3portinGDog5- Their points AND Management ^^1 m In Frank Townend Barton M.R.C.YS. v.'^^.:.:v^:^^^t.;' - .r '^■■.':^::,, ^;'^^ ... ry^. JOHNA.SEAVERNS SPORTING DOGS Photo by T. Fall, Baker St. 'I [Frontispiece. Head of Bloodhound Champion Sultan. SPORTING DOGS THEIR POINTS: AND MANAGEMENT; IN HEALTH, AND DISEASE BY FRANK TOWNEND BARTON M.R.C.V.S. Veterinary Surgeon to the Gamekeepers'' Kennel Association Veterinary Adviser to the ^'•Gamekeepers'' Gazette'' author of "non-sporting dogs," "toy dogs," "everyday ailments and accidents to the dog," "sound and unsound horses," "our friend the horse," "breaking and training horses," HOW TO CHOOSE A HORSE," "THE HORSE OWNER's COMPANION, "THE VETERINARY MANUAL," "THE AGE OF THE HORSE," "DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS OF CATTLE," ETC., ETC. COPIOUSLY ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS !!LonC)on R. A. EVERETT & CO., LTD. 1905 S^All Rights ReserrecTS Surely the lines — "Trust, oh ! trust me, I will be Still true for ever, true to thee.' have never been more practically demonstrated, than in the following extract, from an account of a poaching affray, published in the Gctmekeepers' Gazette. "The dead gamekeeper's dog was to be seen by the roadside restlessly waiting for its master, while he lay in a cottage fatally riddled with shot." TO BREEDERS Exhibitors, and Fanciers OF SPORTING DOGS THROUGHOUT THE KiNG'S DOMINIONS PREFACE This ivork — Sporting Dogs : Their Points and Management in Health and Disease — has been pre- pared as a companion volume to those already pvbblished, viz., Non-Sporting Dogs : Their Points, etc., and Toy Dogs, in response to numerous inquiries from readers of those volumes, asking for a work ujyon Sporting Bogs, to comjylete the series, at a proportionate price. The Points of the various breeds used by S2oortS' men have been freely discussed, supplemented by illustrations from photographs of the most celebrated animals knoivn. Kennel Management, The Management of Hounds, Diseases, Accidents and Simple Operations forms an important section of the luork — features that should, render the book of far greater practical utility than one dealing solely with the different varieties of dogs. viii PREFA CE Both Author and Publisher, will he satisfied, if it meets ivith the hearty reception accorded to the companion publications. In conclusion, the Author ivishes to express most hearty thanks to all Breeders and Exhibitors who have so generously suppUed him with Photographs : to Our Dogs Gazette ; The Kennel Gazette ; The Gamekeeper, etc. CONTENTS SECTION A PAGE Chapter I. ...... 3 The Pointer Head— Colour — Eyes — Back — Hind-quarters — Faults — Value of Points. Chapter II. . . . . . .18 The English Setter Laverack Setters — Coat — Colour^ — Skull— Ears — Eves — Neck — Back-quarters — Tail — Fore-limbs — Weight— Faults. The Irish Setter Coat — Ears — Eyes — Neck — Fore-legs — Loins. The Black = and = tan Setter (Gordon Setter) Eyes — Ears — Head — Neck — Shoulders and Chest Fore-limbs — Feet — Back — Loins — Stern — Value of Points. Chapter III. ...... 32 International Qundog^ League POIXTER AND SETTER SOCIETY Eules — Rules for the Trial Meetino-s. X CONTENTS PAGE Chapter IV. ...... 42 Retrievers Flat-coated : Coat — Head — Ears — Eyes — Chest Neck — Back — Loins — Limbs — Faults. Curly-coated. Labradors Rules of the Retriever Society Chapter V. ...... 66 Spaniels General Characteristics of the different Varieties — Temperament — Coat — Colour — Head — Ears — Fore-limbs — Body. The Clumber Weight — Head — Ears — Eves — Coat — Neck — Club. The Sussex Spaniel Colour — Coat — Weight — Head — Eyes — Ears — Nose — Neck— -Shoulders and Chest— Fore-limbs — Faults. Field Spaniels The Cocker Spaniel Head — Ears — Coat— Colour — Club Prices — Faults. The Irish Water Spaniel Colour — Nose — Skull — Ears — Neck — Coat — Height— General Appearances — Faults — Weight —Club. The English Water Spaniel Chapter VI. ...... 94 International Gundog League Rules — Regulations (subject to alteration). CONTENTS xi PAGE Chapter TIL . . • • • .102 Training Spaniels SECTION B HOUNDS Chapter VIII. • • • .113 The Foxhound Packs of Foxhounds. Harriers Loins — Back — Eibs — Chest — Fore-limbs — Coat. The Otterhound Colour — Height — Eyes — Ears — Skull — Neck. The Deerhound Head — Ears — Neck — Shoulders — Stern — Eyes — Body — Legs — Feet — Coat — Colour — Height — Weight — Points required. SECTION C HOUNDS Chapter IX. . . . . . .141 The Bloodhound Head — Eyes — Legs — Feet — Chest — Shoulder — Neck — Eibs — Back — Loins — Hind-quarters — Limbs — Tail — Coat — Colour— Height— Club — Association of Bloodhound Breeders. Irish Wolfhounds Weight — Height — Head — Ears — Neck— Fore- limbs — Hind-quarters xii CONTENTS The Greyhound Head — Eyes — Ears — Neck — Fore-quarters. The Whippet Coat — Constitution — Fore-limbs — Hind-quarters Feet — Tail — General Appearance of the Wliippet. SECTION D MIXED HOUNDS Chapter X. ...... 179 The Borzois or Russian Wolfhound Ears — Eyes — Chest — Neck — Fore-limbs — Colour — Coat — Height— Faults— Club. The Beagle English Beagle Club — Points — American Beagle Club — Points. Chapter XL ...... 194 The Dachshund Coat— Head — Nose — Eyes— Ears — Neck — Chest — Shoulders — Legs— Feet— Toes — Hind -quarters. The Basset=hound Colour — Coat — Head — Fore-quarters — Chest — Club Rules of Basset Club — Points of Basset Hound (smooth) — General Appearance — Points of the Basset-hound (rougli). SECTION E FOX TERRIERS Chapter XII. ...... 239 CONTENTS xiii PAGE The Fox Terrier Standard of Points recommended by the Fox Terrier Club. Rough Fox Terrier Scale of Points — Disqualifying Points. SECTION F TEREIEES Chapter XIII. ...... 269 The Skye Terrier Colour — Head — Body — Legs — Height — Faults — Club — Prices. The Bedlington Terrier History — Height — Weight — Colour — Nose — Coat — Skull— Body — Tail — Limbs and Quarters— Club. The Scottish Terrier Coat — Height — Colour — Body — Neck — Chest — Limbs ancl Feet — Ears — Eyes — Head — Hair — Muzzle — Height — Clubs. The Irish Terrier Coat — Colour — Neck — Body — Limbs and Feet — Weight— Club —Prices. The Airedale Terrier Standard of the Airedale Terrier Club — Points^ — Rules and Regulations. The White West Highland Terrier Description of. xiv CONTENTS The Welsh Terrier Head — Neck — Arms — Fore-aims — Back and Loins — Tail — First and Second ThiHis— Feet — Club. The Dandie = Dinmont History — Head— Neck — Tail — Fore and Hind limbs— Colour — Society — Standard of Points of Dandie-L)inniont Terrier Club — Eules for Breeders' Challenge Cup— Eules for theTiddeman Trophies — Eules for the Eingwood Club— Breeders' Cups, etc. SECTION G AFGHAN GEEYHOUND-LUECHEE Chapter XIY. ...... 333 The Afghan Greyhound Skull— Eyes — Ears— Neck — Colour — Weight- Height at Shoulder— Limbs. The Lurcher The Training, Use, and Abuse, of Night=Dogs Chapter XV. . . . . . .351 The Gamekeepers' Kennel Association Chapter XVL . . . . . .363 Feeding Sporting Dogs Conditioning Dogs Chapter XVII. ...... 369 Specific Ailments Distemper — Eabies — Blood Eoisoning — Eheu- matism —Chest Founder or Kennel Lameness. CONTENTS XV PAGE Chapter XVIII. ...... 384 Constitutional Skin Diseases Eczema— Boils — Herpes — Xettle Eash. Chapter XIX. . . . . 389 External Parasites and Parasitic Skin Diseases Fleas — Pediculi or Lice — Eiiigworiii — Sarcoptic Mans^e — Follicular Mange. Chapter XX. ..... 394 Diseases of the Gullet, Stomach, Bowels, and Digestive Glands Disease of the Gullet — Inflammation of the Stomach — Twist and lntussu>:ception of the Bowels — Inflammation of the Bowels — Vomiting — Worms — Diarrhrea — Dvsenterv — Ha?morrhage — Ht>^morrhoids — Dyspepsia — Jaundice — Euptures. Chapter XXI. ...... 413 Poisons and their Remedies Poisoning by Arsenic — Antimony — Strychnine — Phosphorus — Eat and other Vermin Destroyers — By Lead — Mercury — Ptomaine Poisoning. Chapter XXII. ...... 419 Diseases of the Urinary Organs Disease of the Kidneys — Stone in the Bladder — Inflammation of the Bladder — Stricture of the Urethra. Chapter XXIII. . . ' . . . . 422 Diseases of the Ear Dropsy of the Ear-flap — Otitis — Otorrho?a or Canker (internal) — Split Margin of Ear — (External Canker) — Eczema of Ears — Deafness — Morbid Growths in Passage — Concretions — Syringing ears. xvi CONTENTS PAGE Chapter XXIV. ...... 428 Diseases of the Eye Ophthalmia — Blindness — Inverted Eyelids — Everted Eyelids — Torn Eyelids — Foreign Bodies in Eyes — Bareness around Margins. Chapter XXV. . . . . . .433 Injuries and Minor Operations Wounds — Overgrown Claws — Fractures. Chapter XXVI ...... 438 Minor Operations Docking — Setoning — Enemas — Fomentations — Blistering — Tumours and Warts. Appendix ....... 443 White West Highland Terrier Club Standard of Points. Index ....... 447 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Head of Bloodhound Champion Sultan . Frontispiece Pointers on Partridges .... 5 Pointer Champion Faskally Brag ... 7 Pointer Champion Coronation . .11 Pointer Bitch Barton Beauty . .13 Pointer Bitch Barton Blanche . . .15 A Brace of English Setters at Eepose (Pride and Sally) .... . . 19 English Setter Eomney Eock . .21 Irish Setter Dog ...... 25 Irish Setter Champion Florizel . .27 Mr Cartwright's Flat-coated Eetriever Champion CoLWYN Clytie ..... 43 Typical Flat-coated Eetriever . . .45 Flat-coated Eetriever Danehurst Eocket . . 49 Flat-coated Eetriever Busy Marquis . . .51 Typical Flat-coated Eetriever Dog . . .53 Curly-Coated Eetriever Dog . . .57 XVlll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Clumber Spaniel Dog Bobs of Salop . Mr Newington's Sussex Spaniel Dog Rosehill Eock Typical Cocker Spaniel . . . . . Irish Water Spaniel Pat O'Brien Mr Walter Winans' Pack of Hounds and Master Enemies at Peace — Foxhound Nameless and Tame Dog Fox ...... Lecturer — A Member of the Crickhowell Harriers Deerhound Champion St Eonan's Ehyme Deerhound Dog Champion Selwood Morven A Quartet of Typical Bloodhounds . Greyhound Bitch Lady Golightly Fawn Greyhound Dean Baden Powell A Trio of Greyhounds, Duke o' Eingmer, Lady Golightly, Glory o' Eingmer Greyhound Sussex Belle Typical Whippet Dog Dandy Coon Borzois Padiham Nordia Borzois Dog .... A Group of Leyswood Beagles Pocket Beagle Cheerful of Eodnance Dachshund Champion Snakes Prince A Brace of Typical Dachshunds Dachshund Dog and Bitch 73 77 85 89 115 117 123 131 133 143 159 161 163 165 169 175 177 183 185 195 197 199 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Eed Dachshund Victoria Eegina . . . 201 Mr Proctor's Basset-hound Bitch Queen of the Geisha ....... 209 A Brace of Typical Smooth-coated Basset-hounds 211 Smooth-coated Basset-hound Bitch and Her Puppies 213 Smooth Basset-hound Dog Champion Louis le Beau. A veritable pillar of the Stud Book . . 215 Typical Smooth-coated Basset Bitch . 217 A Group of Champion Smooth-coated Bassets . 219 Typical Rough Basset Bitch .... 221 Rough-coated Basset-Hound Dog Champion Puritan 223 Typical Rough-coated Basset Dog 225 Mr Scott's Smooth Fox Terrier Millgate Joe 241 Champion South Cave Leger .... 243 Smooth Fox Terrier Duke of Doncaster . 245 Smooth Fox Terrier Champion Cymro Queen . 249 Miss Lewis's Wire-haired Fox Terrier Champion Donington Venture . .251 Mr Scott's Smooth Fox Terrier Millgate Bandit . 253 Smooth Fox Terrier Dog Champion Dukedom 257 Smooth Fox Terrier Dog Darley Dale . 259 Wire-haired Fox Terrier Dog Remus of Gaywood . 261 Mr Scott's Wire-haired Fox Terrier Millgate Leader . . . . . .263 Typical Prick-eared Skye Terrier Dog .271 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Bedlington Terrier Dog .... 275 Scottish Terrier Dog Champion Hyndman Thistle . 279 A Trio of Scottish Terriers .... 281 Group of Scottish Terriers .... 285 Irish Terrier Blackbrook Banker . . . 289 Airedale Terrier Dog Barkerend Masterpiece . 291 Airedale Terrier Dog Crompton Marvel . . 295 Airedale Terrier Dog Barkerend Victoria . 299 Brace of White West Highland Terriers . . 305 Welsh Terrier . . . . .309 Dandie-Dinmont Terrier Dog Thistle Grove Ben 311 Afghan Greyhound ..... 335 The Qelebrated Keeper's Night-Dog Thorneywood Terror, said to be the most perfectly trained Night Dog ever bred ..... 339 SECTION A CHAPTER I Pointers CHAPTER II ^ Setters english irish gordon CHAPTER III International Gundog League CHAPTER IV Retrievers flat-coated — curly-coated LABRADOR CHAPTER V Spaniels general characteristics of the different varieties- clumber — SUSSEX FIELD COCKER IRISH WATER- ENGLISH springers SPORTING DOGS CHAPTER I The Pointer Most authorities are in agreement that the English Pointer has been derived from a cross of the old Spanish Pointer and Southern Hound, or with the former and a Foxhound. The old Spanish Pointer was a heavy, loose-made dog, had a large head, short and smooth coat, thin, loose ears and a thin tail. In colour he was generally black, black and white, liver and white, red and white, dark brown, liver, etc. The breed, it is said, was first introduced into this country by a Portuguese merchant, living and shooting in Norfolk. According to accounts, the Spanish Pointers had a remarkable degree of scenting power, never missing their game. In Germany there are two varieties of Pointers — 3 SPORTING DOGS the Rough- and the Smooth-coated. Like the old Spanish Pointer, these dogs are slow, but sure workers : they are lieavily built, and frequentl}^ liver, or liver and white. The chief drawback to the Spanish Pointer was his slowness, and indifferent temper. The French Pointer was probably superior, and may have had considerable influence towards making the many good qualities possessed by the English Pointer of to-day. A medium-sized dog is the most useful, the heavy being too slow and the light weights too fast, especially for aged shooters. The Pointer may be described as fairly hardy; , generally of good coDstitution, and when bred from working parents, puppies usually respond readily to the breaker's tuition. A second-, or third-season dog, is preferable to a first-season one, so that, when purchasing, this should be borne in mind. Another matter worthy of atten- tion, and that is, never to purchase a Pointer without having him for a week or two's trial on your own shoot. The colour of a Pointer is more a matter for individual taste, though there is no doubt that one should choose such as can be the most readily dis- cerned in the distance. Lemon and white, black and white, and liver and white ticked, especi- ally the last-named, are the most general colours. [Photo by Horner. Pointers on Partridges (Property of Mr F. R. Horner). THE POINTER Liver, and red and white are frequently seen, though the former is not so readily recognisable on ploughed land, etc. In action, these dogs ought to move with beauty and freedom, unobserved in any other breed. The movements alone ought to be sufficient to create admiration in the mind of the sportsman. Read — Should be of good size, wide in the dome, and wider between the eyes, with a long, broad, square nose and broad, well-dilated nostrils, giving the head a somewhat square conformation. In colour, nose ought to be black, but in lemon and white dogs, flesh-coloured. Cartilages of ears, long and thin, covered by soft hair, and carried close to cheeks. Eyes. — Of medium size. Twenty-four per cent, of points are allowed for skull, nose, eyes, ears, lips, and six for the neck, which ought to be long, arched, and free from loose skin or dewlap. Long oblique shoulders and long arms are essentials of beauty in the Pointer. Forearms long, having plenty of bone and muscle. Pasterns of medium length, feet round (like those of the cat), and the soles hard. A good deal of attention is paid to the legs and feet, by Pointer judges. Some prefer the hare-foot. The elbow must stand well off the brisket and be low placed. Dog must not be " out " at elbow. Viewed from the front, the chest of 10 SPORTING DOGS the Pointer, nevertheless, ought not to be broad, other- wise the beautiful elastic step is interfered with. The contour of the chest is round and deep. Back ribs must be deep, and flanks broad and thick, so as to give strength in these regions. Back and Hind-quarters. — The back should be of good length but strongly built, and the loins broad and deep. First and second thighs well covered with muscle ; hocks strong and good ; stifles broad. Too much importance cannot be attached to the stern of the Pointer, and judges are keen on quality in this region. First of all, it must be strong at its " set on," and gradually taper to a fine point. If the tail is as thick at the end as it is at its " set on," or coarse in other respects, it indicates inferior breedino^. Should be carried on a line with the back. Faidts. — Any approach to curl in tail, coarse coat, soft feet, short back ribs, wide chest, too heavy in head and facial expression, short on legs, under- or over-sized, presence of flews or big cheeks, undershot ; too much of Hound character, bad temper, disobedience, bad constitution, etc. m o u . 5 EH Q O o RETRIEVERS 55 is equally important — no matter whether it be the Flat-, or Curly-coated variety — in a Retriever, is that of being good-tempered, obedient, persevering, quick to find, to remain at heel until given the word of command, and to have a very tender mouth. If a dog is too headstrong, he will never make a good Retriever, running out directly a shot is fired. Must respond with alacrity to his master's word of command, in short, perfect obedience. An " unstable " Retriever is not a useful dog ; in fact, an annoyance. The chief faults of a Flat- coated Retriever are — too Setter-like in appearance, wavy coat, short coat. Spaniel-like ears, rusty tint, white hair, bad temper, disobedience, too long on the leg, too short on the leg, too much of the Newfoundland element, etc., etc. (6) The Curly-coated Of the two varieties, the Curly-coated can, we think, lay claim to have been the first established. In almost every particular, save that of coat, the Curly Retriever corresponds to the description given under the heading of (a) — the Flat-coat. Weight about 80 lbs. Particular attention is paid by judges to the coat. The dog must be covered all over with small tight curls, the tail to be the same. Any tendency towards slackness of curl or an open coat 56 SPORTING DOGS necessarily handicaps the dog in the show ring. If black, should be free from any rusty tint, or from white. Face, clean, neck long, and chest deep. Liver Curly-coated specimens are nothing like so frequently met with as the black. Should be of an intense liver, free from white hairs and a nose of corresponding colour. The Curly-coated Retriever Club has done much towards encouraging breeding typical specimens. Although very useful, we fancy that the Flat-coats are in more demand, probably because really Al Curly-coats are not so readily obtainable at a moderate price, and an indifferent one, has not as good an appearance as an indifferent specimen of the Flat- coats. At the recent Kennel Club Shows in London, etc., the proportion of Flat-coats to Curly was as three to one — the best evidence as to which is the most popular variety. Labradors At the Kennel Club Show there are classes for this variety of Retriever, and, in our opinion, the Labrador will, in course of time, become very popular amongst sportsmen, as they are excellent retrievers, when properly broken. They are wavy-coated dogs, either RULES OF THE RETRIEVER SOCIETY 59 black, fawn, or yellow in colour, and, what is remark- able, these coloured dogs often appear in a litter belonging to a black sire and dam. White specimens have been produced, and it seems likely enough that a race of white Retrievers will, in course of time, become established, though, from a sportsman's view, they will not be as serviceable as their black or darker-coloured brethren. The author remembers several fawn-coloured Labradors on an estate in Scotland, and the game- keeper spoke most highly of the breed for work, though, constitutionally, somewhat delicate. Constitutional Rules of the Retriever Society 1. That the object of the Society be to promote the breeding of pure Retrievers, and to develop and bring to perfection their natural qualities. In order to carry out these purposes, a working trial, if practic- able, shall be annually held. 2. That the Society shall consist of a President, Vice-Presidents, a Committee, and an unlimited number of members. 