FANCIERS' COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 45

FANCIERS' COLUMN.

The Otago Witness has been appointed the official organ for the publication oi announcements ol the Dunedin Fanoiers* Club.

THE KENNEL.

By Terror.

Fanoiers and breeders of dogs are cordially invited 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 he must have the co-operation ol his readers, hence he trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to. The thirty-first annual show of the Wellington Kennel Club was opened on Wednesday last. Owing to the railway restrictions only about 200 dogs were on display, although at least 500 entries were confidently expected. As evidence of true sporting spirit it is right to note that some .of the annuals arrived from such distant centres as Invercargill and Auckland. As this information only arrives as I go to press, I must reserve till next week any reference to the winners in the various classes. relative to her pets, the now_ fashionable Pekingese, which is evidently intended for

publication, Mrs C. Neal, of Wellington, says: "There is such an ignorance of the breed here. The question, ' What is it?' haunts them. Those who know the breed mostly from residence in America or England are great enthusiasts, but, alasl such are few in the Dominion. It is most amusing. One I sold into the Waikato, and its mistress tells me of the questions and remarks of the people up there. 'What is it? 'ls it a dog really?' 'ls there a strain. of owl in it?' 'Have you kept a monkey?' Then he is in great 'demand' and hugged around. Owl and monkey is very compli.mentary. We want them to look so in the faoe, along with a quaint prettiness all their own. Was interested in your recent paragraph on Pekes. and let us hope they do rage here. I have a frien4 with large Peke kennels at Long Island. They are great fanciers in America, and this lady sells between 30 and 40 a week, and the demand is above the supply. How ideal to breed under such conditions; but, then, America is so progressive in every way. There appears to be a goodly entry of Pekes in our forthcoming: show. None _ of mine. Batches are out of show condition through breeding, and our great pet, the eight-month-old Wing Kee. hasn't been too good, and got his eye badly scratched playing with a puppy; but have hopes it will mend. This run of bad luck came all together. "I search out all history, and matter relating to Pekingese, and wonder if you have heard this, which the Chinese Storyteller gravely relates in re their origin: Many moons ago there lived in a huge forest a lion, and one cold night a tiny marmosette crept up to him for warmth and shelter. They became very fond of each other, but the lion, finding his great size hampered his wooing, sought out the good Budda and beseeched him to make him as small as his little companion. The god, amazed that one so strong and splendid should wish to sacrifice so much for his love, granted his request, but said he would always keep his lion heart. From there, too, originated the Pekingese. To any lover of the breed who knows them through and through thi3 legend appeals greatly. One could almost believe it true. There is that curious blending of strength and weakness, of dependence and independence, of mighty repose and frivolous playfulness. Then how they almost croach lion-like and dream, their faces insorutable, and suddenly dance and gambol irresponsible as a kitten. They are so clean and perfect in the home; just faithfully and responsively around, or curled up, ever patient and quiet, on a cushion; no yap-yap-yap and tearing round destructiveness. They really are unique ; but. then, I love them so. Wing Kee's dear flat face, is- so black and attractive that one has_ to say. 'You handsome boy,' and hug him. Should love to be in a district where they didn't know them. Should purchase right away and be unique. So nice to be uncommon." Although Pekingese are not very numerous In New Zealand, there are specimens to be found in most centres, and here in Dunedin Mr J. R. Hayne. chemist, who at one time went in so strongly for collies, and prior to that for deerhounds, has a kennel of something like 40, all bred from the finest stock for 10 years;, and I hope shortly to be able to reproduce a photo of one particularly typical specimen, which in the owner's opinion would be difficult to .beat in Australasia. With the photo I shall also give particulars of the unusually elaborate accommodation which Mr Haynes provides for his dogs. Whilst on the subject of Pekingese, it may interest many readers of_ these columns to learn something of the unique history of tho breed, dating back, as it does, to the Tang Dynasty (a.d. 65), and even further.. About this breed the Chinese-, themselves are silent and inscrutable. One thing is certain: they are closely wrapped up in the life of the well-to-do Chinese, # and are Greatly associated with the religious life of China. . Thev are regarded as sacred, and the symbols of faithfulness. Images of them are placed as guards in the Buddist monasteries, and in the ceremony of various temples they, play an important part. In both ancient and modern Chinese art, executed • with fantastic exaggeration and a total disregard to natural lines, so typical of celestial ornamentation, we find this sacred dog of China reproduced largely. These little creatures have always been most jealously guarded, and few have found their war. into the outer world. They are kept under the care of special,attendants, who are answerable for their safety. Most frightful consequences follow the loss of their charges. Tinder these conditions'it was impossible to secure one for love or money, but at the looting of the Boxer rising of 1860 five of these were for (rotten in the hurried flight of the court. They were found in a garden, the private retreat of the Dowager Empress, who committed suicide on the approach of the troops. Lord John Hay and another naval officer each \ secured two, and the. fifth specimen was obtained by General Dunn, who presented it to Queen Victoria. It is now on view, preserved at Kensington Museum. These five Pekingese were the foundation of the breed in England, and formed the orip-inal Goodwood strain? now world famous. They are irresistible. The fashionable, fascinating favourite of the twentieth century. Once a Peke lover always a Peke lover. The interest grows, never fails. _ Playful, faithful, quiet, affectionate, intelligent beyond belief, and so pleasing to the eye, thev possess tho mystery, grotesqueness. and quaintness of the Far Fast, so allnrinsr to the white race. It. is the call of the Orient which so largely: attracts. —-An adult male hunting do? (Lycaon pictus) from South Africa, purchased from Mr J. D. Hnmlyn, is (says the Field) tho most interestinsr addition to the collection at the Zoological Gardens. Huntin? dogs, or hyaena do?s, as they are sometimes called from their superficial likeness to spotted hyamas. are restricted to Africa, where they range from. Abyssinia and Somalilnud westwards at least as far as the Shnri Bivm- and southwards throiurh East Africa, to Cape Colony. Unlike other doers they have only four toes on the forefeet, the dew claw beinor absent. This little difference would escape the notice of ordinary people, who would be struck more by the height and width of the upstanding l ears and the peculiar tortoise-shell pattern which distinguishes this dog from all other members of the family Canidn?. being a mixture of yellow, black, n,nd white. Patches of these colours are distributed over the body without any definite nlan : sometimes the vnllow, sometimes the black brine: dominant. Although no two members of a pack are alike, it has been ascertained that, broadlv sneakintr. the dogs from one part of Africa differ from those from another part: and Major Stevenson Hamilton, who has made n special study of the species in South Afrioa, points out that specimens from the

western, more desert districts of that area, are, on the whole, yellower in tint than those from the eastern side. Since our new example is unusally pale, it may be inferred to bo a western form. Excluding the cheetah or hunting leopard, which is nowhere very abundant, the hunting- dog is probably the swiftest predatory beast in Africa.