuels to do a night's rabbiting on the kaik. On the nonappearance of the animals in the morning to j receive their accustomed matutinal meal a I sea-ch was made for them — and thereby hangs [ a '■fvle. When found the spaniel was imprisoned in a rabbit warren. He had entered to catch a raSbit, and a fall of earth had caught him, his head only beiDg visibls. The Newfoundland had been working hard to release his companion, and had burrowed a large hole, which was within a few inches ot the entombed spaniel when found. On exlrii eating the latter, imagine the surprise of the I owner to find a dead rabbit underneath his fore j 1 piws. A little dog is capable of great things, j i The other day the owner of a mite of a terrier j • boarded the train at Invercargill, quite forget- ] j ting his lifct'e dog, which was running about the j platform. Imagine his surprise on reaching V/aikivri to see the little animal waiting to be taken aboard. It had actually outstripped the train, a performance which is hardly credible, but nevertheless true. " . ■ A couple of itinerant Italians, accom- j i panied by a performing bear, had juat left the ; I "Frogs'" colony in Bower road, Peckham, and i were crossing the canal bridge, Old Kent road, : when a number of loafers who infest the bridge, ' seeing the bear approaching, wect into & livtry 1 ysrd and brought out a large uamuzz'ed dog, which they set upon the bear, which was also uumuzz'ed. The two Italians endeavoured to j protect their charge and drive off the dog with ] their poles without avail. Urged 00, the dog j Btized the bear by ths ear, bu*i almost instantaneously the latter rose, and, sitting on his - haunches, seiz d the dog with both fora paws, \ tore him from his hold, turned him over on to tha | ground, and with one stroke of his hind paw i disembowled him. Says "Our Digs": — \ " This incident; reminds us forcibly of an j account of bear-baitiDg, -published some time ' ago in our columns by a specialist, setting forth I )£•? prowess of the Dogue de Bordeaux in coa- ] fl:ot with Bruia. This- article, it will be remembered, was illustrated by -a bear standing erect on his hind legs, with a dogue hanging oa j bio! snout. We pointed out at the time that, in "j our opinion, the life of a dog, dogue, or any j other breed in that position would not be worth j a pin's fee, and the foregoing proves if." ; • . * Mr T. Gallagher recently sent a pair of '< Gordon setter puppies as a present to Mr Jamea Gardiner, B'rchwood station, Southland, New Zealand. The dog is by Mr W. E. Body's Dunbar Spark from Mr Gallagher's Cdampiou Opie Maid of Honour. The bitch puppy is br Mr F. W. Haddon's Hc-ronwood Bertram from the same gantlesnan's Heronwood Bertha. Ah these puppies are well-bred animals their appearance in Southland should help to make this very clever breed of sporting dogs very popular in the district they are going to. — Australasian. ' THE SMOOTH AND ROUGH ST. BER- \ NARD QUESTION. j In Febraary, 1893, Mr J. P. Smith, in re- | viewing St. Bernards in Kennel Gazsfcte sa-d, j speaking of a falling off in quality observable ! during the year :—: — ! "Another, and I think a more serious reason, ; is that for years paat breeders have been breed- j iDg away frnm the type. This has been douo j by continually breeding the rough* together, j which in my opinion is a, great mistake, as by S3 i doing we are breeding back to the Newfound- 1 land and Pyrermiaa wolfhound cross. It you ■ want St. Bernard typa in roughs you must use ; the smooth blood occasionally. Thi3 has, I be- ] lieve, been done more or lesß during the past few j years, and'l look forward to seeing some grand j young roughs being exhibited next year, if not ' before. ! ; " Another eraz Q , has been the continually trying j i to get'size — toy this I mean height at shoulder. , The consequence of this has been that severs 1 , | overgrown specimens have been exhibited which | have caricatures tbe breed. They have simply j been monstrosities which could hardly move, | much less walk. A St. Bernard that is 33V j | incuts at shoulder is tall enough for anything, ; I and even this height is difficult to get comraeu- : surate with symmetry and good movement " A visitor to tha Hospice says : — " The St. Bernards at Hospice are not riearly go tall as the majority of English dogs at shows, but are much broader and thicker set." The following heights and weights of various well-knowa animals may be instructive, people so often talk of "big dogs" without knowing what s ; za constitutes a big dog:— The smooth Watch was33£iu atshonlder, and weighed 226ib. I The record weight, though, is Lord Brassey, j who attained tbe extraordinary weight of 2181b, I and stood about 35in at shoulder. Duke of Firmont was somewhat tailor, but not quite sd heavy. The huge Lord Bute wa>» said ta measure 36in afc shoulder, and weighed 2201b. • Plinlimmon waa a full 3Hin, and weighed j 2161b. Sir Bedivere was 3'fim, and weighed j 214'b. Oliver Twiefc went 2301W ; Dake of Lincoln, j 2991b; ths Australian Lord Surrey, 2061b. j Lord Clifton (also Australian) attained 35!n at shoulder, and was 1351b at seven and , a-half months. A pup by Higbfield Lord ' Hawke now iv Australia weighed lOat 21b at seven months, but an Irish pup is said to go lOst 7-b sxt six months, which would be the record if correct End Mayo holds the 10 months' record with 34£ia and 1901b. Princeus Florence went, 185'b and stood 32-i- ; n at shoulder. She is probably th« biggest bitch known, although the Aus'ralian Map'.eorosft Belle went 13st. Stanley II was 35i"u and 2301b. The smooth Grandmaster was 332 m and 14£ st. Prince Regent, sire of PriusebS Florence, stood 35in. In New Zealand we have had Saowdon 34-in and 1881b iv wretched condition, and Major, aboub same height and between 14-st rind 15 «t in weight ; and that big bitch Ouida 11, who stands ju^t on s'iin, aud ! has attained a weight of 13sb at her best.

j Two very well-known champions, Lord j Douglas and Marvel, each stood 32ia at I shoulder. The former weighed 185 ib and fche latter 1701b. Lord Kawke stood 33in and Weighed 13st. Several Great Danes have attained great heights a!ao, notably Frolick II (35in) and Majestic (35£ in). Goth 11, a huge Irish wolfhonnd, is said to ba 35m at shoulder, and the record deerhound is, I believe, 33in at shoulder.