FANCIERS' COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3314, 19 September 1917, Page 43

FANCIERS' COLUMN.

The Otago Witness has been appointed the offl* elal organ for the publication of announcements »f the Dunedin Fanciers' Club.

THE KEHrfEL.

By Tfißiior. Fwnoiers and bleeders of dogs are oordially Ja« rltod to contribute to this column. "Terror" will endeavour to make this department as interesting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this be must have the 00-operation of lais readers, bence ho trusts this invitation will ba cheerfully responded to. "Spaniel."—lf you remove the tooth the abscess will be relieved, and you should be quick about it, or it may extend to the jaw and be serious. You should evacuate the abscess if it does not break in removing the tooth, and dress the part with eomo weak astringent lotion —much-diluted Jeyes' fluid will do. If the dog is poor in health as a result of the abscess, feed well and give it a tonic. age of your dog, I don't recommend physicking it. The best and the kindest thing you can do is to take it to the lethal chamber at the Town Hall. The Dog-owners' Defence Fund, which has been opened in England for the purpose of opposing the suggested provisions of the proposed Government Dogs Bill, had up to June 8 amounted to £lB9 lis. This is only a start, for the leading doggie paper Our Dogs is to the'fore in the matter, and its influence is sure to draw all the "smews of war" required to carry on a campaign against the threatened-repressive legislation of the Government. The hon. secretary of the Dog-owners' Defence .Fund is Mr W. J. Cecil Hayward.. accountant, Russell Chambers, King street, Nottingham, to whom all communications should be addressed and donations sent.

Unless a dog companion has good manners in most cases ho is intolerable. His manners, bad or good, all depend upon his "bringing up." Ho is like a child — give him uncontrolled liberty one day, and he will expect it the next, and the clay after. Ho should he taught to; obey, not to annoy when told to be quiet, and to beg incessantly. A dog of average intelligence may be taught many things; but what is absolutely necessary is that ho should have good manners. The golden rule is to begin in good time —to be always firm in insisting that an order should bo carried out. But always be sure that he understands what the order is.

Mr Theo. Marples, a recognised authoritv in England, describes cocker spaniels as "follows: —"There is only one typo now recognised in the show ring, and that is the short-coupled, sturdy, well-balanced, good-fronted, flat-coated dog with a nicelychiselled head, dark eye, and square muzzlo —a multuni in narvo that looks like, and is, a workman from stem to stern, a dog from 231 b to 251 b."

The following recipe for lulling vermin on dogs is given in an English paper. (The- breeder who sends it in states that he has found it to be a certain remedy): "Take 1-J.gal of warm water, add one teaspoonful of ammonia, one teaspoonful of powdered borax, one teaspoonful of Condy's or Jeyes' fluid, and one packet of lux (flake soap). Place tho mixture in a vessel large enough to hold the dog. Then soak him thoroughly with the liquid, rubbing it well through the hair and on to the skin. After damping tho head several times with the liquid, the dog can be left for a few minutes, when another soaking may bo given. After the liquid has been taken out of itlio coat with a sponge, tho dog can be washed in lukewarm water to remove the soap. A second application may bo given in a work's time if necessary, but one will generally bo sufficient. Police dogs as life guards may become common soon. The other day, when tho children of Mr and Mrs John S. Phipps dashed into the surf at Palm Beach, they wore accompanied by two large police dogs. Tho children swam about, the dogs swimming alongside of them as guardians. Tho dogs had been trained as life guards, and amazed tho spectators by the skill and fidelity with which they tended their small charges. The children, who aro expert swimmers, played at being in distress*, and tho intelligent animals responded. Whichever way the children swam the dogs were right beside -them. Mr Phipps had them trained to swim closo to a child in difficulty, offering their sturdv backs as supports. —Minneapolis Journal Travellers on the North-eastern railway to and from Newcastle, England, will regret to learn of the death of Sweep, the smoothhaired retriever which perambulated Newcastle Central Railway Station in the *cause of charity- At the outbreak of tho war Sweep, with boxes strapped to her back, solicited alms for the Belgian Belief Fund, and in 12 months collected upwards ot £IOO. Subsequently Sweep and her collecting companion, Jet, gathered over £3OO in the station for various war funds, the latter dog being now engaged in soliciting- help for the Blinded Soldiers' Hostel a£ St, Dunstan's. Sweep, who was old. broke down in health, and as her complaint was incurable, she was taken to tho Cat and Dog Shelter in Newcastle, and destroyed.— Newcastle Chronicle.