3. That one-third of the Committee (exclusive of officers) shall be withdrawn by lot each year, at the Annual General Meeting for the first two years, and afterwards by rotation, and members shall be elected to fill their vacancies ; the retiring members to be 6o SPORTING DOGS eligible for re-election. The President, Vice-Presi- dents, and Honorary Secretaries shall be ex-officio members of the Committee, and shall be elected annually. 4. That the entire control and management of the Society shall be vested in the Committee (of which three shall form a quorum), who shall have power to make bye-laws, and decide upon all matters in dis})ute not provided for by the rules of the Society ; and, further, that any member of the Committee, if unable to be present at a Committee Meeting, shall be per- mitted (upon application for same) to vote by proxy, duly signed, upon any resolution appearing upon the agenda paper, except as provided in Rule 8. 5. That each candidate for admission shall be pro- posed and seconded by members of the Society. The candidate's name, rank, residence, and profession or occupation, if any, shall be sent to the Secretary a fortnight before the election of candidates at the Committee Meeting ; and that each member of the Committee be advised, at least seven days before- hand, of the proposed election of a new member of the Society. 6. That the election of members shall be vested solely in the Committee, and be made by ballot, two black balls to exclude. 7. That for the present no entrance fee shall be charged, and that the annual subscription shall be RULES OF THE RETRIEVER SOCIETY 61 one guinea, payable 1st January in advance ; and that any member whose payments shall continue in arrear for six months shall (due notice of such arrear having previously been given in writing by the Secretary) have his name struck off the list, and shall cease to be a member of the Society. Any member joining the Society after the 31st October in any year shall not be liable for an annual subscription for the current year. Life membership may be acquired upon payment in a lump sum of ten guineas. 8. Any member of the Society who shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Committee to have in any way misconducted himself in connection with Dogs, Dog Shows, or Trials, or to have acted in any way which would make it undesirable that he should continue to be a member, shall be requested to retire trom the Society ; and if a resolution to that effect shall be carried by three-fourths of the Committee (present and voting), duly summoned or warned to the consideration of the case, the member so requested to retire shall henceforth cease to be a member of the Society. 9. That subscriptions and donations, after payment of all liabilities, shall be applied in such a manner as the Committee shall determine, for prizes at Trials or Workers' Classes at Dog Shows, or otherwise ; and all balance shall be invested for the use of the Society, in such manner as the Committee shall direct. 62 SPORTING DOGS 10. That Committee Meetings may be held at each Trial Meeting of the Society, or at such other times and places as the Committee may determine, notice thereof having been duly sent to each member of the Committee. 11. That the Annual General Meeting of the Society be held in May or June, in London, and that a Special General Meeting may be called at any time,^ at such place as may be agreed to by the Committee, on the requisition of six members. 12. At every meeting the President, or one of the Vice-Presidents, shall be chairman, or failing these, a member of the Committee, such chairman to have a casting vote at all meetings. And, further, the minutes of the preceding meeting shall be read, approved, confirmed, and signed by the Chairman at the commencement of the next subsequent meeting. 13. Any member may withdraw from the Society on giving notice in writing to the Secretary, provided always that such member shall be liable for his sub- scription to the Society for the current year in which he gives such notice. 14. That the Secretary shall enter the name and address of each member of the Society in a book kept for that purpose. A. E. Sansom, Secretary. 12 and 13 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. RULES OF THE RETRIEVER SOCIETY 63 Rules Adopted at the Retkiever Society {Subject to Alteration) 1. Before the Trials a number will be drawn by lot for each competing dog, and the dogs will be tried by batches accordingly during the first round. The handler of the doo^ must shoot with ammunition supplied by the Committee, and he will not be allowed to carry in his hand anything besides his gun. After all the competing dogs have been tried, the Judges will call up, at their own discretion, any dogs they require further, and try them again. No dog can win a prize which has not been subjected to both tests of " walking up " and " driving." 2. All aged dogs will be expected to retrieve fur as well as feather, if ordered to do so, but no handler must send his dog after any game until bidden by a Judge to do so. The Judges have power to order any handler to set his dog to retrieve game not shot by him personally. 3. The principal points considered by the Judges are sagacity, steadiness, nose, dash, perseverance, obedience, and retrieving. This last should be done quickly, with a tender and dry mouth, and right up to the hand. 4. Any dog not present to be tried in its turn, the Committee reserve the right of disqualifying at the expiration of fifteen minutes. 64 SPORTING DOGS 5. The Judges are empowered to turn out of the Stake the dog of any person who does not obey them or who wilfully interferes with another competitor or his dog, and to withhold a prize when, in their opinion, no merit is shown ; and to exclude from competition bitches on heat, or any animals they may consider unfit to compete. The entry fees of all such dogs will be forfeited. 6. Certificates of merit will be awarded with a view to the establishment of Workers' Classes at the Dog Shows, and as a guide to purchasers of dogs which, though not in the list of prize-winners, give promise in their work of being valuable Sporting Dogs. 7. An objection to a dog may be lodged with the Secretary at any time within seven days of a meeting, upon the objector depositing with the Secretary the sum of £2, which shall be forfeited if the Committee deem such objection frivolous. All objections must be made in writing. 8. The Committee have the power, if they think fit, to refuse any entries for the Society's Trials, without assigning any reason for their action. 9. In the event of the weather being considered by the Committee unsuitable for holding the Trials, it shall be in their power to postpone the Meeting from day to day until the Saturday following the first day of the Trials, on which day the Stakes not already RULES OF THE RETRIEVER SOCIETY 65 decided shall be abandoned and their entry fees returned. 10. The Committee reserve to themselves the right to abandon the Meeting at any time, on returning their entry monies to the competitors, and if, from unforeseen circumstances, they deem it advisable to alter the date of the meeting, after the closing of the entries, this may be done by sending formal notice to all competitors that they may recover their entry fees by exercising the option of cancelling their entries within four days from the date of such notice. All entries, however, about which no such application is made within those four days, will stand good for the Meeting at its altered date. 11. If an advertised Judge be prevented from filling his engagement for either the whole or part of the Meeting, the Committee shall appoint any other person to judge, or shall make any other arrangements that to them seem desirable. 12. Upon any case arising not provided for in the above Rules, the Members of the Committee present shall decide, and their decision shall be final. CHAPTER V Spaniels General Characteristics of the Different Varieties Regarding the word " Spaniel" as a generic title, and the different varie- ties (Toys ex- cepted)as"species" belonging to this genera, the author purposes taking a brief survey of certain features characteristic of Spaniels, leaving distinctive features for discussion under the various titles of classification as adopted by the Kennel Club. Judging from the literature at our disposal upon the subject, it is at once evident that the Spaniel of to-day — no matter how changed by selection — is of very ancient lineage, having existed as the Springing Spaniel and Cocking, for upwards of 600 years, and his uses were 66 SPANIELS 67 then, as they are — or rather ought to be — now : to rano'e well within o^un-shot, chase neither fur nor feather ; never give tongue ; find quickly, and re- trieve tenderly on either land, or water. All these excellences are revealed in many of the beautiful old coloured sporting prints, now so highly priced and prized, and so difficult to obtain, though when obtained are a joy for ever, gladdening the hearts of lovers of the old forms of such sport. It is, we believe, universally accepted that the Spaniel originally came from Spain, but during what period, there is no reliable data to go upon. The departure, from what we may conveniently speak of as the normal type of Spaniel, is most marked in that of the Irish Water Spaniel, more especially in those coming from the north of Ireland. Adhering to our original intention of general com- parison, the author will first of all consider — Temperament. — Most Spaniels are of a quick, inoffensive disposition, a sour temper being oftener the results of bad training than any inherent vice. As with all other breeds, quarrels frequently arise over canine love affkirs, etc. Few, we think, can speak of the Spaniel as a quarrelsome dog. The sportsman's Spaniel — which is not commonly the show-bench animal — is of hardy constitution, taking the water in the coldest of weather, doing his 68 SPORTING DOGS eight or ten hours' work in a day, and roughing it in the matter of food and kennelling. The progeny of the working dog are not any more trouble to rear than those of a rough-and-tumble Terrier. The "soft" constitution of so many black and Sussex Spaniels is due to that foolish system (in breeding) having been carried beyond all sense of reason. All are water-loving dogs, and, when properly trained, retrieve their game tenderly. Coat. — Either flat, wavy, or curly, a flat coat being typical of the up-to-date Spaniel. Many of the older type have a strong tendency to show a " top-knot," and even now and again (Water Spaniels excepted), in a litter of well-bred ones there is a reversion towards this type. All have an abundance of feather on both fore and hind limbs, Irish Water breed excepted. Colour Irish Water Spaniel . Liver. English Water Spaniel . Liver and white, black and white, black, or black, white, and tan. The Clumber Spaniel . White, with red, lemon, or orange patches. The Sussex Spaniel Golden liver. Field Spaniels (?) . . Black or tri-coloured, also liver and white, or tan. SPANIELS 69 Cocker Spaniels . Black, black, white and tan, liver, roan, liver and white, black and white, red and white, etc., etc. English Springers . Variously coloured. Welsh Springers . Do. do. Liver, liver and white, black, and black and white, are by far the most frequent colours of the Spaniel. Tan markings are very common in Welsh Springers. The Irish Water and the Clumber Spaniel are really the only two varieties free from the intro- duction of blood from other varieties of the breed. Except in rare instances, the show-bench Sussex contains a lot of Field Spaniel blood, the result of crossing a typical Sussex Spaniel with a black bitch, over twenty years since, and its perpetuation until the present day. Head and Ears. — They all agree in the anatomical outlines of their skulls, the greatest breadth being in the head of the Clumber. Heavy facial expressions are characteristic of the pure Sussex, the half-bred, or Jacobs' strain of Sussex, and the Jacobs' strain of Black Spaniels. Many Cockers also show it. Long ears, not only long in the cartilage, but heavily feathered — excepting the Northern Irish JO SPORTING DOGS Water — are very characteristic of Spaniels, but this large amount of hair in this region can hardly be a recommendation for work, knowing that it is very liable to become entangled in brambles, etc. The occipital dome is well marked, and in some there is evidence of " stop," as in Toys. Muzzles generally broad ; nose broad, and cheeks full. Fore - limbs. — With the exception previously alluded to, Spaniels all agree in having a short arm and short forearm, largely augmented in the Spaniels of to-day (excepting Clumbers, etc.) through the introduction of Sussex blood. From a sportman's point of view, this has been a detrimental influence, short legs greatly interfering with retrieving of hares, etc., although there may be what can be described as compensatory advan- tages, such as getting under the low runs of brushwood, etc. The older type of Field Spaniel was vastly superior for work to many of the lethargical, long- bodied, low-legged, semi-intelligent specimens on the show benches at the present time. Body. — Mostly of medium length, with well- sprung ribs, strong back and loins. Tail carried on a level with the back. In all, the feet are full, and toes prominent, well feathered in the interspaces. Length of body has always been a marked feature SPANIELS 71 of the Sussex, and " massiveness " characteristic of body, head and limbs in the Clumber. From the foregoing outlines, it must be allowed that conformity of type throughout the whole of the Spaniels is general. The points, etc., of the different varieties are as follows : — The Clumber Very early on, these Spaniels were bred at Clumber House, the seat of the Duke of Newcastle, one William Mansell having had the care of them under the Duke for a great number of years, and much was done to improve the beauty and utility of this handsome variety of Spaniel. It is, in the author's opinion, the one variety of Spaniel that has suffered the least in the way of introducing the blood of other species. To attempt to cross the Clumber, with the object of making some improvement, is defeating the first principles of the Clumber exhibitor, purity of breed being the aim of his affection. On the other hand, the introduction of Clumber blood into other strains of Spaniels, for working purposes at least, is rather beneficial than otherwise, and it is a cross frequently employed. At one time the Duke of Portland had a very fine kennel of Clumbers, and when these dogs appeared SPORTING DOGS at the Palace or other Kennel Club Shows, they simply swept the boards. Mr Holmes of Lancaster had also a strong team, though I did not like the appearance of his Clumbers anything akin to those shown by the Duke. Probably the handsomest — we will not say the most typical — Clumber that ever adorned the show bench was Mr Parkinson's Champion " Trusty," though, for some unknown reason, this exhibitor quietly dropped from the show ring, and " Trusty " sank into insignificance. My dog, Champion " Psycho," was one of the most typical Clumbers going the rounds, and deserved a much more successful career than he had. He was about as sweet-tempered a dog as it was possible to have, and formed a most devoted attach- ment to my mother, under whose care he chiefly was. At one time the classes for Clumber Spaniels were well filled, though in recent years they have declined considerably. Lately His Most Gracious Majesty the King, and the Duchess of Newcastle, have shown Clumbers, and this alone should give a fresh impetus towards the popularity of the breed. At anyrate, we hope it will have this eflfect. When carefully broken. Clumbers make excellent workers, and can stand a lot of heavy work. SPANIELS 7S A typical Clumber must be loDg, low and heavy. The author does not like a Clumber to be so short on the leg that the belly nearly sweeps the ground, and considers extreme lowness ought not to be encouraored. The Americans bred their Clumbers for use more than show bench, consequently kept up a good useful sort. Of course, any tendency to legginess is fatal to type. Weight, about 55 lbs. ; bitches a trifle less, and big in bone. The Head of a Clumber is very characteristic. It must be " massive " in every sense of the word, or wide in all proportions, and the nose broad, full and flesh-coloured — a Dudley nose. Ears. — Long, carried close to head and " set on " low with feathering on front edge, not elsewhere. * Eyes. — Deeply set in orbits, and rather large. Coat. — Soft, silky, shining, straight, dense, and feather long and profuse. For colour markings, we prefer orange ears, with an evenly marked head and ticked legs. Orange is a common marking. Less marking on the body the better. Powerful loins ; a long and straight back, and a * A moderate degree of development of the Membraiia Nictitans (so called Haw) is not only typical of the Chimber, but advan- tageous. To remove this useful Membrane (unless for surgical reasons) is a cruel and useless procedure, deserving severe con- demnation. 76 SPORTING DOGS nicely rounded croup are essentials of beauty. A deep chest, well-rounded ribs, and powerfully-built fore-quarters are equally important. A good Clumber must have staying power, and if he has not a well-developed muscular system, he cannot have this requisite. Neck — To be of medium length and stoutly built. The head, body and hind-quarters constitute fifty per cent, of the total value of points, and the neck and shoulders fifteen per cent., hence the significance of being well done up in these regions. Stout arms and forearms, with an abundance of feather, are necessary. A good deal of brushing and combing, together with washing before showing, are needful to make the Clumber look fit. His heavy appearance can be increased by keeping him a bit above average condition. One should be able to purchase a good pup — one likely to make a winner — for, say, ten guineas. Club. — Clumber Spaniel. The Sussex Spaniel This is a very old variety of Spaniel, said to have originated in the county of Sussex, in the locality of Rosehill. Five-and-twenty years ago, typical specimens of Mr Newixgtox's Sussex Spaniel Dog Rosehill Rock. SPANIELS 79 the Rosehill strain were scarce, and since that time not a great deal has been done towards maintaining the purity of breed. Very few Spaniels shown in the Sussex classes can claim purity of breeding, the introduction of black blood by mating Champion Bachelor to Negress, being the cause of this. Jacobs Bachelor was by Buckingham ex Peggie and own brother to Rover III. — though very different types of Spaniels. The author was personally acquainted with these and many other old Sussex Spaniels. I always took Buckingham to be a very typical Sussex and Rover III. was much of the same stamp as his sire ; whereas Bachelor was more akin to the Dam Peggie — of course much her superior, though quite unlike his brother, Rover III. At one time the judges would not look at Champion Bachelor, Messrs Willet then preferring Rover III. Later on the order was reversed, and we believe — though cannot be certain — at the London Kennel Club Show. Champion Lawyer — at one time in my possession — was a heavily built type of Sussex. The Rev. Mr Shields, Mr Fuller, and Mr Newington, all had some of the pure Rosehills, and I also bought a good bitch from Mr Henry Hawkins by Rover III. ex Duchess. The last time that old Buckingham ever appeared on the show bench — and then not for 8o SPORTING DOGS competition — was at the Royal Lancashire Agricul- tural Society's Show, held at Preston about 1880. Although the litter out of which I bought Countess was an exceptionally good one — and Countess very typical — Messrs Willet would not award them prizes, owing, they said, to the faintest evidence of tan markings, observed with difficulty. The typical colour for the Sussex is a light golden liver, and this Bachelor certainly was, Rover being darker. Poor old Bachelor had a violent death through fighting with a kennel companion — a Gordon Setter. Champion Rover III. was withdrawn from the show ring for some reason. Even in those days animated discussion went on in the Press as to what was and what was not typical of the Sussex. There is no gainsaying one fact, and that is that the Sussex of twenty years ago existed in a different state of purity to what he does in the present day. In casually looking over recent entries at the Kennel Club Show of Sussex Spaniels, it is questionable whether there is a single animal so entered that can justly claim the title of Sussex. When Mr Jacobs had old Champion Bachelor in his possession, be had not more than one Sussex bitch to mate him with, to my recollection. There can be no doubt that the great improvement — for SPANIELS 8 1 the show bench — of the modern Spaniels began when Jacobs crossed Bachelor with old Negress, a black Field Spaniel bitch. It destroyed the purity of the Sussex, but if it had not been indulged in, there would, in all probability, have been no class for the breed now. Blacks, livers, and liver and tan , all used to come in the same litter out of Negress, who certainly constituted the nucleus of a fortune to her owner. The points of the Sussex are as follows : — Colour. — Deep golden liver. Coat. — Flat, and slightly wavy, but absolutely free from any tendency to curl. Soft and abundant. Weight— khoMi 40 lbs. Head. — Heavy, though smaller and lighter than that of the Clumber. Eyes. — Rather deeply set, giving the dog a very thoughtful expression. Ears. — These should be long and well clothed with long, silky hair. Above, the ears ought to be rather narrow, but broad below, set on low down, and carried close to sides of head. Nose. — Broad and liver-coloured, open nostrils. Nech. — Short and strong, and the back long, strong, and level. Shoulders and Chest. — A fairly deep chest, oblique shoulders, and well-sprung ribs are necessary. Flat-sidedness, and " tucked up under" are decidedly faulty. 