 Preface of Dogs and All About Them. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Avae in September 2009. Dogs and All About Them by Robert Layton. Preface. The popularity of the dog as a companion, as a guardian of property, as an assistant in the pursuit of game, and as the object of a pleasurable hobby has never been so great as it is at the present time. More dogs are kept in this country than ever they formerly were, and they are more skillfully bred, more tenderly treated, and cared for with a more solicitous pride than was the case a generation ago. There are fewer Mongrels in our midst, and the family dog has become a respectable member of society. Two million dog licenses were taken out in the British Isles in the course of 1909. In that year, too, as many as 906 separate dog shows were sanctioned by the Kennel Club and held in various parts of the United Kingdom. At the present time, there exist no fewer than 156 specialist clubs established for the purpose of watching over the interests of the different breeds. Recognizing this advance in our national love of dogs and the growing demand for information on their distinguishing characteristics, I am persuaded that there is ample room for a concise and practical handbook on matters canine. In preparing the present volume, I have drawn abundantly upon the contents of my larger and more expensive new book of the dog, and I desire to acknowledge my obligations to the eminent experts who assisted me in the production of the earlier work and whose contributions I have further utilized in these pages. I am indebted to Mr. W. J. Stubbs for his clear exposition of the points of the Bulldog. To Colonel Claude Cain for his description of the sporting Spaniels. To Lady Algernon Gordon Lennox for her authoritative paragraphs on the Pekingese. To Mr. Desmond O'Connell for his history of the Fox Terrier. And to Mr. Walter S. Glyn, Mr. Fred Gresham, Major J. H. Bailey, Mr. E. B. Joachim and other specialists whose aid I have enlisted. In the following chapters, the varieties of the dog are classified in the order of 1. Nonsporting and utility breeds 2. Hounds, gun dogs and other sporting breeds 3. The terriers 4. Toy and miniature breeds Robert Layton End of Preface Chapter 1 of Dogs and All About Them This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Avayee in December 2009. Dogs and All About Them by Robert Layton Chapter 1. General History of the Dog There is no incongruity in the idea that in the very earliest period of man's habitation of this world, he made a friend and companion of some sort of Aboriginal representative of our modern dog, and that in return for its aid in protecting him from wilder animals and in guarding his sheep and goats, he gave it a share of his food, a corner in his dwelling and grew to trust it and care for it. Probably, the animal was originally little else than an unusually gentle jackal or an ailing wolf driven by its companions from the wild moorouting pack to seek shelter in alien surroundings. One can well conceive the possibility of the partnership, beginning in the circumstance of some helpless welps being brought home by the early hunters to be tended and reared by the women and children. The present day savage of New Guinea and mid-Africa does not, as a rule, take the trouble to tame and train an adult wild animal for his own purposes, and primitive man was surely equally indifferent to the questionable advantage of harboring a dangerous guest. But a litter of woolly welps introduced into the home as playthings for the children would grow to regard themselves and be regarded as members of the family and it would soon be found that the hunting instincts of the maturing animal were of value to its captors. The savage master treating the primival forests in search of food would not fail to recognize the helpfulness of a keener nose and sharper eyes even than his own unsullied senses. While the dog in his turn would find a better shelter in association with men than if he were hunting on his own account. Thus, mutual benefit would result in some kind of tacit agreement of partnership and through the generations the wild wool for jackal would gradually become gentler, more docile and tractable and the dreaded enemy of the flock develop into the trusted guardian of the fold. In nearly all parts of the world traces of an indigenous dog family are found. The only exceptions being the West Indian islands Madagascar, the eastern islands of the Malayan archipelago, New Zealand and the Polynesian islands where there is no sign that any dog, wolf or fox has existed as a true Aboriginal animal. In the ancient Oriental lands and generally among the early Mongolians the dog remained savage and neglected for centuries prowling in packs, gout and wolf-like as it prowls today through the streets and under the walls of every eastern city. No attempt was made to allure it into human companionship or to improve it into docility. It is not until we come to examine the records of the higher civilizations of Assyria and Egypt that we discover any distinct varieties of canine form. Assyrian sculptures depict two such, a grey hound and a mastiff. The letter described in the tablets as the chained-up, mouth-opening dog that is to say it was used as a watchdog. And several varieties are referred to in the canine form inscriptions preserved in the British Museum. The Egyptian monuments of about 3000 BC present many forms of the domestic dog and there can be no doubt that among the ancient Egyptians it was as completely a companion of man as much a favourite in the house and a help in the chase as it is among ourselves at present. In the city of Sinopolis it was reverenced next to the sacred Jekyll and on the death of a dog the members of the household to which he had belonged carefully shaved their whole bodies and religiously abstained from using the food of whatever kind which happened to be in the house at the time. Among the distinct breeds kept in Egypt there was a massive wolf dog a large heavily built hound with drooping ears and a pointed head. At least two varieties of grey hound used for hunting the gazelle and a small breed of terrier or turnspit with short crooked legs. This last appears to have been regarded as a special household pet for it was admitted into the living rooms and taken as a companion for walks out of doors. It was furnished with a collar of leaves or of leather or precious metal wrought into the form of leaves and when it died it was embalmed. Every town throughout Egypt had its place of interment for Canaan mummies. The dog was not greatly appreciated in Palestine and in both the Old and New Testaments it is commonly spoken of with scorn and contempt as an unclean beast even the familiar reference to the sheepdog in the Book of Job but now they that are younger than I have me in derision whose fathers I would have disdained to sit with the dogs of my flock is not without a suggestion of contempt and it is significant that the only biblical allusion to the dog as a recognized companion of man occurs in the Apocryphal Book of Tobit verse 16 so they went forth both and the young man's dog with them. The pagan Greeks and Romans had a kindlier feeling for dump animals than had the Jews. Their hounds like their horses were selected with discrimination, bred with care and held in high esteem receiving pet names and the literatures of Greece and Rome contain many tributes to the courage, obedience, sagacity and affectionate fidelity of the dog. The Phoenicians too were unquestionably lovers of the dog quick to recognize the points of special breeds. In their colony in Carthage during the reign of Sardinapalus they had already possessed themselves of the Assyrian Mastiff which they probably exported to far off Britain as they are said to have exported the water spaniel to Ireland and to Spain. It is a significant circumstance when we come to consider the probable origin of the dog that there are indications of his domestication at such early periods by so many peoples in different parts of the world. As we have seen, dogs were more or less subjugated and tamed by primitive men, by the Assyrians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans as also by the ancient barbaric tribes of the western hemisphere. The important question now arises Had all these dogs a common origin in a definite parent's dog or did they spring from separate and unrelated parents? Half a century ago it was believed that all the evidence which could be brought to bear upon the problem pointed to an independent origin of the dog. Euet, writing in 1845, argued that this power of tracing back the dog to the very earliest periods of history and the fact that he then seemed to be as sagacious, as faithful and as valuable as at the present day, strongly favours the opinion that he was descended from no inferior and comparatively worthless animal and that he was not the progeny of the wolf, the jackal or the fox but was originally created, somewhat as we now find him, the associate and friend of men. When Euet wrote, most people believed that the world was only 6,000 years old and that species were originally created and absolutely unchangeable. Lyle's discoveries in geology, however, overthrew the argument of the earth's chronology and of the antiquity of men and Darwin's theory of evolution entirely transformed the accepted beliefs concerning the origin of species and the supposed invariability of animal types. The general superficial resemblance between the fox and many of our dogs might well excuse the belief in a relationship. Gamekeepers are often very positive that a cross can be obtained between a dog fox and a terrier bitch but cases in which this connection is alleged must be accepted with extreme caution. The late Mr. A. E. D. Bartlett, who was for years the superintendent of the Zoological Gardens in London, studied this question with minute care and as a result of experiments and observation, he positively affirmed that he had never met with one well authenticated instance of a hybrid dog and fox. Mr. Bartlett's conclusions are incontestable. However much in appearance the supposed dog fox may resemble the fox, there are certain opposing characteristics and structural differences which entirely dismiss the theory of relationship. One thing is certain that foxes do not breed in confinement except in very rare instances. The silver fox of North America is the only species recorded to have bred in the Zoological Gardens of London. The European fox has never been known to breed in captivity. Then again, the fox is not a sociable animal. We never hear of foxes uniting in a pack as do the wolves, the jackals and the wild dogs. Apart from other considerations, a fox may be distinguished from a dog without being seen or touched by its smell. No one can produce a dog that has half the odor of rain art and this odor the dog fox would doubtless possess were it sire a fox dog or its dam a vixen. Whatever may be said concerning the difference existing between dogs and foxes will not hold good in reference to dogs, wolves and jackals. The wolf and the jackal are so much alike that the only appreciable distinction is that of size and so closely do they resemble many dogs in general appearance, structure, habits, instincts and mental endowments that no difficulty presents itself in regarding them as being of one stock. Wolves and jackals can be and have repeatedly been tamed. Domestic dogs can become and again and again do become wild, even consorting with wolves, interbreeding with them, assuming their gregarious habits and changing the characteristic bark into a dismal wolf-like howl. The wolf and the jackal when tamed answer to their master s call, wag their tails, lick his hands, crouch, jump round him to be caressed and throw themselves on their backs in submission. When in high spirits they run round in circles or in a figure of eight with their tails between their legs. Their howl becomes a business-like bark. They smell at the tails of other dogs and void their urine sideways and lastly, like our domestic favorites, however refined and gentlemanly in other respects they cannot be broken off the habit of rolling on carrion or on animals they have killed. This last habit of the domestic dog is one of the surviving traits of his wild ancestry, which, like his habits of burying bones of superfluous food and of turning round and round on a carpet as if to make a nest for himself before lying down, go far towards connecting him in direct relationship with the wolf and the jackal. The great multitude of different breeds of the dog and the vast differences in their size, points and general appearance are facts which make it difficult to believe that they could have had a common ancestry. One thinks of the difference between the Mastiff and the Japanese