DOG LORE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 84, 22 November 1911, Page 2

DOG LORE.

(By La'vcrack.) Entries for the Stratford Show dose to-morrow, Thursday, November 23rd. It therefore behoves all those who' v,ould have their names as exhibitors handed down to posterity to get _ busy and send along their entries, it is astounding to know of the number ot local entries received. foil; evidently realise the utility of giving

. few shillings extra for a dog and ;etting a pedigree one than harbouring

a mongre i. , i it was my .great pleasure .to be shown a particularly charming specimen of the Skye terrier, owned by Mrs McNecley,: of this town. “Judy” is the proud mother of six most lovely pups, and it was only the fear of being “run in” while running out that hindered me from grabbing one up and making .off. Her manners were most insinuating, and her great eyes glowed at times under her long hair as if a wistful, loving little soul were trying to speak through them. Truly the Skye terrier is rightly called “The Heavenly Breed.” Certainly when ho is seen in perfection he is an exceeding beautiful dog. . And certainly there is no breed more affectionate, more faithful, or more loveable. Among his characteristics are a long-en-during patience, a prompt obedience, and a deep-hearted tenderness combined with fearless courage. He is more sensitive to rebuke and punishment than most dogs and will nurse resentment to those, who are unjust to him—not viciously, but with an almost human plaintiyenqss which demands an immediate reconciliation. He is as staunch and firm, as his native hills to those who are kind to him, and for entering intq battle with an enemy there is no dog more recklessly daring and resolute. No one who has, seen two Skye terriers at grips will deny that they are “terrible” lighters. To separate them requires the exercise of concentrated strength and ingenuity. They have jaws like steel traps, which when, once closed U2)on a victim are not loosened until they have done their work.

Visitors to dog shows are disposed to believe that the Skye terrier, with its well-groomed coat that falls in smooth cascades down its sides, and its veil of thick hair that obscures the tender softness of its dark and thoughtful eyes, is only meant to look beautiful upon the bench or to recline in comfortable indolence on silken cushions. This is a mistake. See a team of Skyes racing uphill after a fugitive rabbit, tirelessly burrowing after a rat, or displaying their -terrier strategy around the earth of‘a- fox, and you will admit that they are meant for sport, and are demons at it. Even their peculiarity of build is a proof that they 'are born to follow vermin underground. ' They are long of body, with short, strong legs, adapted for burrowing. Do'They not resemble in shape ■the ’stoat; the weasel, and the otter, and so in any animals which Nature has made long and low in order that they may inhabit earths, and insibilate rhcnlsolvos into narrow pasi ~• .. : if;:. • . ; M , ’ . ( sagos. ; j • I ■ 'Thorp is; a .tradition frequently; re'ferred to by writers on flic Skye torfief 'that thd' brbed was originally thej offspring of soiife '“Spanifjir white dogs which 'were■'‘Wricked on I ,the of Skye ’at"the 'time when ‘the ’Spahislf Armada lost so many ships on the Western coast.” But putting aside the improbability that the Spaniards took any dogs with them on a military expedition in galleons which were already overcrowded 'with men and insufficiently provisioned, there is the fact that the Highlanders possessed AV'dfkiiig 5 tef riars' Idn'g ‘ before the year 1588. There can be no question that these dogs, which are so typically •Highland in. Characterbdid pfipparaiice, as well as the 'ulydesdglb” the' Scottish! ■and the Han'di' 1 Diiiniobt 'hfe all 'the', descenclaiitsdof ,l H’ plirely fA a five 1 Scot-; tish original.” ."They are] ,All inter-re,-, fated; but-AVdpCh was’ ‘ the parent breed it is impossible to determine.

It is even difficult to discover which of the two distinct ! types of the Skye tcrriel - was the earlier—-the variety whose ears stand' hlertly erect or its near relative, whose ears arc pendulous. Perhaps it does not matter. The differences between the prickeared Skye and the drop-eared are so slight and the charactcrictics which they have in common are so many, that a dual classification was hardly necessary. The earliest descriptions and engravings of the breed present a terrier considerably smaller than the type of to-day, carrying a fairly profuse, hard coat, with short legs, a body long in proportion to its height, and with ears that were neither erect or drooping, but semi-erect and capable of being raised to alertness in excitement. It is the case that dropeared puppies often occur in the litters of prick-eared parents, and vice versa.

