 Dogs and All About Them by Robert Layton, Chapter 17 The Barzoi or Russian Wolfhound Of the many foreign varieties of the dog that have been introduced into this country within recent years, there is not one among the larger breeds that has made greater headway in the public favor than the Barzoi or Russian Wolfhound. Nor is this to be wondered at. The most graceful and elegant of all breeds, combining symmetry with strength, the wearer of a lovely silky coat that a toy dog might envy, the length of head possessed by no other breed, all go to make the Barzoi the favorite he has become. He is essentially what our American cousins would call a spectacular dog, given, for example, the best team of terriers and the fifth-rate team of Barzoi, which attracts the more attention and admiration from the man in the street. Which does he turn again to look at? Not the terriers. Add to this that the Barzoi makes a capital house dog is, as a rule, affectionate and a good companion. It is not to be wondered at that he has attained the dignified position in the canine world which he now holds. In his native country, the Barzoi is employed, as his English name implies, in hunting the wolf and also smaller game, including foxes and hares. Several methods of hunting the larger game are adopted, one form being as follows. Wolves being reported to be present in the neighborhood, the hunters set out on horseback, each holding in his left hand a leash of three Barzois as nearly matched as possible in size, speed and color. Arrived at the scene of action, the chief huntsman stations the hunters at separate points every hundred yards or so round the wood. A pack of hounds is sent in to draw the quarry, and on the wolf's breaking cover the nearest hunter slips his dogs. These endeavor to seize their prey by the neck, where they hold him until the hunter arrives, throws himself from his horse and with his knife puts an end to the fray. Another method is to advance across the open country at intervals of about 200 yards, slipping the dogs at any game they may put up. Trials are also held in Russia, these take place in a large railed enclosure, the wolves being brought in carts similar to our deer carts. In this case a brace of dogs is loosed on the wolf, the whole merit of the course is when the hounds can overtake the wolf and pin him to the ground, so that the keepers can secure him alive. It follows therefore that in this case also the hounds must be of equal speed so that they reach the wolf simultaneously. One dog would of course be unable to hold him. Naturally the dogs have to be trained to the work for which purpose the best wolves are taken alive and sent to the kennels, where the young dogs are taught to pin him in such a manner that he cannot turn and use his teeth. There seems to be no reason why the barzoi should not be used for coursing in this country. One of the first examples of the breed exhibited in England was owned by Messers Hill and Ashton of Sheffield about 1880, at which time good specimens were imported by the Reverend J. C. McDonough and Lady Emily Peel, whose Sandregum and Tsar excited general admiration. It was then known as the Siberian wolf hound. Some years later the Duchess of Newcastle obtained several fine dogs and from this stock her grace founded the kennel which has since become so famous. Later still Queen Alexander received from the Tsar a gift of a leash of these stately hounds, one of them being Alex, who quickly achieved honors as a champion. The breed has become as fashionable in the United States as in Great Britain and some excellent specimens are to be seen at the annual shows at Madison Square Gardens. To take the points of the breed in detail, the description of the perfect barzoi is as follows. Head. This should be long, lean and well balanced and the length from the tip of the nose to the eyes must be the same as from the eyes to the occiput. A dog may have a long head, but the length may be all in front of the eyes. The heads of this breed have greatly improved the last few years, fewer apple-headed specimens and more of the desired triangular heads being seen. The skull should be flat and narrow, the stop not perceptible, the muzzle long and tapering. Too much stress cannot be laid on the importance of the head being well filled up before the eyes. The head, from forehead to nose, should be so fine that the direction of the bones and principal veins can be seen clearly and in profile should appear rather Roman-nosed. Bitches should be even narrower in head than dogs. The eyes should be dark, expressive, almond-shaped and not too far apart. The ears, like those of the greyhound, small, thin and placed well back on the head with the tips when thrown back almost touching behind the occiput. It is not a fault if the dog can raise his ears erect when excited or looking after game, although some English judges dislike this frequent characteristic. The head should be carried somewhat low, with the neck continuing the line of the back. Shoulders, clean and sloping well back, i.e. the shoulder blades should almost touch one another. Chest, deep and somewhat narrow. It must be capacious, but the capacity must be got from depth and not from barrel ribs, a bad fault in a running hound. Back, rather bony and free from any cavity in the spinal column, the arch in the back being more marked in the dog than in the bitch. Loins, broad and very powerful, showing plenty of muscular development. Thighs, long and well developed with good second thigh. The muscle in the barzoa is longer than in the greyhound. Ribs, slightly sprung, very deep, reaching to the elbow. Forelegs, lean and straight. Seen from the front, they should be narrow, and from the side broad at the shoulder and narrowing gradually down to the foot. The bone appearing flat and not round as in the foxhound. Hindlegs, the least thing under the body when standing still, not straight, and the stifles slightly bent. They should of course be straight as regards each other and not cowhawked, but straight hindlegs imply a want of speed. Feet, like those of the deerhound rather long. The toes close together and well arched. Coat, long, silky, not woly. Either flat, wavy or curly. On the head, ears and front legs, it should be short and smooth. On the neck, the frill should be profuse and rather curly. On the chest and the rest of the body, the tail and hindquarters, it should be long. The forelegs being well feathered. Tail, long, well feathered and not gaily carried. It should be carried well down, almost touching the ground. Height, dogs from 29 inches upwards at shoulder, bitches from 27 inches upwards. Originally, 27 inches and 26 inches altered at a general meeting of the Barzoy Club held February 1906. Faults, head short and thick, too much stop, particolored nose, eyes too wide apart, heavy ears, heavy shoulders, wide chest, barrel ribbed, due claws, elbows turned out wide behind. Also, light eyes and over or undershot jaws. Color. The club standard makes no mention of color. White, of course, should predominate. Fawn, lemon, orange, brindle, blue, slate and black markings are met with. Too much of the latter, or black and tan markings, are disliked. Whole colored dogs are also seen. The foregoing description embodies the standard of points as laid down and adopted by the Barzoy Club, interpolated with some remarks for the further guidance of the novice. The Barzoy Club was founded in 1892 and now consists of about 50 members, with the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle as joint presidents. It does much good work for the breed, guaranteeing classes that shows, where otherwise few or none would be given, encouraging the breeding of high class Barzoy by offering its valuable challenge cups and other special prizes, and generally looking after the interests of the breed. Although the club's standard of height has been raised from 27 and 26 inches to 29 and 27 inches for dogs and bitches respectively, it must be borne in mind that the best dogs of today far exceed these measurements and, unless exceptionally good in other points, a dog of 29 inches at shoulder would stand little or no chance in the showing under the majority of English judges. Indeed, bitches of 29 to 30 inches are by no means uncommon. Not many of us can afford to start at the top of the tree, and except for the favored few to whom money is no object and who can buy ready-made champions, there is no better way of starting a kennel than to purchase a really good bitch. One, say, capable of winning at all but the most important shows. She must be of good pedigree, strong, and healthy. Such and one ought to be obtained for 15 pounds upwards. Make her to the best dog whose blood nicks suitably with hers, but do not waste time and money breeding from fourth-rate stud dogs, for if you do, it is certain you will only meet with disappointment. On the other hand, if you have had little or no experience of dogs, you may possibly prefer to start with a puppy. If so, place yourself in the hands of a breeder with a reputation at stake, unless you have a friend who understands the breed. It is a fact that even a cast-off from a good strain that has been bred for certain points for years is more likely to turn out a better dog than a pup whose dam has been mated haphazard to some dog who may or may not have been a good one. Big kennels also generally possess the best bitches and breed from them, and the bitch is quite as important a factor as the sire. If, however, you prefer to rely on your own judgment and wish to choose a puppy yourself from a litter, select the one with the longest head, biggest bone, smallest ears, and longest tail, for as many of these qualities as you can find combined in one individual. Coat is a secondary matter in quite a young pup. Here one should be guided by the coat of the sire and dam. Still, choosing a pup with a heavy coat is possible, although when this puppy coat is cast, the dog may not grow so good as one as some of the litter who in early life were smoother. As regards size, a barzoi pup of three months should measure about 19 inches at the shoulder, at 6 months about 25 inches, and at 9 months from 27 to 29 inches. After 10 or 12 months, growth is very slow, although some continue adding to their weight until they are a year and a half old. They will, of course, increase in girth of chest and develop muscle until 2 years old. A barzoi may be considered in its prime at from 3 to 4 years of age. As regards price, from 5 pounds to 10 pounds is not too much to pay for a really good pup of about 8 to 10 weeks old. If you pay less, you will probably get only a second rate one. Having purchased your puppy, there are three principal items to be considered if you intend to rear him well. Firstly, his diet must be varied. Secondly, the pup must have unlimited exercise and never