Spaniel, the Deerhound and the fashionable Pomeranian, the Saint Bernard and the miniature black and tan terrier and is perplexed in contemplating the possibility of their having descended from a common progenitor. Yet, the disparity is no greater than that between the Shire Horse and the Shetland Pony, the Shorthorn and the Kerry Cattle or the Patagonian and the Pygmy. And all dog breeders know how easy it is to produce a variety in type and size by study selection. In order properly to understand this question, it is necessary first to consider the identity of structure in the wolf and the dog. This identity of structure may best be studied in a comparison of the Osceus system or skeletons of the two animals, which so closely resemble each other that their transposition would not easily be detected. The spine of the dog consists of 7 vertebrae in the neck, 13 in the back, 7 in the loins, 3 sacral vertebrae and 20 to 22 in the tail. In both the dog and the wolf, there are 13 pairs of ribs, 9 true and 4 false. Each has 42 teeth. They both have 5 front and 4 hind toes, while outwardly the common wolf has so much the appearance of a large, bare-boned dog that a popular description of the one would serve for the other. Nor are their habits different. The wolf's natural voice is a loud howl, but when confined with dogs he will learn to bark. Although he is carnivorous, he will also eat vegetables and when sickly he will nibble grass. In the chase, a pack of wolves will divide into parties, one following the trail of the quarry, the other endeavoring to intercept its retreat, exercising a considerable amount of strategy, a trait which is exhibited by many of our sporting dogs and terriers when hunting in teams. A further important point of resemblance between the Carnis Lupus and the Carnis Familiaris lies in the fact that the period of gestation in both species is 63 days. There are from three to nine cubs in a wolf's litter and these are blind for 21 days. They are suckled for two months, but at the end of that time they are able to eat half-digested flesh disgorged for them by their dam or even their sire. We have seen that there is no authenticated instance of a hybrid between the dog and the fox. This is not the case with the dog and the wolf or the dog and the jackal, all of which can interbreed. Moreover, their offspring are fertile. Pliny is the authority for the statement that the golds tied their female dogs in the wood that they might cross with wolves. The Eskimo dogs are not infrequently crossed with the gray arctic wolf which they so much resemble and the Indians of America were accustomed to cross their half-wild dogs with the coyote to impart greater boldness to the breed. Tamed dogs living in countries inhabited by the jackal often betray the jackal's strain in their litters and there are instances of men dwelling in lonely outposts of civilization being molested by wolves or jackals following upon the trail of a bitch in season. These facts lead one to refer to the familiar circumstance that the native dogs of all regions approximate closely in size, coloration, form and habit to the native wolf of those regions. Of this most important circumstance there are far too many instances to allow of its being looked upon as a mere coincidence. Sir John Richardson, writing in 1829, observed that the resemblance between the North American wolves and the domestic dog of the Indians is so great that the size and strength of the wolf seems to be the only difference. I have more than once mistaken a band of wolves for the dogs of a party of Indians and the howl of the animals of both species is prolonged so exactly in the same key that even the practiced ear of the Indian fails at times to discriminate between them. As the Eskimo and Indian dogs resemble the North American wolf so the dog of the Hare Indians, a very different breed, resembles the Prairie Wolf. Except in the matter of barking there is no difference whatever between the black wolf dog of the Indians of Florida and the wolves of the same country. The same phenomenon is seen in many kinds of European dogs. The shepherd dog of the plains of Hungary is white or reddish-brown, has a sharp nose, short erect ears, shaggy coat and bushy tail and so much resembles a wolf that Mr. Paget, who gives the description, says he has known the Aryan mistaken wolf for one of his own dogs. Many of the dogs of Russia, Lapland and Finland are comparable with the wolves of those countries. Some of the domestic dogs of Egypt, both at the present day and in the condition of mummies, are wolf-like in type and the dogs of Nubia have the closest relation to a wild species of the same region which is only a form of the common jackal. Dogs, it may again be noted, cross with the jackal as well as with wolves and this is frequently the case in Africa, as for example in Bosnia's months, where the dogs have a marked resemblance to the black-backed jackal, which is a South African variety. It has been suggested that the one incontrovertible argument against the lupine relationship of the dog is the fact that all domestic dogs bark while all wild cunny-day express their feelings only by howls. But the difficulty here is not so great as it seems since we know that jackals, wild dogs and wolf pups reared by bitches readily acquire the habit. On the other hand, domestic dogs allowed to run wild forget how to bark while there are some which have not yet learned so to express themselves. The presence or absence of the habit of barking cannot then be regarded as an argument in deciding the question concerning the origin of the dog. This stumbling block consequently disappears leaving us in the position of agreeing with Darwin whose final hypothesis was that it is highly probable that the domestic dogs of the world have descended from two good species of wolf, cunny's lupus and cunny's latrans and from two or three other doubtful species of wolves namely the European, Indian and North African forms from at least one or two South American canine species from several races or species of jackal and perhaps from one or more extinct species and that a blood of these in some cases mingled together flows in the veins of our domestic breeds. Of the many different kinds of dogs now established as British not a few have had their origin in other lands when specimens have been imported into this country in the course of time to be so improved by selection that they have come to be commonly accepted as native dogs. They have come to be accepted as native dogs and they have come to be accepted as native dogs and they have come to be accepted as native dogs and they have come to be accepted and they have come to be commonly accepted as native breeds. Some are protected from the claim that they are indigenous by the fact that the origin is indicated in their names. No one would pretend that the Saint Bernard or the Newfoundland, the Spaniel or the Dalmatian are of native breed. They are alien immigrants whom we have naturalized as we are naturalizing the majestic Great Dane the Decorative Boise, the Alert Skipper Key and the Frowning Chao Chao which are of such recent introduction that they must still be regarded as half acclimatized foreigners. But of the antiquity of the Mastiff there can be no doubt. He is the oldest of our British dogs cultivated in these islands for so many centuries that the only difficulty concerning his history is that of tracing his descent and discovering the period when he was not familiarly known. It is possible that the Mastiff owes its origin to some remote ancestor of alien strain. The Assyrian kings possessed a large dog of decided Mastiff type and used it in the hunting of lions. It is supposed by many students that the breed was introduced into early Britain by the adventurous Phoenician traders who in the sixth century B.C. voyage to the silly islands and Cornwall to barter their own commodities in exchange for the useful metals. Knowing the requirements of their barbarian customers these early merchants from Tyre and Sidon are believed to have brought some of the larger bugnases which would be readily accepted by the Britons to supplant or improve their courageous but undersized fighting dogs. In Anglo-Saxon times every two valines were required to maintain one of these dogs for the purpose of reducing the number of wolves and other wild animals. This would indicate that the Mastiff was recognized as a capable hunting dog. But at a later period his hunting instincts were not highly esteemed and he was not regarded as apparel to preserved game. For in the reign of Henry III the forest laws which prohibited the keeping of all other breeds by unprivileged persons permitted the Mastiff to come within the precincts of the forest imposing however the condition that every such dog should have the claws of the forefeet removed close to the skin. The name Mastiff was probably applied to any massively built dog. It is not easy to trace the true breed amid the various names which it owned. Molossus, Allen, Allent, Tideog, Bandog, or Band-dog were among the number. The names Tideog and Bandog intimate that the Mastiff was commonly kept for guard but many were specially trained for baiting bears, imported lions, and bulls. There is a constant record of the Mastiff having been kept and carefully bred for many generations in certain old English families. One of the oldest strains of Mastiff was that kept by Mr. Lay of Lime Hall in Cheshire. They were large, powerful dogs, and longer in muzzle than those which we are now accustomed to see. Another old and valuable strain was kept by the Duke of Divinshire at Chatsworth. It is to these two strains that the dogs of the present day trace back. Mr. Woolmore's Crown Prince was one of the most celebrated of Mastiffs. He was a fawn dog with a duddley nose and light eye, and was pale in muzzle. And whilst full credit must be given to him for having sired many good Mastiffs, he must be held responsible for the faults in many specimens of more recent years. Unfortunately, he was indiscriminately bred from, with the result that in a very short time breeders found it impossible to find a Mastiff unrelated to him. It is to be deplored that ever since his era there has been a perceptible diminution in the number of good examples of this fine old English breed, and that from being an admired and fashionable dog the Mastiff has so declined in popularity that few are to be seen either at exhibitions or in breeders kennels. At the Crystal Palace in 1871 there were as many as sixty-three Mastiffs on show, forming a line of benches two hundred yards long and not a bad one among them, whereas at a dog show held twenty-five years later where more than twelve hundred dogs were entered, not a single Mastiff was benched. The difficulty of obtaining dogs of unblemished pedigree and superlative type may partly account for this decline, and another reason of unpopularity may be that the Mastiff requires so much attention to keep him in condition that without it he is apt to become indolent and heavy. Nevertheless the mischief of breeding too continuously from one strain such as that of Crown Prince has to some extent been eradicated, and we have had many splendid Mastiffs since his time. Special mention should be made of the grand-bitch Cumbrian Princess by Beau. She was purchased by Mrs. Willins, who, mating her with Maximilian, a dog of her own breeding by the Emperor, obtained Minting, who shared with Mr. Sidney Turner's viewfort the reputation of being unapproached for all round merit in any period. The following description of a perfect Mastiff taken from the Old English Mastiffs Club, Points of a Mastiff, is admirable as a standard to which future breeders should aim to attain. Points of the Mastiff General character and symmetry Large Massive Powerful Symmetrical and well-knit frame A combination of grandeur and good nature Courage and Ossility General description of head In general outline giving a square appearance when viewed from any point Breath generally to be desired and should be in ratio to length of the whole head and face as in two to three. General description of body Massive Broad Deep Long Powerfully built On legs Wide apart And squarely set Muscles sharply defined Size a great desideratum If combined with quality Height and substance important If both points are proportionately combined Skull Broad between the ears Forehead flat But wrinkled when attention is excited Browse Supercelliary ridges Slightly raised Muscles of the temples and cheeks Well-developed Arch across the skull of a rounded flattened curve With a depression up the centre of the forehead From the medium line between the eyes To halfway up the sagittal suture Face or muzzle Short Broad under the eyes And keeping nearly parallel in width To the end of the nose Truncated