82 SPORTING DOGS Fore-limhs. — Must be short on the leg. Arms and fore-arms short but well boned. Crooked fore-limbs are objectionable ; turned out at elbows equally bad. There should be an abundance of feather springing from the backs of the fore-limbs, and down to the hocks, in the hind ones. For the show bench the more feather the better. Feet also well feathered, round and strong. The chief faults of the Sussex are : white hairs on any portion, tan markings, curly coat, too leggy, light in body, snipy head, short ears, want of feather, bad constitution, and Bloodhound expression on face. Field Spaniels To attempt to define the term " Field Spaniel " so as to be free from objection, would be, indeed, a difficult problem. Unquestionably it is a very ambiguous term, and capable of wide interpretation. The mere fact of the Kennel Club and other shows having a class or classes for Field Spaniels, does not satisfy (though it simplifies classification) the mind of the thoughtful observer. Anything from a half-bred Clumber, or Irish Water Spaniel may constitute a Field Spaniel, and rightly so, in the eyes of a sportsman. That such dogs would win — say at a Kennel Club SPANIELS 83 Show — could not be entertained for a moment. It is the cross-bred Sussex that generally comes out top, and the longer and lower and more Sussex-like in character, the better the chances of success on the show bench. These are the author's views, though they may not coincide with those of others. Some twenty-five years ago the " modern " Field Spaniel was as yet unknown. Jacobs' Champion Kaffir and Royle's Champion Zulu, and my dog Negro (by Kaffir ex Negress) were all black Field Spaniels of the Sussex type. Zulu, with his Bloodhound-like eyes, had a re- markable show career, so had Kaffir, but they were not Field Spaniels from a sportsman's point of view, more especially Zulu. I had the two best pups* — one whole black and the other liver and tan — though, unfortunately for me, they both died from distemper before they were three months old. The black puppy I remember in particular. He was a facsimile of his dad, old Champion Bachelor, and had he lived, might have proved to be a little gold mine. Like his brother, nothing would ever have persuaded me that he was a " Field Spaniel," accept- ing that term as did the sportsman of days gone by. My black Spaniel, Negro, though a big winner, was about as stupid a sportsman's dog or companion as ever saw daylight. The author's opinion is that * These were litter brothers to Kaffir and Zulu. 84 SPORTING DOGS a Field Spaniel should have a fair length of leg, be of good size, have short, thick ears, and not much feather on them, or yet on the legs. Should be stoutly built, have a good tight jacket, be big- boned, have nice full eyes, well-rounded ribs, and, above all, quick hearing and a sound constitution. Colour unimportant, but black and white, black, or black, white and tan, or liver and white, for preference. Weight 40 to 50 lbs. There is no doubt that in course of time the Field Spaniel Trials will do much towards building up a proper type of field dog. A flat coat, of silky texture, and very glossy : long, heavily-feathered ears, short, strong, straight, cull-feathered fore-limbs, long body, and well-sprung ribs, long, graceful neck, and a long, moderately- wide head, with level carriage of the tail, are points of the Show Field Spaniel. " Black (no white) or parti- colours (also liver) are preferred. The Cocker Spaniel This is a pretty type of small Spaniel, and one that has been in existence from a very early date. Modern Cockers have been bred in all sorts of ways, though lately it has become a fairly general rule to breed only Cocker with Cocker, not necessarily of the same colour. A typical Cocker should weigh SPANIELS 87 between 20 and '2b lbs., and be of smart, active appearance. Probably two of the most successful black Cocker Spaniels ever adorning the show bench were Obo and Miss Obo. My (formerly Mr Easton's) Champion Bess was a very typical variety Cocker. The American clubs' standard for Cockers is not quite the same as the English, the weight there being from 18 to 28 lbs. Head. — Ought to be of medium length, and the muzzle square cut off, tapering from the eye, though there must be no appearance of the so-called " snipy " head. There is a marked " stop," and from it there is a groove running up the skull, gradually fading away. Ears. — Set on low, covered with long, silky, straight or wavy hairs, and reaching at least to the tip of nose. Coat — To be free from any sign of curl, plentiful, straight, or wavy and silky. Body of medium length, with well-sprung ribs, fairly deep chest, and full in the flanks. Many Cockers are very defective here, being what is called " tucked up." Short fore-legs, strong, straight, well feathered, and well-placed, good-sized, feet. The tail should be carried on a level with back when dog is at ease, but lower under excitement. Colour. — Unimportant ; regularity and beauty of markings (if any) being qualifications. SPORTING DOGS Clubs. — The English Cocker Spaniel ; the American Cocker Spaniel. Prices. — Very typical puppies can be bought for three or four guineas shortly after weaning. Faults. — Top-knot, out at elbows, light in bone, too leggy, and, from a sportsman's view, too short on leg. In whole-coloured specimens white is objection- able ; shallow flanks, high carriage of tail, deafness, and bad constitution. Narrowness of chest, flat-sided- ness, and a narrow flank constitutes faulty con- formation. The Irish Water Spaniel There are said to be two distinct types of Irish Water Spaniels, one coming from the South and the other from the North of Ireland. The former is usually pure liver-coloured, with long and well- feathered ears, whereas the latter has short ears, and the liver colour mixed with considerable white. One of the most characteristic features of the Irish Water Spaniel is his " top-knot," consisting of a crown of hair from the occiput to between the eyes, leaving the temples free. These Spaniels, to a sportsman of but slender means, in particular, cannot be over -valued. They are, so to speak, born to water, and in their element when retrieving wild-duck in the depth of winter, requiring very little tuition. A famous dog of this variety, and one that Irish Water Spaniel Pat O'Brien (Property of Major Birkbeck). SPANIELS 91 had a wonderful show-bench career, was Mr Skid- more's Larry Doolan. The writer remembers this dog very well, as he was shown from north to south, east to west. In Colour, these Irishmen should be a dark liver, free from any white hairs, unless it be a very small patch on the breast, or toes. A boiled liver (sandy) colour is objectionable. Nose, — Large, of the same colour, and the Eyes a deep amber. ShvM. — High in the occipital dome, and of good width. A good top-knot essential. Ears. — Set on low, having long cartilage (15 to 20 inches), and well feathered, the hair in this region being wavy and profuse. Hair on tail short, and straight, blending the curls, towards its set-on, with those on the stern. Tail, whip-like. Neck. — Long and well set up, blending below with strong shoulders. A deep chest, strong back and loins, are necessary for the working capacity of the breed. Goat. — Very important. To consist of tight, crisp curls all over body, and limbs. Fifteen per cent, of points go to the coat. Height (shoulder measurement). — Not more than 24 inches, or less than 20 inches. General Appearances. — To win, the Irish Water 92 SPORTING DOGS Spaniel must look proportionate all over, be active, have a tight curly coat and a good top-knot, carry the head well up, be keen in facial expression, have a cat-like tail, and look as though he would be ready to dive at the word of command — in fact a workman from top-knot to tail. Faults. — Total absence of top - knot, a fully feathered tail and much white hair will disqualify. An open woolly coat, light in colour, cording of hair, Setter feathering on legs, and a moustache, are objectionable, and should tell heavily against an Irishman in the show-ring. Weight— bb to 65 lbs. Club. — The Irish Water Spaniel Society. The English Water Spaniel Bewick gives an excellent figure of a large Water Spaniel. It is generally liver-coloured and white, with the hair on the body in little curls. The dog is of medium size, strong, active and intelligent, and used by the water-fowl shooter. In the Gentleman s Recreation and in the Sport- man's Cabinet, this variety of dog is also described. In the writer's opinion, there are plenty of these dogs to be seen about at the present time. They are larger than the Field Spaniel, and stronger built SPANIELS 93 altogether, looking as though they had both the blood of Retriever and Irish Water Spaniel in them. The English Water Spaniel Club looks after the interests of this breed, and the Kennel Club provides a class for them. A narrow head, small eyes, large nose, straight neck, strong back, rather narrow, deep chest, long strong legs, large feet, a six-inch dock, with a coat of ringlets or curls (no top-knot), and good general appearance, are the chief points. Black, liver, liver and white, black and white, black and liver, are the accepted colours, but pied is most admired. In addition to this breed of Spaniel, the Kennel Club also provides classes for English Springers and Welsh Springers. CHAPTER VI INTERNATIONAL GUNDOG LEAGUE The Sporting Spaniel Society Constitutional Rules 1. The name of the Society shall be " The Sporting Spaniel Society," its objects being to encourage the working qualities of Spaniels in every possible way, the breeding of them upon working lines, and the judging of them at shows from a working stand- point. All varieties of Sporting Spaniels, English and Irish Water, Norfolk, Clumber, Sussex, Black Springer, and Cocker Spaniels, and any other varieties of Spaniels used with the gun, shall be fostered and encouraged by this Society. It shall, if possible, hold a series of working Trials. 2. The Society shall consist of an unlimited number of members, whose names and addresses shall be kept by the Secretary in a book, which book shall be kept open to the inspection of members at reasonable times. Any respectable person favourable to the objects of the Society is eligible for admission 94 THE SPANIEL SOCIETY RULES 95 as a member. Each candidate for admission must be proposed by one member and seconded by another member. The election of members shall be vested solely in the Committee and shall be by ballot, three members to form a quorum, and two black balls to exclude. 3. The annual subscription for each member shall be one guinea, payable on 1st January in each year. Anyone failing to pay his subscription by 31st January shall have notice given him by the Secretary, and if his subscription be still unpaid on 31st March, his rights of membership shall cease until he has paid his subscription. By non-payment of his subscrip- tion, a member renders himself liable to be struck off the list of members. No new member shall be entitled to eujoy the privileges of members until he has paid his subscription. This rule will be strictly enforced. Life membership may be acquired upon pay- ment in a lump sum of ten guineas. The payment of the first subscription of any member elected after the 30th June in any year will cover the period up to the 31st December next after the following 31st December. 4. The affairs of the Society shall be conducted by a President, Vice-President and a Committee consist- ing of twelve members. All officers of the Society shall be honorary, and no member may make the Society a means of private speculation, or trade in 96 SPORTING DOGS any way whatever, aod if found to have done so, he is liable to expulsion. 5. That the property and management of the Society be vested in the Committee jointly, which shall have power to call meetings of the Society, to make necessary bye-laws, to arbitrate in disputed matters, to refuse the admission of any person deemed objectionable, and to expel any member guilty of dishonourable conduct; after such expul- sion, the member so expelled to have no claim what- ever against the Society, or to be entitled to recover any portion of his subscription. Any member of this Society, who has been declared by the Kennel Club Committee incapable of competing for, or winning a prize at a Show under Kennel Club Rules for any period shall cease to be a member of the Society. The Committee shall also have power to deal with any question not provided for by the Rules. The Committee shall decide upon the value and nature of the prizes to be offered during the year. 6. Meetings of the Society shall be held as occasion shall require for the transaction of business. A meet- ing may be specially convened by the Secretary on receipt of a written requisition signed by not less than six members, stating the time, place, and object of such meeting, to be lodged with the Secretary at least a fortnight previous to the date fixed for such meeting to take place. An Annual General Meeting THE SPANIEL SOCIETY RULES 97 of the Society shall be held in London, if possible in May or June, and at the said meeting the whole of the Committee in office shall retire, the retiring members being eligible for re-election. Any member not being able to attend this meeting, and wishing to vote at the election of officers, can do so by proxy. But the proxy paper, properly filled up, must be lodged with the Secretary at least forty-eight hours before the meeting, and no person can be nominated a proxy unless he be a member of the Society. The Committee shall have power to appoint sub-com- mittees for any special object. The Committee and officers shall stand elected from one Annual General Meeting^ to another. 7. All the Officers shall be annually elected at the Annual General Meetiag, and their duties shall be purely honorary. 8. The minutes of the last Meeting shall be read at the commencement of, and be approved and con- firmed by the next subsequent similar Meeting. The Chairman shall have a casting vote in addition to his own. Notice of a General Meeting shall be sent to each member at least seven days previous to the date fixed for such Meeting to take place, and with the notice shall be stated a list of the business to be transacted, and copies of all proposed resolutions shall accompany the notice. The Honorary Solicitor to be ex officio member of the Committee. 98 SPORTING DOGS 9. All authorised expenses incurred by the Officers on behalf of the Society shall be defrayed out of the funds of the Society. The Society's Rules, and its Prize Lists, together with the names of its Committee and Officers, and a List of the members and their addresses shall be printed and supplied to each member. The accounts shall be presented at the Annual Meeting duly audited by two auditors ap- pointed at the Annual Meeting. 10. Any member can withdraw from the Society on giving notice to the Secretary (such member to have no claim whatever on the Society), provided always that such member shall be liable for his sub- scription for the current year in which he gives such notice. The Sporting Spaniel Society Regulations {subject to Alteration) 1. In Single Stakes for Spaniels, the order of running shall be decided at the Draw. At the end of the first round the Judges will call up, at their own discretion, any dogs they require further, and run them as they choose. The Judges will, except in a case of undoubted lack of merit, try each Spaniel for at least fifteen minutes in the first round, but they can carry on the trial of two dogs simultaneously, not ordering down together two dogs worked by the THE SPANIEL SOCIETY RULES 99 same person or belonging to the same owner. All shooting will be done by guns appointed by the Committee. 2. In Brace and Team Stakes the order of run- ning in the first round shall be decided by lot, and the dogs composing a brace or team must belong to the same owner. No dog shall form part of more than one brace or team at the same Meeting, and only one man at a time shall work any brace or team. 3. In all Stakes the Spaniels shall be regularly shot over in the customary sporting manner, and may be worked up and down wind, and on feather and fur. 4. In all Stakes the principal points to be con- sidered by the Judges are scenting power, keenness, perseverance, obedience, freedom from chase, drop- ping to shot, style, method of beating and working to the gun — whether in cover, hedgerow, or the open. In Single Stakes, besides, the Spaniels are expected to retrieve at command as required — tenderly, quickly and right up to the hand ; and any addi- tional excellence, such as dropping to hand and shot, standing to their game and flushing it at command, etc., will be taken into account; while in Brace or Team Stakes they are expected to beat their ground harmoniously together. In all Stakes with puppies under twelve months old, the retrieving of fur shall be optional. loo SPORTING DOGS 5. Any dog not present to run in its turn, the Committee reserve the right of disqualifying at the expiration of fifteen minutes. 6. The Judges are empowered to first caution, and, upon repetition of the offence, turn out of the Stake the dog of any person who does not beat the ground to their satisfaction ; to withhold a prize when, in their opinion, no merit is shown ; and to exclude from competition bitches on heat, or any animals they may think unfit to compete. The entry fees of all such dogs will be forfeited. 7. An objection to a dog may be lodged with the Secretary at any time within seven days of a Meet- ing, upon the objector depositing with the Secretary the sum of £2, which shall be forfeited if the Com- mittee deem such objection frivolous. All objections must be made in writing. 8. The Committee have the power, if they think fit, to refuse any entries for the Society's Trials with- out assigning any reason for their action. 9. In the event of the weather being considered by the Judges unsuitable for holding the Trials, it shall be in their power to postpone the Meeting from day to day until the Saturday following the first day of the Trials, on which day the Stakes not already decided shall be abandoned and their entry fees returned. 