be kept on the chain. Thirdly, internal parasites must be kept in check. For young puppies, ruby worm cures most efficacious and does not distress the patient. Food should be given at regular intervals, not less frequently than 5 times a day, 2 newly-winged puppies and may consist of porridge, bread and milk, raw meat minced fine and any table scraps with plenty of new milk. Well-boiled punch is also greatly appreciated and being easily digested may be given freely. One important part of the puppy's education that must by no means be neglected is to accustom him to go on the collar and lead. Barsaway pups are, as a rule, extremely nervous and it requires great patience in some cases to train them to the lead. Short lessons should be given when about 4 months old. If you can induce the puppy to think it is a new game, well and good, he will take to it naturally. But once he looks upon it as something to be dreaded, it means hours of patient work to break him in. If you decide on commencing with a brood-bitch, see that she is dosed for worms before visiting the dog, that she is in good, hard condition, not fat, however, and, if possible, accompany her yourself and see her mated. For the first week, rather less than her usual quantity of food should be given. Afterwards, feed her as her appetite dictates, but do not let her get too fat or she may have a bad time when welping. For two days before the puppies are due, give sloppy but nourishing diet and this should be continued, given slightly warm, for four or five days after the pups are born. Barzoy as a rule make excellent mothers, but to rear them well they should not be allowed to suckle more than five, or, if a strong big-bitch, six pups. If the litter is larger, it is better to destroy the remainder or use a foster mother. Whatever they may be in their native land and the first imported specimens were rather uncertain and temper. The Barzoy, as we know him in this country, is affectionate, devoted to his owner, friendly with his kennel companions, and makes a capital house dog. As a lady's companion, he is hard to beat. Indeed, a glance at any show catalog will prove that the majority of Barzoy are owned by the gentle sex. No one need be deterred from keeping a Barzoy by a remark the writer has heard hundreds of times at shows, those dogs are so delicate. This is not the case. Once over distemper troubles, and the breed certainly does suffer badly if it contracts the disease, the Barzoy is as hardy as most breeds, if not hardier. Given a good dry kennel and plenty of straw, no weather is too cold for them. Damp, of course, must be avoided, but this applies equally to other breeds. The adult hound, like the puppy, should never be kept on chain. A kennel with a railed-in run should be provided, or a loose box makes a capital place for those kept out of doors. Otherwise no different treatment is required from that of other large breeds. End of Chapter 17 Chapter 18 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 18 The Gray Hound The Gray Hound is the oldest and most conservative of all dogs. And his type has altered singularly, little during the 7000 years in which he is known to have been cherished for his speed and kept by men for running down the gazelle or coursing the hair. The earliest references to him are far back in the primitive ages, long before he was beautifully depicted by Assyrian artists, straining at the leash or racing after his prey across the desert sands. The Egyptians loved him and appreciated him centuries before the pyramids were built. In those days he wore a feathered tail and his ears were heavy with a silken fringe of hair. His type was that of the modern Arabian Slukai, who is the direct and unaltered descendant of the ancient hound. The glorious King Solomon referred to him, proverbs 30, 31, as being one of the four things which go well and are comely in going, a lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away from any, a gray hound, and he go also, and a king against whom there is no rising up. That the gray hound is comely in going, as well as in repose, was recognized very early by the Greeks, whose artists were fond of introducing this graceful animal as an ornament in their decorative workmanship. In their metalwork, their carvings in ivory and stone, and more particularly as parts and designs on their terracotta oil bottles, wine coolers, and other vases. The gray hound is frequently to be seen, sometimes following the hair, and always in remarkably characteristic attitudes. Usually these great gray hounds are represented with prick ears, but occasionally the true rose ear is shown. All writings in connection with gray hounds point to the high estimation in which the dog has always been held. Dr. Caius, when referring to the name, says, The gray hound hath his name of this word gray, which word soundeth gratis in Latin. In English degree, because among all dogs these are the most principal, occupying the chiefest place, and being simply and absolutely the best of the general kind of hounds. It was not until the reign of Queen Elizabeth that coursing in England was conducted under established rules. These were drawn up by the then Duke of Norfolk. The sport quickly grew in favor and continued to increase in popularity, until the first coursing club was established at Swaffham in 1776. Then, in 1780, the Ashdown Park meeting came into existence. The new market meeting in 1805 was the next fixture that was inaugurated, and this now remains with the champion stakes as its most important event. Afterwards came the Amesbury meeting in 1822, but Amesbury, like Ashdown, although for many years one of the most celebrated institutions of the description has fallen from its high state. Three years later came the Altkirk Club, but it was not until 11 years after this period that the Waterloo Cup was instituted in 1836 to win which is the highest ambition of followers of the leash. At the present time, the run for the Waterloo Cup, which at the commencement was an eight-dog steak, is composed of 64 nominations, the entry free for which is 25. The winner takes P-500, and the Cup value P-100 presented by the Earl of Sefton, the runner up P-300, the third and fourth P-50 each, four dogs P-36 each, each dogs P-20 each, and 16 dogs P-10 each. The 32 dogs beaten in the first round of the Cup compete for the Waterloo Purse, value P-250, and the 16 dogs run out in the second round for the Waterloo Play. Value P-145, the winner in each case taking P-75 and the runner up P-30, the remainder being divided amongst the most forward runners in the respective stakes. The Waterloo Cup holds the same position in coursing circles as the Derby does in horse racing. The National Coursing Club was established in 1858 when a stud book was commenced and a code of laws drawn up for the regulation of the coursing meetings. This is recognized in Australia and other parts of the world where coursing meetings are held. The stud book, of which Mr. W. F. Lemonby is the keeper, contains particulars of the best known greyhounds in the United Kingdom, and a dog is not allowed to compete at any of the large meetings held under coursing club rules unless has been duty entered with its pedigree complete. In fact, the National Coursing Club is more particular in connection with the pedigrees of greyhounds being correctly given than the Kennel Club is about dogs that are exhibited and that is saying a great deal. It holds the same position in coursing matters as the Jockey Club does in racing. It is in fact the supreme authority on all matters connected with coursing. Various opinions have been advanced as to the best size and weight for a greyhound. Like horses, greyhounds run in all forms and there's no doubt that a really good big one will always have an advantage over the little ones. But it is so difficult to find the former and most of the chief winners of the Waterloo Cup have been comparatively small. Kumasi was the smallest greyhound that ever won the Blue Ribbon of the Lease. She drew the scale at 42 pounds and was credited with the win of the cup on two occasions. Bad at the Buster, who is considered by many good judges to have been the best bitch that ever ran, was 2 pounds more. She won the cup once and many other stakes as she was run all over the country that was not kept for the big event. Mr. McGrath was a small dog and only weighed 53 pounds, but he won the Waterloo Cup three times. Fullerton, who was a much bigger dog and was four times to clear the winner of the cup, was 56 pounds in weight. There are very few greyhounds that have won the Waterloo Cup more than once. The stereotype was credited with it three times, namely in 1850, 1852, and 1853, when it was a 32 dog stake. Canada Odzo, bit of fashion, Ms. Glendine, her shell, thoughtless beauty, and fabulous fortune are probably some of the best greyhounds that ever ran besides those already alluded to. Bit of fashion was the dam of Fullerton, who shares with the master McGrath the reputation of being the two best greyhounds that ever ran. The master McGrath came first. During his remarkable career in public, he won 36 courses out of 37. The only time that he was defeated, being the 1870 at his third attempt to win the Waterloo Cup, and the flag went up in favour of Mr. Trevor's Lady Lyons. He, however, retrieved his good fortune the following year when he ran again through the stake. Fullerton, who, when he won all his honors, was the property of Colonel North, was bred by Mr. James Dent in the Northumberland Colonel North, gave 850 guineas for him, which was then stated to be the highest price ever paid for a greyhound. He ran five times altogether for the Waterloo Cup and was declared the winner on four occasions. The first time was in 1889, when he divided with his kennel command in Trohand. Then he won the cup outright the three following years. In 1893, however, after having been put to the stud at which he proved to failure, he was again trained for the cup, but age had begun to tell its tale, and after winning one course, he was beaten by Mr. Keating's full captain in the second. This was one of the two occasions upon which out of 33 courses he failed to raise the flag. On the other, he was beaten by Mr. Gladstone's Green Gauge when running the sighting course at Haydott Park. It appears like descending from the subline to the ridiculous mention the greyhound as a show dog. After the many brilliant performances that had been recorded of him in the leash, but there are many dogs elegant in outline with fine muscular development that are to be seen in the judging ring. Mr. George's rapers roasting hot is one of the most prominent winners of the day. He is a fawn and white, as handsome as a peacock and moreover is a good dog in the field. On one occasion, after completing successfully at the Kennel Club show at the