THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3018, 17 January 1912, Page 43

THE KENNEL.

By Terkok.

Fanciers and breeders of dogs are cordially invited to contribute to this column. " Terror " will endeavour to make this deportment as interesting Bnd up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this he must have the co-oporation of his readers, hence he trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to.

Mr 0. Eraser lias a nice liltcr of pups from his wire-haired fox terrier bitch to Mr Webster'* Napier Scorcher.

—Mr G. Webster's Glendon Mist has \isited Mr Thomson's imported wiie-hair, Rocksnlt

The promotion of the growth of the hair is a necessary point to he considered with respect to the long-coated varioties of canines, and in some caces bare spots will appear on the smooth-coated breeds. Of course, if the spots are the result of disease, different treatment is necessary. bu( in ino.ft cti c es noting better can lx' used than castor oil, containing a few drops of tho tincture, of oantha.ridea. This will be found a very useful recipe, making the hair appear rapidly. Castor oil is also useful to improve tho coats of in which a hard bristle* is desirable. It should, however, be only applied in moderation, otherwise if will make the hair grow too frot'ly and become too soft. Tho Ixwt plan is to rub the oil all over the hands until fairly dried in. then to work the hand* briskly through tho dog's coar. and afterwards to groom him well with a fairly hard brush.

DOG WORKS ACT. DAY TO. GET AID EOR MASTER.

"Bunk," n mong-rol dorr owned by Ernpsi Lad-wig. of 1060 Cornelius street, Ridgcwood. 1.. T.. U.S.A., bv the irrit arid intelligence he displayed in aid to save bis master's lifo. made it plain that an inferior decree of discernment had bestowed upon him an unworthy name. Mr Lad wig, while shooting ducts. stepped info a quagmire in a marsh adjacent to Jamaica Bay. and was unable to extricate hinaelf. Bunk realised that

his master would be swallowed up, and ran barking to the huts of bagmen along the shore

Ho was chased, kicked, and shooed_ away as a. nuisanw. But ho refused to be discouraged or beaten off. However, the dcg made frantic efforts to get the bagmen to undt.rotund the reason of his distress, and ni:aliy it ocurred to Frank Derks and James .Benson that something was wrong.

They followed Bunk to the quagmire, where they found Mir Ladwig sunk up to his nock in the morass. He had been held fast for 10 hours, and in that time Bunk had made a dozen trips to the shore, a mile away, in an endeavour to arouse someone to follow him to his master's side-.

When Mr Ladwig was pulled out Bunk licked the hands of the resetters, and then dropped exhausted on his master's lap as the latter was seated on a -bag of mosi to recover his strength.—New York Herald.

" THE PUP." Everyone knows that a bloomin' pup With half "a. chance will chew everything

up; You take a pup that is healthy and strong, He will keep chewing the whole day long. He'll chew the carpet that's on the stairs, And gnaw (ho logs of the parlour chairs; He'll chew the bedspreads, and likewise

the mats, And eat the springs and the bcdst-cr.c'-l

slats; Give him a chance and anything suits— He'll eat the soles off your heavy boots; He'll chew the |>aper that's on the wall, The poker won't bother his jaws at all. He'll eat the-books from leaves to backs. Nails, screws, old iron, and brie-a-biacs. He'll chew the basin you wash him in, And make a lunch off a hunk of tin. There never was one with a grain of

sense, They're never no good, but a big expense; They'll scare the baby and fight the cat, And chow a hole in your Sunday hat, And worry to death your loving wife, And make your homo a scene of strife. Header, we speak from experience sad; The pup is always both bold and bud ; He'll bite his way through a walnut door, And eat the matting that's on the floor; He's always looking for stuff to chew, When there's nothing olse handy he'll exn

