THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 35

THE KENNEL.

By Terrob,

Fanciers and breeder* of dogs are cordially invited to contribute to this column. " Terror ” will endeavour toi make this department as interesting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this ha muet have the co-operation of hia readers, hence be trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to.

A correspondent, “ R. B. D.,” asks: (1) Could you inform me what is a good cure for distemper and mange? (2) What is the best stuff' for disinfecting kennels? With regard to mange, I don’t think I can do better than publish the following letter and comment which appeared in the now defunct Stookkeeper some eight years ago, and recommend my correspondents to follow the advice there given: “ I have often seen it stated in the doggy papers that there is no cure for black (follicular) mange. I have had the misfortune to own dogs afflicted with this troublesome disease, and have lost a good many of them until I tried the following cure, which I havp found to work like magic. I have tried almost every cure, advertised, given in 'books, or that I have heard of, but the results have generally } been nil or prejudicial, especially in the use of mercurial ointments and the “ four oils ” The former have made the case worse, or had no effect, and the latter has given the dogs chills. Now for the cure; To a quart of kerosene or paraffin oil add a large tablespoonful of common salt, j and shake well. Saturate the seat of the | disease with this, and well outside, three or four times, at intervals of two or three days. It is better, especially if the dog shows two or three spots on various parts of the body, to give it a bath oil, letting it soak well into the skin, but drying the dog’s coat to prevent a chill A course of this treatment will cause the skin to come off as scurf, and after the third or fourth application, if the scurf has been combed out. and the dog hats been given a bath, a clear, healthy skin will be found | underneath. I have never had any recuri rence of the disease after the dog lias been given a complete soaking; but when I I have only treated the snots as they ap- | pea rod. I have found the disease reappear ! after I thought the dog was cured. At i the same time, that I treated the dogs as I above I gave them in their food once or j twice a day a dose of Fthiops minoralis 1 (Hydrarg sulnh. cum sulpli. ?), for medium terriers as much as will go on a threepenny piece If any of your readers are sceptical about the above treatment, I can only ask them to give it a trial. If they will communicate the results through your columns |I ,im sure it will be doing ‘ our friend the dog ’ a good turn. The dogs generally make rather a fuus when the oil is applied, but they isoor. get used to it. and I ha ) i never known it do any harm. In bashing the dog with the oil the eyes, of course, must be protected.—F. Martin, 40 College place, Brighton.” veterinary expert writes: “Assuming the diagnosis of the disease has been accurate, your readers should be obliged to your i correspondent for reciting his experiences:, j He is correct in his complaint of the in--1 efficacy of his earlier experiments, and his later and apparently successful ones deserve a trial. The difficulty in follicular mange arises from the deeply-seated refuge of the parasite and the approach being blocked by exudation. A limpid, penetrating agent, in. itself a parasiticide, or acting its the vehicle of one, is what h required, and kerosene conforms in a mode- ; rate degree to both conditions. There are many others which prove effective in some case?; but success is seldom uniform, and it is to be feared others will not have' I the easy triumphs above described.” For distemper give twice a day one of j the following pills:—Recipe: Sulphate of quinine. 12 grains; acetate of morphia, one frrain ; compound squill pile. 18 grains. , Mix and divide Into 12 pills. Whilst treat- ! mg the dog keep him warm and dry and ■ feed well. A distemper mixture recom- ! mended bv Ualziel is chlorate of potash. 2dr; Mindere-rns’ spirit, loz; sweet spirit

of nitre, 2dr; tincture of henbane, 2clr; water, 2joz. Dissolve the potash in the water, and add tho other ingredients. The dose lor a 201 b puppy of six months old is a tablespoomul, and it should be given in some additional water. In cases of fits, when the head seems affected, and tlier© ip partial blindness, or tvvitchings of the limbs, etc., add the following to tne “distemper mixture,” and do not alter the dose: —Tincture of aconite, 18 drops; solution of strychnine (Brit. Pharmacopoeia), 18 drops; and gradually increase the dose of these two drugs in tho mixture, until in a week three times the above dose is given. Good sensible management and nursing are, however, more important than medicine. Keep tho dog comfortable, and let him rest on a good bed of hay, and wash all sores with warm water containing a little Oondy’s or Jeyes’ fluid. The diet mucst be light and nourishing. A British enthusiast states that while Great Britain and Ireland are naturally and rightly proud of thojr dogs, it should not be forgotten that there are some excellent ones in other countries. Some of these have already become popular, notably the Great Danes and Dachshunds of Germany, the Newfoundlands and smaller Newfoundlands of Labrador, the wolfhounds of Russia (Borzois), the Schiperkes of Belgium, the Samoyedes of Siberia, tho dogs of the Esquimos, several of the Asiatic dogs, and many other dogs of the far-away nations, including the terriers of Australia. It cannot be said that any of these dogs have degenerated in their new home, for whatever the Britisher does with his dogs he accomplishes it with all his heart and might. It is ■ known how immensely popular have become the email bulldogs of France. But it is safe to predict that the Boston terrier of America will one day become quite the rage in England. There can be no mistaking his identity, and, what is more, he is a particularly smart and handsome dog. Tho Boston terrier has been developed from the old-fashioned fighting English bull and terrier—a breed of dogs taken out by Englishmen to New England, or especially that part of the United States round and about Boston, Mans., where are situated the cotton and cloth nulls and manufactories. Hero wgfo omployed men from the north and north-west of England; and as, in many oases, these men were fond of the questionable sport of dog-fighting, they from time to time received these game little dogs from the old home From those dogs were developed a breed of wonderfully handsome dogs, generally rich bnndle in colour, and hav,n <? even white markings, those being a white muzzle, blaze, broad collar, chest, and forelegs. The tail finishes offi just like that of a bulldog, and altogether he is a very taking dog. Pl© may weigh up to 2:lb. There are “ toys ” of the breed, and some of these are quite smart at 101 b