10. The Committee reserve to themselves the THE SPANIEL SOCIETY RULES loi right to abandon the Meeting at any time, on return- ing their entry monies to the competitors, and if, from unforeseen circumstances, they deem it advisable to alter the date of the Meeting after the closing of the entries, this may be done by sending formal notice to all competitors, who may exercise the option of cancelling their entries within four days from the date of such notice, in which event their entry fees will be returned to them. All entries, however, in regard to which no such option is exercised, will stand good for the Meeting at its altered date. 11. If an advertised Judge be unable to fulfil his engagement for the whole or part of the Meeting, the Committee shall appoint any other person to judge, or shall make any other arrangements that to them seem desirable. 12. The decisions of the Committee present shall, in all matters arising at the Meetings, be final and conclusive, and shall bind all parties. CHAPTER VII Training Spaniels (being an Extract from ''Land and Water") " Most people are contented if a dog will work within gunshot and push out the game for him to kill. Almost any mongrel with the necessary practice and experience will do this, but I assume that the sportsman takes a pride in his dogs, likes to have good-looking and well-bred ones, and if he wishes to shoot in comfort and in good form when he uses Spaniels, it is quite as necessary to have them well-trained as any other breed of sporting dog. I will therefore give such directions as experience has taught me are useful. I know no dog that more repays the trouble of breaking yourself (that is, if you have the requisite knowledge and patience) than the Spaniel, who, from natural love and affection he has for his master more than any other dog, should be more ready to work for him than anyone else. The Spaniel's natural love of and ardour in hunting require a firm hand over him until 102 TRAINING SPANIELS 103 he is matured. There is an old saying that ' A Spaniel is no good until he is nearly worn out.' There is a great deal of truth in this, and the Spaniel's enthusiasm must be largely reduced before he can get down to cool, earnest work. I recollect an old bitch, that belonged to a Devonshire sportsman, that was so cunning that she used to catch as much game as he shot. When the old man died, I bought the bitch, as she had a great reputation ; but she was far too much of a pot-hunter for me. I could have backed her against a moderate gun any day. " Spaniels get very knowing in working to the gun after a few months, and it is astonishing what efforts they will make to manoeuvre the game out to the shooter. I have seen numberless instances of this, particularly in hedgerow shooting, when I have frequently seen a clever old dog, on winding game, not make a rush at it, which would have had the effect of sending it out on the other side, but pop through the fence and push it out to you. This, as I have said, is only acquired by experience ; and a young, vigorous Spaniel wdll sometimes push up the game, irrespective of lending any aid to the gun. A really good Spaniel, even when he is busy questing and bustling about, should always have an eye to the gun, and to work to it instead of for himself and his own gratification and amusement. You can- not well begin too early to train young Spaniels to 104 SPORTING DOGS get their noses down and to hunt close; to work thoroughly every bit of ground and every hole and corner that can possibly shelter a head of game» This is what the Spaniel is required to do when he is grown up ; and in order to inculcate this habit in him, and to discourage him in what he is so prone to do — namely, go ahead — you should begin by flinging small bits of meat or boiled liver into small patches of turnips in a garden, or small patches of thick bushes, or any kind of covert that will cause him to seek for it with his nose, and not with his eye. By no means enter your young Spaniels to rabbits if you can avoid it ; they take to them naturally when they get the chance, and there is no fear of their not having the opportunity soon enough. Enter them to winged game, by all means, and for this purpose get an old cock partridge, cut one wing^ and put him into a small patch of thick covert. " Never take young Spaniels into large or thick coverts where they can get away from under your eye. Confine your working ground to small bits of covert, patches of turnips, bushes, bits of gorse — any thing, in fact, where you will be likely to have thorough control over them, and where they are in reach of an attendant ; whom you should always have with you to turn them to your whistle. I have found it a first-rate plan to take them out on the sides of rivers and ponds, where there are lots of TRAINING SPANIELS 105 moor-hens, and plenty of sedge and rushes ; let them hunt in the rushes till they are tired, and a morning's work of this kind will do them more good than anything I know of. They soon become fond of the work ; it teaches them to work close, and they are perfectly under the control of yourself and assistant. " Teach them early to drop to hand and shot, and spare no pains about it ; this is a part of a Spaniel's education which is generally neglected. I know many men who, instead of making them drop to shot, make them come to heel, using: the words ' come around,' or ' heel.' It answers every purpose ; and as it brings every dog to you, and he has to work right away from you again when he gets the signal, it has its advantages in keeping them under control ; but^ on the whole, I prefer the dropping to shot and wing instantly. It is difficult to make a Spaniel drop to fur : and if you can keep him from chasing, merely putting up hares and rabbits, but not following them after they are started, rest satisfied that little more is necessary or desirable. "I once saw an interesting thing of this kind. I was shooting with a gentleman near Southampton^ in one of his coverts, to a team of small Clumbers ; we were both standing in a ride, and saw a charming little bitch feathering near us towards the ride. Just, as she got to it, out popped a rabbit and scuttled io6 SPORTING DOGS down the ride, followed out of the covert by the bitch ; but as soon as she cleared the wood and was in the ride, close on to the rabbit, which she had not seen till then, down she dropped entirely of her own accord. She had not seen either of us, neither did we know that we were each observing this pretty bit of work until we compared notes a few minutes after, and agreed that we had never seen anything better. It is rather difficult to describe, but to me it was worth all the afternoon's shooting, and it made an impression at the time which is as fresh as ever now. She was, I need scarcely say, thoroughly broken. " If it is desired to make young Spaniels take water, and they show any disinclination to it, the best plan is to take them to a stream which you can wade through. Walk through to the other side, and they will probably follow you at once ; if they do not, walk straight away from the opposite side and go out of sight; they will come, after making a little fuss about it. If you have not a suitable shallow stream, but are obliged to make use of a deep river for your purpose, get an attendant, whom they do not know, to hold your puppies while you go round by a bridge out of their sight, and come down opposite to them, and follow the instructions I have given above. Remember many young dogs have, at first, a great fear of getting out of their depth all at TRAINING SPANIELS 107 once, but will freely dabble into a shallow stream; so that it is best to lead them on by degrees. Once having got off their legs, and finding that it is an easy matter to swim, there will be no further trouble. Always choose warm weather for this teaching. There is, however, no better plan of teaching them to take to the water than letting them hunt moor- hens. As to whether Spaniels should be taught to retrieve or not, will depend upon what your require- ments are, the number you use, and so on. " If you own but one dog, by all means take all the trouble you can to perfect him in this business ; and for this purpose you should choose your whelp from a strain that retrieves naturally. " If you work three or four Spaniels together, unless they are thoroughly broken, they all want to retrieve, and it is often the cause of much trouble. Nothing looks worse than to see several dogs all tugging at one bird, except, perhaps, the bird itself afterwards. If your dogs are sufficiently broken and under com- mand, and will drop to shot or come to heel, and you can direct either one of them to find the wounded game, while the others remain down or at heel, you can let them take it in turn which shall be allowed the pleasure and honour of recovering the wounded ; but how rarely one sees Spaniels so well under command as this. In the case of a team of Spaniels, I think it better that they should not be allowed to io8 SPORTING DOGS retrieve, and this duty is better confined to a regular retriever. " It is a good plan with young Spaniels to walk round a covert towards evening, when pheasants are out at feed in the stubbles, having an attendant with you to prevent them getting into covert, and walk in a zigzag way about the stubbles ; you can generally give them plenty of practice in this way, and enter them well to the scent of winged game. If your puppies do not readily return to your whistle, but show a disposition to go on, turn your back upon them and go the other way, which will generally have the desired effect — and a rate or a crack of the whip from your attendant will greatly aid it. If a puppy is too fast, put up a fore-leg in his collar, or tie a strap tightly round one hind-leg just above the hock ; but neither of these must remain long without chang- ing, or you will produce swelling and inflammation. Apart from the pleasure and satisfaction there is in shooting to dogs of your own breaking, there is this advantage that they learn to understand your ways, and to know thoroughly your every look and motion^ while you at the same time perfectly understand them. " In selecting young Spaniels to break, if you do not breed your own, be most particular in getting them from a good working strain, of a sort that a friend of mine designates as ' savage for work.' TRAINING SPANIELS 109 " To Avork Spaniels in tbick, large woods, you should always go with them to work them, or send someone they are accustomed to work with, or they will become wild or slack." [' ..' , ^.. ■■] 1 ^ , 1 li .^ ttl ^Bk i^ ■gr^ M W^ v^ ':^^^r i M ^ j SECTION B Hounds CHAPTER VIII Foxhounds Harriers Otterhounds Deerhounds CHAPTER VIII The Foxhound At no period of English history has fox-hunting, with Horse and Hound, been more vigorously pursued than it is during the twentieth century. Scattered from north to south, east to west, are approximately some two hundred packs of these magnificent specimens of the canine race. Judging from the excellent sport enjoyed by the majority of hunts during this last season, one has no need to be sceptical as to the progress and continu- ance of this grand and manly form of sport. Looking back on the times when such great followers of the chase as Peter Beckford and Mr Apperley (" Nimrod "), one is apt to think that through lapse of time, agricultural depression, and inroads made into the country through commercial industry, fox- hunting might well-nigh have become a sport of the past, but, happily, this is not so. Given good weather and a favourable season, there is as good sport to be obtained with Horse and Hound as in the days of Beckford. The modern Foxhound, H 113 114 SPORTING DOGS has, by selection, been derived from the old Southern Hound, a dog that had longer ears, was heavier built, and slower. This Hound was supposed to have been used by the Ancient Britons for hunting the larger game present at that time. The number of Hounds constituting a pack varies, and if the pack is a very large one, the dogs and bitches are hunted alternately. As to which is the best for hunting, opinions vary. From twelve to twenty-five couples may be taken as the average number working at one time. The following is a description of the Foxhound, taken from the Foxhound Stud Book : — Head, of full size, but by no means heavy. Brow pronounced but not high or sharp. There must be good length and breadth, sufficient to give in the dog Hound a girth in front of the ears of fully 16 inches. The nose should be long (4 J inches) and wide, with dilated nostrils. Ears set on low and lying close to the cheek. The neck must be lono^ and clean, without the slightest throatiness. It should taper nicely from the shoulders to the head, and the upper outline should be slightly convex. The shoulders ought to be long and well clothed with muscle without being heavy, especially at the points. They must be well sloped, and the arm ^ ^ o t-l P4 HOUNDS 119 must be long and muscular, but free from fat and lumbar. The chest should girth over 30 inches in a 24-inch Hound, and back ribs to be deep. The back and the loin both ought to be very muscular, running into each other without any contraction (waist) or nipping between them. The couples must be wide even to raggedness, and there should be the slightest arch in the loin, so as to be scarcely perceptible. The hind-quarters, or propellers, are required to be very strong, and as endurance is of even more con- sequence than speed, straight stifles are preferred to those much bent, as in the Greyhound. Elbows set quite straight, neither turned in nor out, are a sine qua non. They must be well let down by means of the long true arm previously mentioned. Every Master of Foxhounds insists on legs as straight as an arrow and very strong ; size of bone at knees and stifles being specially regarded as important. Not much attention is paid to colour and coat, so long as of good Hound colour, and the latter short, dense, hard and glossy. Typical Hound colours are : black, white and tan (tricolour), black and white and the various "pies," compounded of white and the colours of the hare and badger, or yellow and tan. In some old strains the " blue mottle " of the I20 SPORTING DOGS Southern Hound is still preserved. The stern is gently arched, coming gaily over the back and slightly fringed with hair below. It should taper to a point. The symmetry of the Foxhound is con- siderable, and what is called " quality " is highly regarded by all Hound judges. Dogs ought to weigh 70 to 80 lbs. and bitches from 60 to 70 lbs. As to height, this varies in accordance with the country over which the Hounds have to hunt. From 22 up to 26 inches, but between these heights is general. It is a very old custom to crop the young Hounds* ears with scissors, the operation being known as " rounding." It is done with the object of preventing the ears from becoming lacerated by briars, etc. Recently there has been a good deal of discussion as to the necessity for a continuance of this practice^ many asserting that it is not necessary, and constitutes cruelty. As to the cruelty, there can be no two opinions. The Kennel Club put their veto on the cropping of Bull-terriers, Black - and - tan Terriers, Boarhounds, etc., and there is little doubt that in course of time small ears will be the result. The old type of Fox- hound had very much bigger ears than the modern one. All things considered, the author is of opinion that the time has arrived for total abolition of this cruel operation. HOUNDS 121 The following is a list of some of the principal packs of Foxhounds in Albrighton. Atherston. Badsworth. Beaufort, Duke of. Berkley, Old West. Bicester. Blackmore Vale. Blankney. Braham Moor. Burton. Cambridgeshire. Cornwall, North. Do., East. Cotswold. Do., North. Devon, East. Do., Mid. Do., South. Oxford, South. Quorn. Shropshire, South. Staffordshire, North South. England Worcester. Taunton Vale. Zetland. Warwick, North. Do. Dorset. Essex. Fitzhardinge, Lord. Fitzwilliam, Earh Flint and Denbigh. Grafton. Kent, East. Do., West. Ledbury. Meynell. Oakley. Rutland, Duke of. Sussex. Tredegar, Lord. York and Ainsty. Whaddon Chase, and Yarborough, Earl of. 122 SPORTING DOGS Some Packs in Scotland Buccleuch, Duke of. Lanark and Renfrew. Fife. Eoflinton. o Some Packs in Ireland Meath. Tipperary. Wexford. Galway County. King's County. Carberry. Louth. I Carlo w. Waterford. | Harriers Although there are packs of Harriers in various parts of the country, they are of a very limited number, hare-hunting with Hounds being a very inferior sport to that of fox-hunting. Moreover, hares are not as plentiful as in the days of our fore- fathers, in a large measure arising through diminished agricultural industry and commercial relations. That good sport is still to be had with Harriers we do not for a moment dispute, but it is not general. Formerly " dwarf " foxhounds were used for hare- hunting, though proved not to be equal to the typical Harrier for this purpose. Harriers vary in their height according to the nature of the country they have to work in. I Eh O h4 HOUNDS 125 From 16 to 20 inches is the general height sometimes a trifle more, or less. Unless very carefully trained, Harriers will hunt rabbits, and then they are with difficulty broken of this vice. The most useful colour is black, white and tan (tricolour), but hare, red, tan, badger and yellow pies are frequent. Throughout, the Harrier should be symmetrical, have a large nose, dilated nostrils, ears low set on and lying close to the cheeks, and the neck long and strong. A short neck is a defective one. There must be no loose skin, such as dewlap, etc., in this region. Elbows well let down and carried in the same line as body. Loins. — Broad ; and back straight, strong, and wide. Bach ribs. — Deep. Chest. — Deep, but not wide. Fore-limbs. — Straig^ht as a line, well rounded and of good bone and substance. Feet must be hard and compact. Strong hind-quarters, and a gay carriage of tail are typical of a well-built Harrier. Coat. — Dense, smooth (not coarse), and glossy. Twenty couples were considered by the late Peter Beckford as constituting a full pack of Harriers, though there is no fixed number for this purpose. 126 SPORTING DOGS Our illustration represents one of the Crickhowell Harriers, and for the picture I am indebted to Mr Stanhope Lovell of Crickhowell.