THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 55

THE KENNEL.

Terror.

Bi

Fandom and breeders of dogs are cordially havited to contribute to this column. "Terror” will eadeavour 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, h«noe ha trusts this invitation will be oheerfuUjr responded to.

Mr James Lilico, the well-known sheep dog breeder of Southland, has purchased Glen, winner of the International Sheep Dog Society’s trials (reported in the Dog Bulletin of October 1 and 8). Mr Lilico has already in his kennels the. dam and also a litter sister of the champion, as well as a sister of his sire. I learn that Mr Lilico has had a “great year”—i.e., a record one as regards sales of puppies,—and as the following particulars show, he is still importing. In addition to some very fine stock imported during the year just ended, he has a very promising young dog on Quail Island; a bitch with a litter is due to land any day now, and two other bitches are only waiting to be mated before shipment. Two dogs, great winners and splendid types, from the Cheviots, purchased at big prices, have also been secured by Mr Lilico for de--spatch to his kennels. The winner at the international trials mentioned above is Hayton’s Glen. There were three judges, and the points they awarded to the 12 dogs which had qualified for the championship were as follows:—

Rice for Dogs.—Ashmont declares that rice is a 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 beagle.is,an ancient type of hound, called also the “singing” or “pocket” hound. Its hound-like characters are. well marked, and the breed is well established. It is a pity that so few prizes are given at shows' for beagle entries. There 'was an attempt to reduce their value. They

ire occasionally in the southern- counties • of England used for: rabbitshooting, and they are very useful for that; jnii )».,-.<> they vafy.in sizd; the “pocket” 'or. “dwarf? variety, which must hit exceed TOin "at

shoulder, is recognised by the British Beadle Club. There are also packs of 12in, 14in, and even 16in. The American Beagle Club sets a limit to height at 15in. The beagle is a miniature foxhound, and the chief characteristics are keen scent, acute intelligence, and great powers of perseverance. The coat should be close, on the head short and fine; in rough coats dense and wiry. Most of the points are concerned with the head, legs, and feet. The head should be of medium length, well domed, with a clearly-defined stop, and the flews, or cheeks, should- come well down; wide breast and deep girth. The . ears should be large, hanging down, folded

close to the face; the nostrils black and wide; the eyes full, hazel or brown in colour, and soft; fore limbs straight, with food bone and substance in the arms and orearms, elbows close to the chest; body must be of medium length, with a strong back and loins; ribs well sprung, feet round, and in line with the body; hind limbs muscular, joints broad, especially the hocks and knees: Different characters are needed for flat and hilly countries. The Alsatian is now in the hands of a few New Zealand fanciers, and will before long be as popular a breed in the Dominion as it is in England and the Continent of Europe. Such being probable, breeders generally may be pleased to read what an admirer of the breed in the Old Country has to say in reference to alleged shyness and, per contra, ferocity of the breed. Writing in the Dog Bulletin, he says: “The case of the attack by an Alsatian on its' mistress, Mrs Sullivan, of Westbourne Grove, London, has been given undue publicity in the press. The sooner the name ‘ wolfdog ’ is abolished the better; for the sensationmongers this word ‘ wolf ’ seems to hold an especial fascination, and certainly gives those ignorant of the Alsatian’s origin something to juggle with; and because the appearance- of the dog has kept true to the original canine type, the old, old story that he- is bred from the wolf goes the rounds, especially whenever any so-

called Alsatian commits some error. It is not uncommon for dogs of other breeds to give way to a sudden brain storm and attack their owners. We once owned an Irish terrier that was the most dangerous savage we have ever known. Yet we still love the breed, knowing that one sinner does not make the whole breed vile. The breed is suffering for its enormous popularity, for, like humans who sit in high places, their smallest deeds are eagerly chronicled, and they enjoy no privacy—this being the price paid for public favour. No variety ever bred has

leapt into prominence, in so short a time, and at the recent Kennel Club Show there were 544 entries in Alsatian classes. In fact, this breed tops the list at nearly all our leading shows, giving the lie to the suggestion that as a breed they are treacherous, as, apart from exhibition, £he majority of Alsatianists keep this breed because it has been universally proved he is a loyal, loving, friendly companion, and also the best of guards. This dog, being noted for his intelligence, any person who has kept various specimens of the canine race knows an intelligent dog is never treacherous. It is ‘the fool dog’ you have to beware of. He generally bites or nips at the slightest provocation when being handled. Three hundred years ago the ancestors of the Alsatian were sheep dogs, and as such were used. So the introduction of a wolf cross, would have produced a very unsafe temperament to place amongst sheep. This is the commonsense way of putting ‘Paid’ to the wolf theory. Alsatians get into the hands of all sorts and conditions of owners, often those without the slightest knowledge of how th treat a highly-strung animal, these poor animals becoming only what their masters make them. There are men and women who should never keep dogs—people whom all dogs hate. This is a curious fac.t, but no doubt others besides ourselves have met with humans that dogs showed a marked dislike to. Even the mildest tempered animal is ‘ uncertain ’ in their company. All who have owned Alsatians acknowledge them to be the best doggie companions for small children, as these powerful fellows allow their small owners to take all sorts of liberties with them. In fact one wellknown owner tells of a small baby that learned to walk by hanging on to an Alsatian’s tail! Alsatians being the children’s favourite explodes the ‘treacherous’ theory for all time.”

SHEEP DOG NOTES.

By Terror. Sheep Dog Trials.—Trials of working sheep dogs are steadily gaining ground in England. For many years they have been very popular in Scotland. At the fixture of the International Club at York there was a record crowd of interested spectators, wbo were treated to fine exhibitions. Some of the tests -were very The 10 sheep in one trial were released unseen by the dog, which was ordered to find and bring them back through a gate. Having put these sheep through the gate, 10 others were released in an opposite direction, and the dog had to bring them back and through the same gate. When the two lots were together, they had to be driven away over a triangular course, passing through a gate at 'each corner. The sheep were allowed to run, and the dog was then ordered to stop and hold five marked sheep. When he had got them in hand they had to be penned in . a small enclosure Bft square. The time allowed for this task was half an hour. The winner was Glen, owned by a .man in Yorkshire. He completed his task in 21min 15sec. Glen, as will be seen by this week’s opening kennel note, is now the property of Mr James Lilico, of Northope, Southland.

Judges. "ta o . o *3 M o m '£• "o H 1. Mark Hayton’s Glen 51 52 51 154 2. Wm. Wallace's Meg' 49 485 48J 146 3. J. W. Bagshaw’s Lad 47 45 46 138 4. Hugh Caig’s Moss 40 47 465 1335 5-. A. Millar’s 'Spot 44 44 435 1315 6. J. R. Hislop’s, Jed 39 41 415 1215 7.- W. Telfer’s Queen 37 41 405 1185 8. T. M. Dickson’s ,. - - ■ Foozle 35 38 39J Ii25’ 9, Jones’s Cap 38 33 J 36 1075 10. Wm. Wallace'S' Loos 31 29 34 94 11. Morris’s Sp'bt 28 23J 29 791 “12; Edmunds's Bob 25 -22 21 68