Crystal Palace, he was taken to a coursing meeting where he won the stake in which he was entered. A brace of very beautiful bitches are Mr. F. Iyer's Dorset Girl and Ms. W. Aston's Oakford Queen. Although as a rule, the most consistent winners in the leash have not been noted for their good looks, there have been exceptions in which the opposite has been the case. Fullerton was a good looking dog if not quite up to the form required in the show ring. Mr. Harding Cox has had several specimens that could run well and win prizes as show dogs and the same may be said of Ms. Maud's Maze, fine kennel of Greyhounds in the north of England. In the south of England, Mrs. A. Dew keeps a number of long tales that when not winning prizes at Crystal Palace and elsewhere are running at Plumpton and other meetings since the sex. The following is the standard by which Greyhounds should be judged. Head, long and narrow, slightly wider in skull allowing for plenty of brain room, lips tight without any flu and eyes bright and intelligent and dark in color. Ears, small and fine in texture and semi-pricked. Teeth, very strong in level and not decayed or cankered. Neck, lengthy without any throatiness but muscular. Shoulders placed well back in the body and fairly muscular without being loaded. Four legs, perfectly straight, set well on the shoulders with strong pasturns and toes set well up and close together. Body, chest very deep with fairly well strong ribs, muscular back and loins and well cut up within the flanks. Hind quarters, wide and well let down with hawks and well bent and close to the ground. With very muscular haunches showing great propelling power and tail long and fine and tapering with a slight upward curve. Coat, fairly fine in texture. Weight, the ideal weight of dog is from 60 pounds to 65 pounds of a bitch from 50 pounds to 60 pounds. End of Chapter 18. Chapter 19 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 Marian Martin. Dogs and All About Them by Robert Layton. Chapter 19 The Whippet. For elegance of style, cleanliness of habit and graceful movement, few dogs can equal the Whippet, for which reason his popularity as a companion has increased very greatly within the past decade. No more affectionate creature is to be found, yet he possesses considerable determination and pluck and on occasion will defend himself in his own way. Too fragile in his anatomy for fighting, in the ordinary sense of the word, when molested he will snap at his opponent with such celerity as to take even the most watchful by surprise. While his strength of jaw, combined with its comparatively great length, enables him to inflict severe punishment at the first grab. It was probably owing to this habit, which is common to all Whippets, that they were originally known as snap dogs. The Whippet existed as a separate breed long before dog shows were thought of and at a time when records of pedigrees were not officially preserved. But it is very certain that the Greyhound had a share in his genealogical history for not only should his appearance be precisely that of a Greyhound in miniature, but the purpose for which he was bred is very similar to that for which his larger prototype is still used. The only difference being that rabbits were coarsed by Whippets and hairs by Greyhounds. This sport has been mainly confined to the working classes, the colliers of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland being particularly devoted to it. As a rule the contests are handicaps, the starting point of each competitor being regulated by its weight. But the winners of previous important events are penalized in addition according to their presumed merit by having a certain number of yards deducted from the start to which weight alone would otherwise have entitled them. Each dog is taken to its stipulated mark according to the handicap and there laid hold of by the nape of the neck and hind quarters. The real starter stands behind the lot and after warning all to be ready discharges a pistol upon which each attendant swings his dog as far forward as he can possibly throw him but always making sure that he alights on his feet. The distance covered in the race is generally 200 yards minus the start slaughtered and some idea of the speed at which these very active little animals can travel may be gleaned from the fact that the full distance has been covered in rather under 12 seconds. In order to induce each dog to do its best the owner or more probably the trainer stands beyond the winning post and frantically waves a towel or very stout rag. Accompanied by a babel of noise the race is started and in less time than it takes to write it the competitors reach the goal one and all as they finish taking a flying leap at their trainer's towel to which they hold on with such tenacity that they are swung round in the air. The speed at which they are travelling makes this movement necessary in many cases to enable the dog to avoid accident particularly where the space beyond the winning mark is limited. For racing purposes there is a wide margin of size allowed to the dogs anything from 8 pounds to 23 pounds or even more being eligible but in view of the handicap terms those dogs which possess speed and scale 9 to 12 pounds amongst the light weights and over 17 pounds in the heavy ones are considered to have the best chance. Probably there is no locality where the past time has maintained such a firm hold as in and around Oldham one of the most famous tracks in the world being at Higginshore where not infrequently 300 dogs are entered in one handicap. The borough grounds at Oldham and the Wellington grounds at Berry are also noted centres for races. It is a remarkable but well recognized fact that bitches are faster than dogs and in consequence the terms upon which they are handicapped are varied. The general custom is to allow a dog 2.5 to 3 yards advantage for every parent difference in weight between it and the gentle sex. One of the fastest dogs that ever ran was Collier Ladd but he was almost a greyhound as regards size. Whitefoot whose owner challenged the world and was considered to be quite unbeatable was a whippet in every sense of the word and was a nice medium weight though probably couple banks time of 11.5 seconds stands alone. The best of the present day racing dogs are Polythro Astley 15 pounds and Dinah 11.5 pounds and of those which promise well for the future Eva whose weight is only 9.75 pounds is most prominent. The training of whippets is by no means easy work and is more expensive than most people imagine. The very choicest food is deemed absolutely necessary. In fact a whippet undergoing preparation for an important race is provided with the most wholesome fare. Choice mutton chops, beef steaks and similar dainties comprise their daily portion. Of course exercises a necessity but it is not considered good policy and training to gamble about either on the roads or in the fields. Indeed all dogs which are undergoing preparation for a race are practically deprived of their freedom in lieu of which they are walked along hard roads secured by a lead and for fear of their picking up the least bit of refuse each is securely muzzled by a box-like leather arrangement which completely envelops the jaws but which is freely perforated to permit proper breathing. Any distance between six and a dozen miles a day according to the stamina and condition of the dog is supposed to be the proper amount of exercise and scales are brought into use every few days to gauge the effect which has been produced. In addition to this private trials are necessary in the presence of someone who is accustomed to timing races by the aid of a stopwatch. A by no means easy task considering that a slight particle of a second means so many yards and the average speed working out at about 16 yards per second nearly twice as fast as the fastest pedestrian sprinter and altogether beyond the power of the fleetest racehorse. Coloring the whippet is absolutely of no importance to a good judge though possibly what is known as the peach fawn is the favorite among amateur fanciers. Red fawns, blue or slight colored, black, brindled of various shades and these colors intermingled with white are most to be met with however. In some courses the idea is prevalent that whippets are delicate in their constitution but this is a popular error. Probably they are disinclination to go out of doors on their own initiative when the weather is cold and wet may account for the opinion but given the opportunity to roam about a house the whippet will find the comfortable place and will rarely ale anything. In scores of houses whippets go to bed with the children and are so clean that even scrupulous housewives take no objection to their finding their way under the clothes to the foot of the bed thereby securing their own protection and serving as an excellent foot warmer in the winter months. Probably in no other breed except the greyhound which is attached so little importance to the shape of the head so long as the jaws are fairly long and the color of the eyes somewhat in keeping with that of the body very little else is looked for in front of the ears. As in the case of racing competitors really good dogs for show purposes are much more difficult to find than bitches. The best of the males are not so classical in outline as the females though some of them are as good in legs and feet points which are of the greatest importance. Though it is not quite in accordance with the standard laid down by the club it will be found that most judges favor dogs which are about 17 pounds weight and bitches which are between 15 pounds and 16 pounds. The 20 pounds mentioned in the standard of points without variation for sex being considered altogether too heavy. Appearances are sometimes deceptive but these dogs are rarely weighed for exhibition purposes. The trained eye of the judge being sufficient guide to the size of the competitors according to his partiality for middle size big or little animals. The South Durham and Yorkshire show at Darlington has the credit for first introducing classes for whippets into the prize ring. Previous to this it had not long been generally recognized as a distinct breed for the last 20 years that the Kennel Club has placed the breed on its recognized list. The following is the standard of points adopted by the Whippet Club. Head, long and lean rather wide between the eyes and flat on the top. The jaw powerful yet cleanly cut the teeth level and white eyes bright and fiery ears small fine in texture and rose shape long and muscular elegantly arched and free from throatiness shoulders oblique and muscular chest deep and capacious back broad and square rather long and slightly arched over the loin which should be strong and powerful forelegs rather long well set under the dog possessing a fair