THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3382, 8 January 1919, Page 43

THE KENNEL.

BZ iBRBOIk

Fanciers and breeders o! dogs are cordially tan rited to contribute to this column. "Terror" will endeavour to make this department u interesting tnd up-to-date as possible, bat in order to do tnit he must have the co-operation of his readers, hence he trusts tola invitation will bt aaeeriuUjr (esDoaded to.

Last week I made some reference to show doge in contrast with workers, and I am glad to find that others interested in the fancy are inclined to make similar contrasts. Only this week I obtained access to a report of the bi-annual meeting of the English Kennel Club, in which I find Lieutenant-colonel T. B. Phillips, in the course of a speech, saying: "I look on doga under two heads —dogs with a use and dogs with no use, except to look pretty. Unfortunately, the latter far outnumber the former, and I cannot help thinking that the Kennel Club Committee sacrificed the useful dogs to save an extra tax being put on the useless dog. They forgot the survival of the fittest . I am afraid the committee for many years past have legislated almost entirely for the -. useless dog, '-and done more harm than good to the dogs Chat originally were bred for a certain purpose." Mr Finch Smith's "Training of Gun Dogs for South Africa" is said by the London Field to be the first attempt made to adopt and modify to suit South African conditions the rules on gun dog training laid down in the United Kingdom and America. The Field further says: "There could be no better man than Mr Finch Smith for such a task; he has shot over dogs in Ireland; has scored successes at trials with dogs he has bred and broken; and has, in addition, judged at meetings. It is therefore interesting to read what he has to say about gun dogs and shows, and, while not agreeing > with all that he writes in a chapter which is one of the most valuable in the whole of the book, the author writes so sensibly that we cannot refrain from liberal quotation in the interests of gun dog men who are not likely to see anything written and published in South Africa." Mr Finch Smith is not, it would seem, altogether enamoured with the show dog as a worker. He says: "It is my serious and considered opinion that the greatest I*enemy 1 *enemy of the high-class and efficient working gun dog is the dog _ show. It is argued that the dog show aims at preserving conformity. Possibly its supporters honestly believe that it does, but the cm-se of the dog show is that it sets its own fashions as to what is true conformity, and the particular fad of each judge or popular craze adds a further excrescence on the original type, with never a pause in the evolution to test in the field where the innovation is landing the victims. The bench show judge can talk as glibly as I have done—or more glibly by far, because it is his profession—on what a gun dog should look like, but the glibbest of them all cannot look into nose, brain, or heart to tell you as much of his credentials as can the man who sees him hunt for half an hour. The show candidate . . . has no greater task on his brain than to eat and drink when hunger

and thirst jog his memory. He is never allowed to task his mind and body in a fight lest his precious akin should show a mark. Even the diversion of hunting for fleas is denied him, thanks to Naldire and the brush. David Harum saya 'a certain amount of fleas is good for a dog—'-seems to prevent him brooding on being a dog.' The show dog must lead a most introspectivo life, and cannot, even in his dreams, construct a hunt."

Commenting on the foregoing, theField Is not altogether in agreement Avith Mr Finch, capable man as it allows him to be, as will bo seen by the following: " Gun dogs in South Africa must be in a bad way if Mr Finch Smith's estimate is to be taken. without the proverbial grain of salt; an enthusiast from the same country as that so well written about by our author gave us a vastly different opinion during a visit he paid to this country some seasons since, and though all the dogs he bought at Aldridge's sales and elsewhere I were of working stock, his selection proved I that he had an eye for beauty. His last mesage to us, 'Keep field trials going.' came on a card posted in New Zealand, where he was travelling at the time.'' The following is the standard of points promulgated by the Black-and-Tan Terrier Club (England) and adopted by the Black-and-Tan Terrier Club (Scotland): Head. —Long, flat, and narrow, level and wedge-shaped, without showing cheek muscles: well filled up under eyes, with tapering, tightly-lipped jaws and level teeth. Eyes.—Very small, sparkling, anddark, set fairly close together, and oblong in shape. Nose. —Black. Ears.—The correct carriage of the ears is a debatable point since cropping has been abolished.. Probably in the large breed the drop ear is correct, but for Toys either erect or semi-erect carriage of the ear is most desirable. Neck and Shoulders. —The neck should be fairly long, and tapering from the shoulders to the head, with sloping shoulders, the neck being free from throatiness, and slightly arched at the occiput. Chest. —Narrow, but deep. Body.—Moderately short, and curving upwards at the loin; ribs well sprung, back slightly arched at the loin and fallng again at the joining of theVtail to the same height as the shoulders. ■■ Legs.—Must be quite straight, set on well under the dog, and of fair length. Feet.—More inclined to be cat than harefooted, i Tail.—Moderate length, and set on where the arch of the back ends; thick where it joins the body, tapering to a noint,. and not carried higher than the bacK. Coat. —Close, smooth, short, and glossy. Colour.—Jet black and rich mahogany tan, distributed over the body as follows:—On the head the muzzle is tannedto the nose, which, with the nasal bone, is jet black j . there is also a bright spot on CEym cheek, -and above each eye, the underjaw and throat are tanned, and the hair inside the ear is of the same colour; the forelegs tanned up to the knees, with black lines (pencil marks) up each toe, ana a black mark (thumb mark) above the foot; inside the hind legs tanned, but divided with black at the hock joint; and under the tail also tanned; and so is the vent, but only sufficiently to be easily covered by the tail; also slightly tanned: on each side of chest. Tan outside of hind legs—commonly called breechinsr —-is a serious defect. • In all cases the black should not run i into the tan, or vice versa, but the divi- ! sion between the two colours should be well defined.

General Appearance.—A terrier calculated to take his own part in - the rat pit, and not of the whippet type. Weight.—For Toys, not exceeding 71b; for the large breed, from 161 b to 201 b is most desirable.