THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3875, 19 June 1928, Page 31

THE KENNEL.

By

Terror.

Fanciers anfl braaders of dogs are cordially invited to contribute to this column. "Terror” will endeavour to make th’s department as interesting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this he must have the cooparation of hie readers, hence ho trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to.

I had the pleasure of visiting the collie kennels of Mr D. H. Bracks, St. Kilda, and was surprised to find a fine range of kennels and inmates of veryhigh quality. This experience takes me back to the times of Jowitt, Rennie, and Fred Rogen, when collies were booming.

Mr J. Wilson, Tawanui, Southland, has purchased from Mr E. Bernasconi, Wellington, a particularly fine Blue Belton English setter dog pup by champion Braeleigh Knight ex Braeside Jolly Toff. According to a Victorian exchange, the breeders or New South Wales have de-, servedly gained a. name throughout the Commonwealth for producing the best smooth fox terriers. Big money has been paid to import all the leading strains from England.

Stoves in the kennels are not necessary. Probably they are best avoided, for, if dogs are accustomed to any considerable degree of artificial heat, they are more easily chilled by an exposure to cold. Their teeth and the setting up of their backs will confirm this.

Last year quite a large number of valuable working dogs in North Otago succumbed. to distemper. The disease has made its appearance again this year, and the loss of a number of high-priced collies is reported.

Youatt tells an interesting story respecting the sale of a dog. He says: “A person of the name of Chabert, who was afterwards better known by the title of ‘ Fire King,' had a beautiful Siberian dog, who would draw him in a light carriage 20 miles a day. He asked £2OO for him and sold him for a considerable portion of that sum, for he was a most beautiful animal of his kind, and as docile as he was beautiful. Between the sale and the delivery the dog fell and broke his leg. Chabert, to whom the price agreed on was of immense consequence, was in despair. He took the dog at night to a veterinary surgeon. He formally introduced them to each other. He talked to the dog, pointed to his leg, limped around the room, then requested the surgeon to apply some bandages around the leg, and he seemed to walk sound and well. He patted the dog on the head, who was looking alternately- at him and the surgeon, desired the surgeon P a . fc to offer him his hand to lick, and then, holding up his finger to the dog and gently shaking his head, quitted the room and the house. The dog immediately laid himself down, and submitted to a reduction of the fracture and the bandaging of the limb without au except once or twice lickirm the hand of the operator. He was quite submissive, and in a manner motionless, day after day, until at the 'expiration ot a month the limb was sound. Not a trace of the fracture was to be detected, and the purchaser, who is now living [1895], knew nothing about it." A remarkable incident, which - serves to illustrate the sagacity and responsiveness to command of a good sheep dog, occurred at the Marlborough collie dog trials on Tuesday (remarks the Marlborough Express), when Mr B. Ward ran his dog Boy in the open class, which required that a dog should go away about 500 yards on a hillside, head three sheep that had been released there and bring them down to his master and yard them*. He had been trained to be what musterers call an 'aye dog, that is, a dog which exercises a form of mesmeric control over sheep. When sent off up the hill after the sheep Boy unaccountably fell into a watercourse he encountered en route. Approaching the sheep he showed no signs of being aware of their presence, and would have gone right past had not his ,master’s whistle caused him to halt. He was then noticed to be sniffing the air and the ground as though scenting the sheep, and it was only when orders were whistled that he moved forward. The dog headed the sheep and commenced to bring them in, but it was observed that his behaviour was strange and, while the sheep at times went one way he went the the other. Mr Ward was puzzled, too, when the dog appeared to take no notice of his directive moyements, but was extremely responsive to whistled commands. It was only when the sheep had practically reached the yards that both Mr Ward and the spectators, who realised there was something peculiar about the dog’s movements, came to the conclusion that the animal must be blind. And su#h proved to be the case. It was found that Boy could not see a sheep more than a yard or so from him, yet