I.e. blunt and cut off square Thus forming a right angle With the upper line of the face Of great depth from the point of the nose To under jaw Under jaw broad to the end Canine teeth healthy Powerful and wide apart In size's level Or the lower projecting beyond the upper But never sufficiently So as to become visible When the mouth is closed Nose broad with widely spreading nostrils When viewed from the front Flat, not pointed Or turned up in profile Lips diverging at obtuse angles With the septum And slightly pendulous So as to show a square profile Length of muzzle to whole head and face As one to three Circumference of muzzle Measured midway between the eye and nose To that of the head measured before the ears As three to five Ears, small, thin to the touch Wide apart Set on at the highest points Of the sides of the skull So as to continue the outline Across the summit And lying flat and close to the cheeks When in repose Eyes, small, wide apart Divided by at least the space of two eyes The stop between the eyes Well marked but not too abrupt Color, hazel brown The darker the better Showing no haul Neck, chest and ribs Neck slightly arched Moderately long, very muscular And measuring in circumference About one or two inches less than the skull Before the ears Chest, wide, deep And well let down between the forelegs Ribs arched and well rounded False ribs deep And well set back to the hips Girth should be one-third more Than the height at the shoulder Shoulder and arm slightly sloping Heavy and muscular Four legs at feet Legs straight, strong And wide set apart Bones very large Elbows square Pastors upright Feet large and round Toes well arched up Nails black Back, loins and flanks Back and loins, wide and muscular Flat and very wide in the bitch Slightly arched in a dog Great depth of flanks Hind legs and feet Hind quarters broad, wide and muscular With well-developed second thighs Hawks bent, wide apart And quite squarely set when standing or walking Feet round Tail Put on high up And reaching to the hawks Or a little below them Wide at its root And tapering to the end Hanging straight in repose But forming a curve with the end pointing upwards But not over the back When the dog is excited Coat, colour Coat short and close lying But not too fine over the shoulders, neck and back Colour, apricot or silver fawn Or dark fawn brindle In any case, muzzle, ears and nose Should be black with black round the orbits And extending upwards between them Size is a quality very desirable in this breed The height of many dogs of olden days Was from 32 to 33 inches The height should be obtained rather from great depth of body Than length of leg A leggy mastiff is very undesirable 30 inches may be taken as a fair average height for dogs And bitches somewhat less Many of Mr. Lukey stood 32 inches and over Mr. Green's monarch was over 33 inches The shawl 32 inches And cardinal 32 inches The method of rearing a mastiff has much to do With its ultimate size But it is perhaps needless to say that the selection Of the breeding stock has still more to do with this It is therefore essential to select a dog and bitch Of a large strain to obtain large mastiffs It is not so necessary that the dogs themselves Should be so large as they come from a large strain The weight of a full grown dog should be Anything over 160 pounds Many have turned over the scale at 180 pounds The shawl, for instance, was 182 pounds in weight Ska fell over 200 pounds One of the great difficulties that breeders of mastiffs And all other large dogs have to contend against Is in rearing the puppies So many bitches being clumsy And apt to kill the whelps by lying on them It is therefore always better to be provided With one or more foster bitches At about six weeks old A very good opinion may be formed As to what the puppies will ultimately turn out In certain respects for Although they may change materially during growth The good or bad qualities which are manifest At an early age will, in all probability, Be apparent when the puppy has reached maturity It is therefore frequently easier to select The best puppy in the nest Than to do so when they are six to nine Or ten months old Puppies should be allowed all the liberty possible And never be tied up They should be taken out for a steady, gentle exercise And not permitted to get too fat Or they become too heavy With detrimental results to their legs Many mastiff puppies are very shy and nervous But they will grow out of this if kindly handled And eventually become the best guard and protector It is possible to have The temper of a mastiff should be taken Into consideration by the breeder They are, as a rule, possessed of the best of timpers A savage dog with such power as the mastiff possesses Is indeed a dangerous creature And therefore summon queries as to The temper of a stud dog should be made Before deciding to use him And these dogs, as in all others, Is a question of how they are treated By the person having charge of them The feeding of puppies is an important matter And should be carefully seen to By anyone wishing to rear them successfully If goat's milk is procurable It is preferable to cow's milk The price asked for it is sometimes Prohibitory, but this difficulty May be surmounted in many cases By keeping a goat or two on the premises Many breeders have obtained a goat With the sole object of rearing a litter Of puppies on her milk And have eventually discarded cow's milk All together using goat's milk For household purposes instead As soon as the puppies will lap They should be induced to take arrow root Prepared with milk Oatmeal and maizemeal About one quarter of a ladder To three quarters of the former Dog biscuits and various hound meals Soaked in good broth May be used with advantage But no dogs, either large or small Can be kept in condition for any length of time Without a fair proportion of meat of some kind Sheep's paunches, cleaned and well-boiled Mixed with sweet stale bread Previously soaked in cold water Make an excellent food It can hardly be excelled as a staple diet And feeding on horse flesh Care should be taken to ascertain That the horse was not diseased If any is given uncooked Worms are a constant source of trouble From the earliest days of puppyhood And no puppy suffering from them will thrive Every effort, therefore, Should be made to get rid of them With proper feeding, grooming, exercise And cleanliness any large dog Can be kept in good condition Without resort to medicine The use of which should be strictly prohibited Unless there is a real need for it Mastiffs, kept under such conditions Are far more likely to prove successful Stud dogs and brood-bitches Than those to which deleterious drugs Are constantly being given End of Chapter 2 Dogs and all about them This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org This recording by Amy Benton Dogs and all about them by Robert Layton Chapter 3 The Bulldog The Bulldog is known to have been domiciled In this country for several centuries Like the Mastiff Of which it is a smaller form It is a descendant of the Allant Mastiff or Bandog Described by Dr. Kias Who states that, quote, The Mastiff or Bandog is vast, Huge, stubborn, ugly, and eager Of a heavy and breathiness body And therefore but of little swiftness Terrible and frightful to behold And more fierce and foul Orcadian cure, end quote. The first mention of Bulldog as the distinctive name Of this now national breed Occurs in a letter written by Prestwich Eaton From St. Sebastian to George Wellingham Of St. Switham's Lane, London In 1631 Or 1632 Quote, for a good Mastiff dog A case of bottles replenished With the best liquor, and pray Perkyrmy two good Bulldogs And let them be sent by ye first ship, end quote. Obviously the name was derived From the dog's association With the sport of bull-baiting. The object aimed at in that pursuit Was that of the dog should pin and hold The bull by the muzzle, and not leave it. The bull was naturally helpless While seized in this most tender part. As he lowered his head in order To use his horns it was necessary For the dog to keep close to the ground Or, in the words of the old fanciers Of the sport, to play low. Larger dogs were at a disadvantage And therefore those of smaller proportions Which were quite as suitable for the sport Were selected. The average height Of the dogs was about 16 inches And the weight was generally About 45 pounds. Whilst the body was broad, muscular And compact, it is shown in Scott's Well-known engraving of crib and rosa. When bull-baiting was prohibited by law The sportsmen of the period Turned their attention to dog-fighting And for this past time the bull-dogs Were specially trained. The chief centres in London, where these Exhibitions took place, were the Westminster Pit, the Bear Garden At Bankside, and the old conduit Fields in Bayswater. In order to Obtain greater quickness of movement Many of the bull-dogs were crossed with the Terrier, although some fanciers Relyed on the pure breed. It is recorded that Lord Camelford's Bull-dog, Belcher, fought 104 battles without once Suffering defeat. The decline Of bull-baiting and dog-fighting After the passing of the bill prohibiting these Sports, was responsible for a lack Of interest in perpetuating the breed Of bull-dogs. Even in 1824 It was said to be degenerating, and Gentlemen who had previously been the chief Breeders gradually deserted that fancy. At one time it was stated that Wasp, Child, and Billy, who were Of the Duke of Hamilton's strain Were the only remaining bull-dogs In existence, and that upon their Decease the bull-dog would become Extinct, a prophecy which old Bull-dog lovers happily find Incorrect. The specimens alive In 1817, as seen in Prince Of that period, were not so Cloddy as those met with the present Day. Still, the outline of Rosa, in the engraving of crib end Rosa, is considered to represent Perfection in the shape, make, And size of the ideal type of Bull-dog. The only objections Which have been taken are that the Bitch is deficient in wrinkles about The head and neck, and in substance The bone in the limbs. The Commencements of the dog show era In 1859 enabled classes to be Provided for bull-dogs, and a Fresh incentive to breed them was Offered to the dog fancier. In Certain districts of the country, Notably in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, and Dudley, A number of fanciers resided, and It is to their efforts that we Are indebted for the varied Specimens of the breed that are To be seen at the present time. The general appearance is of most Importance as the various points of The dog should be symmetrical and well Balanced, no one point being in excess Of the others so as to destroy the Impression of determination, strength, And activity, which is conveyed by The typical specimen. His body should Be thick-set, rather low in stature, But broad, powerful, and compact. The head should be strikingly Massive and large in proportion To the dog's size. It cannot be Too large, so long as it is That is, it must not be wider than it is Deep. The larger the head in Circumference, caused by the prominent Cheeks, the greater the quantity of muscle To hold the jaws together. The head Should be of great depth from the Ossiput to the base of the lower jaw And should not in any way be wed shaped, Dome shaped, or peeked. In circumference the skull should Measure in front of the ears at Least the height of the dog at the Shoulders. The cheeks should Be well rounded. Extend The sideways beyond the eyes, and Be well furnished with muscle. Length of skull, that is, the distance Between the eye and the ear, is very Desirable. The forehead should be Flat, and the skin upon it and About the head very loose, hanging In large wrinkles. The temples Or frontal bones should be very prominent, Broad, square, and high, Causing a wide and deep groove Known as the stop between the eyes, And should extend up the middle Of the forehead, dividing the head Intimately, being traceable at the top Of the skull. The expression Well broken up, is used Where this stop and furrow are well Marked, and if there is the attendant Looseness of skin, the animal's Expression is well finished. The face, when measured from the front Of the cheekbone to the nose, should be Short, and its skin should be deeply And closely wrinkled. Excessive Shortness of face is not natural, And can only be obtained by the Sacrifice of the chop. Such Makes the dog appear smaller in head, And less formidable than he otherwise would be. Formerly, this shortness of face Was artificially obtained by the use Of the jack, an atrocious form Of torture by which an iron instrument Was used to force back the face By means of thumb screws. The nose should be rough, Large, broad, and black, and This color should extend to the lower lip. Its top should be deeply set Back, almost between