* The Otterhound Otter-hunting is a very ancient sport, otter dogs being used during the reign of King John. The Hounds in those days had not the beauty of the present-day Otterhound, as very different types of dogs were then used, e.g., a cross-bred Terrier, Fox- hounds, etc. One of the best packs of Otterhounds in this country are those belonging to the Dumfriesshire otter-hunt, the River Tweed affording the pack ex- cellent hunting ground. It is an old-established pack, and has always given, we believe, the best of sport. Looking at a typical specimen of this breed, one is not slow to recog'nise a "workman all over." To a casual observer he has the appearance of a rouo^h-coated — if such there can be — Bloodhound. These dogs weigh from about 65 to 80 or 90 lbs., and the bitch Hounds 10 or 15 lbs. less, and of different colours, but grizzle (black and grey), and tan is the most general. Colour. — Fawn, yellow, blue and white and black- * The lieiglits of the Crickhowell Harriers are as follows : — Doffs, 17^ to 18^ inches ; bitches, IT to 18 inches. HOUNDS 127 and-tan are frequently seen. The last-named colour should not be encouraged in these Hounds. White markinors are common. His coat should be dense, of a wiry texture, shaggy in appearance, and of a water-resisting nature. When judging these dogs, particular attention is paid to the coat. A soft coat is decidedly objectionable, so is one that is thin. Height. — About 25 inches. Eyes. — Deeply sunk, thoughtful, showing the "haw " plainly. Ears. — Long and sweeping, hanging closely to the cheeks. Skidl. — The peak is less prominent than that of the Bloodhound and the head shorter, but the flews large and loose. Like the ears, it is coverd by shaggy hair, softer than that on the body. Beneath the lower jaw there is a moustache. Large teeth and powerful jaws are indispensable in an encounter with an otter. Of Foxhound-like conformation, the frame is of stouter build altogfether. Neck. — Thick, of medium length, ending in very powerful shoulders and arms, and the chest must be deep, running and swimming demanding a sound heart and lungs. Dewlap loose. A stroug back and loins, the latter slightly arched, an additional qualifi- 128 SPORTING DOGS cation of the breed. Should be shorter in the leg than a Foxhound, but have big-boned, muscular limbs, with large feet, close, and horny below. These Hounds hunt both by scent and by sight, their scenting-power being developed to a remark- able desfree. The music of Otterhounds is rich, deep and mellow. The Deerhound Regarding the origin of the Scottish Deerhound there is very little reliable informa- tion, though there can be no ques- tioning the fact that it is a variety of dog indigenous to the Highlands, and bred specially for the purpose of hunting the deer. About forty-five years since there were not many of these Hounds in England, and even in their native land at, or about, this period, they were by no means common. HOUNDS 129 Although powerful and swift dogs, they are only used to a very limited extent, and breeders of these Hounds keep them more for companionship, and exhibition purposes. They make excellent watch-dogs, and are exceed- ingly hardy. The following description is that issued by the Deerhound Club : — Head. — The head should be broadest at the ears, tapering slightly to the eyes, with the muzzle tapering more decidedly to the nose. The muzzle to be pointed, but the teeth and lips level. The head ought to be long, the skull flat, rather than round, with a very slight rise over the eyes, but with nothing approaching a "stop." The skull should be coated with moderately long hair, which is softer than the rest of the coat. The nose to be black (although in some blue fawns the colour is blue) and slightly aquiline. In the lighter coloured dogs a black muzzle is preferred. There should be a good moustache of rather silky hair and a fair beard. Ears. — These to be set on ** high," and in repose folded back like those of the Greyhound, though raised above the head during excitement without losing the fold, and, in some cases, semi-erect. A "prick" ear is bad. A big, thick ear hanging flat to the head, or 130 SPORTING DOGS heavily coated with long hair, is one of the worst faults. The ear should be soft, glossy and like a mouse's coat to the touch, and the smaller it is, the better. It should have no long coat or long fringe, but there is often a silky, silvery coat on the body of the ear and the tip. Whatever the general colour, the ears ought to be black, or dark coloured. Nech and Shoulders. — The neck should be long — that is, of the length that befits the Greyhound character of the dog. An overlong neck is neither necessary nor desir- able, for the dog is not required to stoop to his work like a Greyhound, and it must be remembered that the mane, which every good specimen should have, detracts from the apparent length of the neck. Moreover, a Deerhound requires a very strong neck to hold a stag. The nape of the neck must be very prominent where the head is set on, and the throat clean cut at the angle, and prominent. Shoulders to be of good slope and blades well back. Loaded and straight shoulders are faulty ones. Stern. — To be tolerably long, tapering and reach- ing to within Ih inches of the ground, and about the same distance below hocks. When the Hound is at rest, tail ought to be quite straight down, or curved. Deerhound Champion St Eoxan's Rhyme (Property of Mr Harry Rawson). HOUNDS 135 During excitement, curved, and in no case lifted out of the line of the back. It should be well covered with hair on the inside, thick and woolly, underside longer, and a slight fringe near tip not objectionable. A curl or ring tail very faulty. Eyes. — These should be dark ; generally they are dark brown or hazel. A very light eye is not liked. The eye is moderately full, with a soft look during repose, but a keen, far-away expression when the Hound is roused. Rims of eyelids ought to be black. Body. — The body and general formation is that of a Greyhound, of larger size and bone. Chest deep, rather than broad, but not too narrow, and flat-sided. The loin well arched, and drooping to the tail. A straight back is not desirable, this formation being unsuitable for uphill work, and very unsightly. Legs and Feet. — The legs to be broad and flat, with ofood broad forearms and elbows. Straight fore-limbs, and close compact feet. The hind-quarters to be drooping, and as broad and powerful as possible, the hips being set wide apart. The hind-legs to be well bent at the stifle, with great length from hips to hocks, and the latter broad and flat. Cow-hocks, weak pasterns, straight stifles, and splay feet are the worst of faults. 136 SPORTING DOGS Coat — The hair on the body, neck, and quarters should be hard and wiry, and about 3 or 4 inches in length, and that on the head, breast, and belly much softer. There ought to be a slight hairy fringe on the inside of the fore and hind legs, but nothing approaching the feather of a Collie. The Deerhound ought to be a shaggy dog, but not overcoated. A woolly coat is a bad one. Some good strains have a mixture of silky coat with the hard, and this is preferable to a woolly coat. The proper Deerhound coat is thick, close-lying, ragged, and harsh or crisp to the feel. Colour. — More a matter for individual fancy. A dark blue-grey most preferred, and after this, darker and lighter grey, or brindles, the darkest being preferred. Yellow, sandy-red, or red-fawn, with black points {i.e., ears and muzzle), are equally esteemed, more so because two of the oldest strains — the M'Neil and Chesthill Menzies — are of these colours. White is condemned by all the old authorities, but a white chest and white toes, occurring as they do in a great many of the darkest coloured dogs, are not so much objected to, though less the better, as the Deerhound is a self-coloured dog. A white blaze on the head, or a white collar, should entirely disqualify. A white tip on tail occurs in most strains. HOUNDS 137 Height of Dogs. — From 28 to 30 inches. Height of Bitches, — From 26 inches upwards. A big bitch is better for breeding and keeping up size. Ought not to exceed the height of the dog under any circumstances. Weight— Dog^, 85 to 105 lbs. Bitches, 65 to 80 lbs. Mr Rawson, of Joppa, kindly supplied me with photographs. The Total Points Required for a Deerhound Character — Length and shape of head . 10 Ears . . 6 Beard and eyebrows . 3 Eyes . . 5 Coat . . 7 Neck . . 5 Tail . . 4 Nails . . 2 Teeth . . 5 47 Body— Height at shoulder . 10 Substance and girth . . 9 Length and symmetry of bod^ 7 . 9 —28 138 SPORTING DOGS Limbs — Loins and hocks . .10 Fore-limbs . .8 Feet . . • ^ —25 Total . 100 SECTION C Hounds CHAPTER IX Bloodhounds Irish Wolfhounds Greyhounds Whippets CHAPTER IX The Bloodhound For several centuries at least, the Bloodhound has existed as a distinct variety of the canine race. According to Jesse, the earliest mention of Blood- hounds was during the reign of Henry III., and that the breed originated from the Talbot, brought over by William the Conqueror, and very similar to a breed from St Hubert's Abbey and Ardennes, which, according to the old legends, was imported by St Hubert, from the south of Gaul, about the sixth century. The Talbot was the popular Hound from the twelfth to the sixteenth century, becoming extinct about the end of the last century. "The Southern Hound, another very old breed, showing many characteristics of the Bloodhound, is difficult to find now in his pure state, although many old packs of Harriers have descended chiefly from Southern Hounds. The best authorities a^ree that the St Hubert, Talbot, and Bloodhound are all closely allied." 141 142 SPORTING DOGS The foregoing is an extract from the Century, by E. Brough. These Hounds were used by Henry VIII. in the wars in France ; by the Spaniards in Mexico, and by Queen Elizabeth against the Irish. One of the most remarkable features of the Blood- hound is found in his abilities to track the footsteps of strangers, but in towns and cities he is quite useless for this purpose. Within recent years, these Hounds have frequently been employed with the object of tracking a criminal, and in some instances, we believe, with very satis- factory results. gin appearance the Bloodhound has a very stately bearing, and usually of a kindly disposition. On the hunt their music is deep and bell-like. Although generally of good constitution, Blood- hound puppies are very troublesome to rear, dis- temper being the scourge to which most of them succumb. For the photograph of the beautiful quartet, the author is indebted to Mrs Chapman of Thrapston, and to this lady, and Mr Fall for the lovely picture of the head of Champion Sultan. The points of the Bloodhound are as follows : — 1. Head. — This is characteristic. The skin covering the forehead and cheeks is heavily wrinkled, the more so the better. Reference ^^^■Hn^ ' ^ iM^M K W^.%m I^^H ^VJl ^^m^ • M ^ '!!0^^^^^^f^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^m & ^^^1 — 1 |k^ ^^m. '^^ ji*'ii£Fji ^^ -E 1. ^£fK^%'i^ ^^ '1 " VW»' Jig* i ) k .^ K"P" CT^W^^F^IWi IhJi 4 • vf ' ' ' w Jfe , ■ ^- "^W C ^r « , Tk \Wi mm 1 -- -^^"--' ^ ^ : ^ A Quartet of Typical Bloodhounds (the Property of Mrs Chapman, Thrapston). HOUNDS 145 to the picture showing the head of Sultan shows the remarkable expression in this region. The occipital dome is high but not wide, and very round. At the top it forms a peak. The nasal surface, i.e., from eyes to nose, is very long, so that from peak to nose it may measure as much as a foot. The brows are prominent ; the flews very long — sometimes a couple of inches — and the nostrils large and well dilated. Eyes. — Small, hazel in colour, deeply sunk, and should show a great deal of " haw," i.e., the inemhrana nictitans, or third eyelid. These features are very characteristic of the Bloodhound. Long ears, thin, soft to the feel, set on low dowm, hanging close to cheeks, and meeting, when pulled together, over the nose. The facial expression ought to appear quick and penetrating. 2. Legs and Feet. — There must be plenty of bone and muscle here ; strong knees ; straight and round well-formed, cat-like feet. 3. Chest and Shoulders. — Width and fair depth are desirable, the shoulder beiog very strong, the arm also strongf. 4. Neck. — A long neck is essential, and the dew- lap should be w^ell developed. 5. Bihs^ Back and Loin. — Well-sprung ribs, with a wide back, of moderate length, and strong loins. K 146 SPORTING DOGS 6. Hind-quarters and Limbs. — There should not be much more than skin, bone, and muscle in these regions. The hocks are strong and coarse. Must not be cow-hocked. 7. Tail. — Gay carriage as in other Hounds. At rest tail is down. 8. Coat and Colour. — Black-and-tan. The black hair is generally blended with the tan, and this ought to be of a deep red. Some Hounds are tan-coloured only. Lion colour uncommon, but coveted. The body coat short and hard, but on the ears, and head, fine and soft. Height. — For dogs, about 2 ft. 3 in. ; bitches, 2 ft. (measured at shoulder). Cluh. — Bloodhound Breeders' Association, par- ticulars of this being given. THE ASSOCIATION OF BLOODHOUND BEEEDERS (Founded 1897) Objects of the Association 1. To foster the interests of the breed generally. 2. To establish a Fund by means of a subscription of 10 per cent, of all money prizes that each member may have won and received, as provided by the Rules. 3. To approach Show Committees with the view BLOODHOUND ASSOCIATION RULES 147 of obtaining extended Classification in the Blood- hound Classes. 4. To promote Stakes in connection with the progeny of Stud Dogs. 5. To promote Stakes in connection with the progeny of Brood Bitches. 6. To offer prizes for competition at Shows in addition to those offered by Show Committees. 7. To do everything possible to promote, by trials or otherwise, the training of Bloodhounds to hunt man. Rules and Regulations Members 1. The Association shall consist of an unlimited number of Honorary Members and Members, who shall be persons interested in the promotion of the breeding and training of Bloodhounds, whose names and addresses shall be entered in a register to be kept by the Secretary. Honorary Mevihers 2. The Committee shall have power to elect as Honorary Members any persons whose election may be considered beneficial to the interest of the Association. Honorary Members to be exempt from paying the Annual Subscription, and shall not 148 SPORTING DOGS participate in any benefits to be derived from the Association, nor take any part in its management. Mode of Election 8. Each Candidate for Membership shall be pro- posed by one Member and seconded by another, and the election shall be vested absolutely in the Committee. Subscription 4. The Annual Subscription shall be One Guinea, payable on the 1st of January. Me'tnhers Prize Fund 5. Each member shall, during the continuance of his membership, contribute to a fund, to be known as The Members' Prize Fund, 10 per cent, of all money prizes received by him (except out of the Fund) during each year, and won for Bloodhounds at Shows and Trials held under Kennel Club Rules. 6. The Fund shall be closed on the 31st December in each year, and the amount received shall be offered for competition amongst the Members during the year following in such manner as the Committee may deem fit. 7. No Member shall be entitled to compete for prizes offered out of a Fund subscribed for whilst he BL OODHO UND A SSOCIA TION R ULES 149 shall not have been a Member, except as provided by Rule 8. 8. No Member shall be entitled to compete for prizes offered out of the Fund subscribed during the year during which he shall have been elected a Member, unless he shall have, within one month of his election, paid to the Association 10 per cent, of all money prizes previously received by him during that year for Bloodhounds at Shows and Trials held under Kennel Club Rules. MeTYihers in Arrear 9. No Member shall be allowed to vote or compete for Association Prizes, or in any way whatsoever enjoy any of the privileges of Membership, whilst his current subscription and any other debts due by him to the Association are outstanding, and for which application has been made. 10. The Committee shall have power to erase the name from the list of Members of any Member whose subscription remains unpaid on 31st day of March. Executive 11. The affairs of the Association shall be con- ducted by a Chairman, a Committee of five, a Treasurer and a Secretary. All officers of the Association shall be Honorary, and no Member 150 SPORTING DOGS shall be allowed to make the Association a means of private speculation or trade,, or to derive money- profit through it. The Chairman, Treasurer, and Hon. Secretary shall be ex-officio Members of the Committee. 12. The Executive shall be elected annually, as provided by Rule 22 : — Chairman, Mr Edwin Beough ; Committee, Mr Walter Evans, Mr H. C. HoDsoN, Mr Arthur 0. Mudie, Mr W. K. Taunton, Mr J. Sidney Turner ; Bon. Secretary, Mr Edgar FARMA.N. Annual General Meeting 13. An Annual General Meeting shall be held in January, for the purpose of electing the oflScers of the Association for the ensuing year. Powers of the Committee 14. The management of the Association shall be w^holly vested in the Committee, which shall have the power to call meetings of the Association, to make necessary bye-laws and rescind the same, arbitrate in disputed matters, the absolute power of the election of Members, and the right to refuse the admission of or remove from the Association any person deemed objectionable. The Committee shall also have the sole power to deal with the funds and property of the x^ssociation in its absolute discretion, BLOODHOUND A SSOCIA TION R ULES 1 5 1 also to deal with any question or matter not pro- vided for by these Rules, and also elect persons to fill up any vacancy occurring in its numbers. Such elections to be confirmed at the next Committee Meeting, and such persons shall continue in office until the next Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall decide upon the value and nature of the prizes to be ofi'ered at the various Shows and Trials. Meetings 15. There shall be a meeting of the Committee as often as deemed necessary — three shall form a quorum. There shall be Meetings of the Members of the Association — five actually present shall form a quorum — in London or elsewhere, as often as the Committee may deem necessary. Minutes and Votes 16. The minutes of the proceedings of all Meetings shall be kept, and the minutes of the last preceding Meeting shall be read at the commencement of the next subsequent Meeting, and be approved and confirmed by vote. Each Member shall have one vote, and the Chairman shall have a casting vote. Shows and Trials 17. The Association shall, if possible, promote and 152 SPORTING DOGS hold such Shows and Trials as the Committee may deem expedient, and either in or without connection with any other Exhibition, as the Committee may direct. Disbursements 18. All expenses incurred by the Secretary, Treasurer, or other Member of the Committee, or by any Member for or on behalf of the Association, on the authority of the Committee, shall be defrayed out of the funds of the Association. Report and Audit 19. An Annual Report, with a statement of the financial position of the Association, shall be drafted by the Retiring Committee, and presented at the Annual General Meeting. Withdraival from Meinbership 20. It shall be competent for any Honorary Member or Member to withdraw from the Association on giving notice of his intention in writing to the Secretar}^ but any Member leaving the Association shall remain liable for all subscriptions not already paid, including that due for the current year, and shall not be entitled to receive back any money he may have paid to or on account of the Association during his Membership, or have any claim against the Association, except under Rule 18. BL ODD HO UND A SSOCIA TION R ULES 1 5 3 Expulsion 21. Any Member violating the Rules and Regula- tions of the Association for the time being in force, shall be liable to be expelled by the Committee ; and any Member of the Association who shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Committee to have in any way misconducted himself in connection with Dogs, Dog Shows, or Trials, or to have in any way acted in opposition to the fundamental rules and principles upon which the Association has been established, or in any other manner which would make it undesir- able, in the opinion of the Committee, that he should continue to be a Member, shall be requested to retire from the Association, and if a resolution to that effect shall be carried by a majority of the Com- mittee, the Member so requested to retire shall thenceforth cease to be a Member of the Association, as if he had resigned in the usual course, and shall not be entitled to have any part of his Annual Subscription for the current year returned to him, and shall remain liable for all arrears of subscrip- tions unpaid and any dues owing, but before any such expulsion or request to retire, the Member shall have an opportunity of being heard in his defence. Election of Co'iivinittee and Officers 22. The Chairman, Treasurer, Hon. Secretary, and 154 SPORTING DOGS Committee shall be elected annually. Their election shall take place at the Annual General Meeting, and be by ballot. Only Members of the Association shall be eligible to hold office. Nominations shall be sent in to the Secretary, seven days prior to the Meeting, of gentlemen whom it may be deemed desirable to elect ; and Members of the retiring Committee shall be eligible for re-election without nomination. A Member shall not give more than one vote for any one candidate, and must vote for the full number of vacancies. Notices 23. Notices of the convening of any Meetings may be inserted in the Kennel Gazette, Field, Stock-Keeper, Our Bogs, Kennel News, or such other similar publica- tion of which due notice is given to the Members, and that shall thenceforth be deemed full and sufficient without notice in writing. Service of Notices 24. A notice may be served by the Association upon any Member, either personally or by sending it through the post in a prepaid letter addressed to such Member at his registered place of address. 