THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 35

THE KENNEL.

Br Tebbor.

Fanoiers and breeders of dogs are cordially Invited to contribute to this column. " Terror " will endeavour to make this department aa interesting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this he must have the co-operation of his readers, hence be trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to. puppies she must be fed upon those particular kinds of food which are likely- to produce milk—nitrogenous foods particularly, that is to say. There is nothing better than oatmeal boiled up in milk to form a thin gruel, in which pieces of lean meat may be stewed at the same time. Oatmeal, of course, is a very rioh, nourishing food for animals of any kind, and so long as a nursing bitch has a plentiful allowance of this class of food, she is not likely to be short of milk. Fresh, lean meat is also useful, and some good wholesome brown bread daily will help to keep things going satisfactorily. Of course, it is desirable that vegetable foods should be given, but there is always a little risk in giving green vegetables boiled, as they sometimes may interfere with the milk, and as a natural laxative; therefore it "is safer to depend upon something like coarse brown broad than upon green vegetables, * which may have the effect of .causing colic either to the puppies or to the mother, or both. » The curly retriever dog. Jim, that collects money at Lime Street Station, Liverpool, on behalf of the Railway Servants' Benevolent Fund, is a rare old beggar, and enjoys his business immensely. His tail swings violently when a coin is dropped into tne money-box he carries so proudly on his back. Sir John Lubbock (now Lord Avebury) has told in one of his scientific works dealing with animal intelligence how he taught a dog to distinguish between copper and silver coins; and this one makes frantic efforts to Bee what is going to be put in before he stands stiffly to receive the expected coin. When he is released of his burden after his day's work he will yery likely see the two colours emptied out before him, and in a dim way, perhaps, aopreciate some difference between them He pays very little attention to incoming trains, which shows a wise discretion; but the departure trains receive his best attention. As the train moves away he returns to the top of the station, and loiters round the booking offices, forming circles round the passengers who are waiting for their trains.—" Day to Dav," in the Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury. A startling example of canine intelligence was displayed early the other day at the Camberwcll dust depot wharf on the Surrey Canal. Residents of the neighbourhood wjjj-e awakened by the loud and continuous harking of many dogs. The police were summoned, but could find nothing, but in the morning two labourers found a large retriever clinging with his paws to the wood embankment, which is 6ft high at thi3 point, while about a dozen other dogs stood on the bank barking. The dog had been in the water for at least -six hours, and was nearly exhausted. Lamarlinc has been much criticised for his obiter, "the more I see of men the more I love dogs/' If he had known the dogs of St. Bernard's, very little exception could have been taken to his somewhat daring assertion. A Paris contemporary gives an acount of a recent rescue by tho dotrs. Two women were on their way to Milan, and were overtaken by a storm. They were overcome, and it seemed that death was certain. One of the dogs passing scented the travellers. He barked as only St. Bernard dogs can bark, and this brought up his comrade, who was some distance away. The two dogs started on

their search, found the women half-buried in snow, and then ran off to the hospice, and the brothers were able to. add two more names to their long list of rescues. Three high-bred setter pups have bsen enrolled as students at the University of Kansas, and they have for class mates a Maltese cat and a bulldog. These novel pupils are to be under the tutorship of Professor B. C. Dockeray, who will endeavour to find out whether the lower animals can learn and think. "We shall conduct experiments during several weeks," says Professor Dockeray, "and hope to determine positively if they have ideas and disorim ination.''

Dogs are now being employed by the Austrian Customs authorities to hunt down smugglers. They are a cross between a greyhound and a wolf, and are trained to detect persons endeavouring to cross the frontier with contraband by attacking the dogs employed by the latter. The smugglers' dogs have shown themselves of great use in carrying packets of contraband, and eluding the revenue officers at the outposts. Now they are being hunted and killed by the Customs' dogs, which afterwards lead Customs officials to the trail. The smugglers trained their dogs by a course of shipping on one side of the frontier, and feeding on the other. Then the dog—usually a comparatively small animal —was fitted with the skin of a larger dog, usually a poodle, and the space between filled with saccharin, tobacco, or other contraband.