the eyes. The distance from the inner corner Of the eye to the extreme tip of the nose Should not be greater than the length From the tip of the nose to the edge Of the under lip. The nostrils should Be large and wide, with a well-defined Straight line visible between them. Largeness of nostril, which is a very desirable Property, is possessed by few Of the recent prize winners. When viewed in profile, the tip Of the nose should touch an imaginary line Drawn from the extremity of the lower jaw To the top of the center of the skull. This angle of the nose and face Is known as the layback And can only properly be ascertained By viewing the dog from the side. The inclination backward of the nose Allows a free passage of the air Into the nostrils whilst the dog Is holding his quarry. It is apparent That if the mouth did not project Beyond the nose, the nostrils would be flat Against the part to which the dog was fixed And breathing would then be stopped. The upper lip, called the chop, Or flues, should be thick, broad, Pendant, and very deep, Hanging completely over the lower jaw At the sides, but only just joining The under lip in front, yet covering The teeth completely. The amount Of cushion which a dog may have Is dependent upon the thickness of the flues. The lips should not be pendulous. The upper jaw should be broad, Massive, and square. The tusks being wide apart, Whilst the lower jaws being turned upwards Should project in front of the upper. The teeth should be large and strong, And the six small teeth Between the tusks should be in an even Row. The upper jaw cannot be Too broad between the tusks. If the upper and lower jaws are level Then the muzzle is not turned upward The dog is said to be down-faced. Whilst the under jaw is not under Shot, he is said to be froggy. A rye-faced dog is one having The lower jaw twisted, and this Deformity so detracts from the general Appearance of the dog as seriously To handicap him in the show-ring. The under jaw projects beyond The upper in order to allow the dog When running directly to the front To grasp the bull, and when fixed To give him a firmer hold. The eyes seen from the front Should be situated low down in the skull As far from the ears, the nose, And each other as possible, but quite In front of the forehead, so long as Their corners are in a straight line At right angles with the stop, and In front of the forehead. They should be A little above the level of the base Of the nasal bone, and should be quite round In the shape of moderate size, neither Sunken nor prominent, and be as black In colour as possible, almost If not quite black, showing no white When looking directly to the front. A good deal of a bull-dog's appearance Depends on the quality, shape, And carriage of his ears. They should be small and thin, Set high on the head, that is The front inner edge of each ear Should, as viewed from the front, Join the outline of the skull At the top corner of such outline, As to place them as wide apart, as high, And as far from the eyes as possible The shape should be that which Is known as rose, in which The ear folds inward at the back, The upper or front edge, curving Over, outwards and backwards, Showing part of the inside of the bear If the ears are placed low on the skull They give an apple-headed appearance To the dog. If the ear falls to In front, hiding the interior, as Is the case with the fox terrier, It is said to button, and this Type is highly objectionable. Unfortunately, within the last few years The button and semi-tulip ear Have been rather prevalent among the specimens On the show bench. If the ear is carried erect, it is known As a tulip ear, and this form Also is objectionable. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the Nineteenth century, two out of every Three dogs possessed ears of this description. The neck should be moderate in length, Very thick, deep muscular And short, but of sufficient length To allow it to be well arched at the back, Commencing at the junction of the skull. There should be plenty of loose, thick And wrinkled skin about the throat, Forming a doulap on each side From the lower jaw to the chest. The chest should be very wide laterally, Round, prominent and deep, Making the dog appear very broad And short-legged in front. The shoulders should be broad, The blades sloping considerably From the body. They should be deep, Very powerful and muscular, and should Lie flat at the top, and play loosely From the chest. The brisket should be Capacious, round, and very deep From the shoulder to the lowest part Where it joins the chest, and be well Let down between the forelegs. It should be large in diameter, And round beyond the forelegs, Neither flat-sided nor sinking, Which it will not do provided that The first and succeeding ribs are well rounded. The belly should be well tucked up And not pendulous, a small, narrow Waste being greatly admired. The desired object in body formation Is to obtain great girth at the brisket, And the smallest possible around the waist. That is, the loins should be arched Very high, with the dog Is said to have a good cut up. The back should be short and strong, Very broad at the shoulder, And comparatively narrow at the loins. The back should rise behind the shoulders In a graceful curve to the loins, The top of which should be higher Than the top of the shoulders, Thence curving again more suddenly Forming an arch known as the roach back, Which is essentially a characteristic of the breed, Though unfortunately many leading prize winners Of the present day are entirely deficient In this respect. Some dogs dip very considerably Some distance behind the shoulders Before the upward curve of the spine begins, And these are known as swamp-backed. Others rise in an almost straight line To the root of the tail And are known as stern-high. The tail should be set on low, Jut out rather straight, Then turn downwards, The end pointing horizontally. It should be quite round in its whole length, Smooth and devoid of fringe or coarse hair. It should be moderate in length, Rather short than long, Thick at the root and taper quickly to a fine point. It should have a downward carriage, And the dog should not be able To raise it above the level of the backbone. The tail should not curve at the end, Otherwise it is known as ring-tailed. The ideal length of the tail Is about six inches. Many fanciers demand a screw Or kinked tail, That is one having congenital dislocations At the joints, But such appendages are not desirable In the best interests of the breed. The four legs should be very stout And strong, set wide apart, Thick muscular and short, With well-developed muscles in the calves, Presenting a rather bowed outline. But the bones of the leg Must be straight, large, Andy or curved. They should be rather short In proportion to the hind legs, But not so short as to make the back Appear long or detract from the dog's Activity and so cripple him. The elbows should be low and stand Well away from the ribs, So as to permit the body to swing Between them. If this property is absent, The dog is said to be on the leg. The ankles, or pasturns, Should be short, straight, and strong. They should be of medium size and moderately round, Not too long or narrow, Whilst the toes should be thick, Compact, and well-split up, Making the knuckles prominent and high. The hind legs, though of Slighter build than the four legs, Should be strong and muscular. They should be longer in proportion than the four legs In order to elevate the loins. The stifles should be round And turn slightly outwards away from the body, Thus bending the hawks inward And the hind feet outward. They should be well let down, So that the leg is long and muscular From the loins to the point of the hawk, Which makes the pasturn short, But these should not be so short As those of the four legs. The hind feet, whilst being smaller than the four feet, Should be round and compact With the toes well split up And the knuckles prominent. The most desirable weight for a bulldog Is about fifty pounds. The coat should be fine in texture. Short, close, and smooth, The head towards the tail, Owing to its closeness, But not wiry when stroked in the reverse direction. The colour should be whole or smut. The latter being a whole colour With a black mask or muzzle. It should be brilliant and pure of its sort. The colours in order of merit Are first, whole colours and smuts. Brindles, reds, White, with their varieties As whole fawns, fallows, etc. And secondly, Pied and mixed colours. They differ considerably on the colour question. One judge will set back a fawn And put forward a pied dog While others will do the reverse. Occasionally one comes across specimens Having a black and tan colour Which although not mentioned in the recognised standard Is being debarred Do not, as a rule, figure in the prize list. Some of the best specimens Which the writer has seen Have been black and tans. And a few years ago on the award Of a first prize to a bitch of this colour But non-conclusive argument was held In the canine press. Granted that the colour is objectionable. A dog which scores in all other properties Should not be put down for this point alone. Seeing that in the dog-fighting days There were many specimens of this colour. In action the bull-dog should have A peculiarly heavy and constrained gait. A rolling or slouching movement Appearing to walk with short Quick steps on the tip of his toes. His hind feet not being lifted high But appearing to skim the ground. And running with the right shoulder rather advanced. Similar to the manner of a horse When cantering. The foregoing minute description Of the various show-points of a bull-dog Indicates that he should have the appearance Of a thick, set, archer or highland bull. In stature he should be low to the ground. Broad and compact. The body being carried between And not on the forelegs. He should stand over a great deal of ground And have the appearance of immense power. The height of the foreleg should not exceed The distance from the elbow to the centre Of the back between the shoulder-blades. Considerable importance is attached To the freedom and activity Displayed by the animal and its movements. Deformed joints or weakness Are very objectionable. The head should be strikingly massive And carried low. The face short. The muzzle very broad. Blunt and inclined upward. The body should be short and well-knit. The limbs stout and muscular. The hind-quarters should be very high But rather lightly made in comparison With the heavily made fore-parts. It must be acknowledged that there are many Strains of this breed which are Constitutionally unsound. For this reason it is important that the novice Should give very careful consideration To his first purchase of a bull-dog. He should ascertain beyond old-out Not only that his proposed purchase Is itself sound and wind and limb. But that its sire and dam are And have been in similarly healthy condition. The dog to be chosen should be Physically strong and show Pronounced muscular development. If these requirements are present And the dog is in no sense a contradiction Of the good qualities of its progenitors But a justification of its pedigree Care and good treatment will do the rest. It is to be remembered, however, That a bull-dog may be improved By judicious exercise. When at exercise or taking a walk With his owner, the young dog Should always be held by a leash. He will invariably pull vigorously Upon this restraint. But such action is beneficial As it tends to develop the muscles Of the shoulders and front of the body. When taking up the bull-dog fancy Nine out of every ten novices Choose to purchase a male. The contrary course should be adopted. The female is an equally good companion In the house or on the road. She is not less affectionate and faithful And when the inevitable desire To attempt to reproduce the species Is reached, the beginner has Available. It is always difficult For the uninitiated to select What is likely to be a good dog from the nest. In choosing a puppy Care should be taken to ensure it has Plenty of bone in its limbs And these should be fairly short and wide. The nostrils should be large And the face as short as possible. The chop should be thick And heavily wrinkled and the mouth square. There should be a distinct indent In the upper jaw, where the bone Will eventually curve, whilst the lower jaw Signs of curvature and protrude slightly In front of the upper jaw. The teeth from K9 to K9, including the Six front teeth, should be in a straight Line. See that the ears are very Small and thin, and the eyes well Set apart. The puppy having these Properties, together with the domed Peaked or coconut shaped skull Is the one which, in nine cases out Of ten, will eventually make the best-headed Dog of the litter. The breeding Of bull-dogs requires