KENNEL CHATTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7433, 20 June 1902, Page 1

KENNEL CHATTER.

' ; '. . .(By SIRIUS.) The Canterbury Kennel Club's Show will be held on August 13 and 11, Mr T. Hides, of Dunedin, has been appointed judge of all classes at the fehojv. A new. departure has been made; this ,year by the addition of a class: for working dogs,, which should commend itself to. all shooting men, as the dogs. are. to be. tried oh game. Several big winners at New Zealand shows 'have already notified their intention to compete, and, as the trial is open to any dog. irrespective of breed,there is likely- to be a. large entry. . Three well-known shooting. men, Messrs C. Lewis_. C. • Palairet. arid G. B. Ritchie, have consented to act as the judges/-. Should this, venture prove successful it will be continued on a larger scale in future. At Home.field 1 trials are , most popular and enjoyable affairs. Recent reports of the Spaniel "Club and Retriever Club trials in England have been consulted in framing a few rules, which, with the schedule of the _how t are now in the printer's hands and will be circulated this week. The schedule of., the Dunedin Fanciers' Club's dog show, on July 18 and 19, has been received. There is a superabundant classification, but I regret to see tliat the idiotic definition of the "Limit" class as for "dogs which have not won more than-phe first prize in an Open class" is continued, while to qualify for the next highest class; "Winners."'a dog must lave won three or imoie first prizes in Open classes: There is quite a run on the small, smooth working sheep-dogs called in Australia "Kelpies." Messrs King and MALeod, noted winners at trials, iave lately .placed two Kelpies for shipment to the Argentine at'£lo 10s, three pups for Natal at £5 ss, and- six in New Zealand at £5 5s each. A_out August or September this firm expects to receive from Scotland three of the best trial workers procurable in the land o' cakes." These dogs are, of the "Kelpie" type. I.hear that Mr Bi. T. Little intends fco eend his imported Maudie across to visit one of the new-comers in the springThere is trouble between the Victorian Poultry and Kennel Ciub and the West Australia Poultry .and Dog Association, owing to the former having refused to accept affiliation with the latter, the, ground taken being that the Westralian body should apply to the Melbourne body for affiliation. ...The- Westralian Association resents this, "a.-djias, disqualified all stock imported' from the Etfstern States from competing at West Australian shows. Mf -Lovell Langslow, -of Castlemaine, ,; writes :to the ," Leader " regarding the sale .•-offhis Irish Setters :—" Mr Alex. Clifford- * Bramah, of Wellington,,. New ..Zealand, Kennel Editor of the ' New- Zealand Field,' is the purchaser, and the shipping arrangements were in the hands of the reliable and well-known fancier, Mr T. W- Tyzack." I see that there has been.quite a- spurt- in the breed in Ireland lately, one well-known and successful exhibitor having sold three at £120, £100 and £50 respectively, .and another has refused'--815.0 for a field and bench winner. ..■■'-■■_ :;_,_i£he Kennel.Club^(England), has applied. 'to.- his .Majesty for a Royal Cfha_ter. It is understood there will be.no opposition, to the charter being granted.. The Parks administration of the London County Council has made a concession. A portion of each open space, where there is plenty of grass, is thrown' open to canine visitors, and. they can roam and chase, each other about .without the restraint of the lead.' The • privilege is eagerly availed pi in all the large parks.. > ' , ■_. At _t]ie sale of Mr Harding Cox'j sporting fo^ on May. 3, the flat-coated, retriever Black Queenvfetched 145gs and Black Squall "62g5,. the nineteen of the .variety, including three ycung puppies,; aggregating '56lgs; nineteen greyhounds realised 722g5, individual juices being up to 150gs ; fifteen cockers went very cheap for.224gs, top. price 26gs ; field spaniels fetchied 37gisand sgs; a Clumber 9gs, and three Scottish, terriers logs, 6gs and 7gs. Th© sale "igtaUed 1533g5. > The attendance .was the largest seen at the Barbican, since Colonel Nortih's greyhounds were sold, : A most e-traordinary case in conectiom with the mystery of lost dogs was heard recently atthe Blackburn (Lancashire) Polioe Court. It _eems that in the surrounding district, for several years past, dogs have disappeared in a most unaccountable manner,, and neither the offer of rewards nor the energy of the police was of any avail in. tracing them J However, some time ago. it came to bs whispered about tihat these dogs ihad been killed by a man who afterwards boiled the poor creatures for the purpose of obtaining the fat therefrom, whioh was said to-be a common remedy auhongat tfhe operatives for rheumatism. The story was veri-' fied, when a youth canned Heaton was charged with stealing a fox terrier, valued' by the owner at £30. On being questioned, Heaton said tbe dog-had. followed .bini from Whitekirk, and being -out of' work," lie had taken it- home and killed it for.the purpose of the fat obtained therefromi, a p_ac^ tiee wnich has father had -taught hdm, and who had carried on;the practice for.four or five years. witnesses gaveevidence, aiid it transpired that the father of the pi_soner, had from time to time obtain led his dogs for rendering down, into fat from Great Harwood. The owner of the terrier sadd- he thought the prisoner would obtain about 2£lb of fat from ifc, wihiohi would sell at ls 6d per pound, W prisoner stated that all he obtained was about lib, and it was tbe: custom to sell it in t__eepennyworths and sixpen_yworth«. The prisoner appeared to feel his position acutely, and. taking into account his youth, "and that his father, who had taught thie son, was most to blame in the matter, the Chairman sentenced him to one month's imps-: sonment in the second class, and hoped the police would be able to reach the father in connection witih the practice. So the mystery of lost,dogs atßishton and thereabouts is at last cleared up. " Boston Show, one of the most important of the American fixtures, has come and gone, and the "Stock-Keeper" gives the English judge's opinion of it. Mr Fred Mansell says: —"l am not outside'of the facts when I assert that, firstly, I never attended, a more enjoyable show in my life and, secondly, that the whole thing was a gigantic surprise to me. When I think of the buildings in which the majority of our' home shows are held, and compare them with the magnificent proportions: of Me- <