25. Any notices, if served by post, shall be deemed to have been served at the latest within twelve HOUNDS 155 hours after the same shall have been posted, and in proving such service it shall be sufficient to prove that the letter containing the notice was properly addressed and put into a post-office letter box. 26. As regards those Members of the Association who have no reaistered address in the United Kingdom, a notice posted up in the office or residence of the Secretary for the time being shall be deemed to be well served on them at the expiration of twelve hours after it is so posted up. Irish Wolfhounds The present breed of Irish Wolfhounds appears to be the outcome of crossing the Deerhound with the Boarhound, though several centuries ago this variety of dog was said to be in existence, and employed, as its name indicates, for hunting the wolves in this and his own country. The extermination of wolves in these countries would naturally account for the decadence of the Hounds hunting them. Be this as it may, the present type of Hound is a fast and powerful dog, and, we should judge, would prove to be quite equal to his earlier representatives. In colour these Hounds are red, brindle, fawn, grey, black, white, etc., and have a rough, hard coat on body, head and limbs, the hair under the jaw and over the eyes, being long, and wiry in texture. 156 SPORTING DOGS Weight, height (proportionate), and powerful build are essentials, and should be one of the principal aims of the breeder. Dogs ought not to be less than 31 inches, and bitches 28 inches. In weight, the former ought to scale 120 lbs. and bitches about 100 lbs. Head. — Must be long, of medium width above the eyes, and the muzzle long and pointed. Ears. — Small. Neclx.. — Ought to be well curved, long, and deep. A deep chest, wide brisket, and long, strong back and loins, together with a long curved tail, liaving an abundance of hair upon it, are qualifications for a typical specimen. Fore-lmibs, — Strong, big-boned fore-arms, straight and carried straight, ending in large round feet and strong claws, are essentials of beauty in these regions. Hind- quarters. — To be clothed with well-developed muscles — weakness in this respect being a fault^ — ■ having a long second thigh, and hocks low placed. In many respects the Irish Wolfhound resembles the Kussian Wolfhound, our own Deerhound and Greyhound, though it is a more massive animal than any of these, but like these Hounds, built upon racing lines, though of the heavy-weight class. The Irish Wolfhound Club watches over the interests of the breed. HOUNDS 1S7 The Greyhound From representations upon Egyptian monuments, etc., the Greyhound has been shown to have been in existence for three thousand ^^-ears at least, and, according to Holinshead, was introduced into Britain some time during the third century. The first record of any coursing club in this country is said to be that founded by Lord Orford in Norfolk, during 1776. The modern Greyhound is vastly superior to those of the ancients, if the old priuts are faithful repre- sentations of these fleet-coursing thoroughbreds. Although the Greyhound hunts by " sight," he is by no means " devoid " of hunting by " scent," as the Foxhound, Otterhound, etc. Misterton, winner of the Waterloo Cup in 1879 (63 lbs. weight); Coo- massie, winner of the Waterloo Cup twice (weight 42 lbs.) ; Master M'Grath, winner of the W^aterloo Cup three times (54 lbs.), and Fullerton (65 lbs.), winner of the AVaterloo Cup three times and a division of it the fourth time with his kennel com- panion, may be said to have been the grandest quartet of Greyhounds ever gracing the course. To enter into a detailed account of the Greyhound would be quite outside the title and scope of this work, therefore the author will only give a brief out- line of some of the more important points of these fleet-footed Hounds, which are as follows : — 158 SPORTING DOGS Head. — This should be long and narrow, wide between the ears and low between the eyes. The head of a bitch is of finer mould. Lean jaws. Eyes. — Penetrating and full of animation. Ears. — Elegantly carried and small. Neck. — Very important. Must be long, strong, very supple, and, above all, graceful. A high degree of flexibility is indispensable. Fore- quarters. — Shoulders must not be over-loaded with muscle, but a great degree of obliquity is a sine qua non. Arm, long, ending below in a strong elbow joint. Fore-arm. — Very long, strong, and should consist of little beyond bone, muscles and tendons. It is in this region, particularly, that the Greyhound excels in beauty. Must be as straight as a line from elbow to knee, and, above all, well placed in relation to the parts above and below. The forward position of the fore-limbs are a strik- ing feature of the Greyhound, giving a minimum of weight to carry in front. Long oblique pasterns, and compact hard feet are points of great importance. Hind-quarters. — Strength, width, and a great degree of flexibility are necessary in this region. Weak, or soft muscles destroys a Greyhound's speed, turning and staying power. THE GREYHOUND 167 First and second thighs must be long, and well muscled. The oblique position of the second thighs constitutes the main beauty in this region. Their backward curve joins the hocks in such a manner as to give the greatest possible leverage on the long, strong, pasterns and feet below. The angles of the hocks are very acute, and, in relation to the body, placed very far back. If a Greyhound has not typically formed and well- placed hind-quarters, he will never make his mark as a runner. Cltest. — Most certainly should be deep, but not wide. If a greyhound is not well-hearted he is no good for speed, or endurance. Flatness of ribs, especially towards the keel, is advantageous. Tail. — Long and tapering. Coat. — Of medium texture, neither too coarse, nor too fine. Colour. — Unimportant. A good Greyhound may be any colour. Our illustrations are from photographs kindly lent by Mrs Dewe of Riugmer, and Mr Eyers of Blandford. The Whippet The Whippet may be described as a miniature Grey- 1 68 SPORTING DOGS hound, and is judged much upon the same lines. The chief use of these little dogs is that of racing on a course, and for rabbiting, also as a snap-dog. It is rather singular, but miners, etc., are remarkably fond of Whippets, and the Lancashire and Staffordshire towns contain a lot of this breed. This variety of canine flesh resulted through crossing a Greyhound and Terrier. The best time of the year to breed Whippets is the spring, so that the youngsters will have the whole of the summer to develop in. For general purposes, from 15 to 18 or 20 lbs. is the most useful weight, and of either whole, or mixed colours. Fawn, bramble, blue, red and white are very common ones. Coat. — Should be fine and close. Constitutiojh — Must be sound (otherwise a Whippet is not the slightest use), and the chest of good capacity, i.e., the dog ought to be well-hearted. A long, lean, finely-chiselled head (wide between the eyes), and flat on the top, with bright, expressive eyes, and small rose ears, are essentials. Shoulders should have a good slope; the neck long, clean, and inclined to be straight, not arched, as stated by some authorities. Fore-limhs. — These must be as straight as a line ; have good bone, be long, have well-developed muscles, and well placed in relation to the body. Typical Whippet Dog Dandy Coox (Property of Mr Thomas Redruth). THE WHIPPET The shoulders long, the arms long, fore-arms very long, and pasterns long, but proportionate. The loins are very important features in a good Whippet. This region should show strongly-developed muscles, be slightly arched, passing in front on to a broad and square back. Front ribs to be well rounded and long ; the back ones short. Hind- quarters, Tail, and Feet. — If a racicg dog is poorly developed in these regions, he is no use for the purpose. The outlines of the individual muscles ought to be plainly seen. Long first and second thighs are a sine qua non in the Whippet. Both width and strength are necessary. Well-bent stifles and strong hocks equally essential. Feet round, and well split up. Tail. — Long, tapered, and nicely curved. General Appearance of the Whippet. — A smart, racily-built, active-looking dog, of various colours, having a deep chest, narrow waist, and long, beauti- fully modelled, muscular extremities. SECTION D Mixed Hounds CHAPTER X Borzois Beagles Dachshunds Basset-hounds (Rough and Smooth) Oh o M CHAPTER X The Borzois or Russian Wolfhound The Borzois appears to be unquestionably of Russian origin, being, in anatomical structure, closely allied to the Greyhound, and in his native country is used for hunting the wolf, a brace being " slipped " after the wolf has been beaten out of cover, much in the same fashion as Greyhounds' coursing. The Hounds retain their hold until the huntsman arrives to secure it. Russian Wolfhounds have during recent years become remarkably fashionable in England, probably in a large measure owing to the fact that Queen Alexandra, the Duchess of Newcastle — who owns some of the finest specimens of the breed in this country — and many others of aristocratic lineage, have been keen supporters of these noble creatures. In England, the only use for these hounds is that of companionship. They are, when trained, fairly good house dogs, though the uncertain temper of many of these Hounds renders them not very reliable. Although always carrying a most benignant ex- pression, this will often be found to be deceptive. 179 i8o SPORTING DOGS A typical Borzoi should have a long, lean head ; flat and narrow skull, and long, tapering muzzle, the head of the bitch being somewhat finer than that of the dog. Greyhound-like ears, and dark, elliptically-shaped eyes. Chest, narrow and deep, with great depth of rib behind the elbows, one of the most striking features of the breed. Neck, very muscular, rather long and deep where it joins the shoulders, and these ought to be fairly oblique, but well clothed with muscles. A long, straight back and broad loins, with power- ful quarters, long thighs and low-placed, strong hocks are counted points for the show bench. The hind limbs, in relation to the body, are placed very far back, only just appearing to be under it at the lower part of the extremities when the dog is standing still. Tail must be heavily feathered, long, and carried down, the so-called " gay " carriage being a drawback. Fore-Limhs. — Good fore-limbs are a sine qua non. The arms should be well muscled, and the forearms long, straight, broadening out as they approach the arms, and tapering from a trifle above the knees until the feet are reached. These ought to be long, toes well arched, and close. Colour. — Grey, or orange patches on a white ground. THE BEAGLE i8i Goat. — Short and smooth on the head, ears, and fore-limbs. The frill on neck should be abundant and somewhat curly. That covering the head, body, tail, and hind-quarters, long and silky. Height. — Dogs from 28 inches, and bitches from 26 inches. Faults. — A drooping nose ; sickle-shaped carriage of the tail, short back, weak forehand, etc. Cliib.—T\iQ Borzoi, formed in 1892. The Beagle This is a very ancient variety of sporting dog, and one that was much in favour during the Elizabethan period, these miniature Hounds even at that time being spoken of as the " merry, singing Beagles." The typical Beagle is a modification of the Fox- hound, and has every appearance of having been derived, by selection, from this source. Just as the Foxhound is used for hunting the fox, the Harrier for huntino- the hare, so is the Beao^le employed for rabbit-hunting — hence the term " Babbit Beagles," of which there are many small packs of these splendid little creatures up and down this, and other countries sometimes used foi* hare-hunting. The smaller ones — Pocket Beagles in particular — are lovely little Hounds, and to the sportsman who 1 82 SPORTING DOGS loves hunting on foot, they are ideal field com- panions. Typical specimens o£ the breed are, in our opinion, handsome ; their symmetrical form and workmanlike appearance carry an irresistible charm into the heart of the rabbit-hunter. There is also the Rough-coated Beagle, and for these a class is usually provided at the Kennel Club and Cruft shows, in London. In order to breed Pocket Beagles it is advisable to select as small a sire and dam as possible, because there seems to be a natural tendency for these Hounds to become over, rather than under, sized. By instinct, the Beagle seems to take to work. Taking puppies out along with a " schoolmaster " or " mistress " will generally be sufficient education, if carried out in systematic lessons. These Hounds are, as a rule, quiet and affectionate, and some are not at all bad house dogs, though, of course, this is quite outside the uses for which they have been designed. When purchasing Beagles, more especially for work, there are several important matters to look to. Buy Hounds having a dense, rather coarse coat; short, strong, upright pasterns, cat-like feet, short back, heavily muscled on the quarters and second thighs, and well-hearted, i.e., a deep chest and well- sprung ribs. o O U-l O a. o ENGLISH BE A GLE CL UB 1 87 Good coupliDg is essential. Long ears, low set on, fine, and hanging close to cheek are additional points of beauty. The classes at the London Kennel Club shows are : — 1. Not exceeding 10 inclies. 2. Not exceeding 12 inches. 3. Over 10 but not over 12 inches. 4. Over 12 but not over 16 inches. 5. In the Novice Class — any height. 6. Class for Rough Coats. The following descriptions and standards of points will afford the reader the best information upon the subject, but as the English and American standards differ somewhat in details, the author deems it advis- able to insert the descriptions framed by both clubs. 1. ENGLISH BEAGLE CLUB Desckiptiox and Standard of Points Head.— Of fair length, powerful, without being coarse, skull domed, moderately wide, w^ith an indi- cation of peak, " stop " well defined, muzzle not snipy, and lips well flewed. Xose. — Black, broad, and nostrils well-expanded. Eyes. — Brown, dark hazel or hazel, not deep-set or bulgy, and with a mild expression. 1 88 SPORTING DOGS Ears. — Long, set on low, fine in texture, and hang- ing in a graceful fold close to the cheek. Neck. — Moderately long, slightly arched, and throat showing some dewlap. Shoulders. — Clean and slightly sloping. Body. — Short between the couplings, well let down in chest, ribs fairly well sprung and well ribbed up, with powerful, and not tucked-up loins. Hind-quarters. — Very muscular about the thighs, stifles and hocks well bent, the latter well let down. Fore-legs. — Quite straight, well under the dog, of good substance and round in bone ; feet round, well knuckled up, and strongly padded. Stern. — Of moderate length, set on high, carried gaily, but not curled over the back. Colour. — Any recognised Hound colour. Goat. — Smooth variety : smooth, very dense, and not too fine or short. Rough variety : very dense and wiry. Height. — Not exceeding 16 inches. General Appearance. — A compactly-built Hound, without coarseness, conveying the impression of great stamina and activity. Pocket Beagles must not exceed 10 inches in height, although ordinary Beagles in miniature. No point, however good iu itself, should be encouraged, if it tends to give a coarse appearance to such minute specimens of the breed. They should be compact ENGLISH BEAGLE CLUB 189 and symmetrical throughout, of true Beagle type, and show great quality and breeding. Classification. — It is recommended that Beagles should be divided at shows into Rough and Smooth, with classes for "not exceeding 16 inches and over 12 inches " ; " not exceeding ] 2 inches and over 10 " ; and "not exceedino^ 10 inches." Standard of Points Skull 6 Ears. 10 Eyes 3 Expression . 5 Muzzle, jaws, and lip 10 Coat. 5 Legs and feet 15 Neck and shoulders 10 Chest 5 Back, loins, and ribs 15 Hind-quarters 10 Stern 6 100 Disqualifying Point. — Any kind of mutilation. (It is permissible to remove the dewclaws.) I90 SPORTING DOGS 2. AMERICAN BEAGLE CLUB Points, &c. Head, — The skull should be moderately domed at the occiput, with the cranium broad and full. The ears set on low, long, and fine in texture, the forward or front edge closely framing and inturned to the cheek, rather broad and rounded at the tips, with an almost entire absence of erectile power at their origin. Eyes. — The eyes full and prominent, rather wide apart, soft and lustrous, brown or hazel in colour. The orbital processes well developed. The expression gentle, subdued, and pleading. Muzzle. — The muzzle of medium length, squarely cut, the " stop " well defined. The jaws should be level. Lips either free from, or with moderate, flews. Nostrils large, moist, and open. Defects. — A flat skull, narrow across the top of head, absence of dome. Ears short, set on too high ; or when the dog is excited, rising above the line of the skull at their points of origin, due to an excess of erectile power. Ears pointed at tips, thick or boardy in substance, or carried out from cheek, showing a space between. Eyes of a light or yellow colour. Muzzle long and snipy. Pig jaws, or the reverse, known as undershot. Lips showing deep, pendulous flews. A ME RICA N BE A GLE CLUB 191 Disqualifications. — Eyes close together, small, beady, and Terrier-like. Neck and Throat. — Neck rising free and light from the shoulders, strong in substance, yet not loaded ; of medium length. The throat clean, and free from folds of skin ; a slight wrinkle below the angle of the jaw, however, may be allowable. Defects. — A thick, short, cloddy neck carried on a line with the top of the shoulders. Throat showing dewlap and folds of skin to a degree termed " throatiness." Shoulders and Chest. — Shoulders somewhat de- clining, muscular, but not loaded, conveying the idea of freedom of action with lightness, activity, and strength. Chest moderately broad and full. Defects. — Upright shoulders and a disproportion- ately wide chest. Back, Loins, and Ribs. — Back short, muscular, and strong. Loin broad and slightly arched, and the ribs well sprung, giving abundant lung-room. Defects. — A long or swayed back, a flat, narrow loin, or a flat, constricted rib. Fore-legs and Feet. — Fore-legs straight, with plenty of bone. Feet close, firm, and either round or hare- like in form. Defects. — Cow-hocks and open feet. Tail. — The tail should be carried gaily, well up, and with some medium curve, rather short as com- 192 SPORTING DOGS pared with the size of the dog, and clothed with a decided brush. Defects. — A long tail, with a " teapot " curve. Disqualifications. — A thinly-haired, rattish tail, with entire absence of brush. Goat. — Moderately coarse in texture, and of good length. Disqualifications. — A short, close, and nappy coat. Height. — The meaning of the term " Beagle " (a word of Celtic origin, and in Old English, " Begele "; is small, little. The dog; was so named from his diminu- tive size. Your Committee, therefore, for the sake of consistency, and that the Beagle shall be in fact what his name implies, strongly recommend that the height line shall be sharply drawn at 15 inches, and that all dogs exceeding that height shall be disqualified as overgrown and outside the pale of recognition. Colour. — All Hound colours are admissible. Per- haps the most popular is black, white and tan. Next in order is the lemon and white, the blue and lemon mottles; then follow the solid colours, such as black- and-tan, tan, lemon, fawn, etc. This arrangement is of course arbitrary, the question being one governed entirely by fancy. The colours first named form the most lively contrast, and blend better in the pack, the solid colours being sombre and monotonous to the eye. It is not intended to give a point value to colour in the scale for judging, as beforesaid all true A M ERIC A N BE A GLE CLUB 193 Hound colours being correct. The following re- marks on the subject are therefore simply suggestive. General Appearance. — A miniature Foxhound, solid and bio- for his inches, with the wear-and-tear look of the dog that can last in the chase and follow his quarry to the death. Note. — Dogs possessing such serious faults as are enumerated under the heading of " Disqualifications " are under the grave suspicion of being of impure blood. Under the heading of " Defects," objectionable features are indicated, such departures from the standard not, however, impugning the purity of the breedinor. CHAPTER XI The Dachshund Like many other varieties of the dog, the origin of the Dachshund seems to be involved in obscurity, though there are fairly reasonable grounds for concluding that the home of the Dachshund is Germany, where the terrier-like type is that cultivated, the Hound characteristics of the breed havini:: be- come largely developed through the English system of breeding. To anyone unacquainted with this breed of dog in his own country, the Hound features are the most striking, in fact, so overshadow anything of the Terrier element as to completely obscure it. Some few years since the Dachshund was an ex- ceedingly fashionable variety of dog, chiefly as a lady's companion. 