amount of bone hind quarters strong and broad across stifles well bent thighs broad and muscular hocks well let down feet round well split up with strong soles coat fine and close color black red white brindle fawn blue and the various mixtures of each weight 20 pounds End of Chapter 19 Chapter 20 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 20 The Foxhound There is plenty of proof that Foxhounds were the very first to come under the domination of scientific breeding. There have been hounds of more ancient origin such as the southern hound and the bloodhound but something different was wanted towards the end of the 17th century to hunt the wild deer that had become somewhat scattered after Cromwell's Civil War. The demand was consequently for a quicker hound than those hitherto known and people devoted to the chase but there is more probability that the policy adopted was one of selection. Those exceptionally fast were bred with the same until the slow steady line hunter was improved out of his very character and shape. At any rate there are proofs that in 1710 hounds were to be found in packs carefully bred and that at that time some of the hunts in question devoted attention to the Fox. The hound was found in the Fort Castle and was said to have been established in 1696 but more reliable is the date of Brocklesby commenced in 1713. The first record of a pack of hounds being sold was in 1730 when a Mr. Founds sold his pack to a Mr. Bowles. The latter gentlemen showed a great sport with them in Yorkshire. It was the first to draw converts for Fox in the modern style. Very soon after this it became the fashion of the day to breed hounds. Many of the nobility and large land owners devoted much of their time and money to it and would take long journeys to get fresh blood. It was the rule to breed hounds on the most scientific principles and by 1750 there were 50 such breeders Lord Percival Lord Gramby Lord Ludlow Lord Vernon Lord Carlisle Lord Mexbro Sir Walter Vavasor Sir Rollin Wins Mr. Knoll Mr. Stanhope Mr. Mayno Mr. Barry and Mr. Charles Pelham The last name gentlemen afterward the first Lord Yarborough was born and raised amongst his tenetry on the Brocklesby estates and of keeping lists of hound pedigrees and ages. By 1760 all the above named noblemen and gentlemen have been breeding from each others kennels. The hounds were registered as can be seen now in Lord Middleton's private kennel stud book through which his lordship can trace the pedigrees of his present pack for 160 years to hounds by Raytor son of Maryman and grandson of Lord Gramby's Rantor. Another pedigree was that of Ruby who was credited with a numerous progeny as she was by Raytor out of Mr. Stapleton's Cruel by Sailor a son of Lord Gramby's Sailor by Mr. Knoll's Victor This shows well how seriously foxhound breeding was gone into before the middle of the 18th century. Researchs prove also that a hound approaching very closely to those of modern times have been produced at this early period. By such evidence the foxhound had outstripped the harrier in size by nearly 5 inches as the latter does not appear to have been more than 18 inches and the early foxhound would have been 23 inches. Then the heavy shoulder the doulap and jowl of the southern hound have been cut off and the coat have been somewhat altered. The old school breeders had evidently determined upon great speed and the ability to stay through the medium of deep ribs, heart room, wide loins, length of quarter, quality of bone and straightness of foreleg and round strong feet. The slack loin loosely built and the splay-footed hound of former generations have been left behind. This perfection indeed had the foxhound attain that long before the close of the 18th century, sportsmen were clamoring as to what a foxhound could do. With so much prominence given to the foxhound in the comparatively short period of 40 or 50 years, it is no wonder that individual hounds became very celebrated in almost every part of the country. Mr. Pelhems Rockwood, Tickler and Bumper and Growler were talked of both in Lincolnshire and Warwickshire. From the first indeed it appeared that certain hounds were very much better than others and old huntsmen have generally declared for one which was in the whole length of their careers sometimes extending to 50 years immeasurably superior to all others they had hunted. Harry Iris, who was for the first just a half a century with Lord Fitzhardinge, declared to the setting equaled Cromwell. Oswell Destin said the same inferior and Frank Gillard never falters from the opinion that weather gauge was quite by himself as the best hound he ever hunted. The Foxhound Kennel Studbook abounds in the strongest proof that hereditary merit in their work has been transmitted from these wonderful hounds and they really make the history of the Foxhound. There have been great hounds but there must be the greatest of the great and the following 12 hounds are probably the best England has ever seen. Mr. Corbett's Trojan, 1780 Lord Middleton's Vanguard, 1815 Mr. Oswell Destin's Furrier, 1820 Lord Henry Bentonix Contest, 1848 Lord Fitzhardinge's Cromwell, 1855 Mr. Drake's Duster, 1844 Sir Richard Sutton's Dryden, 1849 The Duke of Rutland's Senator, 1816 Duke of Rutland's Weather Gauge, 1874 The Earl of Coventry's Rambler, 1874 Mr. E. P. Rawlinsley's Freeman, 1884 and the Grafton Woodman, 1892 Breeding Foxhounds is one of the most fascinating of all the pleasures of animal culture as the above list so full of extreme merit can be traced for nearly 130 years. It cannot be said that the prices paid for Foxhounds in very recent times have greatly exceeded those of the past. In 1790, Colonel Thornton sold merkin for four hogsheads of claret and a sower to have two couples of the whelps. Then in 1808 Mr. John Ward sold a pack of hounds to Lord Althorpe for 1000 guineas and the same gentleman sold another pack for the same sum a few years later. In 1838 Lord Suffield offered 3000 guineas for Mr. Lampton's pack and the other words sold it to Sir Matthew White Ridley for 2500. In 1834 Osbel Destin sold 10 couples of bitches all descendants of Furrier for 2000 sovereigns or 100 pounds a hound a record that was almost eclipsed at the sale of Lord Potomor's hounds in 1870 when 22 couples of dog hounds sold for 3365 guineas. Of late years there has been the sale of the corn for it was said 3000 pounds and the late Lord Willoughby the Broke valued the North Warwickshire for the county to purchase at 2500 pounds. In 1903 the other stone was valued by Mr. Rawlins the well-known representative Tattersells at 3500 pounds or something like 50 pounds a hound that was cheap. If therefore modern prices have not greatly exceeded those of the far past there has not been any particular diminution and there is no doubt about it that a certain packs could be purchased the prices would far exceed anything ever reached before. Fox hounds have very much improved in looks during the past 5 and 20 years and unquestionably they are quite as good in the field or better. The boxes in front of them and good huntsmen to assist or watch over them they are as able as ever notwithstanding that the drawbacks to good sport are more numerous now than they used to be. The noble hound will always be good enough and ever and on this is shown by a run of the great wood order to hunt over 5 and 20 to 30 miles at a pace to settle all the horses there has been a slight tendency to increase size of late years the Belvoir doghound is within very little of 24 inches instead of 23 and a half the standard of 20 years ago and this increase has become very general in elegance of form nothing has been lost and there can be no other to possess beauty combined with power and the essential points of the foxhound a detailed description of the foxhound is here given head somewhat broad not peak like the bloodhound but long from the apex to the frontal bones eyebrows very prominent cheeks cut clean from eye to the nostril ears set low and in their natural condition thin and shapely but not large long and level and small do laps expression fears and with the best often repellent eyes very bright and deeply set full of determination and with a very steady expression the look of the foxhound is very remarkable neck should be perfectly clean no skin ruffle whatever or neck cloth both for stooping and giving an air of majesty shoulders the blades should be well into the back and should slant otherwise be wide and strong to meet the arms that should be long and powerful legs and feet the bone should be perfectly straight from the arm downward and descend in the same degree of size to the ankles or as a saying is down to his toes should be almost flat and level there should be no curve until coming to the toes which should be very strong round cat shaped and every toe clean set as it were fore ribs and breath brisket deep fine ribs are very essential and the brisket should be well below the elbows back and loins back should be straight the loin wide back ribs deep and long a slight prominence over the croup quarters and hocks the quarters cannot be too long full showing a second thigh and meeting a straight hock low down the shank bone short and meeting shimpy feet coat the coat is hard hair but short and smooth the texture is as stiff as bristles the white should be very opaque and clear black and white with tan markings on head and stifles badger pied a kind of gray and white lemon pied light yellow and white hair pied a darker yellow and white stern long and carry gaily but not curled often half white height dogs from twenty-three and a half to twenty-four inches bitches from twenty-two to twenty-two and a half inches end of chapter 20 Chapter 21 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 Bill Mosley Frelsburg, Texas Dogs and All About Them by Robert Layton Chapter 21 The Harrier and the Beagle The Harrier is a distinct breed of hound used for hunting the hare or rather it should be said the association of masters of harriers are doing their utmost to perpetuate this breed the Harrier Stud Book bearing witness there too and it is to be deplored that so many masters of Harriers ignore this fact and are content to go solely to foxhound kennels to start their packs of Harriers choosing maybe twenty inch to twenty-two inch foxhounds and henceforth calling them Harriers it is indeed a common belief that the modern Harrier is but a smaller addition of the foxhound employed for hunting the hare instead of the fox and it is almost useless to reiterate that it is a distinct breed of hound that can boast of possibly greater antiquity than any other or to insist upon the fact that Xenophon himself kept a pack of Harriers over two thousand years ago nevertheless in general appearance and the foxhound are very much alike the one obvious distinction being that of size opinions