THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 61

THE KENNEL.

By Terrob

Fanciers and breeders ol dogs ar® cordially Invited to contribute to this column. “Terror’ will endeavour to make this department ns interesting and up-to-date us possible, but in order to do tbit ho must have the co-operation ol his readers, hence he trusts this invitation will he cheerful!; responded to.

Tho way to make a dog look his best is to aim at keeping him in good condition by careful dieting, and particularly by regular exercise. Do not let dogs get idle and lazy, but keep them amused so that they are always on tho alert, with good appetites, always ready for their meals. Under these conditions their health should always be good. It is most important that a dog which is about to be exhibited should bo free from worms. These pests should be sought after a month or six weeks before tho show comes on, because, of course, the drastic treatment that has to be resorted to will tend to reduce the dog in condition. Let him have two or three dosings, so that it is perfectly obvious that ho is entirely free from them, and then all that is needed afterwards is an occasional mild aperient pill, just to keep the pests from getting a lodgment again. There is always a certain amount of risk in sending a dog to a show, for he so often brings homo different contagious diseases. Distemper is often introduced into a kennel of dogs through this very agency. There is really no way of making a dog “ proof against distemper.” If once he has had it, in all probability he will not have it again; but it is not impossible for a dog to suffer from distempter twice. All that can be done is to see that the dog is in perfect health when sent away, for, as is well known, all disease germs require suitable ground, as it were, in which to develop, and they are not so likely to develop with a healthy dog as with one that is ailing. Of course, very stringent rules are laid down at shows, and all dogs arc, or should be, examined before they are admitted. This has done a great deal towards lessening the risk of contracting disease; but it is almost impossible to do away with it entirely. The British Bull-terrier Club is responsible for the following:—“We heard a really typical bull-terrier yarn last week, and as it was vouched for by the teller, wo repeat it. Scone, the African jungle. Dramatis personae, an Englishman out for lions, his native carriers, and his bullterrier. A lioness, having been shot and wounded, takes refuge in the thick scrub; and, to the horror of the owner, the bullterrier promptly goes in after her. The sounds as of a dozen dog fights rolled into one, followed by silence, compelled the Englishman to cautiously explore- the thicket, where, to his unutterable surprise, he saw a dead lioness and a live, though badly mauled, bull-terrier. The apparent miracle was explained on examination of the dead carcase, when the fact that the lioness had sustained a complete fracture of the jaw from the shot that he had put into her; consequently, she could not bite, while the bull terrier had hung on to her throat and torn it out, in spite of the awful claws that had removed nearly all his skin. He recovered, we wore glad to hear. Bait what pluck, what endurance ! No wonder sportsmen abroad swear by the bull-terrier.” Tho question has been asked, “What is tho ordinary distance a hare covers in her stride?” The answer cannot be given without a qualification; so much depends on circumstances. When racing for her life she will often cover sft, or even more, but when jogging along without fear of bring molested 3ft is nearer the mark. These estimates can easily bo proved when the ground is covered with snow lin or 2in deep. As to how far a hare can jump there can bo no really safe statement, so variable arc their antics, but those who, in their youthful days, thought nothing so _ enjoyable as tracking a hare to her lair through the snow, and bad been taught how to do it without fear of failure, can vouch for the fact that puss invariably takes an extremely long leap before settling down in her hiding-place—sometimes from 25 ft to 28ft. THE CLYDESDALE TERRIER Is undoubtedly a misfit Skye terrier, with which ho has a common origin. In the early exhibition days ho was exhibited as a Skye terrier; that is to say, the more silky haired specimens of this variety, but he did not curry favour with the general body of Skye terrier enthusiasts, who simply regarded the dog as a bad-coated Skye, and more fit for the drawing-room than the cairns, just as Fox-terrier experts would regard a soft-coated wire-haired specimen as a bad Fox terrier. The dog, however, had his devotees, and the upshot of. the strife which at one time raged over his head culminated in a dissolution of partnership and the division of tho variety, tho hard-coated, long and low variety by tho weight of public opinion being accorded tho title of Skye terrier, to which their character, working fitness and tradition gave them an irresistible claim, whilst tho leggier and more silky-coated specimens, under tho banner of tho Clydesdale and Paisley fanciers, parted company, and gradually assumed tho latter appellation. This was somewhere in the ’eighties. Since then the Clydesdale fanciers have developed the difference in tho two dogs, namely, have cultivated by selection the silkiness and lighter colour of tho coat, which they have made a sine qua non of the variety. In all essentials tho character and conformation of the two varieties are practically one and the same. Tho coat should bo long, straight, and silky, in both texture, colour, and quality, being very similar to that of tho very best Yorkshire terriers, of which tho Clydesdale, or, as it was then called, the Scottish terrier has been largely used in its manufacture. The formation of a club for the Clydesdale terrier naturally gave the variety an impetus in Scotland, but. singular to say, it has never “caught on” in England, where very few specimens, indeed, arc to bo found. Why it is difficult to imagine, unless it is that the Anglo-Saxon docs not look for or appreciate anything effeminate coming from the land of the hardy Celts; and, whatever his admirers may think to the contrary, the Clydesdale terrier is essentially a lady’s dog, a companion, and a pot. Singular to sav. even ladies have not

fastened on to the breed, for very few kennels of Clydesdales are owned by the fair sex, whilst the majority of the exhibition kennels of Skye terriers are in tho hands of women enthusiasts.

The following is the standard description and code of points formulated by the Skye and Clydesdale Terrier Club, which is purely a Scottish combination, from which it will be seen that colour and coat only absorb one-half of the complement of 100 points:— General Appearance. —A long, low, level dog with heavily fringed, erect ears, and a long coat like the finest silk or spun glass, which hangs quite straight and evenly down each side, a parting extending from the nose to the root of the tail.

Head. —Fairly long, skull flat, and very narrow between the ears, gradually widening towards the eyes and tapering very slightly to the nose, which must be black. The jaws strong and the teeth level. Eyes.—Medium in size, dark in colour, not prominent, but having a sharp, terrierlike expression. Eyelids black. Ears. —Small, set very high on the top of the head, carried perfectly erect, and covered with long, silky hair, hanging in a heavy fringe down the sides of the head. Body.—Long, deep in chest, well ribbed up, the back being perfectly level. Tail. —Perfectly straight, carried almost level with tho back, and heavily feathered. Legs.—As short and straight as possible, well sot under the body, and entirely covered with silky hair. Feet round and cat-like.

Coat.—As long and straight as possible, free from all trace of curl or waviness; very glossy and silky in texture, with an entire absence of undercoat.

Colour.-—A level bright steel blue, extending from the back of the head to the root of the tail, and on no account intermingled with any fawn, light, or dark hairs. Tho head, logs, and feet should be a clear, bright, golden tan, free from grey, sooty, or dark hairs. The tail should be very dark blue or black.

SCALE OF POINTS. Texture of coat 25 Colour 25 Head 10 Ears 10 Tail 10 13ody 10 Legs and feet 10 Total ... 100