In the early days the Highlander cared less for the appearance than he did for the sporting proclivities of his dogs, whose business it was to oust the tod from the earth in which it had taken refuge; and for this purpose certain qualities were imperative. First and foremost the tender needed to be small, short of leg, long and lithe in body, with ample face fringe to protect the eyes from injury, and last, but by'ho means least, possessed of unlimited pluck and dash. The Skye terrier of to-day does not answer to each and every one of these requir’ement.s. He is too big—decidedly ho is too big-—especially in regard to the head. A noble-looking skull, With large; well-feathered ears may .bo admirable as an ornament, but would assuredly debar its possessor from following into a fox’s lair among the boulders. Then, again, his long coat would militate against the activity necessary) for his legitimate calling. It is to he remembered that the Skye was used in the Highlands for otter and fox limiting. They accompanied the hounds, keeping as near to, them as their short legs would allow; and when the hounds drove the fox or the otter into a cairn where they could not follow the terriers would lie sent in. They were perfect demons at the work. A terrier must necessarily Ifc small and flat in the ri!> to enable him successfully to undertake subterranean manoeuvres, Which he lias often to accomplish lying on his side. Ho must also have courage sufficient to face and kill his quarry, or die in the attempt. lint for such work the Skye terrier is now very seldom employed, and he has been bred to a different type. What remains, in the animal himself, however, are his superb qualities of pertinacity, vivacity, devotion to his mas-

or. and many quaint and winning mbits which seem to belong to ('vary number ol' the breed.

The present-day Skye is. without doubt, one of the most beautiful dogs in existence, and “Judy” always commands a great amount of admiration and attention, whenever she deigns to make her appearance in Broadway. The ladies will become quite‘aesthetic when she makes her debut with her sweat six little olive branches at the Groat Kennel Show in Stratford.*

It may be interesting to nut on record (sic measurements of Cli. Wolverify Clmmmie, a dog who lias never vet been excelled in competition, and who is recognised by all judges as being as

near perfection as it is possible for a Skye terrier to be. His weigljt is 27AJi>s, his height at the shoulder is 91 inches, his length from muzzle to back of skull 9 inches, from back of skull to root of tail 21 inches, his tail from root to tip 10 inches, and his total length -11 inches. Thus, while he is slightly hoarier than the prescribed weight, he has the advantage of being both longer and lower than the average. To the uninitiat'd t.hpß° seem to present an insuperable difficulty. tue impression pi avails Unit tue secrets of our Broadway hairdressers arc requisitioned in order to produce a flowing robe, and that when obtained it is with supreme difficulty that it is kept in good order. But its attainment and management are easier matters than would appear at first sight. Assuming that the dog is well bred to begin with, the first essential is to keep him in perfectly good health, giving him plenty of wholesome meat food, plenty of open-air exercise, keeping him scrupulously clean and free from parasites, internal and external. As to grooming, the experienced owner would say, “spare the comb and brush and save the coat.” As a rule the less you tamper with a Skye’s coat the hotter that coat will become. All that is necessary, is to keep it free from tangle, and this is best done with deft fingers than with a raking comb. A Skye terrier should never really require conditioning for a show. He ought to be kept in such a way that prepared to face the music of the ring at a couple of days’ notice. This, in fact, is the secret pertaining to all long-coated dogs, and the desirable condition can only be secured by daily observation and scrutiny, and it has been found by experience that a woman makes a far better hairdresser of Skycs than a heavierfisted man. In selecting a puppy from the next litter you are safe in choosing the biggest, ugliest, and worst formed of the crew; but at six months old pups may be selected with greater certainty. The Skye is a late furnisher, and it is sometimes a couple of years or more before ho nttuins his full preportions and reveals the qualities which go to the making of a champion. . Do not forget that entries close tomorrow.