differ as to what standard of height it is advisable to aim at if you want to hunt your Harriers on foot sixteen inches is quite big enough almost too big to run with but if you are riding to them twenty inches is a useful hike or even nineteen inches either is a good workable size and such hounds should be able to slip along fast enough for most people choose your hounds with plenty of bone but not too clumsy or heavy a round firm neck not too short with a swan like curve a lean head with a long muzzle and fairly short ears a broad chest with plenty of lung room forelegs like gun barrels are strong hind legs with good thighs and well let down hocks feet round like cat's feet and a well set on tapering stern such a make and shape should see many seasons through and allow you to be certain of pace and endurance in your pack it is useless to lay down any hard and fast rule as to color it is so much a matter of individual taste some masters don't see for the dark coloring of the old southern hound but nothing could look much smarter than a good combination of Bellevoix tan with black and white puppies as a rule a week or two after they are well show a greater proportion of dark marking than any other but this as they grow older soon alters and their white marking becomes much more conspicuous as in the case of the fox hound is very seldom kept as a companion apart from the pack but puppies are usually sent out to walk and may easily be procured to be kept and reared until they are old enough to be entered to their work doubtless the rearing of a harrier puppy is a great responsibility but it is also a delight to many who feel that they are helping in the advancement of a great national sports there is nothing to surpass the beauty of the beagle on the flags of his kennel or in unraveling a difficulty on the line of a dodging hair in neatness he is really the little model of a fox hound he is of course finer but with the length of neck so perfect in the bigger hound the little shoulders of the same pattern and the typical quarters and second thighs then how quick he is in his casts then he is fairly on a line of course he sticks to it as the saying is like a beagle beagles have been carefully preserved for great many years and in some cases they have been in families for almost centuries and the hereditary hunting establishments they have been frequently found as the medium of amusement and instruction in hunting for the juvenile members of the house they have been able to build the right principles of venery into the youthful mind and to follow all the ways of these little hounds the dorset shire used to be the great county for beagles the downs there were exactly fitted for them and years ago when roe deer were preserved on the largest states beagles were used to hunt this small breed of deer Mr. Crane's beagles had a strong partiality for beagles and was want to see them work on the downs round about brighten the uses of the beagle in the early days of the last century however were a good deal diversified there were hunted in big woodlands to drive game to the gun and perhaps the ordinary beagle of from 12 inches to 14 inches was not big enough for the beagles of the times it is quite possible therefore that the beagle was crossed with the welsh southern or otterhound to get more size and power as there certainly was a welsh rough coated beagle of good 18 inches and an almost identical contemporary that was called the sx beagle 60 years ago such hounds were common enough but possibly through the adoption of a more prevalent plan of beating covarts and spaniels being in more general use the vocation of the beagle in this particular direction died out and a big rough coated beagle is now very rarely seen that a great many of the true order were bred became very manifest as soon as the harrier and beagle association was formed the otterhound show was reserved for them then they seemed to spring from every part of the country in 1896 one became well acquainted with many packs that had apparently held aloof from the dog shows there was the Cheshire the Christ Church Oxford Mr. T. Johnson's the Royal Rock the Thorpe Satchville the Worcestershire and of late there have been many more that are as well known as packs of foxhounds one hears now of the Choston the house that plays very noted indeed the Holton the Lee Park the Stoke Place the Edinburgh the Serbeton the Trinity Foot the Wooddale Mrs. GW Hilliards Mrs. Price's and Mrs. Turner's Beagle owners like the masters of foxhound kennels have never been very partial to the ordinary dog shows and so the development of the up-to-date Beagle as seen at recent shows is somewhat new it is just as it should be and if more people take up beagling it may not be in the least surprising they're very beautiful little hounds can give a vast amount of amusement and for the matter of that healthy exercise if a stout runner can keep within fairly easy distance of a pack of well-bred beagles on the line of a lively jack hare he is in the sort of condition to be generally envied description of the Beagle head fair length powerful without being coarse skull domed moderately wide with an indication of peak stop well defined muzzle not snipy and lips well food nose black broad and nostrils well expanded eyes brown dark hazel or hazel not deep set nor bulgy and with a mild expression ears long set on low fine in texture and hanging in a graceful fold close to the cheek neck moderately long slightly arched the throat showing some doo lap shoulders clean and slightly sloping body short between the couplings well let down in chest ribs fairly well sprung and well ribbed up with powerful and not tucked up loins hindquarters very muscular about the thighs stifles and hocks well bent and hocks well let down forelegs quite straight well under the dog of good substance and round in the bone feet round well knuckled up and strongly padded stern moderate lengths set on high thick and carried gaily but not curled over the back color any recognized hound color coat smooth variety smooth very dense and not too fine or short rough variety very dense and wiry height not exceeding 16 inches pocket Beatles must not exceed 10 inches general appearance a compactly built hound without coarseness conveying the impression of great stamina and vivacity end of chapter 21 Chapter 22 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 22 The Pointer It has never been made quite clear in history why the Spaniards had a dog that was very remarkable for pointing all kinds of game They have always been a pleasure loving people certainly but more inclined to bullfighting than field craft and yet as early as 1600 they must have had a better dog for game finding than could have been found in any other part of the world Singularly enough too the most esteemed breeds in many countries can be traced from the same source such as the Russian pointer the German pointer the French double-nosed griffin and far more important still the English pointer A view has been taken that the Spanish double-nosed pointer was introduced into England about 200 years ago when firearms were beginning to be popular for fouling purposes Setters and Spaniels had been used to find and drive birds into nets but as the Spanish pointer became known it was apparently considered this must have been towards the end of the 17th century and for the next 50 years at least something very slow was wanted to meet the necessities of the old-fashioned flintlock gun which occupied many minutes in loading and getting into position improvements came by degrees until they set in very rapidly but probably by 1750 when hunting had progressed a good deal and pace was increased in all past times the old-fashioned pointer was also known for its caution and tortoise-like movements there is evidence through portraits that pointers had been altogether changed by the year 1800 but it is possible that the breed then had been continued by selection rather than by crossing for a couple of decades as it is quite certain that by 1815 sportsmen were still dissatisfied with a want of pace in the pointer and many sportsmen are known to have crossed their pointers but by the old Spanish pointer had been left behind and the English dog was a perfect model for pace, stamina, resolution and nerve the breed was exactly adapted to the requirements of that day which was not quite as fast as the present men shot with good Joe mantons did their own loading and walked to their dogs working them left and right by hand and whistle the dogs beat their ground and when they came on game down they were the dog that had got it pointing and the other barking or awaiting developments there was nothing more beautiful than the work of a well-bred and well-broken brace of pointers were more perfect than the way a man got his shots from them there was nothing slow about them but on the contrary they went a great pace seemed to shoot into the very currents of error for scent which might have been expected from the Fox Town Cross the truth of it was that the capacity to concentrate the whole attention on the object found was so intense as to have lessened every other propensity the rush of the Fox Hound had been absorbed by the additional force of the pointer character there has been nothing at all like it in canine culture and it came out so wonderfully after men had been shooting it that field trials began to occupy the attention of breeders and sportsmen and although setters had been getting into equal repute for the beauty of their work there was something more brilliant about the pointers at first Brockton's bounce was a magnificent dog a winner on the show bench and of the first field trial in England Newton's Ranger was another of the early performers and he was very staunch and brilliant but it was in the next five years that the most extraordinary pointer merit was seen as quite incomparable with Sir Richard Garth's Drake who was just five generations from the Spanish pointer Drake was rather a tall gaunt dog but with immense depth of girth long shoulders, long haunches and a benevolent quiet countenance there was nothing very attractive about him when walking about at Stafford prior to his trial but the moment he was down he seemed to paralyze his opponent as he went half as fast again it was calculated that he went 50 miles an hour and at this tremendous pace he would stop as if petrified and the momentum would cover him with earth and dust he did not seem capable of making a mistake and his birds were always at about the same distance from him to show thereby his extraordinary nose and confidence nothing in his day could beat him in a field he got some good stock but they were not generally show form the bitch is by him being mostly light and small and his son's a bit high on the leg none of them had his pace but some were capital