194 ^ o 0:1 p •f^^ ^L HH -.. Mm ^^ V^J ri^^ m^^^^. B^B H 1 JM' '^I^ ^ l^^l Msi^^^^K^m^ ^ o -^ p THE DACHSHUND 203 Latterly he seems to have been displaced by the Pomeranian, Pekinese, and Japanese Spaniels. This brings us back to the adage that " every dog has his day." So with the Dachshund, yet the classes at the London shows are always well filled. The Terrier- type of Hound is usually smaller and built upon lighter lines. The legs are not so crooked, the head shorter, so are the ears. In weight they are from 10 to 16 lbs. or thereabout. The so-called Toy Dachshund or Spiel Dachs are a diminutive production of the smallest Terrier-type of the variety, but not specially sought after, at least in this country. In England Dachshunds are but rarely used for sporting purposes, but in Germany they are largely employed for hunting the fox in his home. These little dogs can go into the earth after any fox, and are not long in giving tongue when Reynard is in the ground, and if several of these little dogs are at work on one fox they are not long in causing him to bolt, or settle the dispute by underground combat. With the badger — always a formidable antagonist — these little dogs are said to be equally game, usually fighting to a finish. A few^ sportsmen have made use of Dachshunds for driving rabbits out of cover, but they have no particular qualification in this respect, and are decidedly inferior to the Beagle, or a pack of Beagles for this purpose. 204 SPORTING DOGS It is a variety of dog not the easiest to rear, dis- temper being, as in most other breeds, accountable for the high mortality amongst them. The colour of Dachshunds varies considerably, but the chief ones are, deep red, chocolate and tan, fallow- red, black-and-tan, and dapple. White on the body is objectionable, less so on the feet. The so-called " Tiger Dachs," or steel-blue and tan- colour is uncommon, though it gives the animal a very handsome appearance. At the London Kennel Club shows there is a class for dappled dogs and bitches. As a rule, the crossing of a black-and-tan Dachs with a red one, produces puppies true to type, i.e., some are black and tan, others red, and not a mixture of these two colours. A red dog and bitch, will, however, sometimes throw a black-and-tan puppy ; or a black-and-tan sire and dam produce a whole-red puppy. This is precisely what happens with certain other varieties. There are really three varieties of coat, viz.: — (a) The Smooth. (6) The Rough. (c) Wire-haired. The coat should be short and thick and the skin remarkably loose — a characteristic feature of the breed, and one that undoubtedly affords the animal a degree of protection during combat. THE DACHSHUND 205 Head. — This is distinctly wedge- shaped and large in proportion to the size of the animal. Jaws strong. Nose. — Black or Dudley (flesh) coloured. A red dog may have a black nose. Eyes. — Well apart, with brown or black iris. Ears. — These ought to be long, thin, covered by silky short hair and free from scales. Neck. — Short and thick. Chest. — Wide and deep, almost touching ground. Shoulders. — -The shoulders are very prominent and heavily clad with muscle, giving the dog a square appearance in front. A long body and well-rounded ribs are essentials. Legs, Feet and Toes.^Most important. The fore- arm should be short and thick, running inwards so as to form almost right angles with the parts below. At the wrists or knees the parts touch each other and almost immediately bend outwards (splay-feet), as long, flat paws. These latter ought to be large and shovel-shaped, bearing long, strong, slightly- hooked claws of a black or brown colour, a white claw (as in Pugs) being objectionable. The more the " crook " the better. This, with well-rounded ribs and a long body, constitutes one of the chief points in a Dachshund, giving it a well-let-down appear- ance, but not too low. Hind- quarters. — Strength in this region is of great 2o6 SPORTING DOGS importance, the croup being well-rounded and the thighs strong. The loins must be well arched. The tail thick and tapering, and carried like that of the Foxhound under excitement. It must not curl over the back, this being one of the worst faults a Dachshund can have. From 17 to 22 lbs. is the average weight of dogs in fair condition. The Dachshund Club, and the Northern Dachs- hund Association, are the two principal societies, in this country, presiding over the interests of the breed. The service of Al stud dogs can be had at fees from two to four guineas, and excellent youngsters obtained from three to ten or twelve guineas. The Basset = hound This is said to be a very ancient variety of dog, having existed in France for several centuries. In France the term " Basset " is frequently employed to indicate any crooked-legged variety of dog, being synonymous with the English word " Terrier " and the German " Dachs." Consequently the word " Basset," when applied to a dog in France, may become a very ambiguous one. There are Rough and Smooth - coated strains of Basset-hounds, but the Smooth- THE BASSET-HOUND 207 coated are the most popular varieties, and most of the Hounds shown at the Kennel Club shows are of the Smooth-coated variety, although this useful canine body provides a class for Rough-coated ones in addition. The Smooth-coated Basset had his origin in the province of Artois, whilst the Rough-coated variety came from Flanders. Although there are the crooked, half-crooked, and straight-legged Bassets in both Rough and Smooth coats, the only one of interest in this country is that having the full-crook of leg. The late Mr Everett Millais brought the breed into prominence in England in 1874, through the importa- tion of a famous Basset, called Model. He purchased this hound at the Jardin d'Ac- climation in Paris. This animal was the foundation-stone of the Basset as he appears in England at the present day. The late Mr G. R. Krehl did much towards the im- provement of the breed, and later, many other enthusiastic admirers, none more so than Mrs Tottie, The scenting powers of these dogs are said to be exceptional, and many prefer them to Beagles for rabbiting, their deep, clear musical notes telling one exactly of their whereabouts. Most of these Hounds are exceedingly sweet-tempered, though rather troublesome to rear. 2o8 SPORTING DOGS In height they are from 9 to 12 inches at shoulder, but 12 inches is a desirable height, and about 40 lbs. weight. Colour. — The most popular one is the tricolour, viz., white body with black markings and a tan- coloured head. Many varieties of white and black and tan. Ooa^.-^Glossy, smooth and close, but the hair must be hard enough to make the jacket fairly waterproof. Head, — Taken as a whole in the Smooth-coated variety, the head has the expression not unlike that of a Bloodhound, chiefly owing to the high peak, deeply-set eyes, exposed " haw " and close carriage of the ears at their set-on. This expression of face is, however, overshadowed in the Rough- coated variety, the Airedale or Otterhound being more in evidence in this region. In the Smooth-coated variety there is often a very weird expression on the face, and one that betokens a good-natured animal. Head must be long, have a good peak (no " stop "), and be rather narrow, but no snipy appearance. A typical head and ears, a good front and long body are, in short, the principal beauties of the Basset, and points of vital import- ance in judging the breed. A black nose, strong teeth, good long cheeks (flews as they are called), and a long, strong jaw with large, long, velvety Mr Proctor's Basset-hound Bitch Queen of the Geisha. be o o i!i ^ m THE BASSET HOUND 225 ears, complete the beauties in the region of the head. Fore-qiiartevs and Chest.- — Viewed from the front and in profile, this region is powerfully built, the Typical Eough-coated Basset Dog. chest nearly touching the ground, the shoulders short and muscular, arm very short, with a short, stoutly -made forearm, turning in at the knee. From the wrist (knee) the parts below turn out- wards, so as to give the Hound a very splay-footed appearance. The back is long, somewhat hollow, rising slightly 226 SPORTING DOGS at the loins to the top of the croup, and from this very powerful muscles should spring. Weak hind- quarters are a serious defect. Well-rounded ribs and plenty of loose skin, especially over the tops of the shoulders and back, are desirable qualifications for the show ring. Our illustration represents one of the most typical Basset-hound bitches ever seen. Gluh. — ^The Basset Society. Rules of the Basset-hound Club. 1. That the name of this Club be " The Basset- hound Club." 2. That the objects of the Club be to promote the breeding of pure Smooth-coated and Rough-coated Basset-hounds, to define precisely, and publish a description of the true type ; to urge the adoption of such type on breeders, exhibitors, judges, dog- show committees and others, as the only recognised and unvarying standard by which Basset-hounds should be judged, and which may in future be uniformly accepted as the standard of excellence in breeding, and in awarding prizes of merit in Basset- hounds : and by giving prizes, supporting and originating shows, and taking other steps to do all RULES OF THE BASSET-HOUND CLUB 227 in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed. 3. That the Club compile a correct Stud Book for dogs and bitches, containing the names and pedigrees, as far as can be ascertained, of all pure-bred Basset- hounds, and keep a register of the birth of pure- bred Basset-hounds. 4. That in the event of a Hound winning a prize under the Kennel Club Kules, whose pedigree does not agree with the Basset-hound Club Stud Book, the same shall be objected to on behalf of the Club by the Hon. Sec, with a view to the investigation of its cor- rectness, but in any case the Club Special which may go into the prizes shall be withheld. 5. That the Club consist of unlimited number of Members, whose names and addresses shall be entered in a book to be kept by the Secretary, which book shall be open for inspection at reasonable times. That any respectable person favourable to the object of the Club be eligible for Membership, except professional dealers. That ladies be eligible for Membership. 6. That each candidate for admission be proposed by one Member of the Club personally known to him, and seconded by another, also personally known to him. That the first twenty Members be original members. 7. That the Annual Subscription be two guineas. 228 SPORTING DOGS That the Annual Subscription be due on 1st January of each year, and that any Member failing to pay his Subscription before 31st January have notice given him by the Treasurer ; and if his Subscription be still unpaid on 31st March, his rights of Member- ship shall cease until he has paid his Subscription which is in arrear, and he shall render himself liable to be struck off the list of Members of the Club, unless he can give a satisfactory explanation to the Committee. That the liability of Members shall be limited to their Entrance Fee and Annual Subscription. 8. That the Club offer no prizes or cups at any show not held under the Kennel Club Rules, except at such other shows as the Committee or Sub- committee may especially approve. 9. That the affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee of eight or a Sub-Committee of three, including a Treasurer and Secretary. Three shall form a quorum. That the Committee and Sub- Committee shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election. That the Election of Members to serve on Committee and Sub-Committee be held Annually. 10. That the election of Members shall be made by ballot of Committee or Sub-Committee, two black balls to exclude. That the election of a Member shall be at once notified to him by the Secretary, and RULES OF THE BASSET-HOCXD CLUB 229 the Member shall at once be liable for his Entrance Fee and Subscription for the current year. 11. That the Committee or Sub-Committee meet at least twice a year, and that they have full power to transact all business relating to the Club which they ma}^ think fit ; to make necessary bye-laws, to arbitrate in disputed matters, to refuse admission to the Club, to decide upon the value and nature of the prizes to be offered at the various shows, and to deal with any question not provided for by these Rules. That seven days' notice must be given "of Committee Meetings. 12. That any Member of the Club who shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Committee or Sub- Committee to have in any way misconducted himself in connection with Dogs or Dogs Shows, or to have in any way acted in opposition to the Rules and principles upon which the Club has been established, or in any other manner which would make it un- desirable that he should continue to be a member, be expelled the Club. That such Member shall have no claim against the Club. That the Committee or Sub-Committee may report the expulsion of such Member to the Kennel Club with a view to his being disqualified from exhibiting at any show held under the Kennel Club Rules, and from competing for prizes or cups offered by this Club or the Kennel Club. 230 SPORTING DOGS 13. That there be one General Meeting of the Club each year, to be held at such time as may- be found suitable by the Committee or Sub- Committee. 14. That an Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened by the Secretary. That such Extra- ordinary General Meeting shall have power only to deal with the objects for which it was called. 15. That all Minutes of Meetings be read at the commencement of, and be approved and confirmed by, the next subsequent Meeting. 16. That all expenses incurred by the Treasurer or Secretary for or on behalf of the Club be defrayed out of the funds of the Club. 17. That an Annual Report, the names of the Members and Officers, and the Annual Statement of Accounts (duly audited by two Members of the Committee) be printed, and supplied to each Member not later than 11th February in each year. 18. That no new Rule, or alteration of existing Rules, or reversal of any former act or decision, shall ever be made without a fortnight's notice being given previously in writing to all Members, and without the sanction of at least two-thirds of the Members present. That it shall be competent for any Member unable to attend the Meeting to record, by letter to the Secretary, his opinion to be read at RULES OF THE BASSET-HOUND CLUB 231 the Meeting, such opinion to be entered in the minutes. 19. That it be competent for any Member to with- draw from the Club on giving notice to the Secretary before 11th December (such Member to have no claim on the Club) ; provided always that such Member shall be liable for his subscription to the Club for the current year in which he gives such notice. 20. That every Member bring to the notice of the Club Committee any apparent dishonesty at Dog Shows, &c., against which the Club may publish a formal protest. 21. That the Club shall, if possible, hold a special Basset-hound Exhibition, at least once in each year, either confined to members of the Club, or open, as the Committee or Sub-Committee may determine. That the judges at this exhibition be appointed solely by the Club, and that the dogs be judged according to the standard of excellence as defined by the Club. 22. That at other shows, not held or managed by the Club, prizes, cups, or certificates of merit may be provided by the Club for the competition in Basset-hound classes, where these classes are judged by judges appointed or approved by the Club, and according to the standard of excellence adopted by the Club. 2S2 SPORTING BOGS 23. That a list of Members competent aud willing to act as judges of Basset-hounds be annually made by the Committee or Sub-Committee, and the Secretary shall, on the application of the Committee, Secretary, &c., of any Dog Show, send a copy of such list, and arrange with the gentlemen chosen to act as judges at such show ; the expenses to be borne by the show at which the judges officiate. 24. That the judges shall not exhibit at, or be interested either directly or indirectly in, any show at which they officiate. 25. That at all shows at which the Club otters prizes or cups, the name of the judge shall be, prior to the date of closing of the entries for such show, submitted to the Secretary of the Club, for the approval of the Committee. 26. That Members may vote by proxy at the General Meeting, such proxies to be sent to the Secretary or Treasurer at least forty-eight hours before the time of Meeting. 27. In the above Rules the word "dog" shall mean both sexes. 28. That the payment of his Subscription by any Member shall imply his full acquiescence in the above Rules. RTLES OF THE BASSET-HOUXD CLUB 233 Points of Basset-hound (Smooth) Head, skull, eyes, muzzle, and flews Ears . . . Neck, dewlap, chest and shoulders Forelegs and feet Back, loins and hind-quarters Stern .... Coat and skin Colour and markings " Basset character " and symmetry Total . .100 15 15 10 15 10 5 10 15 5 General Aj)'pearance 1. To begin with, the head is the most distinguish- ing part of all breeds. The head of the Basset- hound is most perfect when it closest resembles a Bloodhound's. It is long and narrow, with heavy flews, occiput prominent, " la bosse de la chasse," and forehead wrinkled to the eyes, which should be kind, and show the haw. The general appearance of the head must present high breeding and reposeful dignity ; the teeth are small, and the upper jaw sometimes protrudes. This is not a fault, and is called the " bee de lievre." 2. The ea.rs are ver}^ long, and when drawn for- 234 SPORTING DOGS ward folding well over the nose — so long, that in hunting they will often actually tread on them ; they are set on low, and hang loose in folds like drapery, the ends inward curling, in texture thin and velvety. 3. The nech is powerful, with heavy dewlaps. Elbows must not turn out. The chest is deep, full, and framed like a "man-of-war." Body long and low. 4. Forelegs short, about 4 inches, and close-fitting to the chest till the crooked knee, from where the wrinkled ankle ends in a massive paw, each toe standing out distinctly. 5. The stifles are bent, and the quarters full of muscle, which stands out, so that when one looks at the dog from behind it gives him a round barrel-like effect. This, with their peculiar waddling gait, goes a long way towards Basset character — a quality easily recognised by the judge, and as desirable as Terrier character in a Terrier. 6. The stern is coarse underneath, and carried Hound-fashion. 7. The coat is short, smooth and fine, and has a gloss on it like that of a racehorse. (To get this appearance, they should be hound-gloved, never brushed,) Skin loose and elastic. 8. The colour should be black, white and tan ; the head, shoulders, and quarters a rich tan, and black patches on the back. They are also sometimes hare- pied. RULES OF THE BASSET-HOUND CLUB 235 Points of the Basset-hound (Rough) Head and ears . 20 Body, including hind-quarters . 35 Legs and feet . 20 Coat ..... 15 " Basset character," etc. . 10 Total . . 100 General Appearance 1. The head should be large, the skull narrow but of good length, the peak well developed. The muzzle should be strong, and the jaws long and powerful : a snipy muzzle and weakness of jaw are objectionable. The eyes should be dark and not prominent. The ears should be set on low, of good length and fine texture. 