THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3714, 19 May 1925, Page 29

THE KENNEL.

By

Terror.

Panders and breeders of dogs are cordially 1» rited 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 of his readers, hence he trusts this invitation will be oheeriailf responded to. R. A. M*K., Piarere. —Your clog requires internal treatment. Give worm pill right away, and commence a course of blood mixture, and employ a lotion to kill the follicular which is in the skin. Mr R. Conn, who advertises above this column, is a dog fancier, and, experienced in dog diseases, he informs me that treated as recommended your dog should be cured in a fortnight. “Spaniel.”—No, I do not recommend gravel for the kennel yard. 'The enclosure being so small it will not cost much to concrete it. Concrete allows for clean sweeping and thorough hosing, while loose gravel gradually becomes foul. A foul yard is destructive to health. The yard should be in the sunniest place you can place it, and the concrete floor should be sloped away from the sleeping quarters. Preparing for Show. —Next month (June) our canine friends will be making the Agricultural Hall resound with their yelping and barking, and, judging by the noles struck, one is inclined to think that “disapproval” is the “order of the day.” As regards owners, one has only to regard faces to note that they register anxiety—i.e., before the cards are awarded; afterwards it is exultation or disappointment. It is inevitable, of course, that the judges cannot award prizes to all the dogs that come before them, and consequently there must he disappointment; but, although all realise this fact, all do not realise that their dogs might have been higher placed had they been properly presented. Dogs frequently fail to please the judge simply because they are led into the ring by one with whom they are not familiar, or who does not know the first thins? about how to show up a dog's good points. No dog is perfect, but the experienced showman never displays anxietj- whilst in the ring to call the judge’s attention to his dog’s only (or several) imperfection. As Ashmont points out: “The average exhibitor, having decided to enter his dog, at once sets about putting him into ‘condition’ to appear at his best”: and he adds: “There are two ways of doing this, and they may be said to point east and west, for they are distinctly opposite—one being right and the other wrong. Unfortunately the latter is by far the more popular, and it consists of drugging and gorging. Yet, as far as form goes, the only legitimate way to. put a dog right is to rely upon hygienic and dietetic means.” Seeing that, when there has been a general falling off, very generally three or four months are required to do this work well, it should be obvious that, with the short time now at the owner’s disposal before the show, it would be a mistake to enter a dog at all. When the candidate for honours is badly “off,” being under weight, out of coat, and with muscles soft and flabby from disuse, it is well to start in with a dose of worm medicine. And, this having acted, the dog should be entered upon a course of training by exercise, which should bo systematic and conducted, if possible under as rigid dietetic and hygienic rules as those enforced with athletes. Steady, slow' work should be the rule at first in all instances, and this should be persisted in with the largest non-sporting breeds—the walks gradually extended each day, until fairly long distances are being covered; while with most of the other varieties it must be intelligently quickened as they gain in strength and endurance. As for terriers that have a yard or run to their kennels, they do not require nearly so much work as the larger breeds, for they are nervous and restless, and, being always on the move, exercise themselves. An English authority, writing on this subject of showing, directs attention to the necessity of careful grooming. lie says: “If the coat is neglected the hair is likely to become clogged and matted, and the skin beneath it is in an unhealthy state. Everybody, moreover, brushes his own hair, and horses are always groomed, so why should the coats of dogs not receive attention? Unfortunately, there can be no doubt that the art of applying a brush to the coats of dogs is one that is abused bv certain operators, inasmuch as wire is often substituted for the innocent bristles, with the result that a great deal of hair, which is not dead, but simply superfluous from a showman’s point of view, is removed. Now, the removal of superfluous hair which is not dead is not allowed in the case of animals that are exhibited; and therefore the beginner who wields a wire brush and applies it too vigorously may unconsciously incur the penalties of disqualification if it is proved against him that he has taken out live hair from the coat of his favourite. Different sorts of coats require different brushes. For big, strong animals of the short-coated varieties, the ordinary body brush, with a piece of webbing at the back, as used in stablos, will be found very useful in cleansing the skin and imparting brilliancy to tho hair. In the case of the long-haired breeds, n dandy brush is the thing to use; whilst the coats of the smaller varieties can be treated with one of the ordinary hairbrush pattern, the length of the bristles being dependent upon that of the coat. A hair glove is likewise a most excellent thing to use; but whatever form of brush is applied, the task of brightening up the jacket, is always facilitated by the appliance of a leather rubbed well into the coat the way the hair runs, and not against the grain. Hand rubbing is also an effective means of improving the gloss on the coat and lay of the jacket; but it take* time, and some dogs decline to stand still with their tails towards their keeper as he presses his palms along their hacks and sides. Tho grooming of all dogs that are intended for show should bo a daily duty of their keeper, as the friotion not only keeps the coat In good order, but improves the tone

of the system. The promiscuous use of a comb in the hands of a beginner has brought disaster upon many a kennel, and more particularly when the teeth are of metal. When such is the case the comb is a far more dangerous weapon than the wire brush, and it is to be feared that the owners of overcoated show dogs apply their combs in a fashion that is not fair to those who only remove the dead hair from tho coats of their show animals. It is rather a moot question whether too much combing, even under the best of conditions, is not both unnecessary and objectionable. There is, in the first place, always a good chance of it injuring the skin of the dog; and, in the second, it causes the animal a good deal of pain when the comb is applied to matted tufts of hair. In such cases, too, there is always a strong probability of so much coining away that bare patches are left, and so the best way to deal with matted hair is to manipulate it with the fingers, and, if necessary, to reduce it partially by the use of the scissors. It is not allowable to cut the hair of a dog intended for show purposes. Singeing, dyeing, and pinching tho coats of show dogs are all prohibited.” SHEEP GOG TRIALS. Ngapara Collie Club —June 8 and 9.