performers such as Sir Thomas Leonard's Mallard Mr. George Pilkington's Tory Mr. Lloyd Price's Luck of Eden Hall winner of the Field Trial Derby 1878 Lord Down's Mars and Bounce and Mr. Barclay Field's Riot when Sir Richard Garth went to India and sold his kennel of pointers at Tattersells Mr. Lloyd Price gave 150 guineas for Drake the mid-century owners and breeders had probably all the advantages of what a past generation had done as they were certainly many wonderful pointers in the 50s, 60s and 70s as old men living today will freely allow they were produced very regularly too in a marvelous type of perfection Mr. William Arkwright of Sutton Scarsdale Derbyshire has probably the best kennel in England at the present time he discovered and revived an old breed of the north of England that was black and bred for a great many years by Mr. Pape of Carlisle and his father before him with these Mr. Arkwright has bred to the best working strains with the result that he has had many good field trial winners for a good many years now Elias Bishop of Newton Abbott has kept up the old breeds of Devin Pointers the champion Bangs the Mikes and the Brackenburg Roms and his have been amongst the best at the shows and the field trials during the past few years there are of course exceptions to the rule that many of the modern pointers do not carry about them the error of their true business but it would appear that fewer people keep them now than was the case a quarter of a century ago owing to the advance of quick shooting otherwise driving and the consequence falling away of the old fashioned methods both for the stubble and the more however there are still many who enjoy the work of dogs and it would be a sin indeed in the calendar of British sports if the final breed of pointer were allowed even to deteriorate the apparent danger is that the personal or individual element is dying out the name of Drake, Bang or Garnet were like household words people talked of the great pointers they were spoken of in club chat or gossip, written about and the prospects of the Moors were much associated with the up-to-date characters of the pointers and setters there is very little of this sort of talk nowadays guns are more critically spoken of there is however a wide enough world to supply with first class pointers in England's numerous colonies it may be much more fitting to shoot over dogs it has been tried in South Africa with marvelous results descendants of Bang have delighted the lone colonist on Cape Partridge and Quails and pointers suit the climate whereas setters do not the pointer is a noble breed to take up as though still in middle life have seen its extraordinary merit whenever bred in the right way as to the essential points of the breed they may be set down as follows head should be wide from ear to ear long and slanting from the top of the skull to the setting on the nose cheekbones prominent ears set low and thin in texture soft and velvety nose broad at the base mouth large and jaws level neck the neck should be very strong but long and slightly arched meeting shoulders well-knit into the back which should be straight and joining a wide loin there should be great depth of heart room very deep brisket narrow chest rather than otherwise shoulders long and slanting legs and feet should be nearly like the foxhounds as possible there should be really no difference as they must be straight the knees big and the bone should be of goodly size down to the toes cat-shaped hind quarters the great feature in the pointer is his hind quarters he cannot well be too long in the haunch or strong in the stifle which should be well bent and the muscles in the second thigh of a good pointer are always remarkable the hawks may be straighter than even in a foxhound as in pulling up sharp on his point he in a great measure throws his weight on them the shank bones below the hawk should be short there have been good ones of all colors the derby colors were always liver and whites for their pointers and black breasted reds for their game cocks the seftons were liver and whites also and so were the edges of strully but mostly heavily ticked Brockton's bounce was so and so were champion bang Mike and young bang Drake was more of the derby color dark liver and white Mr. Whitehouses were mostly lemon and whites after Hamlet of that color a notable ones of the same hue were squire bang and Mr. Whitehouses Pax and Priam all winners of field trials there have been several very good black and whites Mr. Francis's afterwards Mr. Salters Chang was a field trial winner of this color a still better one was Mr. S. Beckett's rector a somewhat mean little dog to look at but quite extraordinary in his work as he won the pointer puppy steak at Shrewsbury he managed steak three years in succession Mr. Salters' romp family were quite remarkable in color a white ground heavily shot with black in patches and in ticks there have never been any better pointers than these there have been and are good black pointers also height and size a big pointer dog stands from 24 and a half inches to 25 inches at the shoulder old champion bang and Mr. Salters old champion bang and young bang were of the former height and the great bitch Mr. Lloyd Price's bell was 24 inches for big pointers 60 pounds is about the weight for dogs and 56 pounds bitches smaller size 54 pounds dogs and 48 pounds bitches there have been some very good ones still smaller end of chapter 22 chapter 23 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 Richard Kilmer dogs and all about them by Robert Leighton chapter 23 the setters one the English setter setters are to be found wherever guns are in frequent use and irrespective of the precise class of work they have to perform but their proper sphere is either on the moors when the red grouse are in quest or on the stubbles and amongst the root crops when September comes in and the partridge season commences Robert Dudley Earl of Leicaster is supposed to have been the first person to train setting dogs in the manner which has been commonly adopted by his successors his lordship lived in the middle of the 16th century and was therefore a contemporary of Dr. Chaos who may possibly have been indebted to the Earl for information when in his work on English dogs he wrote of the setter under the name of the index though setters are divided into varieties the English the Irish and the Gordon or black and tan there can be no doubt that all have a common origin though it is scarcely probable in view of their dissimilarity that the same individual ancestors can be supposed to be their original progenitors nearly all authorities agree that the spaniel family is accountable on one side to a considerable extent by old illustrations and paintings of setters at work in which they are invariably depicted has been very much like the old liver and white spaniel though of different colors doubt exists as to the other side of their heredity but it does not necessarily follow that all those who first bred them used the same means of the theories put forward that which carries the most presumptive evidence must go to the credit of the old Spanish pointer where else could they inherit that wonderful senting power that style in which they draw up to their game their statue-esque attitude went on point and above all the staunchness and patience by which they hold their game spellbound until the shooter has time to walk leisurely up even from a considerable distance the different varieties have many other attributes in common all perform the same kind of work and in the same manner consequently the system of breaking or training them varies only according to the temper or ideas of those who undertake their schooling few dogs are more admired than English setters and those who are looked upon as professional exhibitors have not been slow to recognize that when a really good young dog makes its appearance it is a formable rival amongst all other breeds when the special prizes come to be allotted seen either at its legitimate work as a gun dog or as a domestic companion the English setter is one of the most graceful and beautiful of the canine race and its elegant form and feathery coat command instant admiration among the more important being the blue belltons and laver racks and this regardless of any consideration has to whether or not the dogs were in any way connected by relationship to the stock which had earned fame for either of these time-oddered names it was the great increase in the number of shows and some confusion on the part of exhibitors that made it necessary for the kennel club to have entertained some amount of notability and the old terms have gradually been dropped doubtless the English setter club has done much since its institution in 1890 to encourage this breed of dog and has proved the usefulness of the club by providing two very valuable trophies the exhibitors challenge cup and the field trial challenge cup for competition amongst its members besides having liberally supported all the leading shows hence it has rightly come to be regarded as the only authority from which an acceptable and official dictum for the guidance of others can emanate the following is the standard of points issued by the English setters club head the head should be long and lean with well-defined stopped the skull oval showing plenty of brain room and with a well-defined occipital pertuberance the muzzle moderately deep and fairly square from the stop to the point of the nose should be long the nostrils wide and the jaws of nearly equal length flues not too pendulous the color of the nose should be black or dark or light liver according to the color of the coat the eyes should be bright and intelligent and of a dark hazel color the darker the better the ears of moderate length set on low and hanging in neat folds close to the cheek the tip should be velvety the upper part closed with fine silky hair neck the neck should be rather long muscular and lean slightly arched at the crest and clean cut where it joins the head towards the shoulder it should be larger and very muscular not throaty with any pendulosity below the throat but elegant and blood like in appearance body the body should be a moderate length with shoulders well set back or oblique back short and level loins wide slightly arched strong and muscular chest deep in the brisket with good round widely sprung ribs deep in the back ribs that is well ribbed up legs and feet the stifles should be well bent and ragged thighs long from hip to hock the forearm big and very muscular the elbow well let down pasturns short muscular and straight the feet very close and compact and well protected by hair between the toes tail almost in a line with the back medium length not curly or ropey to be slightly curved or center shaped but with no tendency to turn upwards