he had headed his trio and brought them right to -the yard simply by the sense of hearing and smell. The following was given to the Napier Telegraph’s Havelock reporter as a fact and was vouched for by the owner of the little fox terrier named “ Spot ” so well known in Havelock North. She had been without puppies for 18 months when a little nurseling kitten was brought to the owner’s house. The mewing little thing made friends with the fox terrier, who by force of sympathy must have willed that she should supply the nourishment for which the little feline creature-craved. The story is absolutely unbelievable were it not vouched for by the owner of the dog, who said that the pair could be seen at any time at his home on the Te Mata road. THE SAMOYEDE—A STRIKING BREED. —lnteresting Particulars. — The following article from Our Dogs, “ The Typical Samoyede.’’ should be of interest to members of the kennel fancy: — “ Correct breeding of these beautiful dogs is becoming more important as they increase in popularity and more people breed them. Therefore I write these notes in the hope of checking any tendency to get away from the true type by permitting an incorrect particular feature ... “ Several breeds of dogs can be instanced as having been changed from the original, and I have no patience with people who deliberately breed oddities and outsizes. On the other hand, there is something fine and pleasing in the idea of reproducing types which are well suited to the purposes and occupations for which Nature originally evolved them. “It happens that there can be no doubt as to the uses of the Samoyede dog, for the Samoyede people have bred them from time immemorial for herding reindeer and for hunting. Those are the principal occupations to-day on the tundras of North-east Russia and Northwest Siberia, although the dogs also act as guards of the property of their masters, and enter the chooms or tents freely, and are playmates for the children. “ They are a truly domesticated type, and are probably the oldest breed in

OTAGO WITNESS

existence which has come down from the ages pure and undefiled. —For Haulage.—

“ One so often sees remarks about Samoyede dogs being used for sledging that I cannot too strongly emphasise the fact that for transport purposes Samoyede people usually’ employ reindeer, and the sledges are made high from the ground to suit these animals. “ The Samoyede folk think too much of their dogs to use them regularly for an occupation that the reindeer can do. They conserve the dogs for other purposes which reindeer cannot fill. Of course, in case of travelling across long stretches of ice. as in the case of the Samoyedes on the Yenesi, or where reindeer cannot get the special moss or lichen which is their food, then dogs are sometimes used iu hauling. “ Russian traders and certain Norwegian and English Arctic explorers have used Samoyede dogs for sledge work, and although smaller than Eskimo and huskies, the dogs perform very well. That doesn’t after the fact that in build and weight the Samoyede dog has been principally evolved for herding and hunting. It has the alertness and intelligence of the Welsh sheep dog and the keenness and self-restraint of a good gundog. “In such a huge territory as Siberia there must necessarily be grades of dogs, as there are many races of people. For example, the dogs of a neighbouring tribe to the south, namely, the Ostiaks, are different from Samoyedes by being coloured and having a shorter coat, more like that of an elkhound or an Alsatian. —Original Type.—

“ I am specially anxious that the Samoyede dogs of this country [England] should be kept to the original type, because, in addition to being a beautiful and useful breed, they are so extremely interesting from an ethnological and historical point of view.

M e know, from the pictures found on the walls of caves and inscribed on bones found in France and elsewhere, that prehistoric man lived with reindeer. Most probably reindeer were the first animals that were domesticated, and the dog came about the same period, because I think prehistoric man found them useful for hei ding their partly trained reindeer as well as for hunting. I believe that the Samoyede people are the oldest pure aboriginal race in Europe, and they are as they are because they have lived from time immemorial in regions where other races have had no desire to live. There has been no mixing, and thus_ the Samoyedes, their reindeer, and their dogs go back to the days of prehistoric man. ‘True, Samoyede dogs are as they are to-day because they have not been in touch with other breeds, and because the occupations which evolved the original type in the long-distant past are the same occupations as they engage in to-day. Ulimate and food and occupations have remained much the same, and these are the conditions which set the type. “The Samoyede breed is therefore of great historic _ value, and it would -be a thousand pities if there should be any freak breeding for special points in size, shape, or quality because some persons may desire to have some special feature emphasised m order to please anv ‘ freak fanatic. —No Contamination.— “As example, I would say that it is not right to encourage mere bigness because some people have got it into their heads that tall dogs look as if they could haul sledges better than cobbier ones. As 1 have already stated, sledging has \ ery little to do with it. Any tendency to long wolf-like slouchiness of body is particularly undesirable, and a long or a domed head is not only quite but it is ugly. °’ that lies down or has curl like that of a collie is collie-like, and certainly not Samoyede-like. The true Samoyede has a double coat, the outer one of glistening hairs outstanding from the body, and a woolly undercoat, which is very

characteristic of the breed, and from wLich good cloth can easily be made. Siberiaks have for many generations made their garments, such as socks, mittens, etc, from Samoyede dog wool. It has a strong and cold-resisting texture.

