THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3522, 13 September 1921, Page 20

THE KENNEL.

TERROR.

By

Fanciers and breeders ol 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 oi his readers, hence he trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to. —-“Novice.” —Yes, rice is recommended. Ashmont says rice is admitted to be a “ha.ii - grower”; anyhow there is no disputing the fact that rice favours the dog’s health, and by acting on the skin and blood it decidedly lessens the tendency of the hair to break and fall out. The attention of fanciers is directed to the announcement above of Mr Doe’s intended sale. As will be seen, the stock offered is of first-class quality. Mr 11. C. Henderson, of Pareora, South Canterbury, writes: “I have an Irish terrier of high pedigree suffering from split pads. I have tried several treatments in an endeavour to effect a cure, but so far I have not been able to give the dog any relief. Knowing that you have a wide circulation, I thought that if you would be so kind as to place this letter before your readers probably I might be able to hear of a treatment which would prove: successful in healing the pads on the dog’s feet. Thanking you in anticipation.” Miss Brown’s young Pom., which she purchased some time ago in Christchurch, is now coming- into full coat, and should be looking well by the time the Christchurch show comes off. All fanciers will be sorry to hear that Mr S. C Crisp, of Christchurch, is again in hospital. We all wish him a. speedy recovery. Mr Brice (Christchurch) had the misfortune to lose the last litter of black cockers by his winning dog Milwood Bruce. Mr j. B. Williams (Laverick Kennels, Caversham, Dunedin) is at present putting in a lot of time on a fine pair of English setters of his own breeding. They are quite the best this fancier has bred for some time. Ho intends making the trip to Christchurch in November. I had a look at Mr W. Henderson’s young Irish terrier F-arndon Bandit, and fie has grown into a fine dog. and. judging by the litter by him ex Mr J. B. White’s eh. Red Riot, he is going to improve the Irish standard. Mr R. W. Brown,_ of South Dunedin, writes to say that he is not going in for wore-haired fox terriers, as 1 reported some two weeks back, as he is quite satisfied with I tne breed of dogs he has—viz., deerhounds. He snys“l am confident- that the hounds I have in mv kennels are superior and better specimens of the breed than any of the terriers in New Zealand, and several of my hounds have proved that.” 1 have to thank Mr Brown for the correction, and regret that I was misinformed. What was termed the Crabtree Championship Show on the Sydney Show Grounds drew over 1000 entries, representing 600 exhibits. In fox terriers an imported pair, ch. Dimholme and Kitty Sparks, won first honours in the dog anil bitch classes. The judging by Mr bam Orablree at the Melbourne Championship Bulldog Show is adversely criticised by “Hotspur” of the Leader. “Hotspur” says: In many cases the English judge confirmed the decisions previously made by the best Australian adjudieants. His views of type in the main j correspond with our best authorities, but m | several instances he made blunders which ( were apparent and inexplicable, because they were actual reversals of his own previ ous piucpiinenis. When a judge finds fault with lus own awards by reversing them, there is no one to blame but, himself, and Mr Crabtree lost the confidence of Aus. I trail an fanciers when he reversed a numj ber of minor awards when judging bull- ! does on the opening day of tile show.” j “Hotspur” quotes some of the- cases he j refers to. The only remark f think it desirable to make with respect to criticism