the flag or feather hanging in long pendant flakes the feather should not commence at the root but slightly below and increase in length to the middle then gradually taper off toward the end and the hair long bright soft and silky not curly coat and feathering the coat from the back of the head in a line with the ears ought to be slightly wavy long and silky which should be the case with the coat generally the breeches and forelegs nearly down to the feet should be well feathered color and markings the color may be either black and white lemon and white white and tan those without heavy patches of color on the body but flecked all over preferred two the iris setter though this variety has not attained such popularity as its English cousin it is not because it is regarded as being less pleasing to the eye for in general appearance of style and outline there is very little difference in fact none excepted the beautiful rich golden chestnut color which predominates in all well-bred specimens is in itself sufficient to account for the great favor in which they are regarded generally while their disposition is sufficiently engaging to attract the attention of those who desire to have a moderate sized dog as a companion rather than either a very large breed of iris setters in England preferring them to the other varieties of setters we have to go over to its native country however to find the breed most highly esteemed as a sporting dog for actual work and there it is naturally first favorite in fact very few of either of the other varieties are to be met with from one end of the green isle to the other it has been suggested that some of them are quite as great in speed and not only as clever at their business but quite as keen-nosed has other setters some which have competed within the past few years have had as rivals some of the best pointers from England and Scotland and have successfully held their own the secretary of the iris setters club is Mr. S. Brown 27 Eustace Street, Dublin and the standard of points has laid down by that authority is as follows head the head should be long and lean the skull oval from ear to ear having plenty of brain room and with well-defined occipital protuberance brows raised showing stop the muzzle moderately deep from the stop to the point of the nose should be fairly long the nostrils wide and the jaws of nearly equal length flues not to be pendulous the color of the nose dark mahogany or dark walnut and that of the eyes which ought not to be too large rich hazel or brown the ears to be a moderate size fine in texture set on low well back and hanging in a neat fold to the head neck the neck should be moderately long very muscular but not too thick slightly arched free from all tendency to throatiness body the body should be long shoulders fine at the point deep and sloping well back the chest as deep as possible rather narrow in front the ribs well sprung leaving plenty of lung room muscular and slightly arched the hind quarters wide and powerful legs and feet the hind legs from hip to hawk should be long and muscular from hawk to heel short and strong the stifle and hawk joints well bent and not inclined either in or out the forelegs should be straight and sinally having plenty of bone with elbows free not inclined either in or out the feet small very firm toes strong close together and arched tail the tail should be a moderate length set on rather low strong at root and tapering to a fine point to be carried as neatly as possible on a level or below the back coat on the head tip of ears the coat should be short and fine but on all other parts of the body and legs it ought to be of moderate length flat and as free as possible from curl or wave feathering the feather on the upper portion of the ears should be long and silky on the back of fore and hind legs long and fine a fair amount of hair on the belly forming a nice fringe feet to be well feathered between the toes tail to have a nice fringe of moderately long hair decreasing in length as it approaches the point all feathering to be as straight and as flat as possible color and markings the color should be a rich golden chestnut with no trace whatever of black white on chest throat or toes or a small star on the forehead narrow streak of blaze on the nose or face not to disqualify three the black and tan setter originally this variety was known as the Gordon setter but this title was only partly correct as the particular dogs first favored by the Duke of Gordon from whom they took the name were black, tan and white heavily built and somewhat clumsy in appearance but the introduction of the Irish blood had the effect of making a racier looking dog more fashionable the presence of white on the chest was looked upon with disfavor and the kennel club settled the difficulty of name by abolishing the term Gordon altogether very few of this variety have appeared at field trials for several years past but that cannot be considered as well as the fact that the men's dogs have some narrow minded fatests delight in calling them on the few occasions when the opportunity has been presented they have acquitted themselves as well as and on some occasions better than their rivals of other varieties proving to be as fast as staunch and as obedient as they are when Mr. Isaac Sharpe's stylish Ranger was so remarkably successful at the trials it is very difficult to account for the lack of interest which is taken in the variety outside Scotland but the fact remains that very few have appeared at field trials within recent years and that only about four owners are troubling the officials of English shows regularly and especially in Russia this handsome sporting dog is a far greater favorite than it is in Great Britain not only for work with a gun but as a companion and it is a fact that at many a continental dog show more specimens of the breed are exhibited then could be gathered together in the whole of the United Kingdom the want of an active organization which would foster and encourage the interests to be deplored and is without doubt the chief cause of it being so much neglected for in these strenuous days when almost every breed or variety of breed is backed up by its own votaries it cannot be expected that such as are not constantly kept in prominence will receive anything more than scant consideration the black and tan setter is heavier than the English spaniel the head is stronger than that of the English setter with a deeper and broader muzzle and heavier lips the ears are also somewhat longer and the eyes frequently show the hall the black should be as jet and entirely free from white the tan on the cheeks and over the eyes on the feet and pasturns should be bright and clearly defined and the feathering on the four legs will be a rich, dark, mahogany tan amongst the oldest and most successful owners of setters who have consistently competed at field trials may be mentioned Colonel Coates whose Prince Frederick was probably the most wonderful backer ever known Messers Purcell Llewellyn W. Arkwright Elias and James Bishop FC Lowe J. Shorthose G. Potter and S. Smale who may be considered the oldest setter judges and who have owned dogs whose prowness in the field has brought them high reputation Mr. B. J. Warwick has within recent years owned probably more winners at field trials than any other owner one of his being Compton Bounce Captain Haywood Lonsdale has on several occasions the light field strain to be staunch and true and witnessed the doughy deeds of Duke of that ilk and the splendid success he achieved at recent grass trials in Scotland with his light field Rob Roy, Mack and Dot the first named winning the all age steak and the others being first and third in the puppy steak Mr. Herbert Mitchell has been another good patron of the trials and has won many important stakes Mr. A. T. Williams has also owned a few noted trial winners and from Scotland comes Mr. Isaac Sharp whose Gordon Setter stylish ranger has effectively put a stop to the silly argument that all this breed are old men's dogs many of the older field trial men hold tenaciously to the opinion that the modern exhibition setter is useless for high class work and contend that a field trial winners are to be produced they must be bred from noted working strains doubtless this prejudice in favor of working dogs has been engendered by the circumstance that many owners of celebrated bench winners care nothing about their dogs being trained in some cases generation after generation having been bred simply for show purposes under such conditions the capacity for fine-sentting properties and the natural aptitude for quickly picking up a knowledge of their proper duties in the field is impaired but there is no reason why a good show dog should not also be a good worker and the recent edict of the Kennel Club which rules that no gun dog shall be entitled to championship honors until it has gained a certificate of merit in field trials Chapter 24 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 or visit LibriVox.org or visit LibriVox.org or visit LibriVox.org or visit LibriVox.org or visit LibriVox.org or visit LibriVox.org volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. CHAPTER 24 THE RETRIVERS It is obviously useless to shoot game unless you can find it after it has been wounded or killed, and from the earliest time it has been the habit of sportsmen to train their dogs to do the work which they could not always successfully do for themselves. The pointers, setters and spaniels of our forefathers were carefully broken not only to find and stand their game, but also to fetch the fallen birds. This use of the setting and pointing dog is still common on the Continent and in the United States, and there is no inaccuracy in a French artist depicting a pointer with a partridge in its mouth, or showing a setter retrieving waterfowl. The Springer and the old curly coated water dog were regarded as particularly adroit in the double work of finding and retrieving. Pointers and setters who had been thus broken were found to deteriorate in steadiness in the field, and it gradually came to be realized that even the spaniel's capacity for retrieving was limited. A larger and quicker dog was wanted to divide the labour, and to be used solely as a retriever in conjunction with the other gun-dogs. The poodle was tried for retrieving with some success, and he showed considerable aptitude in finding and fetching wounded wild duck, but he too was inclined to maul his birds and deliver them dead. Even the old English sheep-dog was occasionally engaged in the work, and various crosses with spaniel or a setter and collie were attempted in the endeavour to produce a great breed having the desired qualities of a good nose, a soft mouth, and an understanding brain, together with a coat that would protect its wearer from