unlimited patience As success is very difficult to attain. The breeder who can rear five out of every Ten puppies born may be a Considered fortunate. It is frequently Found in what appears to be a healthy Lot of puppies, that some of them begin To whine and whimper towards the end Of the first day, and in such cases The writer's experience is that there Will be a speedy burial. It may be that the cause is due to Some acidity of the milk, but in Such a case one would expect similar Difficulty would be experienced by The remainder of the litter, but this Is the result. Provided that the puppies Can be kept alive until the fourth Day, it may be taken that the chances Are well in favor of ultimate success. Many breeders object to feeding The mother with meat at this time, But the writer once had two litter Sisters who whelped on the same day And he decided to try the effect Of a meat versus for a sinious Diet upon them. As a result The bitch who was freely fed with Raw beef reared a stronger Lot of puppies, showing better developed Bone than the one who was fed on milk And cereals. Similarly, in order that The puppy, after weaning, may develop Plenty of bone and muscle, it is Advisable to feed once a day upon Finally minced raw meat. There are Some successful breeders, indeed, who Invariably give to each puppy a teaspoonful Of cod liver oil in the morning, and A similar dose of extract of malt In the evening, with the result that There are never any rickety or weak Dogs in the kennels, whilst the Development of bones in the skull Owing to the lethargic disposition Young bulldogs are somewhat liable To indigestion, and during the period Of puppyhood, it is of advantage To give them a tablespoonful of lime Water, once a day, in their milk Food. Many novices are in doubt As to the best time to breed from A bull bitch, seeing that Ostrom Is present even before she is fully Developed. It may be taken as Practically certain that it is better For her to be allowed to breed at her first Heat. Nature has so arranged Matters that a bull bitch is not firmly Set in her bones until she reaches An age of from twelve to eighteen Months. Therefore, she will Have less difficulty in giving birth To her offspring if she be allowed to Breed at this time. Great mortality Occurs in attempting to breed from Maiden bitches exceeding three years Of age, as the writer knows To his cost. It is desirable In the case of a young bitch Having her first litter for her master Or mistress to be near her at the time Which render any necessary assistance But such attentions should not be given Unless actual necessity arises Some bitches with excessive Layback and shortness of face Have at times a difficulty in releasing The puppy from the membrane in which it is born And in such a case it is necessary For the owner to open this covering and release The puppy, gently shaking it about In the box until it coughs and begins To breathe. The umbilical cord Should be severed from the afterbirth About four inches from the puppy And this will dry up and fall away In the course of a couple of days. In general, it is true economy For the bulldog breeder to provide a foster mother In readiness for the birth of the expected litter Especially as this so in the case Of a first litter when the qualifications For nursing by the mother are unknown. Where there are more than five puppies It is also desirable to obtain A foster mother in order that fall Nourishment may be given to the litter By both mothers. The best time Of the year for puppies to be born In the spring. When owing to the approaching Warm weather they can lead an outdoor life By the time they are six months old They should have sufficient stamina To enable them to withstand the cold Of the succeeding winter. It has been Assertained that bulldogs Which have been reared out of doors Are the least liable to suffer from indigestion Torpidity of the liver, asthma Or other chest ailments Whilst they invariably have the heartiest Constitution. Bulldogs generally Require liberal feeding and should Have a meal of dry biscuit the first thing In the morning whilst the evening meal Should consist of a good stew Of butcher's awful poured over broken Biscuit, bread, or other cereal food. In the wintertime it is advantageous To soak a tablespoon full of linseed In water overnight and after the pods Have opened to turn to the resulting Jelly into the stew pot. This censures a fine glossy coat And is of value in toning up the Intestines. Care must however Be taken not to follow this practice In excess in warm weather as the Heating nature of the linseed will Eventually cause skin trouble. With these special points attended to The novice should find no difficulty In successfully becoming a bulldog Fancier, owner, and breeder. In conclusion it cannot be too widely Known that the bulldog is one of the Very few breeds which can with perfect Safety be trusted alone to the mercy Of children who naturally in the course Of play try the patience and good temper Of the firmest friend of man. Miniature Bulldog Fifty or sixty years ago toy, Or other as the recent edict of the Kennel Club requires them to be dubbed Miniature, bulldogs were common Objects of the canine countryside. In fact you could hardly even talk For ten minutes to any bulldog breeder Of old standing without his telling you Tall stories of the wonderful little bulldogs Weighing about fifteen or sixteen pounds He either knew or owned in those Long past days. Prominent among Those who made a cult of these little With the lace workers of Nottingham And many prints are extant which bear witness To the excellent little specimens they bred But a wave of unpopularity overwhelmed Them, and they faded across the channel To France, where, if, as it asserted, Our Gallic neighbours appreciated them Highly, they cannot be said to have taken Much care to preserve their best Points. When in eighteen ninety-eight A small but devoted ban of admirers Revived them in England, they returned Most attractive to his true, But hampered by many undesirable Features, such as bat ears, Froggy faces, waving tails, And a general lack of bulldog character. However the Toy Bulldog Club Then started, took the dogs vigorously In hand, and thanks to unceasing Efforts, toy bulldogs have always Since been catered for at an Ever-increasing number in shows. Their weight, after much heated Discussion and sundry downs and ups Was finally fixed at twenty-two Pounds and under. The original Aim of miniature bulldogs, i.e. To look like the larger variety Seen through the wrong end of a telescope If not actually achieved Is being rapidly approached, and Can no longer be looked upon as merely The hopeless dream of a few enthusiasts. To enumerate in detail The miniature bulldog scale Of points is quite unnecessary, As it is simply that of the big One's writ small. In other words Quote, the general appearance Of the miniature bulldog must as nearly As possible resemble that of the big Bulldog, end quote, a terse sentence Which comprises in itself All that can be said on the subject. As companions and friends, miniature Bulldogs are faithful, fond, And even foolish in their devotion As all true friends should be. They are absolutely and invariably Good-tempered, and as a rule Sufficiently fond of the luxuries Of this life, not to say greedy, To be easily cajoled into obedience. Remarkably intelligent, and caring Enough for sport to be sympathetically Excited at the sight of a rabbit Without degenerating into cranks On the subject, like terriers. Taking a keen interest in all surrounding People and objects, without, however, Giving way to ceaseless barking, Enjoying outdoor exercise without Requiring an exhausting amount, They are in every way ideal pets, And adapt themselves to town and Country alike. As puppies They are delicate, and require Constant care and supervision, But that only adds a keener zest Of breeding them, the more so owing To the fact that as mothers they do not Shine, being very difficult to manage And generally manifesting a strong Dislike to rearing their own offspring. In other respects they are quite hardy Little dogs, and, one great advantage, They seldom have distemper. Cold and damp they particularly Dislike, especially when puppies, And the greatest care should be Taken to keep them thoroughly dry And warm. When very young indeed They can stand and are the better Extraordinary amount of heat. The French Bulldog Bulldog François There appears to be no doubt that the French Bulldog originated in England And is an offshoot of the English Miniature variety Bulldog, not the Bulldog one sees on the bench today, But of the tulip-eared and short Under-jawed specimens which were Common in London, Nottingham, Birmingham, And Sheffield in the early fifties. There was, at that time, a constant Emigration of lace workers from The coast towns of Normandy, where lace Factories were springing into existence, And these immigrants frequently took A Bulldog with them to the land of their Adoption. The converse method was Also adopted. Prior to 1902 French Bulldogs were imported Into this country with the object Of resuscitating the strain of Bantam Bulldogs, which, in course Of years, had been allowed to dwindle In numbers and were in danger of Becoming extinct. There are superficial Similarities between the English Miniature and the French Bulldog. The one distinguishing Characteristic, being that of the French variety, the ears are higher On the head and are held erect. Until a few years ago the two were Interbred. But disputes as to their Essential differences led the Canter-Club to intervene, and the Types have since been kept Rigidly apart. The smart little Bat-eared Bulldogs of France Receiving recognition under the Breed name of Bulldog Chapter 4 of Dogs and All About Them This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the Public domain. For more Information or to volunteer, please Visit LibriVox.org Dogs and All About Them By Robert Layton Chapter 4 The Saint Bernard The history of the Saint Bernard Dog would not be complete without Reference being made to the noble Switzerland his native land. How the hospice Saint Bernard kept A considerable number of dogs which Were trained to go over the mountains With small barrels round their necks Containing restoratives. In the Event of their coming across any poor Travellers who had either lost their way Or had been overcome by the cold. We've been told that the intelligent Animals saved many lives in this Way. The subjects of their Deliverance often being found Entirely buried in the snow. Handsome as the Saint Bernard is With his attractive color and markings He is a crossbred dog. From the records of old writers It is to be gathered that to refill The kennels at the hospice which had Been rendered vacant from the combined Catastrophes of distemper and the fall Of an avalanche which had swept away Nearly all their hounds. The monks Were compelled to have recourse To a cross with the Newfoundland And the Pyrenean sheepdog, the latter Not unlike the Saint Bernard in England. Then again there is no doubt Whatever that at some time the Bloodhound has been introduced. And it is known for a certainty that Almost all the most celebrated Saint Bernard in England at the Present time are closely allied to The mastiff. The result of all this Intermixture of different breeds Has been the production of an Exceedingly fine race of dogs Which form one of the most Attractive features that our dog Shows and are individually excellent Companions. As a companion the Saint Bernard cannot be surpassed When a large dog is required for the Purpose. Most docile Intemperment and disposition he Is admirably suited as the Associate of a lady or a child. The Saint Bernard is sensitive to A degree and seldom forgets An insult which he resents with Dignity. Specimens of the breed Have occasionally been seen that Are savage but when this is The case ill treatment of some sort Has assuredly been the provoking cause. The dogs at the hospice of Saint Bernard Are small in comparison with those That are seen in England belonging To the same race. The Holy Fathers were more particular about Their markings than great size. The body color should be Brindle or orange tonning with White markings. The muzzle White with a line running up between The eyes and over the skull Joining at the back of the white That encircles the neck down to the front Of the shoulders. The color Round the eyes and on the ears Should be of a darker shade in the Red. In the center of The white line at the oxyfoot There should be a spot of color. These markings are said to Represent the stole, chasable And scapular which form part Of the vestments worn by the monks. But it is seldom that the Markings are so clearly defined. They are more often white with Brindle or orange patches on the body With evenly marked