bite you; | He'll eat the rubber off bicycle lyros, I Then tackle the rims and then the wires; j Oh ! never get foolish and buy a pup. For if you do he'll chew everything up. ' Tit-liitS. THE GREAT DANE. The Great Dane is a variety of deg about whose early history there is a certain amount of mystery. The name would indicate that Denmark was its first home, but that appears to be discounted to a I great extent by the fact that almost exact i representations of (the breed have bean j found on some of the oldest Egyptian I monuments. The Groat Dane is one of the strongest and most powerful of dogs. It is also very alert and active, and was. used in hunting the wild boar and other huge animals. When first introduced into the shows in Groat Britain, it was known as the Boarhound, or Great Dane, the latter name being accepted as the most suit able title. | The variety has, from time to time, I been iropresented bare by first-class specimens, but. like others of the large breeds, ! they do not seem to gain many friends. j and are now comparatively scarce. At the I show of last year in the Exhibition, some very handsome specimens of the colour ■ known as '"harlequin," were shown by Mrs ; Becbe, and wore very much admired. I The description of the Great Dane, ac- | cording to the lines laid down by the Great | Dane Club of England, is a« follows:—In general appearance the Great Dane is not 1 as heavy or massive as the mastiff, nor ! should it approach the greyhound type. 1 Remarkable in size and very muscular, , strongly, though elegantly built; the head 1 and neck should be carried high, and the tail in line with the back, or slightly upwards, but not curled over the hind-quar-ters. Elegance of outline and grace of ' form are most essential; sue is absolutely necessary, but there must be that shortness of expression, and briskness of movement without which the Dane character is lost, lie should have a look of dash and daring, of being ready to go anywhcie. and do anything. The Groat Dane should br; good-tem-pered, affectionate, and faithful to his master, not demonstrative to strangers, intelligent, courageous, and always alert. His value as a guard is unrivalled. Ho is easily controlled when well-trained, but lie may grow savas* if confined* too much, kept on chain or ill-treated. The minimum height of an adult dog should be 30 inches, and that of a bitch 28 inches. The minimum weight of an I adult doc .should be 1201 b; that of a hitch I 1001 b. The "iroater weight and height to | bo preferred, provided that quality and . proportion arc also combined. The head should give the idea of great length and strength of jaw. The muzzle should be broad and the skull proportionately narrow, so that the whole head when viewed from above or in front has the appearance of equal breadth throughout. The skull should be flat, rather than domrvl, and have a slight indentation running up the centre, the occipital peak not prominent. There should be a decided rise or brow over the eyes, but no abrupt stop between them. The face should be * chiselled well, and forefaco long, of equal depth throughout, and well filled in below the eyes, with no appearance of being pinched. The lips should hang quite square in front, forming a right angle with the upper line of foreface. The jaws should be level, the bridge of the nose wide, and tin? nostrils open. A butterfly or flesh-coloured nose is not objected to in a harlequin. The. ea-s should be small, set high on the skull, and carried slightlyerect, with the tips falling forward. Next to the head, the neck is one of the chief characteristics. It should be long, well arched, and quite clean and free from loose skin, held well up. snake-like in carI riage, well set in the shoulders, and the I junction of the head and neck well defined. The shoulders should bo muscular, but not loaded, and well sloped back, with the elbows well under the body. The forelegs should bo perfectly straight. I with big flat bono, the feet largo and : round, the toes well arched, the nails ' strong and curved Tho body should bo very deep, with ribs well sprung and belly well drawn up. The back and loin should bo strong, the latter slightly arched, as in the greyhound. The hindquarters and ' thighs should be extremely muscular, giving tho idea of great strength and propelling

power. The second thigh should be long, and the hocks low and turning neith it out nor in.

The tail should be strong at the root, ending in a fine point. It should be carried about level with the back. The coat should be short, dense, and sleek-looking, and in no ease incline to coarseness. Tlie gait .should be lithe, springy, and free, the action high, the hecks should a ove very freely, and the head should be hold well up. The colours aiv brindle. - fawn, blue, black, and harlequin. The harlequin should have jet black patches and spots on a pure white ground. Grey patches are admissible, but not desired, but fawn or brindle shades arc objectionable. HIS VIEWS. 'Collector: "It'll cost you seven and pence for a license for that dog, mum." Mrs Moggs: "Seven and sixpence? Seven and sixpence, indeed ! Why, that's all my old man had to pay for the license to maiTv me !" Mr Moggs (from within): "Yes, but that animal's worth 'aving."