FANCIERS' COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3430, 9 December 1919, Page 53

FANCIERS' COLUMN.

The Otago Witness has been appointed the official organ for the publication ol announcement! of the Dunedin Fanciers' Club. .

THE KENNEL.

By Tbrrob.

Panders and breeders of doga are oordially Invited to oontribute to this column. "Terror" will endeavour to make this department as interesting and up-to-date aa possible, but in order to do thif he must have the 00-operation of his readers, hence he trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to. —H. S— Dog eating filth: I know of no way of preventing this disgusting habit. The best-kept dogs are apt to do this. —At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Kennel Olub, which was held on Friday, November 28, there was considerable discussion in connection with the Otago Kennel Club's application for affiliation as distinct from the Dunedin Fanciers' Club. The chairman (Mr Paul-Hunter, of Hawke's Bay) expressed the view that affiliation should not be granted to the new club, holding that the New Zealand body should support the clubs which were already affiliated to it. Mr Gibson, who advocated the affiliation, said that it was considered that . the dogs had not had justice, and it was thought.-. that if the dog fanciers went on their own way they would .get better results. They had assurances of support, and there was every indication of success. On the- question being put to the vote, seven voted in favour and five against the granting of affiliation to the new club, and the application was declared granted. An application of the Auckland Kennel Club to hold an/all-championship show at Auckland next year was refused, for the reason that it Avas decided to hold a show in the south next year. It was decided to notify the Auckland Club that its claim would be considered at a future date. A recommendation from the Auckland Kennel Club that the New Zealand body adopt the rules of the New South Wales Kennel Association was left to the executive for a report. The election of officers, far the ensuing year resulted as follows': —President, Mr Paul Hunter: Executive Committee—Messrs A. W. Blair (Wellington), C. A. Hutton (Dunedin), A. R. V. Morten (Canterbury), and C. "Erickson (Dannevirkej; secretary and treasurer, Mr P. H. Smith. The annual report,, which was adopted, stated that the past year had in consequence of the final stages of the war proved most trying to the majority of affiliated clubs, but it was pleasing to inoto the activity now" evident in those centres which had been dormant durirfg recent years. The Hawke's Bay, Manawatii, and Wellington Kennel Clubs had again become active, and the prospects of revival in other centres were most promising. Owing to the very limited number of shows since the last annual statement, the revenue of the club had in consequence suffered. This was inevitable with the. nominal fees charged, but with the advent of normal conditions a speedy recovery should be attained. The executive, while deploring the loss through' the war of the gallant fanciers who made the supreme sacrifice, joined in the universal thanksgiving for peace, and trusted that the canine fancy, together with kindred snorts, would now enjoy its share of prosperity. —■The following is the report of Mr Crisp, the judge of the Canterbury Kennel Club's show, held on the 13th ult.:— '. Irish setters were the biggest classes in my section, especially in open dogs. Regrets were expressed that Mr O'Niel, of Westport, was unable to get his dogs down owing to the scarcity of shipping. Collies, retrievers, pointers, and English setters wero poor. Bulldogs, though not big classes, brought out some of our best. Pointers (open bitches): Lucy Hilton ' (first) has a typical head, good body and feet. Roscona Klcetto (second) is poor in head and rather wide in front.

Collies (open dogs): Prince of Burns (first) has good body, bone, and feet. Nice -texture of coat, fair head. Riccarton Boy (second) is too short in head. Esquimos brought out three goocl specimens, especially Mrs C. W. , Higgins's Doctor.

In maiden bulldog's A. Robertson's Bruce (first) has good skull, body, bone, and front. Billy Chester is better than the winner in turn-up and cushion, has nice short bpdy and tuck-up, but shown in poor condition, and is rather narrow in . front. In colonial-bred and limit Peacemaker's, Ambition got first. Ho has good flat'skull, nice eye, good ear-carriage, wrinkles, and expression, excellent bo.no and spring of of rib, good but was in bad mood, and would not show at his best. The second dog., Tango, was shown too fat. In open dogs O'levelook Irish Patrick got first. He has first-class skull, plenty .of wrinkle, well-broken-up face, excellent bone, short body, good feet, and sound. Would like to see him not quite so light in shoulders and a . little better movement behind. Bitches (open and colonial-br<fd): Lady Halsey (first) put down in pink, always a good specimen, but often handicapped by condition. Low, cloddy typo, natural wide front, and roach, deep chest, fair bone, and excellent mover. Could bo a little shorter in the back and better in pasterns; otherwise one gf our best. Irish setters (maiden dogs): Ballarat O'Shanc (first) is of good type and quality. Dan Patch (second) has good even colour and typical, but shown too fat. Maori Rhil (third) is not so good in colour to second, and faulty in tail carriage. Novice repeats: The puppy Red Rhu (first) is a promising puppy. Dan Patch was second and Maori Rhu third.

Open dogs: Stoneyeroft Rufus- (first) was put down in excellent form. Nice texture of coat, even in colour, clean head, with good expression. Tip-top body, bone, and feet, and Tiice mover. A shade darker in eye would Master Rhrola (second) is a rare duality, typical specimen. _ Fails to winner in foreface. but better in eye. Ballarat o'Shane (third) already commented on.

Bitches (open): Idaloinc Bonnie Nell is of good type aDrl quality. * Strictly speaking, "type" is a family or race bred within certain limits long enough to have Required the power of reproducing its leading or typical characteristics with a fair degree of certainty. Typo is thus synonymous with distinct family form; but to the breeder th? much-used and abused word "type" and "typical" denote a concentration or intensification of good points in a family sufficiently marked to give a distinct uniformity to the membors of that family. The novice grasps

the true significance of "type" on realising the wonderful family, likeness and uniformity in desirable characters existing amongst a long-established and successful breeder's dogs. Every distinct type or family-shape originates under definite conditions, and it is worthy of note that its constancy can be relied on only so long as the same conditions continue.

—lt takes very little to start a dog losing its hair, and in the vast majority of cases this is due not to skin vermin or to any actual disease so much as to some falling off in the general health. In a natural way animals change their coats in spring and autumn. If they "moult" at any other time it must be for some particular reason. An instance of this can be seen in the case of a bitch losing her coat after rearing a litter of whelps. Wo know that in the human family the hair often falls off—particularly amongst women —as a result of general debility, and something of the same sort seems to occur in dogs. One can imagine nothing more exasperating for the owner of a prize dog than to have him start to "moult" just on the eve of some exhibition where he ought to distinguish himself; yet that is what often happens, and it is difficult to know how to prevent such occurrences, because the cause in many such cases is quite mysterious. Probably there has been too much conditioning, either in the way of food or medical treatment, or it may be that worms are the cause—they very well may be, —or .possibly there is some oncoming complaint not recognised at present to account fcir sudden loss of coat. The best thing to do under such circumstances is to let the coat be well groomed, give the dog a little aperient .medicine as an alterative, reduce or vary the food, and give all the outdoor exercise possible.