At a recent show of the Kennel Club of England held at the Crystal Palace, the number of dogs claimed was large, and the prices were satisfactory. Among those claimed wore Mr G. Cook’s mastiff Brompton Duke. The dog was purchased by Mr A. Arthur for £SO. The same buyer also claimed Mr Cook’s mastiff bitch, Brompton L>uchoss, for £SO; Mr G. Cook’s mastiff, Bess of Gotham, for £25, and Messrs Garland’s mastiff bitch, Bernice, for £25. Mr George Raper purchased Mr D. O’Connell’s fox terrier, Orania, for £25, and Lady Moore claimed Mrs Angel’s Pekingese Yum Yum for £25 ss. Mr Paul Rainey, an enthusiastic American sportsman, at present in East Africa, has invented a now method of lion hunting. He hunts them successfully with a pack of dogs, much in the same way that an Englishman hunts the fox. He set out for East Africa on February 4 last, and ~took a pack of 24 dogs, chiefly half-bred Colliee and Airedales. Most of the died of snake-bite or local diseases, but Mr Rainey sent for 40 more, and he now possesses the first pack of lion hounds. The Frankfurter General Anzeigor tells a delightful Dachshund story which happened in the preserved woods of a wellkigAvn Viennosse sportsman. While out with some friends one of the party shot a vixen, which, though batfly wounded, summoned all her strength and managed to creep back into her earth. Now, according to the rules of German sport, the dachshund (in this case a bitch) was put into the earth to follow up the wounded vixen. After a short delay the bitch came out, dragging the vixen, which she had killed, with her; she then dashed back intjo the earth. As it was seen by the appearance of the poor vixen that she had left a little family behind her. the sportsmen waited, expecting to see the dachshund come out with the strangled baby foxes in her mouth —but they waited in vain ; to all calls and whistles the bitch made no reply, and put in no appearance. There was n>>w nothing to be done hut to dig and try to find the hollow nest of the earth. After much time and hard work this was achieved, and there, in a warm and comfortable spot, deep in the earth, lay the dachshund bitch (who had lately lost her own litter), and hanging on to her teats were four young cubs, sucking diligently, and whom she was j licking and caring for with the zeal of j their real mother. The bitch repulsed all I attempts on the part of the sportsmen to j gain |K)ssession of the cubs, showing her j teeth, growling and snapping angrily. With j a great deal of coaxing she at last allowed | herself and her strange family to be removed to her owner’s residence, where she at once retreated to her own kennel, carrying the fox cubs, one by one, in her mouth, and settling them in the nest with the greatest care. She is now installed, and is untiring in her care and affection for her adopted family. THE POINTER. Is one of our most popular sporting dogs, and is a dog of Spanish origin. The ovofution of the dog in England, has, however, materially altered his character from the original, which to-day is in many cases obliterated. The change in form has, ostensibly, boon brought about with a view of adapting the dog bettor to his English requirements. but. in reality to the requirements of the show ring. It is suggested by one great authority—to wit, Mr W. Arkwright —that (ho variation has been secured by a cross, at some time or other, with the foxhound, which he contends, and rightly, would bo fatal to the features and requirements of the pointer, since the chief working features of cach_ are diametrically opposite. The foxhound is required to hunt with liis head on (lie ground and to give toneuo; the pointer with his head in the air.° and mute. The one is required to range and “point” his game; the other to gallop ahead and “kill'’ his quarry. This difference in type may have been obtained

by this cross, although there is no Reliable data, or it may have been produced by selection.

The type of the present-day poin er differs from the old Spanish typo— were mostly lemon-and-whito in colour, with a somewhat turnod-up nose, greater Jruigth of nock, spring of rib, freer shoulders, and powerful hindquarters—in that tho head is more level, the legs, feet, and general contour more on tho lines of the English foxhound. Tho colours, too, aro for the most part liver-and-white, and tho coatj all of which are smooth, shows leas quality than tho Spanish type. There is a black variety, indigenous to Scotland chiefly, which shows great quality, and are more on the lines of the Spanish type. Our sketch is that of tho modern show pointer, tho head of which should bo telescopic, with a distinct “stop,” nock long, shoulders oblique and well laid back, forelegs straight-, and foot strong, but not foxhoundy, more nearly approaching the hare footj loins strong, ribs well sprung, quarters big, stifles well bent, and hocks well let down, with bono in proportion to the size and substance of the dog; body short, and tail medium in length and carried straight. Pointers wore formerly divided by weight at shows, but this practice has now becomo obsolete. The average weight is from 501 b to 701 b Dogs. -

THE COCKER SPANIEL. You Last through a day with your keen-: ness unflagging. Your nos© on the ground I —your tail ever waggling,— ...... . , And you don t s-eein to care if with bramble and thorn Your coat and your ears are all tattered! and torn. You tracked that cock-pheasant all down the hedgerow, What mattered he’s fast and you rathe, slow — He couldn’t escape from your wonderful nose, And, though he objected, he finally rose. How nicely you brought him —unruffled each fe-ather, Just a.ft he lay in the bracken and heather; He was rather a mouthful, but you didn’t oare, I believe you would struggle along with a hare! Diminutive hunter you’re splendidly game. With a very big head in a very small frame; You’re a merry companion—a staunch little friend, You will follow a bird—or a pal—to the end. —Alan 11, Haig Brown.