Kennel and Field.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue IV, 28 July 1900, Page 160

Kennel and Field.

(By

“Tui.”)

The dog:, in life the firmest friend, The first to welcome, foremost to defend. —Byron. WHISPERS OF THE FANCY. It is in recognition of the increasing interest in kennel matters that this column is included in the “Graphic.” Items of interest, such as whelpings, importation of pedigree stock, dates of shows, schedules, photographs, and performances in the field, will receive notice if addressed to “Tui,” Kennel uud Field Column, “N.Z. Graphic.” It is the intention of the Auckland Kennel Club to hold the AugustSeptember show in the room at the junction of Grey and Queen-streets lately used by Mr Hermann, clothing manufacturer. J had a look at the proposed show place and think that it will take 200 dogs at a pinch. Auckland is in want of a decent place for holding shows in, and the building of a suitable hall would be hailed with pleasure by societies of any kind.

Mr Freeman Lloyd’s fee for judging the Auckland show, or rather for coming to New Zealand, is stiff, and unless the Wellington Club agree to paying half the amount required by Mr Lloyd, his services will have to be passed this year. I should like to suggest to the local club that there are several capable gentlemen in Australia who would probably come to New Zealand at a figure much less than Mr Lloyd’s quotation—Messrs Smythe and CourtRice. Both these gentlemen have proved their ability to judge efficiently, and best of all their fees are not prohibitive. Mr Court-Bice lias just returned from England, and will therefore have an idea of the latest in the canine world. I append the following as being from the pen of Dr. Carey, the great English authority on Irish terriers: — The improvement in size, coat and ears has, I think, been very marked, and if I may suggest any point which I think breeders would do well to pay attention to it is eye—to try and get them smaller, deeper set, and of darker colour. The difficulty in effecting this improvement is proved by Ihe fact that breeders of experience find eyes of the correct dark shade are almost invariably to be found only in dogs possessing the very objectionable dark face shading; and dogs that are of the correct colour throughout very frequently possess light-coloured eyes, than which to my mind there is nothing more abominable. Another point I think deserves attention—with some of our judges, mere especially those who are not themselves breeders of Irish terriers, there is just now rather a “craze” for whiskers, by which 1 mean a considerable amount of longish hair on tin foie face, giving it a greater appearance of strength Ilian it in reality possesses. Now 1 am convinced that all these hra\ily-w hiskered dogs are just those* that if shown honestly, i.e., untrimmed. would as a rule be quite passed over, because they carry naturally quite too much coat, so that the exhibitor who does not go in for trimming ami making up his dogs for show is thus placed at a great disadvantage*. A really good sound-coated dog shown naturally has only a moderate quantity of this face whisker, and for this reason I hope judges will for the future* cease to give so much weight to this point. Mr Chilcott’s champion pointer bitch Princess is looking well and should take a Jot of beating at the next show’. Her owner has purchased a pointer puppy of great promise. The Auckland Kennel Club have decided not to accept exhibition dogs this year, and the idea is good, as more room will be given to those put in for show. A dog that is not good enough for competition is, to my mind, not fit for exhibition.

I think the Auckland Kennel Club should go in for field trials for sporting dogs in the same manner as adopted by the Collie Club. One often hears of a person remarking

that so and so’s dog 1 is good for the bench, but is not a worker; in fact the general public have an idea that pedigree dogs used for show cannot work. This could easily be disproved by trials as suggested.