heads. In England, Saint Bernard's are Either distinctly rough in coat Or smooth, but the generality Of the hospice dogs are broken In coat, having a texture between The two extremes. The properties however of the rough And smooth are the same so that The two varieties are often bred Together and as a rule both Textures of coat will be the result Of the alliance. The late M. Schumacher, a great authority On the breed in Switzerland Averred that the dogs with very Rough coats were found to be of No use for work on the alps As their thick covering became So loaded with snow and their feet So clogged that they succumbed Under the weight and perished. On that account they were discarded By the monks. In connection with the origin Of the Saint Bernard M. Schumacher Wrote in a letter to Mr. Who was the first to introduce the breed Into Great Britain in any numbers According to the tradition of the Holy Fathers of the great Saint Bernard Their race descends from the Crossing of a bitch, a bulldog Species of Denmark, and a mastiff Shepherd's dog, the Pyrides. The descendants of the crossing Who have inherited from the Danish Dog its extraordinary size And bodily strength, and from The Pyrenean mastiff, the intelligence The exquisite sense of smell And, at the same time, the faithfulness And sagacity which characterized them Have acquired in the space Of five centuries so glorious And notoriety throughout Europe That they well merit the name Of a distinct race for themselves. From the same authority We learn that it is something like Six hundred years since the Saint Bernard came into existence. It was not, however, to competitive Exhibitions for dogs had been For some years established that The Saint Bernard gained a footing In Great Britain. A few specimens have been imported From the hospice before Mr. Cumming McDonough, then the Reverend Cumming McDonough Introduced us to the celebrated Tell, who, with others of the breed Brought from Switzerland, formed The foundation of his magnificent Kennel at West Kirby in Cheshire. Albert Smith, whom some few That are now alive will remember As an amusing lecturer, brought To the continent and made them take Apart in his attractive entertainment. But the associations of the Saint Bernard with the noble deeds Recorded in history were not then So widely known, and these two Dogs passed away without having Created any particular enthusiasm. Later on, at a dog show at Cremorne held in 1863, Two Saint Bernard's were Exhibited, each of whom rejoiced In the name of Monk and were Respectively the property of The Reverend A. N. Bate and Mr. W. H. Stone. These dogs were exhibited Without pedigrees, but were said To have been bred at the hospice Of Saint Bernard. Three years later, at the National show at Birmingham, a Separate class was provided for The Saintly breed, and Mr. Cumming McDonough was first And second with Tell and Bernard. This led to an Immediate popularity of the King. But Tell was the hero Of the shows at which he appeared, And his owner was recognized as Being the introducer into this Country of the magnificent Variety of the canine race that Now holds such a prominent Position as a show dog. The names of Tell and Bernard Have been handed down to fame, The former as the progenitor of A long line of rough coated Offspring, the latter as one Of the founders of the famous Barford, probably contributed More to the perfecting of the Saint Bernard than any other Breeder. His Bernie, Monk, Abbas, Grosvenor Hector, and Shaw Are names which appear in the Pedigrees of most of the best Dogs at more recent times. When Mr. Grusham drew his long Record of success to a close, There came a lull in the Popularity of the breed until Dr. Inman, in partnership with Mr. B. Womsley, established Near Bath, and then at the Priory, at Bowden in Cheshire, Where they succeeded in breeding The finest kennel of Saint Bernard That has ever been seen in the World. Dr. Inman had for Several years owned good dogs And set about to work on Scientific principles. He, In conjunction with Mr. Womsley, Purchased the smooth coated Kennelworth from Mr. Lough, Read that dog's produce with A brindle mastiff of high Crossed back to his Saint Bernard's With the most successful results. Dr. Inman was instrumental In forming the National Saint Bernard Club, which was soon well Supported with members, and now Has at its disposal a good Collection of valuable challenge Cups. The dogs bred at Bowden Carried all before them in The show ring, and were Continually in request for Stud purposes, improving the Breed to a remarkable extent. At the disposal of Messers, Inman, And Womsley's kennel, there were Such admirable dogs as the Rough-coated Wolfram, from whom Were bred Tanhouser, Narcissus, Lyontes, and Klingzer, the Smooth-coated dogs, the King's son, and the Viking. The rough-coated ditch, Judith Inman, and the smooth Viola, The last name to the finest Specimen of her sex that has Probably ever been seen. These Dogs and bitches, with several Hours, were dispersed all over England, with the exception of Klingzer, who went to South Africa. Almost all the best St. Bernard's in Great Britain At the present time have been bred Or are descended from the Bowden Dogs. The following is the Description of the St. Bernard As drawn up by the members of The St. Bernard Club. Head. The head should be Large and massive, the Circumference of the skull being The occiput. From Stop to tip of nose should be Moderately short. Full Below the eye and square at the Muzzle. There should be great Depth from the eye to the lower Jaw, and the lips should be Deep throughout, but not too Pendulous. From the nose To the stop should be straight And the stop abrupt and Well-defined. The skull Should be broad and rounded At the top, but not domed Ears. The ears should Be of medium size, lying Close to the cheek, but strong At the base and not heavily feathered Eyes. The eyes should be Rather small and deep set. Dark in color and not too close Together. The lower eyelid Should droop, so as to show A fair amount of haw. Nose. The nose should Be large and black with Well-developed nostrils. The teeth should be Level. Expression. The expression Should be token benevolence, Dignity, and intelligence. Neck. The neck should Be lengthy, muscular, and Slightly arched, with doolap Developed, and the shoulders Broad and sloping well up at The withers. General description of body. The chest should be Wide and deep, and the back Level as far as the haunches Slightly arched over the loins. The ribs should be well rounded And carried well back. The loin wide and very muscular. Tail. The tail should be Set on rather high, long, And in the long-coated variety Bushy. Carried low when in repose And when excited or in motion Slightly above the line of the back. Legs. The forelegs should be perfectly Straight, strong in bone, And of good length. And the hindlegs very muscular. The feet large, compact, With well arched toes. Size. A dog should be at least 30 inches in height at the shoulder And a bitch 27 inches. The taller the better Provided the symmetry is maintained. Thoroughly well proportioned And of great substance. The general outline should suggest Great power and capability Of endurance. Coat. In the long-coated variety The coat should be dense and flat. Rather full around the neck. The thighs feathered, But not too heavily. In the short-coated variety The coat should be dense, hard, Flat and short. Slightly feathered on thighs and tail. Color and markings. The color should be red, Orange, various shades Of brittle, the richer color The better. Or white with patches on body Of one of the above named colors. The markings should be as follows. White muzzle. White blaze-up face. White collar around neck. White chest, Forelegs, feet, and end of tail. Black shadings On face and ears. If the blaze be wide and runs through To the color, the spot of the body color On the top of the head is desirable. The weight of a dog Should be from 170 pounds To 210 pounds. Of a bitch, 160 pounds to 190 pounds. During the past 25 years, St. Bernard's Have been bred in this country Very much taller and heavier Than they were in the days of tell, Hope, moat-key, monk, Hector, and othman. Not one of these measured over 32 inches In height, or scaled over 180 pounds. But the increased height and greater weight Of the more modern production Have been obtained by forcing them as puppies And by fattening them to such an extent That they have been injured in constitution And in many cases converted Into cripples behind. The prize-winning, rough-coated St. Bernard, as he has seen today Is a purely manufactured animal. Handsome in appearance, certainly. But so cumbersome That he is scarcely able to raise a trot Let alone do any tracking in the snow. Usefulness, however, Is not a consideration with breeders Who have reared the dog to meet The exigencies of the showroom. There is still much left to be desired And there is room for considerable improvement As only a few of the more modern Dogs of the breed approach the standard Drawn up by the clubs that are interested In their welfare. End of Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Of Dogs and All About Them This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings Are in the public domain. For more information Or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Recording by William Peck Also known as Papa Man Dogs and All About Them By Robert Layton Chapter 5 The Newfoundland The dogs which take their name From the island of Newfoundland Appeal to all lovers of animals, Romance, and beauty. A Newfoundland formed the subject Of perhaps the most popular picture Painted by Sir Edwin Lanzir. A monument was erected By Byron over the grave Of his Newfoundland in proximity To the place where the poet himself Hoped to be buried And the inscription on his monument Contains the lines So frequently quoted. But the poor dog in life The firmest friend The first to welcome Foremost to defend Whose honest heart Is still his master's own Who labors, fights, lives, Breeds for him alone. To mark a friend's remains These stones arise. I never knew but one And here he lies. Robert Burns Also in his poem The Tois Dogs Written in 1786 Referrs to a Newfoundland As being an aristocrat Among dogs. Doubtless other breeds of dogs Have been the subjects of popular pictures And have had their praises sung by poets. But the Newfoundlands Have yet a further honor. Unique amongst dogs In being the subject for a postage stamp Of their native land. All these distinctions and honors Have not been conferred without reason. For no breed of dogs Has greater claim to the title A friend of man. And has become famous for its known readiness And ability to save persons in danger Especially from drowning. It is strong And courageous in the water. And on land a properly trained Newfoundland Is an ideal companion And guard. Innumerable are the accounts of Newfoundlands Having proved their devotion to their owners. And of the many lives saved By them in river and sea. And when Sir Edwin Lanzer Selected one of the breed As a subject of his picture Entitled a distinguished member Of the Humane Society He was justified not only By the sentiment attaching to this Remarkable race of dogs But also by the deeds By which Newfoundlands have made good Their claim to such great distinction. And the popular recognition of this No doubt in some degree Added to the greatest steam In which this painting has always been held. The picture Was painted in 1838 And as almost everyone knows Represents a white and black Newfoundland. The dog portrayed Was typical of the breed And after a lapse of over 70 years The painting has now The added value of enabling us To make a comparison with specimens Of the breed as it exists today. Such a comparison will show That among the best dogs now living Are some which might have been The model for this picture. It is true that in the interval The white and black Newfoundlands Have been coarser, heavier, Higher on the legs With an expression denoting excitability Quite foreign to the true breed. But these departures from Newfoundland Character are passing away. It is to be hoped for good. The breed is rapidly Returning to the type which Lancer's Picture represents. A dog of great beauty, Dignity, and benevolence of Character, showing in its eyes An almost human pathos. Some 25 to 30 years ago There was considerable Discussion among owners of Newfoundlands in this country As to the proper color Of the true breed. And there were many persons who claim As some still claim That the black variety is the only True variety. And that the white and black coloring Indicates a crossbreed. Again, Lancer's picture is of value Because in the first place We may be almost certain That he would have selected for such a picture A typical dog of the breed. And secondly, because the picture shows Nearly half a century prior To the discussion, a White and black dog Typical in nearly every respect Except color of the Black Newfoundland. There is no appearance Of crossbreeding in Lancer's Dog. On the contrary, He reveals all the characteristics Of a thoroughbred. 