2. The neck should be strong, of good length and muscular, set on sloping shoulders. 3. The body should be massive, of good length and well ribbed up, any weakness or slackness of loin being a bad fault. The chest should be large and very deep, the sternum prominent. 4. T\iQ forelegs should be short and very powerful, very heavy in bone, either half-crooked or nearly 136 SPORTING DOGS straio-ht. The elbows should lie against the sides of the chest, and should not turn out. 5. Hind-quarters should be powerful and muscular, the hind-legs should be rather longer than the fore- legs, and should be well bent at the stifles. 6. Stern of moderate length and carried gaily, should be set on high. 7. Coat. — An extremely important point. It should be profuse, thick and harsh to the touch, with a dense undercoat. The coat may be wavy. 8. Colour. — Any recognised Hound colour. 9. Weight. — Dogs, from 40 to 50 lbs., bitches rather less. The Rough Basset should appear a very powerful Hound for his size, on short, strong legs. Body massive and a good length, without slackness of loin. The feet should be thick, well padded and not open. The expression should be kindly and intelligent. Any unsoundness should disqualify the Hound. SECTION E Fox Terriers CHAPTER XII Smooth-coated Wire-haired Club Rules CHAPTER XII The Fox Terrier These Terriers have been for a number of years, and still are, exceedingly popular, chiefly, we believe on account of the fol- lowing reasons : — (1) Their size renders them easily and con- veniently kept ; (2) their gameness makes them good for destroying vermin, such as rats, etc. ; (3) making excellent bouse dogs, and are smart, active companions, and as such suitable for both sexes. At most shows the Fox Terrier classes are better filled than those devoted to any other variety. There is very little reliable information as to how and when the Fox Terrier sprang into existence, as it is hundreds of years since Terriers were written 239 240 SPORTING DOGS about, though very little can be gleaned, as the word at that time had a very ambiguous meaning, conse- quently most of such records become speculative when discussing the probable origin of any given type of Terrier. Rawdon B. Lee, in his book on the Fox Terrier, gives numerous extracts from various ancient writers with reference to the early history of the Fox- Terrier, but the information leaves one very little wiser, upon the earlier history of these game little Terriers. It is a problem that bears every possibility of remaining unsolved. For the present purpose it is sufficient to know that the breed is with us in a very high state of perfection, and that this has been attained by selection within the last fifty years, or there- about. Whether these Terriers, as we find them on the show bench, are equal to the tasks usually imposed upon their predecessors, is another matter, and one that Fox Terrier men, in general, are not always inclined to discuss. That there are any amount of game Fox Terriers on the show bench there is abundant evidence to prove, but we have no knowledge as to whether these constitute the majority. The Fox Terrier Club, the Fylde Fox Terrier Club, and Fox Terrier clubs galore in other parts of Mr Scott's Smooth Fox Terrier Millgate Jof. o o O P o m o < o 41 O RULES OF THE FOX TERRIER CLUB 247 the country have done wonders towards improving the show-bench qualities of the modern Fox Terrier, and still more to render him popular in almost all parts of the globe. There are two varieties — the Smooth and the Wire- haired, but of the two the Smooth are in greater demand, requiring much less atteution to their toilet. Fox Terriers are very easy to rear, are hardy, usually of good constitution, pleasant in the house, though not always reliable with children, more especially under provocation. Puppies should be docked when they are two or three weeks old, and weaned about the fifth week. Before showing, we recommend washing on the previous day, adding a little blue to the water. Hard coats are greatly softened by washing. The Fox Terrier Club's description leaving little to be desired as to the show points of the Terrier, the author has taken the liberty of reproducing it as issued by that body. Standard of Points Recommended by the Fox Teriuer Club Head and Ears (value 15). — The skull should be flat and moderately narrow, and gradually decreas- 248 SPORTING DOGS ing in width to the eyes. Not much " stop " should be apparent, but there should be more dip in the profile between the forehead and 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 dropping forward close to the cheek, not hanging by the side of the head like those of a Foxhound. The jaw, upper and under, should be strong and muscular ; should be of fair punishing strength, but not so in any way to resemble the Greyhound or modern Ensflish 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 sro down in a straig^ht line like a wedge. The nose, towards which the muzzle must gradu- ally 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 (value 5). — The neck should be clean and muscular, without throatiness, of fair length, and gradually widening to the shoulders. Smooth Fox Terrier Champion Cymro Queen (Property of Mi A. Jowett). ^ ^ RULES OF THE FOX TERRIER CLUB 255 tShoulders and Chest (value 10). — The shoulders should be long and sloping, well laid back, fine at the points, and clearly cut at the withers. The chest deep and not broad. Back and Loin (value 10). — The back should be short, straight, and strong, with no appearance of slackness. The loin should be powerful and very slightly arched. The fore-ribs moderately arched, the back- ribs deep, and the dog well ribbed up. Hind-quarters (value 15). — 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 on them like a Foxhound, and not straight in the stifle. Stern (value 5). — 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 objection- able. I^egs and Feet (value 15). — The legs viewed in any direction must be straight, showing little or no appearance of an ankle in front. They should be strong in bone throughout, short and straight to pastern. Both fore- and hind-legs should be carried straight forward in travelling, the stifles not turned outwards. The elbows should hang perpendicular to the body, working free of the sides. The feet should 256 SPORTING DOGS be round, compact, and not large, the soles hard and tough, the toes moderately arched, and turned neither in nor out. Goat (value 10). — Should be straight, flat, smooth, hard, dense, and abundant. The belly and under side of the thighs should not be bare. As regards colour, white should predominate, brindle red, or liver markings are objectionable. Otherwise this point is of little or no importance. Syinmetry, Size, and Cliaracter (value 15). — The dog must present a general gay, lively, and active appearance ; bone and strength in a small compass are essentials, but this must not be taken to mean that a Fox Terrier should be cloddy, or in any way coarse — speed and endurance must be looked to as well as power, and the symmetry of the Foxhound taken as a model. The Terrier, like the Hound, must on no account be leggy, nor must he be too short in the leg. He should stand like a cleanly-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 strides 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 main 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 [Photo by Reveiey, IVantage. Smooth Fox Terrier Dog Champion Dukedom (Property of Mr Redmond). R {Photo by Reveley, Watitage. Smooth Fox Terrier Dog, Darley Dale (Property of Mr Redmond). a. o H Q O O < o o Mr Scott's Wire-haired Fox Terrier Millgate Leader. RULES OF THE FOX TERRIER CLUB 265 speaking, it may be said he should not scale over 20 lbs. in show condition. Rough Fox Terrier This variety of the breed should resemble the Smooth sort in every respect except the coat, which should be broken. The harder and more wiry the texture of the coat is the better. On no account should the dog look or feel woolly, and there should be no silky hair about the poll or elsewhere. The coat should not be too long, so as to give a dog a shaggy appearance, but at the same time it should show a marked and distinct difference all over from the Smooth species. Scale of Points Head and ears Neck Shoulders and chest Back and loins Hind-quarters Stern Legs and feet Coat Symmetry, size, and character 15 5 10 10 15 5 15 10 15 100 266 SPORTING DOGS Disqualifying Points Nose. — White, cherry, or spotted to a considerable extent with either of these colours. Ears. — Prick, tulip, or rose. Mouth. — Much undershot or much overshot. SECTION F CHAPTER XIII Terriers Skye Terriers Bedlixgtox Terriers Scottish Terriers Irish Terriers Airedale Terriers White West Highland Terrier (POLTALLOCH TeRRIER) Welsh Terriers Dandie-Dixmonts CHAPTER XIII The Skye Terrier These little Terriers are natives of the Island of Skye and adjoining coast, though by what means the breed was originally produced there does not appear to be any accurate data to go upon. The Skye is the only truly long-coated Sporting Terrier in Great Britain, cross-bred dogs excepted. The introduction of this long coat into a Terrier — dogs originally bred for rough-and-tumble work, can hardly have been advantageous, and the remarkably profuse coats of typical specimens in the present day is absolutely detrimental for work; moreover, it re- quires very careful grooming to keep the coat in a perfect state, though the texture of the hair being much harder than the silky coat of the Yorkshire Toy, gives less trouble than the last named. Skyes are divided into " drop "-eared, and " prick "- eared, the chief differences being the carriage of the ears and tail. The drop-eared has a little longer and softer coat, longer body, and slightly smaller head ; in 269 270 SPORTING DOGS all other respects they are practically the same. They are generally very game little Terriers, and will hold their own, weight for weight, in combat with any dog. Are good companions ; of good con- stitution, and not given to quarrelling, unless interfered with. Many indifferent specimens of the breed are remarkably clever for destroying vermin, and take to water without the slightest trouble. In colour the Skye should be a steel-grey or blue, silver-grey, or fawn. If fawn, black or dark-brown tipped, and if silver-grey, black tipped. The coat is a very important matter ; taken along with the head it constitutes thirty-five per cent, value in point judging. For the show bench, the outer coat must be long, in fact, reaching to the ground. For work, this is objectionable. Better to be of medium length, and this is the sort of coat that judges will do well to plump for. The outer coat to be of hard texture ; straight, and long, and the under coat close and woolly. The long hair on the head almost com- pletely conceals the sharp brown or hazel-coloured eyes. A thick, soft, woolly undercoat atlbrds the most perfect protection against wet to the skin, and supports the outer coat, as in Rough-coated Collies. Both limbs and tail must be well feathered in the THE SKYE TERRIER 273 case of show dogs, but for work, too much hair in these regions is a nuisance. In drop-eared Skyes a low carriage of tail is desirable, but in the prick-eared variety on a level with the back. The hair down the spinal column has a parting in it, causing the coat to hang, in curtain-like fashion, from head to tail. Head. — -This should be long, rather wide between the eyes, flat on the skull, and narrow between ears. Nose black, and hard palate black, or nearly so. Ears about 2 inches, and lying close to cheeks. If prick-eared, to be well up, and inclined forward. Body long, and ribs well rounded. The back ought to be fairly level, rising at the croup. Legs, short and strong, having round feet, well covered with hair. TFei^/if.— From 16 to 20 lbs. Faults. —Short back, faulty carriage of ears, thin coat, too short coat, legginess, bad carriage of tail, bad colour, too light, etc. C%uh. — Skye Terrier. Prices. — Typical puppies, at six or eight weeks, can be bought at prices ranging from four to twelve guineas, but it is advisable to purchase Skyes when they are older, as one is then in a better position to speculate — for such it is — as to the probable sub- sequent value, for the show bench. 274 SPORTING DOGS The Bedlington Terrier This breed of Terrier has certain features distinct from that of all others, and originated, so far as we are able to glean, in the county of Northumberland, over a century since. William and James Allan appear to have had a great deal to do with laying foundation-stone of this variety of Terrier. It is said that James Allan lived in a gipsy camp about the year 1730, in the Rothbury Forest, and that his father, William, was famed for other hunting Terriers, which were then known under the title of Rodbury, or Rothbury Terriers. During 1825 a stone mason, to name Tom Ainsley, had a dog that he called Young Piper, and through his residence in the locality of Bedlington (near Newcastle), the present breed derived its name. The dam of Piper was black, with ^brindled legs, and light-coloured hair on the top, and she weighed about 14 lbs. and the sire was about the same weight, liver - coloured, with a somewhat hard texture of hair. Bedlingtons are very game dogs, and will generally tackle anything their own weight. They make good watch-dogs, and are capital " ratters," etc. Many cross-bred Terriers — and game Bedlington Terrier Dog (Mr H. Warnes). BEDLINGTON TERRIER 277 ones too, have a considerable proportion of Bed- lington blood in them. Their chief points are as follows : — Height. — About 15 inches. Weight— 2-2 to 24 lbs. Colour. — Sandy, liver, dark blue, blue and tan, liver and tan. Nose. — If dark blue, or blue and tan, the nose should be black, but when liver-coloured, sandy, or liver and tan, then the nose ought to correspond, being either liver, or flesh-coloured. Goat. — Hard in texture, standing well off" the body. A great deal of trimming is necessary to get Bedlingtons fit for the show bench. Skull. — Narrow, but should have a good dome on it, with a silky " top-knot " or " crown." From the eyes to nose, face ought to be long, and rather narrow. The jaw to be long and the lips tight-fitting, free from flew. Strong, level teeth. Small, deeply-sunk, keen-looking eyes, moderate- sized ears, carried flat on cheeks, and covered with soft hair, are typical of the Bedlington. The neck should be long, well set up, and strongly muscled. Body. — This is moderately long, deep at the chest, and slender at the waist. Tail. — Long, tapering, thick at '* set-on," feathered 2/8 SPORTING DOGS on under surface, and the carriage of it reminds one, somewhat of the Setter. Limbs and Quarters. — To be of medium length, straight and strong. Club. — The Bedlington Terrier. The Scottish Terrier Sometimes spoken of as the " Die-hard," a name said to have been given to them by George, Earl of Dumbarton, owing to the pluck of a pack owned by him. The title is certainly not a misnomer, these little Terriers of High- land descent still having the gameness of their ancestors, though many of them at the present time are only used as ladies' companions. The terms "Aberdeen" and "Scottish" Terrier are — or should be — synonymous, though an inferior specimen of a " Scottie " has, and is, frequently sold to the unwary as an "Aberdeen." Another name is that of " Cairn " Terrier, which speaks Scottish Terrier Dog Champion Hyndman Thistle. ^ PM THE SCOTTISH TERRIER 283 for itself, these dogs having been expressly bred for hunting in the cairns, or spaces amongst heaps of rocks, etc. Owing to their sraall size, they are admirably adapted for such purposes. Some will retrieve and take well to water ; are good companions, and active house dogs. They are very hardy, consequently puppies are not difficult to rear, and fair specimens of the last-named can be had at two and three guineas apiece. The following are the chief points of the Scottish Terrier. Coat — In point judging, 20 per cent, of the marks are allotted to the coat — so many are faulty in this respect. Outer coat must be very thick, short, and of a hard or wiry texture, and absolutely free from any sign of curl, or waviness. Hair, 2 or 3 inches in lengtli. Under coat, very dense. The so-called " open " coat is a fault. The term is sufficiently explanatory. Weight. — From 14 to 20 lbs. for dogs and a few pounds less for bitches. Colour. — Not of great importance, but white markings are objectionable; less important on the breast, but better without any white hairs. White'specimens are rare. Brindle, black, red, mustard, and iron-grey, are the SPORTING DOGS usual colours, the black and brindle shades being preferred. Body. — Important (value 10). This should be short, so as to give the dog a sturdy, compact appearance. Some Scotties are too long in the body. Nech. — To be short and thick, ending in good, strong, sloping shoulders. Chest. — Deep, well-rounded on to the shoulders, and plump. Limbs and Feet. — Legs, short, big-boned, well- muscled, straight, though generally turned out at ankles, ending in large fore feet, and smaller well- padded hind ones. The same hard hairs should clothe the limbs. If soft, it is a fault. Ears. — Erect, or semi (half) erect. Must never " droop " at tips. Should be covered with short hair. Particular attention is paid, by judges to the carriage of the ears of the Scottie. Eyes. — To be either dark brown or hazel, giving a lively expression to the face. Head. — Rather long, and wide above the eyes. Most of the length is gained from eyes to nose. Hair to be hard and short (not soft). Muzzle. — Long, tapering, and very strong. Sound teeth — exceptionally large — and tight lips are a sine qua non. r o THE IRISH TERRIER 287 Height. — 9 to 12 inches. Chihs. — 1. The English Scottish Terrier Society ; 2. Scotch Scottish Terrier Society. The Irish Terrier This is unquestionably a very ancient variety of dog, indigenous to the Emerald Isle, in certain features beinor a modification of the Wolfhound of that country. Practically, there is no history of the breed, its origin being involved in obscurity. Ballymena and County Wicklow are said to have been the chief birth-places of these Terriers. Although but a speculative statement at its best, it is a very probable one, and in accordance with what one knows of the history of many other breeds. More recent history of the breed may be said to date from about 1875, marked by their appearance on the show bench in Ireland and the following year in England. They are excellent vermin Terriers, very affectionate to those to whom they become attached, and, as a rule, exceedingly good-tempered. Their dash and pluck has earned for them the sobriquet of "Dare-devils," as in the case of the Scottish Terrier^ — " Die-hards." These Terriers should have a black nose, strong and level teeth, small hazel-coloured eyes, small V- 288 SPORTING DOGS shapsd ears,Mirected forwards, so as to fall closely to the sides of ^the head, free from feather, and the hair on them of darker shade than the rest of the body. A Dudley (red) nose will disqualify. The head lonof, like that of a Fox Terrier, the skull flat, and from the lower jaw there should be rather longer hairs, forming a sort of beard — a characteristic feature of the Dare-devil. A good punishing lower jaw is essential. The head, jaws, teeth, and eyes constitute fifteen per cent, of value in the Irish Terrier Club's scale of points, only equalled by that of the coat. Coat. — Straight and flat, free from any curl, and of hard or wiry texture. A soft coat very detrimental, as in the Wire-haired and Scottish Terriers. If the hair of an Irish Terrier is too long, he loses the contour of body, and this ought not to be so. ColovbT. — Bright red is much preferred. Some are yellowish-red, others yellow, wheaten and grey. Brindle will disqualify, and white on feet is a fault, less detrimental, in the judge's eye, when on the chest, but, as in nearly every other breed. Irishmen are better without any white hair. Neck. — To be of moderate length, carried well up, having a slight frill on either side of it, and ending in strong shoulders, of good shape, with a chest of medium width. Body. — The Irish Terrier has rather a long body, Irish Terrier Blackbrook Banker.