chanics' HaU, I feel that any comparison would be inadequate. .The decorations, too, added vastly to' the.. attractive appearance of the whole,'while most certainly the formations of the rings and arrangement- for . seating accommodation were both perfect. Starting with the dogs and their comfort —we could use no such solid benching in, England, as the numerous shows would spread disease; but here the space and comfort of the dogs were perfect. There was no barking or noise, and the whole thing was a comparative paradise, for the dogs. The rings were perfectly arranged and kept free for judging, while the comfort and convenience of the visitors were well catered for. I certainly have never.met a more modest, courteous, or nard-working committee, and in the office or. h_ the show smoothness was the order. The protracting of the judging was a new feature to me, but when I got the hang of., the thing, I saw how well- it worked with the incoming of the people to see this or that breed judged at stated times. Tiring for the .judge, for never was I so tired. ,1 am too ill to even put on paper what I felt at.the warmth of my reception in this, undoubtedly great country. Boston Dog Show certainly is one of the finest events.of its kind. I have ever «attended." Mr "VV. L. Rae writes as follows from England: to the " Australasian " :—" The Toy-dog Society's Show, at the Crystal Palace,..on May 1, brought out 1100 entries, and the quality all round was excellent: Pugs numbered 200; Pomeranians, 194 ;: toy spaniels, 1.75; and Japanese and Pekinese, 141. Only 29 Scotch and 17 Skye terriers were shown, owners generally objecting to their dogs being classified as toys. At the time these and other, classes were introduced, there" ;is no doubt that the promoters intended eventually to make this fixture an all-round show of dogs, but the Kennel Club stepped iri in the interests of their own annual show, which is held at the Crystal Palace in November of each yean . "Sales at the Toy-dog Show were not numerous, but several pugs were claimed, including Molly of Swarland, 25 guineas ; Royal Moscow, 10 guineas; and Dawn 5 guineas. Chow-OhoW puppies, as usual, found a ready sale up to 10 guineas each, and it it astonishing how they retain' theiM