70 years ago, therefore The white and black variety May be fairly considered to have been Established. And it is worthy Of mention here that Idstone Quoted an article written in 1819 Stating That back in the 18th century Newfoundlands were large, Rough-coated, liver and white Dogs. It is clear, also, that in 1832, Newfoundlands In British North America Were of various colors. Additional evidence too Is provided in the fact that By selecting the type of head for their Postage stamp, the government of Newfoundland chose the Lancer Dog. Therefore, there are very strong Arguments against the claim that The variety is essentially black. However, that may be There are now two established Varieties, the black and The white and black. There are also bronze-colored dogs But they are rare and are not favored. It is stated, however, that The copies of that color are generally The most promising in all other respects. The black Variety of the Newfoundland is Essentially black in color. But this does not mean that there may be No other color. For most black Newfoundlands have some White marks, and these are not Considered objectionable so long as They are limited to white hairs On the chest, toes, or the tip of The tail. In fact, a white marking on the Body typical of the true breed. Any white on the head Or body would place the dog In the other than black variety. The black color Should preferably be of a dull Jet appearance, which Approximates to brown. In the other than black class There may be black in tan, Bronze, and white in black. The latter predominates. And in this color beauty Of marking is very important. The head should be black With a white muzzle and blaze. And the body and legs Should be white, with large Patches of black on the saddle And quarters, with possibly Other small black spots on the body And legs. Apart from color, the varieties Should conform to the same standard. The head should be broad And massive, but in no sense Heavy in appearance. The muzzle should be short, Square, and clean cut. Eyes rather wide apart. Deep set, dark, and small. Not showing any haul. Ears small, with close Side carriage. Covered with fine short hair. There should be no fringe To the ears. Expression full of intelligence, Dignity, and kindness. The body Should be long, square, And massive. Ears strong and well filled. Chest deep and broad. Legs quite straight. Somewhat short in proportion To the length of the body. And powerful. With round bone, well covered with muzzle. Feet large, round, and close. The tail Should be only long enough To reach just below the hocks. Free from kink, and never curled Over the back. The quality of the coat Is very important. The coat should be very dense, With plenty of undercoat, The outer coat somewhat harsh, And quite straight. A curly coat is very objectionable. A dog with good coat May be in the water for a considerable time Without getting wet on the skin. The appearance Generally should indicate A dog of great strength. And very active for his build And size. Really with the body swung Loosely between the legs. Which gives a slight roll in gait. This has been compared To a sailor's roll. And is typical of the breed. As regards size, The Newfoundland club standard Gives 140 to 120 pounds Weight for a dog. And 110 to 120 pounds For a bitch. With an average height at the shoulder Of 27 and 25 inches respectively. But it is doubtful whether Dogs in proper condition Do conform to both requirements. At any rate, The rider is unable to trace Any prominent Newfoundlands which do. And it would be safe to assume That for dogs of the weight specified The height should be quite 29 inches For dogs, And 27 inches for bitches. A dog weighing 150 pounds And measuring 29 inches In height at the shoulder Would necessarily be long in body To be in proportion. And would probably be much nearer Approach the ideal form of a Newfoundland Than a taller dog. In that respect, Newfoundlands Have very much improved during the past quarter Of a century. 25 years ago, the most noted Dogs were stated as a rule To be well over 30 inches in height. But their weight for height would indicate Legginess. Which is an abomination in a Newfoundland. A 29 inch Newfoundland Is quite tall enough. And even that height should not be Gain at the expense of type And symmetry. The white and black variety Are, as a rule, slightly Taller, smaller in loin And longer in head. But these differences in the two varieties Are being rapidly Removed. And at no distance date, The white and black variety Is correct in type and symmetry As the black variety now is. For many years The black variety has been The better in type and in breeding If blacks are desired It will be safer as a general rule To insist upon the absence Of white and black blood In any of the immediate ancestors Of the sire and dam. But if, on the contrary White and black dogs are required The proper course is to make Judicious crosses between the black And white and black varieties And destroy any black puppies Unless they are required For further crosses With white and black blood In any case The first cross is likely to produce Both black and mismark White and black puppies But the latter, if bred back To the white and black blood Would generally produce well-marked White and black Newfoundlands In mating Never be guided solely By the good points of the dog and bitch It is very desirable That they should both have good Points. The more good ones The better. But it is more important To ensure that they are dissimilar In the defects. And if possible That in neither case Is there a very objectionable defect Especially if such defect Was also apparent in the animal sire Or dam. It is therefore important to study What were the good and still more so The bad points in the parents And grandparents. If you do not know these Other Newfoundland breeders will willingly give Information. And any trouble In tracing the knowledge required Will be amply repaid in the results And probably save great disappointment. When rearing puppies, give them Soft food, such as well-boiled Rice and milk as soon As they will lap. And shortly afterwards Scraped lean meat Newfoundland puppies Require plenty of meat to induce Proper growth. The puppies should increase in weight At the rate of three pounds a week And that necessitates Plenty of flesh, bone And muscle-forming food. Plenty of meat, both raw And cooked. Milk is also good, but it requires To be strengthened with plasma Or casein. The secret of growing Full-sized dogs with plenty of bone And substance is to get a good Start from birth. Good feeding, Warm, dry quarters And freedom for the puppies to Move about and exercise themselves As they wish. Forced exercise may Make them go wrong on their legs. Medicine Should not be required except For worms. And the puppies Should be physic for these soon After they are weaned. And again When three or four months old Or before that if they are not thriving. If three from worms Newfoundland puppies will be found Quite hardy. And under Proper conditions of food and quarters They are easy to rear. End of Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Of Dogs and All About Them This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings Are in the public domain. For more information Or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Dogs and All About Them By Robert Lighton Chapter 6 The Origin of the Great Dane Like that of many other varieties of dogs Is so obscure that all Researchers have only resulted In speculative theories. But the undoubted antiquity of this dog Is proved by the fact that Representatives of a breed sufficiently Similar to be considered as ancestors Are found on some of the oldest Egyptian monuments. A few years ago a controversy arose On the breed's proper designation. When the Germans claimed for it to title Dushae Dog Germany had several varieties of big dogs Such as the Hasrud, The Salfanga, The Omodog, And Rotliar Mezgahound. And perenniously with these There existed as in other countries in Europe Another very big breed But much snowbler and more Thoroughbred known as the Great Dane. When after the war of 1870 national Feeling was pulsating very strongly In the veins of free united Germany The German Sinologists Were on the lookout for a national dog And for that purpose the Great Dane Was re-christianed Dushae Dog and elected as the champion Of German dogdom. For a long time all these breeds had No doubt been indiscriminately Crossed. The Great Dane was Introduced into this country spasmodically Some 35 years ago When he was commonly referred to As the Bordhound or the German Mastiff And for a time that breed had to Undergo a probationary period In the foreign class at dog shows But it soon gained in public favor And in the early 80s a Great Dane Club was formed and the breed Was among one of the most popular Of the larger dogs. The Kennel Club has classed the Great Dane Amongst the non-sporting dogs Probably because with us he cannot Find a quarry worthy of his metal But for all that he has instincts And qualifications of a sporting dog And has proved himself particularly Valuable for hunting big game And hot climates which he stands Very well. Respecting the temperaments of the Great Dane and his suitability as a companion And condemnation. In his favor it must be said that In natural intelligence he is surpassed By very few other dogs. He is the most imposing figure and does not Like some other big breeds, slobber from His mouth, which is a particularly Unpleasant peculiarity When a dog is kept in the house. On the other hand it must be admitted That with almost the strength Of a tiger he combines the Excitability of a terrier and no Doubt a badly trained Great Dane Dangerous animal. It is not sufficient to teach him In the haphazard way, which might be Successful in getting a smaller dog Under control, but even as a companion He ought to be trained systematically And considering his mark intelligence This is not difficult of accomplishment. The Great Dane contains his full Development in about a year and a Half to two years, and considering That puppies have to build up in That time a very big skeleton and Straight limbs, special attention To the rearing of them. The dam Wolves frequently ate pups, and Sometimes even a few more. Mr. Lark's princess Thor had a litter Of seventeen, but even eight is too Great a number for a bitch to suckle In a breed with great sizes of Desire or Aiden. Not more than Four or up to outside five should Be left with the bitch. The other Should be put to a foster mother, Or if they are weaklings or File marked it is best to destroy them. After the puppies are weaned, their Be a bone making quality, and they Require ample space for exercise And play. Nothing is worse than to take The youngsters for force marches Before their bones have become firm. Before giving the descriptions And standards which have been adopted By the Great Dane Clubs, a few remarks On some of the leading points will be Useful. The general characteristics Of the Great Dane is a combination Of grace and power, and therefore The lightness of the greyhound as Well as the heaviness of the mastiff Is exploited. The head should be Powerful, but at the same time show Quality by its nice modeling. The Eye should be intelligent and vivacious But not have the hard expression Of the terrier. The distance between The eyes is of great importance. If too wide apart they give the dog A stupid appearance, and if too Close she has a treacherous look. Another very important point is The graceful carriage of the tail. When it is curled over the back it Makes an otherwise handsome dog look At the end like a corkscrew is also Very ugly. In former times Faking was not infrequently Resorted to correct a faulty Tail carriage, but it is easily Detected. Great Dane Sometimes injures the end of the tail By hitting it against a hard substance And those with good carriage of tail Are most liable to this because In excitement they slash it about Whereas the faulty position of the tail Curled over the back ensures immunity From harm. Until Recently the British Great Dane Breeders and exhibitors have paid very little attention To color on the principle that Like a good horse a Great Dane cannot Be a bad color. The English clubs however Have now in this particular Also adopted the German standard. The orthodox colors are Brindle, fawn, blue, black And Harlequin. In the Brindle dogs the ground color should be Any shade from light yellow To dark red yellow on which the Brindle appears in darker stripes. The