THE SPRINGER. The standard of points of the springer, approved at the extraordinary general meeting of the Spaniel Club, held on the 10th April last, is as follows: — Head.—Skull well developed, clearly-de-fined stop, muzzle long, lean, and square, .. with a powerful jaw, neither under nor over-shot, and nicely chiselled below the eyes. Eyes.—Neither too full nor too small, colour dark hazel, or dark brown, or nearly black. Ears. —Set low, moderately long and wide, and sufficiently clad with nice setterlike, feather. ' Neck.—Long, strong, and muscular. Body (including size and symmetry). — Medium length, well ribbed up to a good strong loin, straight or slightly arched, never slack; the whole appearance is that of n well-balanced dog. Excessive length and lowness, however, should be penalised as interfering with the dog's activity.. Shoulders and Chest.—Former sloping and free; latter deep and well developed, but not too round and wide.Hindquarters. —Very powerful and muscular, wide, and fully developed. Stern.—Well set on and carried low, nicelv fringed with wavy feather of silky texture. Feet "and Legs.—Feet not too small, with good strong pads; legs straight and strong, nicely feathered, over-much feathering objectionable. Coat.—Flat or slightly waved, and never curly. Sufficiently dense to resist the weather, and not too short, silky in texture, and glossy,- and refined' in nature. Colours. —Various black-and-tan, liver - and-tan, black, liver, black-tan-and-white, liver-tan-and-white, lemon-and-white, roans, etc. General Appeara-nce. —A combination of beauty and utility. Weight, about 401 b THE BULLDOG - Has from amongst all the varieties of British dogs been selected by common consent to typify the English character, and holds the honoured pbsition of being the national dog of Britain. The dog's great determination and undaunted courage when aroused, coupled - with a docility of character and kindliness of disposition otherwise, are probably more marked than in any other English breed, which traits are said to be the embodiment of the character of the British the world over. The dog, is the survivor of an old-time British sport which has long since become obsolete —viz., bullbaiting. This sport still obtains in Spain, with the difference that.the infuriated bull is baited by a biped—human being—called a matador. In England the bull was baited by the bulldog; hence his name; and although this ancient English pastime has long since been abolished by statute, the bulldog not Only survives, but has been developed to such a phenomenal extent that could never, have been dreamt of in the philosophy of our forefathers who indulged in the sport. The bulldog was in the first instance selected for his unsurpassed courage to attack and physical adaptability to hold on to his prey. It is the latter requirements which have been cultivated and developed to such a remarkable dogre by bulldog enthusiasts, the results of which breeding efforts are seen in the wonderful products of the show bench of today. And although the dog's occupation, like that of the Marshal Moor, is gone, happily his indomitable pluck and determination remains through the aaes. . Although uncultivated, of course, it still exists, and only lies dormant, ready at any moment to be aroused, when many of our dogs would, if opportunity offered, no doubt display the same prowess as they did in the bull rings of old. The various bulldog clubs which have taken the propagation of the time-honoured breed in hand have formulated "points" in the breed, based specifically upon the requirements of the bulldog in combat with his ancient, foe. Those may be briefly stated as follows: —The animal must be a low-set, broad-fronted, very powerful dog. with great strength of jaw—a canine multum in parvo; his jaws should be so constructed as to enable the dog to " hold on " when he has fastened himself on the bull. To do this his nose must recede back, and his lower jaw protrude, which formation allows the dog to breathe freely whilst he has hold of his prey. The necessity of strength of jaw is obvious, and therefore the broader and stronger the underjaw of a bulldog is the better. The bulldog should have great lung capacity, but in width in brisket and not in depth. This is to enable the dog to hang on to the bull when he has once got a firm hold, which is his only means of bringing the brute down. As the bull always attacks a dog with his head down and ncsc to the ground almost, the bulldog's foreend should be so constructed ;i£ to enablehim to get hold of the bull's no.-e with facility. This means that his forelecs should be short and without being deformed, set on outside his chest, with stout pasterns and big pads to Support him firmly. The loins should be archH, the object of which is to trive the dog " spring," and his quarters light, the necessity of

which being obvious. The heavier they are and the greater would be the likelihood of the dog, in being swung round by the bull in his furious efforts to shake his enemy off, being wrenched from-his hold. The lighter his quarters and the less likelihood Inhere would be of this happening. Big nostrils are a paramount requirement, small ears and a fine tail being little finishes which give smartness to the dog. and which are in a lesser degree desirable, even from the point of view of his old sporting avocation. Quality of coat is another embellishment.

" Fancy " has ordained that the bulldog as a companion- should be bred in sundry editions, from models in miniature of 201 b weight to more workman-like specimens of from 351 b to 601 b weight,' and we have them in all these sizes various colours, the black and tan*, and blues, and "Dudley, or flesh-coloured nosed specimens, only being looked upon with disfavour by the cognoscenti.—Arthur Wardle.