THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3347, 8 May 1918, Page 43

THE KENNEL.

Bl TSBSOB. Psrooterß and brooders of dogs ar» cordially to* rlted to contribute to this column. “Terror’ wla endeavour to make this department as interesting lad up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this bo must have the co-operation of his hence he trosti this invitation will b* cheering leap ended u>* “ Curious.” —The New Zealand Kennel Club will give a champion certificate to an exhibitor who can produce three challenge certificates which have been awarded to an exhibition in his possession. _ No dog should be termed a champion till it has been awarded a certificate by the club. The South Island British Bulldog Club’s trophies to be competed for at the Dunedin Fanciers’ Club next month are only eligible to dogs that have obtained v.h.c. awards and upwards, and are open for competition only by the financial members of the South "island British Bulldog Club. There are two trophies, valued at £5 5s each, one £3 3s, six £2 2s, and a shieldj which is to bo held 12 months by the exhibitor gaining most points at shows in the iSouth Island when the show offers specials. —ln addition to the above-mentioned trophies the Dunedin Fanciers’ Club is offering 13 10s 6d special prizes, which have been provided by friends of the club and fancy. These appeal to exhibtiors of various popular breeds. There is also a special valued at £2 2s in the form of a case of carvers for the best dog in the show; two specials, in the shape of a valuable commodity—coal, half a ton in each case, —and another special is a picture for the best Airedale in show.

An Australian kennel writer "Wattlebark") says: " Perhaps the best appreciated dog in Australia is the kelpie. The animal is one of a class that gives good service by its honest work and almost superhuman intelligence. Moreover, it is a faithful friend, and untiring m its devotion. Whether one fancies this, that, and the other of canine breeds, no one oan but appreciate the Australian kelpie." lor the maintenance ot her dogs —Pat and Jessie —and her cats —Puss and Nigger— Mrs E. W. M'Millan, of Brixton, left £4OO to her executors, the interest to be given to her maid to support her pets. Testatrix, who left £14,831, bequeathed £2OOO to 'Guy's Hospital and £SO to her maid. Mr H. Warner Allen, the representative of the British press with the French army, Writes from the Vosges : —"Last year, when the question of transport through the mountain snow had become a matter of urgent importance, the French authorities had the idea of using dog-drawn sleighs for carrying supplies. As the result of their inquiries several hundred trained dogs from Alaska, North-western Canada, and Labrador were brought over by a French lieutenant who had spent 14 years in Alaska. From the beginning of the year to April 21, with a short interval, the snow in the neighbourhood of the Schlucht Pass was deep enough for the clogs to be able to render yeoman service. They were able to draw heavy loads over almost inaccessible country, and to supplement to a valuable extent the wheeled transport. But with the end of the snow their utility has not ceased. They are now being harnessed to small two-foot gauge light railways, which run everywhere behind the front. Eleven dogs, with a couple of men, can carry a ton up some of the most precipitous slopes in the mountains, and I was assured that two teams of seven dogs each could do the work of five horses in the difficult country, with a very great economy of men. The dogs were several hundred strong when they reached France, but their number has now considerably increased. There is a plentiful supply of pups of all ages and sizes, which play about happily on the mountain slopes, well within reach of the German guns. Three breeds are in service—the Alaskan, the Labrador, and the Canadian, —and the best of these is the Alaskan, as his courage never fails, and he will work until hb drops, though he is perhaps 1 the weakest of them. They are all shaggy dogs, with prick ears and bushy tails, their colour ranging from black to white, between greya and browns. Their chest development, so necessary for hauling, is remarkable. Their keep costs the State but little. They are mamly_ fed on rice, horseflesh (of which there is abundance), and waste military biscuits, and this fare appears to suit them admirably, as they are always in splendid condition, ancl.disease is practically unknown. A team of seven dogs was harnessed to a makeshift truck formed of ammunition cases to take us along one two-foot gauge railways. It happened to be the hour of the evening meal, and the. smell of the soup excited the dogs considerably. Only the loader remained superior to all such temptations, and sat solemnly in his harness. As soon as they were hitched to the truck the whole team gave tongue, and began to pull with obvious delight. The truck was provided with an effective brake of a most elementarv nature, workinf like a railway signal lever, and the team was brought up short to the order. The dogs squatted down placidly on their haunches, and waited events, under the watchful eye of their leader, who was now in his element, After we had fitted ourselves in as best we could, the French officer took command of the team and, releasing the brake, started us off with a hissing sound and a shout of ' All right!'' which produced an instant effect on the dogs. They soon got up speed, and in a few minutes we were iolting along over the "rails, with seven bushy tails waving vigorously in front of us. The dog? obviously enjoyed nulling tremendously, as the wagging their tails proved, and they threw all their strength into the task," p.snw;. ally at the moment when we were passing a motor car that had great, difficulty in making any headway at all in the muddv, stony road that ran alongside the light railway track." —Manchester Guardian. Enough has already been said on the cure of tapeworm to emphasise the point that the form of cure is Keep the kennel?, free from fleas, and the chances of your dogs getting tapeworm will he considerably lessened. But now. when thev have got tapeworm, how is the pe«t to be got rid of? Well, the first principle to he realised and acted upon is the principle of doinn - the business thoroughly. It is quite useless —if not worse than useless, because dangerous—to half do the thing, so don't attempt anything until you

are prepared to carry it through. To effect that, proper preparation must bo made. The dog . should go to bed euppcrless, or with nothing more than a bowl of liquid food. Last thing at nigjht give him. a good dose of sweet olive oil; then next morning let him have a capsule or two of oil of male-fern (strength according to breed and age). Capsules are best, because the stuff is nauseous, and often causes vomiting. Half an hour after this dose of vermifuge give him a good brisk dose of castor oil to effect a thorough purging. This treatment should bo repeated onco a fortnight until it is quito certain that no traces of tapeworm are left. Remember what has been stated in a previous paragraph about the segments of tapeworm that often come away; as long as there are any signs of these the dosing should be repeated. The only effective way of keeping adult dogs free from tapeworm is to dose them regularly, whether there are any signs of the pest or not. Every two months at least a dog should be treated in this way, and a srood dose of areca nut will answer the purpose as well as anything, though male-fern_ oil should be iriven if there axe distinct signs of tapeworm being present.— "Medicus," in Our Dog 3.