Harlequins have on a pure White ground fairly large black Patches which must be Of irregular shape broken up As if they had been torn and not have Rounded outlines. When Brindle Great Danes are continuously Breed together it has been found That they get darker and that the peculiar Striping disappears. And In that case the introduction of a good Fawn into the strain is advisable. The constant mating of Harlequins Has the tendency to make the black Patches disappear and the union With a good black Great Dane Prevent the loss of color. The following is the official description Issued by the Great Dane Club. General appearance. The Great Dane is not so heavy or massive As the Mastiff nor should he too Nearly approach the Greyhound type. Remarkable in size and very muscular Strongly though elegantly built The head and neck should be carried High and the tail in line with The back or slightly upwards Curled over the hind quarters Elegance of outline and grace of form Are most essential to the Dane Size is absolutely necessary But there must be that alertness of Expression and briskness of movement Without which the Dane character is lost He should have a look of dash and daring Of being ready to go anywhere And do anything. Temperament. The Great Dane Is good tempered affectionate and faithful To his master not Demonstrativeless strangers Religent, courageous and always alert His values of guard is unrivaled He is easily controlled When well trained but he may grow A savage if confined too much Kept on a chain or ill treated Height. The minimum height of an adult dog Should be 30 inches, that of a bitch 28 inches Weight. The minimum Weight of an adult dog should be 120 pounds, that of a bitch 100 pounds. Height and weight, to be preferred Provided that quality and proportion Are also combined. Head. Taking all together, the head should give the idea Of great length and strength of jaw. The muzzle or foreface is broad And the skull proportionally narrow So that the whole head, when viewed from above And in front, has the appearance Of equal breadth throughout. Length of head. The entire length of head varies with the height of the dog 13 inches from the tip of the nose Is a good measurement for a dog Of 32 inches at the shoulder The length from the end of the nose To the point between the eyes Should be about equal or preferably Of greater length than from this point To the back of the occipit Skull. The skull should be flat rather than domed And have a slight indentation running down the center The occipital peak not prominent There should be a decided rise Or brow over the eyes But no abrupt stop between them Face. The face should be chiseled well And foreface long Of equal depth throughout And well filled in below the eyes With no appearance being pinched Muscles of the cheek The muscles of the cheek should be quite flat With no lumpiness or cheek bumps The angle of the jaw bone well defined Lips. The lips should hang quite square in front Forming a right angle With the upper line of the foreface Underline. The underline of the head viewed in profile Runs almost in a straight line From the corner of the lip to the corner of the jaw bone Allowing for the fold of the lip But with no loose skin to hang down Jaw. The lower jaw should be level Or at any rate not project more than the 16th of an inch. Nose and nostrils The bridge of the nose Should be very wide With a slight ridge where the cartilage joins the bone This is quite characteristic of the breed The nostrils should be large Wide and open Giving a blunt look to the nose A butterfly or flesh colored nose Is not objected to in Harlequins. Ears The ears should be small Set high on the skull And carried slightly erect With the tips falling forward. Neck Next to the head The neck is one of the chief characteristics It should be long, well arched Clean and free from loose skin Held well up snake like in carriage Well set in the shoulders And the junction of head and neck well defined Shoulders Shoulders should be muscular but not Loaded and well sloped back The elbows well under the body So that when viewed in front The dog does not stand too wide Four legs and feet The four legs should be perfectly straight With big flat bone The feet large and round The toes well arched and closed The nose strong and curved Body The body is very deep With ribs well sprung And belly well drawn back Back and loins Back and loins are strong The latter slightly arched As in the greyhound Kind quarters The kind quarters and thighs are extremely muscular Giving the idea of great strength And galloping power It is long and well developed As in a greyhound And the hawks set low Turning neither out nor in Tail The tail is strong at the root And ends in a fine point Reaching to or just below the hawks It should be carried when the dog is in action In a straight line level with the back Slightly curved towards the end But should not curl over the back Coat The hair is short and dense Should not be inclined to coarseness Gate or action The gate should be lith, springy, and free The action high The hawks should move freely And the hedge should be held well up Colors The colors are brindle, fawn, blue, black, and harlequin The harlequin should have jet black Patches and spots on a pure white ground Gray patches are admissible But not desired But fawn and brindle shades are objectionable End of chapter 6 Chapter 7 Of Dogs and All About Them This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information Or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Denise Resnick Dogs and All About Them By Robert Layton Chapter 7 The Dalmatian Before the Kennel Club found it necessary To insist upon a precise definition Of each breed The Dalmatian was known as the coach dog A name appropriately Derived from his fawnness For following a carriage For living in and about the stable And for accompanying His master's horses at exercise As an adjunct to the carriage He is particularly suitable For in fine weather He will follow between the wheels For long distances Without showing fatigue Keeping easy pace with the best horses He appears almost to prefer Equine to human companionship And he is as fond Of being among horses As the collie is Of being in the midst of sheep Yet he is of friendly disposition And it must be insisted That he is by no means So destitute of intelligence As he is often represented to be On the contrary He is capable of being Trained into remarkable cleverness As circus proprietors Have discovered. The earliest authorities agree That this breed was first introduced From Dalmatia And that he was brought into this country Purely on account of his sporting Proclivities. Of late years, however, These dogs have so far degenerated As to be looked upon simply As companions As exhibition dogs For only very occasionally Can it be found that any pains Have been taken to train them Systematically for gun work. The first of the variety Which appeared at the show ring Was Mr. James Faudry's captain In 1873. At that period They were looked upon as a novelty And though the generosity And influence of a few admirers Insured separate classes Being provided for the breed At the leading shows It did not necessitate the production Of such perfect specimens As those which a few years afterwards Won prizes. At the first they were more popular In the north of England Than in any other part of Great Britain. It was at Kirby Lonsdale That Dr. James's spotted Dick was bred And an early exploiter Of the breed who made his dog's famous Was Mr. Newby Wilson Of Lakeside Windmere He was indebted To Mr. Hugo Dross Of London For the foundation of his stud In as much as it was from Mr. Dross That he purchased Champion Acrobat And Champion Barolina At a later date The famed Coming Still And Prince Four Were secured from the same kennel The latter dog being the progenitor Of most of the best liver-spotted specimens That have attained notoriety As prize winners Down to the present day. In appearance the Dalmatians Should be very similar to a pointer Except in head and marking. Still It is not so long in muzzle Nor so pendulous in lip As a pointer There should be no coarseness Or common look about the skull A fault which is much too prevalent. Then again Some judges do not attach sufficient Importance to the eyelids Or rather sears Which should invariably be edged Round with black or brown. Those which are flesh-colored In this particular should be discarded. However good they may be In other respects. The density and pureness of color In both blacks and browns Is of great importance But should not be permitted To outweigh the evenness Of the distribution of spots on the body. No black patches Or even mingling of the spots Should meet with favor. Any more than a ring-tail Or a clumsy-looking heavy-shouldered dog Should command attention. The darker-spotted variety Usually prevails In a cross between the two colors. The offspring very seldom Having the liver-colored markings. The uninitiated may be Informed that Dalmatian puppies Are always born pure white. The clearer and whiter they are The better they are likely to be. There should not be The shadow of a mark or spot On them. When about a fortnight old however They generally develop a dark ridge On the belly and the spots Will then begin to show themselves. First about the neck and ears And afterwards along the back Until at about the sixteenth Day the markings are Distinct over the body Accepting only the tail Which frequently remains white For a few weeks longer. The standard of points as laid down By the leading club is Sufficiently explicit to be Easily understood and is As follows. General appearance. The Dalmatian should represent A strong muscular and active dog Symmetrical in outline And free from coarseness and lumber. Capable of great endurance Combined with a fair amount Of speed, head. The head should be of a fair Length, the skull flat Rather broad between the ears And moderately well defined At the temples, i.e. Exhibiting a moderate amount Of stop and not In one straight line From the nose to the occiput bone As required in a bull terrier. It should be entirely free From wrinkle. Muzzle. The muzzle should be Long and powerful. The lips clean, fitting the jaws Moderately close. Eyes. The eyes should be Set moderately well apart And of medium size, round Bright and sparkling With an intelligent expression. Their color greatly depending On the markings of the dog. In the black spotted variety The eyes should be dark, black Or dark brown. In the liver spotted variety They should be light, yellow Or light brown. The rim round the eyes In the black spotted variety Should be black. In the liver spotted variety Brown, never flesh color In either. Ears. The ears should be Set on rather high Of moderate size, rather Round point. They should be carried close to the head Be thin and fine in texture And always spotted. The more profusely The better. Nose. The nose in the Black spotted variety should always Be black. In the liver Spotted variety always brown. Neck and shoulders. The neck should be fairly long Nicely arched, light And tapering and free From throatiness. The shoulders should be moderately oblique Clean and muscular Denoting speed. Body, back, chest, and loins. The chest should not be Too wide, but very deep And capacious. Ribs Moderately well sprung Never rounded like barrel hoops The back powerful Loin strong, muscular And slightly arched. Legs and feet. Legs and feet are of great importance. The forelegs should be perfectly Straight, strong, and heavy In bone. Elbows close to the body. Four feet round, compact With well arched toes Cat-footed, and round Tough elastic pads. In the hind legs The muscles should be clean Though well defined. The hocks well let down. Nails. The nails in the Spotted variety should be black and white In the liver-spotted Variety, brown and white. Tail. The tail should not Be too long, strong At the insertion, and gradually Tapering towards the end. Free from coarseness. It should not be inserted Too low down, but carried With a slight curve upwards And never curled. It should be spotted The more profusely, the better. Coat. The coat should be short Dense and fine Sleek and glossy in appearance But neither woolly Nor silky Color and markings These are most important Points. The ground color In both varieties should be pure White, very decided And not intermixed. The color of the spots Of the black-spotted variety Should be black. The deeper And richer the black, the better. In the liver-spotted Variety, they should be brown. The spots should not intermingle But be as round And well-defined as possible. The more distinct the better. In size, they should be From that of a six-pence To a florin. The spots On head, face, Ears, legs, tail, And extremities to be smaller Than those of the body. Weight. Dogs 55 pounds. Bitches 50 pounds.