—even severe criticism —of a- judge is that it is quite justifiable, particularly where it is in respect to a man who has worked himself on to such a high position as Mr Crab-tree now occupies, for it is only such a man who can stand it and live. But I would draw the line at saying that in consequence: of his reversal of awards he had “lost the confidence of the Australian [or any other country's] financiers.” I consider "Hotspur’s” remark a severe indictment-, not of the judge, but of the Australian fancy! I ask: Is there a judge of any standing in Australia who has never reversed his awards? Or: Is there a judge in Australia, who still retains the confidence of the Australian fancy? Surely not. To err is human. Those who do not make mistakes are those who have never attempted anything. In a subsequent issue “Hotspur” quotes Mr Joe Maude’s criticism of Mr Crabtree’s judging at Sydney, where, apparently, there were also reversals. It appears that in a lecture l Mr Crabtree excused his reversal of award by explaining that a good handler may deceive a, judge by. hiding blemishes and show up good points by better handling; but this does not go down with the critic “Hotspur,” who takes the opportunity of explaining to Mr Crabtree bow he should go about his work! Mr Joe Maude we know as a very capable judge, not only of dogs, but jf poultry, pigeons, and canaries. I doubt whether there is a man in Australia or any _ where else more at home amongst fanciers exhibits or more competent o judge them than he is; but even he, to my knowledge, has reversed his own awards. Another fault Mr Maude finds with Mr Crabtree is that he is too slow. In conversation with this world-renowned judge when he was here, I complimented him on the patience he showed in adjudicating on even the poorest classes, and he explained that “when people entered their dogs they naturally expected, however poor they [the clogs] might be, that the: judge would at least examine them; they, as well a,s -the owners of the best specimen?, had paid for his services.’ 7 I fancy “slow judging” by such an expert means “careful judging,” and that such judging should give satisfaction rather than otherwise. 1 may conclude that I gather from. Mr Maude's remark that the quality at Sydney was of such a nature that he himself would have made short work of it. I am afraid the green-eyed monster is at work in Australia. Quite apart from the criticism I have been referring to, and speaking of judging generally, it; has over and over again been remarked by the most competent judges that “'it was very difficult to separate the winners into first, second, and third.” When a. judge is asked, as he often is, why he preferred one dog to another, all he may be able to say, and often has said, is: “Your dog would not show himself when in the ring, but were the two dogs to appear before me again I would place them ■differently.” And he would do so, if honest, notwithstanding that he would subsequently be blamed for reversing- ais awards. . He would not by such action lose the confidence of fanciers—at least not- of those worth preserving, but, rather, would be esteemed for his honesty and courage ana for his fearlessness of adverse criticism. Dogs are being trained for employment in the United States air mail service. The first trained is a fox terrier, which is now 7 accustomed to be attached to a small parachute and dropped from_ a. height of 1500 ft. lo see a dog come sailing through the air is a distinct novelty. Upon landing, the dog frees itself of the parachute harness, and hurries off to the the aviation field with a. small mail parcel. So successful have the experiments proved that dogs are to be enlisted as regular members of the air service. ( At a luncheon in Sydney Mr Sam Crabtree made the following plea for unity. He said (I am quoting the Daily Telegraph): “In whatever I' have done this day and the clay before I have acted according to my convictions. It did not matter whether the- exhibitor was a millionaire or a poor man. it was the dog that won.” He did what lie considered was right, and that satisfied him. He judged every class of clog according- to the usefulness of the animal for which it was intended by Nature, it- wa-s no use in trying to get a Yorkshire terrier to do the work of an Irish terrier. If the people here who had little differences- were to come together and show under the one banner .it would be better icr all .parties. The difference, after all, wa-s trifling. “From what I can learn,” added Mr Crabtree, “if about six people among you would curl up in their shells and say nothing for about 12 months, the whole of the clubs could fco brought together. '. Let representatives of the various societies meet and draw up a set of rules, and it would be- found that they could work well together. Let the rules be inter-State rules. . Such a system would work just as well in this country as in the Old Country, although the people of Australia were more scattered than they were at Home. He hoped before he left Australia that- his presence would have a good effect upon the canine societies here, and bring- the fanciers together. There should not be there petty differences between people in sport. There was no squabbling among them at Home. People who -would not forget their little differences should be made to stand aside and let those come in who would work amicably with others. If he could bring the societies together here in Australia before he left- he would be more than pleased. That was one of the objects of his visit hero. He purposed giving- a lecture on the breeding and judging of dogs before he left, and he hoped thar every person- interested in dogs would attend, when he would tell all he knew about clogs as well as he could.