“ Samoyede people live normally right away from towns on the tundra, where their dogs are kept free from contamination with other breeds. When they c ? me ,, 80u th there are the possibilities of all contamination, and therefore one has to be very careful when buying dogs a OI ? Samoyedes camped temporarily near Archangel and other towns. An attempt is now being made in certain quarters to have flop ears admitted as a characteristic feature. Above all things the ears of dogs that have lived from time immemorial in most difficpmat:ic conditions, where only the nttest can survive,’ need to be alert i Ca ?Tk ? - o£ . catchin g the slightest mnkilk T 18 hy th , ey are peaked and j!; e . ,8 M ature s condition. Unwnk« <y l th t t firSt dOgS Came from fl and what woul <l a wolf look like with flop ears, and what chance would it have with others? ’’ SHEEP DOC TRIALS. NGAPARA. The Ngapara Collie Club’s dog trials were, commenced on the property of Mr R. Fincham on June 11, and continued on Tuesday, in the presence of a considerable number of spectators. The results of the first two days' competitions were as follow:— MAIDEN HEADING. Points allowed: Heading 8, pull 8, command 10, work at yards 6, yarding 4: total, 36. W. Fraser’s Scott, 7,6, 7£ 3J. 4—28 1 P. Kane’s Grip, 5,6, 8,4 J, 4—27 J .. 2 R. Davie’s Wave, 6,5, 7,4 j, 4 —26| .. 3 J. Rawcliffe, 7,4, 6,3, 4—24 .. .. 4 OPEN CLASS I. Points allowed: Heading 8, pull 8, command 10, work at yards 6, yarding 4; total 36. A. T. Millar’s Kip, 7J, 7. 9, SJ, 4—33 1 A. Aubrey’s Chance, 7%, 7,9, 5, 4—321 2 J. Anderson’s Toby, 7J, 7,9, 44, 4 —32 3 A. T. Millar’s Runt, 7,6 J, 9,5," 4—314 4 J. Anderson’s Risp, 74, 6,9, 4—31 5 MAIDEN HUNTAWAY. Points allowed: Hunt 8, noise 8, command 10, slew 6, style 8; total, 40. lan Anderson’s Dick, 7,8, 8, 44, 64— 34 i John Anderson’s Tay, 64, 8,7, 44, 6— 32 2 A. Henderson’s Jeff, 6,8, 7,4, 5—30 3 P. Kang’s Rowdy, 6„ 6,7, 34. 6—28% 4 D. M'Gimpsey’s Mack, 6,8, 6,3, 5 — 28 5 OPEN HANDICAP. Points allow'ed: Hunt 8, noise 8, command

10, style 8; total, 4. J. Rawcliffe’s Fan. 74, 8. BJ, 5, 7—36 1 J. Faulkner’s Tip, 7,8, B£, 54, 6£ —35J 2 A. Henderson’s Dick, 8,8, 8,5, 6 —35 3 J. Anderson’s Tay, 7,8, 8, 54, 6—344 4 W. M’Hardy's Dick, 6,8, 6, “4, 5 —29 5

Following is the result of the long pull, for which there were 32 entries (Possible points: Heading 10, pulling 10, command 12, moving in ring 4, holding 4; total 40) : A. Henderson’s Tiny Moon, 10, 94, 10J, 3s. 4—374 .. 1 J. Anderson’s Toby, 9,9, 11, 4, 4—37 2 G. P. Johnston’s Rock, BJ, 9. 11, 34, 4—36 .. .. 3 A. T. Millar’s Kip. 9,9, 10|, 3. 4—35 J—4 A. T. Millar’s Runt, 10, 7|, 10, 4, 3 —34 J .. .. 5

Judge’s remarks:— Tiny Moon.—Cast on right; went out on good line; made a non-stop run, making a good head in 1.45. Lifted sheep a little harshly; pulled well on good line; ring work good. Toby.—Cast on right; vvent out on good line; stopped once, making a good head in 2.10. Lifted sheep well; pulleiT on good line; but allowed sheep to hang a little; work in ring good. Rock.—Cast on right; came in on cast; redirected, stopped, then went out and made a good head in 1.25. Lifted sheep quietly; pulled sheep well on good line; allowed to Stop a little at start of pull; allowed sheep to get once out of ring; holding good.