The Auckland Kennel Club.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 220, 11 October 1894, Page 9

The Auckland Kennel Club.

After somewhat of a fiasco in the matter of judging at the show held in November last, the club raised every one’s hopes by importing a gentleman from Australia in the shape of Mr Coupe to act as judge of the show just closed. Although Mr Coupe’s advent was heralded with considerable reclame the results of his performance can scarcely be deemed satisfactory. Doubtless the task he undertook -—compared to which the labours of Hercules were a mere trifle—was more

than any man could possibly achieve under the conditions. To satisfactorily "-judge upwards of 240 animals in about 180 minutes {i.e., about three-quarters of a minute to each) is manifestly beyond the capacity of any one man even supposing that a rara avis in the shape of a competent and impartial judge of all classes with sufficient backbone to resist the influences which so frequently are brought to bear by interested breeders, has been secured. The judge in the present instance had at his elbow as chief steward the judge who officiated at the last show, a circumstance which gave occasion to strong comments, and which, to say the least, was in extremely bad taste. Undoubtedly no one man should be entrusted with the judging of all classes of dogs. To know one breed thoroughly requires much study and experience; to be au fait in all the points of say three breeds is practically as much as any one man can pretend to master in half a lifetime. Mr Coupe does not appear to

have escaped severe criticism in his own country. The Melbourne Sportsman in a recent issue devotes some space to a controversy on the subject of his judgment of spaniels in which Mr Coupe is cruelly demolished. The Melbourne Sportsman says:—“ I will content myself with affording Mr Coupe another opportunity of explaining ‘ for the benefit of beginners’ why he placed a dog of the aristocratic name of Bob in a cocker class and also decorated him with another card in a field class in the same show and within the same hour.”

Taking one breed, the fox terrier—in which the writer claims to be an expert —and leaving the other breeds to be dealt with by those who have made a special study of them, it is difficult to see how the judge can reconcile his awards with the standard points recognised at home and by all persons who know what a good fox-terrier is. Let us glance at the three dogs awarded prizes in the Open Class. Pincher, the dog placed first, is too big, weighing over 201bs; has the head of a greyhound without any perceptible stop ; his ears are far too thick and the points too round ; his eyes are much too large and prominent; his feet are big and clumsy, and his legs are elephantine and coarse at the ancle ; his chest is far too broad in proportion to its depth; his coat is much too long and soft, and he by no means realises the ideal notion of a good fox-terrier in symmetry as compared with a fox hound or cleverly made hunter. Vasilie, the dog placed second—it is said that but for lameness he would have had first place—shows no substance or muscle, and is merely a lady’s lap dog. His oars are also much too thick and round at the points, and his eyes too large and prominent. He also fails signally to fulfil the requirements of coat, his hair being long in staple and standing up instead of lying flat. Koko, the third prize dog, while not perfect, is twenty per cent, nearer the imaginary 100 standard than either. He has two defects in head only, viz., the head might be flatter, and the nose shows a flesh coloured patch. His feet are somewhat long in the toe, but are far better than those of either the two dogs above mentioned. In coat, symmetry, legs, size, weight and carriage it would be difficult to find a fault. After Mr Coupe’s extraordinary award, made it must be admitted in too short a space (six minutes) to allow him to take note of the standard pointy and allot an estimate of each, breeders will indeed be puzzled to know what model they are to aim at in the shape of good fox terriers. Are they to breed copies of the winning dog ? Heaven forbid 1 It may be mentioned that another dog of entirely greater merit than either of the first two was not even honored with a second glance. Subjoined are the latest standard points of the London Fox Terrier Club, which may perhaps give breeders a better idea of the requisites which go towards making a reallv good show-dog than Mr Coupe’s extraordinary “ living models.” Head.—The skull should be flat, moderately narrow, and gradually decreasing in width to the eyes. Not much “ stop ” should be apparent, but there should be more dip between 'the forehead and the top jaw than is seen in the case of a greyhound. The cheeks must not be full. The ears should be V shaped and small, of moderate thickness, and drooping forward close to the cheek, not hanging by the side of the head like a fox-hound’s. The jaw, upper and under, should be strong and muscular. Should be of fair punishing strength, but not so as in any way to resemble the greyhound or modem English terrier. There should not be much falling away below the eyes. This part of the head should, however, be moderately chiselled out, so as not to go down in a straight slope like a wedge. The nose, towards which the muzzle must gradually taper, should be black. The eyes should be dark in colour, small, and rather deep set, full of {fire, life and intelligence —as nearly as possible circular in shape. The teeth should be as nearly as possible level—i.e., the upper teeth on the outside of the lower teeth. Neck should be clean and muscular, without throatness, of fair length, and gradually widening to the shoulders. Shoulders should be long and sloping, well laid back, fine at the points, and clearly cut at the withers.

Chest deep and not broad. Back should be short, straight and strong, with no appearance of slackness. Loin should be powerful and very slightly arched. The fore ribs should be moderately arched, the back ribs deep; and the dog should be well ribbed up. Hind quarters should be strong and muscular, quite free from droop or crouch ; the thighs long and powerful; hocks near the ground, the dog standing well up in them like a Foxhound, and not straight on the stifle. Stem should be set on rather high, and carried gaily, but not over the back or curled. It should be of good strength, anything approaching a “pipe-stopper” tail being especially objectionable. Legs viewed in any direction must be straight, little or no appearance of ankle in front. They should be strong in bone throughout, short and straight in pastern. Both fore and hind legs should be carried straight forward in travelling, the stifles not turned outwards. The elbows

should hang perpendicularly to the body, working free of the sides. Feet should be round, compact, and not large. The soles hard and tough. The toes moderately arched, and turned neither in nor out. "’Coat should be straight, flat, smooth, hard, dense, and abundant. The belly and under side of the thighs should not be bare. Colour—white should predominate ; brindle, red, or liver markings are objectionable. Otherwise this point is of little importance. Symmetry, Size and Character. —The dog must present a gay, lively, and active appearance ; bone and strength in a small compass are essentials; but this must not be taken to mean that a Foxterrier should be cloddy, or in any way course. Speed and endurance must be looked to as well as power, and the symmetry of the Foxhound taken as a model. The terrier must on no account be leggy, or must he be too short in the leg. He should stand like a cleverly-made hunter, covering a lot of ground, yet with a short back as before stated. He will then attain the highest degree of propelling power, together with the greatest length of stride that is compatible with the length of his body. Weight is not a certain criterion of a terrier’s fitness for his work—general shape, size and contour are the chief points ; and if a dog can gallop, and stay, and follow his fox up a drain, it matters little what his weight is to a pound or so ; though, roughly speaking, it may be said he should not scale over 2olb, show condition.