the ill effects of frequent immersion in water. It was when these efforts were most active, namely about the year 1850, that new material was discovered in a black-coated dog recently introduced into England from Labrador. He was a natural water-dog, with a constitution impervious to chills and entirely free from the liability to ear-canker, which had always been a drawback to the use of the spaniel as a retriever of waterfowl. Moreover, he was himself reputed to be a born retriever of game, and remarkably sagacious. His importers called him a spaniel, a breed name which at one time was also applied to his relative, the newfoundland. Probably there were not many specimens of the race in England, and although there is no record explicitly saying so, it is conjectured that these were crossed with the English setter, producing what is now familiarly known as the black-flat-coated retriever. One very remarkable attribute of the retriever is that notwithstanding the known fact that the parent's dog was mongrel, and that in the early dogs the setter type largely predominated, the ultimate result has favoured the Labrador cross distinctly and prominently, proving how potent, even when grafted upon a stock admittedly various, is the blood of a pure race, and how powerful its influence for fixing type and character over the other less vital elements with which it is blended. From the first, sportsmen recognised the extreme value of the new retrieving dog. Strengthened and improved by the Labrador blood, he had lost little if any of the setter beauty of form. He was a dignified, substantial, intelligent, good-tempered, affectionate companion, faithful, talented, highly cultivated, and esteemed in the season and out of it for his mind as well as his beauty. It is only comparatively recently that we have realised how excellent an all-round sporting dog the retriever has become. In many cases, indeed, where grouse and partridge are driven or walked up, a well-broken, soft-mouthed retriever is unquestionably superior to pointer, setter or spaniel, and for general work in the field he is the best companion that a shooting man can possess. Doubtless in earlier days, when the art of training was less thoroughly understood, the breaking of a dog was a matter of infinite trouble to breeders. Most of the gun-dogs could be taught by patients and practised to retrieve fur or feather, but game carefully and skillfully shot is easily rendered valueless by being mumbled and mauled by powerful jewels not school to gentleness. And this question of a tender mouth was certainly one of the problems that perturbed the minds of the originators of the breed. The difficulty was overcome by process of selection and by the exclusion from breeding operations of all hard-mouthed specimens, with the happy effect that in the present time it is exceptional to find a working retriever who does not know how to bring his bird to hand without injuring it. A better knowledge of what is expected of him distinguishes our modern retriever. He knows his duty, and is intensely eager to perform it, but he no longer rushes off unbidden at the firing of the gun. He has learned to remain at heel until he is ordered by word or gesture from his master, upon whom he relies as his friend and director. It would be idle to expect that the offspring of unbroken sire and dam can be as easily educated as a retriever whose parents before him have been properly trained. Inherited qualities count for a great deal in the adaptability of all sporting dogs, and the reason why one meets with so many retrievers that are incapable or disobedient or gun shy is simply that their preliminary education has been neglected, the education which should begin when the dog is very young. In his earliest youth he should be trained to prompt obedience to a given word or a wave of the hand. It is well to teach him very early to enter water, or he may be found wanting when you require him to fetch a bird from river or lake. Lessons in retrieving ought to be a part of his daily routine. Equally necessary is it to break him into the knowledge that cheap and blams are not game to be chased, and that rabbits and hares are to be discriminated from feathered game. Gun shyness is often supposed to be hereditary, but it is not so. Any puppy can be cured of gun shyness in half a dozen short lessons. Sir Henry Smith's advice is to get your puppy accustomed to the sound and sight of a gun being fired, first at a distance, and gradually nearer and nearer, until he knows that no harm will come to him. Companionship and sympathy between dog and master is the beginning and end of the whole business, and there is a moral obligation between them which ought never to be strained. Both as a worker and as a show-dog, the flat-coated retriever has reached something very near to the ideal standard of perfection which has been consistently bred up to. Careful selection and systematic breeding, backed up by enthusiasm, have resulted in the production of a dog combining useful working qualities with a highest degree of beauty. A very prominent admirer and breeder was the late Mr. S. E. Shirley, the president of the Kennel Club, who owned many retrievers superlative both as workers and as show-dogs, and who probably did more for the breed than any other man of his generation. Mr. Shirley's work was carried on by Mr. Harding Cox, who devoted much time and energy to the production of good retrievers, many of which were of Mr. Shirley's strain. Mr. Cox's dogs deservedly achieved considerable fame, for their levelness of type and the improvement in heads so noticeable at the present time is to be ascribed to his breeding for this point. Mr. L. Ellen Shorter, the owner of C. H. Derinth and other excellent retrievers of his own breeding, claims also a large share of credit for the part he has played in the general improvement of the breed. Mr. C. A. Phillips, too, owned admirable specimens, and the name of the late Leutnant colonel Cornwall Lake must be included. Many of colonel Lake's bitches were of Shirley blood, but it is believed that a breed of retrievers had existed at High Lake for several generations, with which a judicious cross was made, the result being not only the formation of a remarkable canal, but also a decided influence of good upon the breed in general. But since the Shirley days, when competition was more limited than it is at present, no canal of retrievers has ever attained anything like the distinction of that owned by Mr. H. Reginald Cook at Riverside, Nantwich. By acquiring the best specimens of the breed from all available sources, Mr. Cook has gathered together a stock which has never been equaled. His ideas of type and confirmation are the outcome of close and attentive study and consistent practice, and one needs to go to Riverside if one desires to see the highest examples of what a modern flat-coated retriever can be. Since Dr. Bond Moore imparted to the retriever a fixity of character, the coats have become longer and less wavy, and in confirmation of hull, color of eye, straightness of legs, and quality of bone, there has been a perceptible improvement. As there is no club devoted to the breed and consequently no official standard of points, the following description of the perfect retriever is offered. General appearance. That of a well-proportioned, bright and active sporting dog, showing power without lumber and raciness without weediness. Head. Long, fine, without being weak, the muzzle square, the underdraw is strong with an absence of lippiness or throatiness. Eyes. Dark as possible, with a very intelligent, mild expression. Neck. Long and clean. Ears. Small. Well set on, and carried close to the head. Shoulders. Oblique. Running well into the back, with plenty of depth of chest. Body. Short and square and well ripped up. Stern. Short and carried gaily, but not curled over the back. Four legs. Straight, pestons strong, feet small and round. Quarters. Strong, stifles well bent. Coat. Dance black or liver of fine quality and texture. Flat, not wavy. Weight. From sixty-five pounds to eighty pounds for dogs. Bitches, rather less. As a rule the retriever should be chosen for the intelligent look of his face, and particular attention should be paid to the shape of his head and to his eyes. His frame is important, of course, but in the retrievers the mental qualities are of more significance than bodily points. There has been a tendency in recent years among retriever breeders to fall into the common error of exaggerating a particular point, and of breeding dogs with a head far too fine and narrow, it is what has been aptly called the alligator head, lacking in brain capacity and power of jaw. A perfect head should be long and clean, but neither weak nor snipey. The eye should be placed just half way between the occipit and the tip of the nose. It is pleasing to add that to this beautiful breed the phrase, handsome is as handsome does, applies in full measure. Not only is the average retriever of a companionable disposition, with a delightful intelligence that is always responsive, but he is a good and faithful guard and a courageous protector of person and property. It has already been said that the majority of the best looking retrievers are also good working dogs, and it may here be added that many of the most successful working dogs are sired by prize winners in the show-ring. The Curly Coated Retriever The Curly Coated Retriever is commonly believed to be of earlier origin than his flat-coated relative, and he is of less pure descent. He probably owes ancestral tribute to the poodle. Such a cross may conceivably have been resorted to by the early retriever breeders, and there was little to lose from a merely sporting point of view from this alien introduction. For the poodle is well known to be by nature, if not by systematic training, an excellent water dog capable of being taught anything that the canine mind can comprehend. During the early years of the nineteenth century, the poodle was fairly plentiful in England, and we had no other curly-coated dog of similar size and type apart from the Irish water spaniel, who may himself lay claim to poodle relationship. While as to the retriever, either curly or flat-coated, he can in no sense be assigned to any country outside of Great Britain. The presumption is strong that the gentleman from France was largely instrumental in the manufacture of the variety, but whatever the origin of the Curly Coated Retriever, he is a beautiful dog, and one is gratified to know that the old prejudice against him and the old indictment as to his hard mouth are fast giving place to praise of his intelligence and admiration of his working abilities. Speaking generally, it seems to be accepted that he is slightly inferior in nose to his flat-coated cousin, and not quite so easy to break, but there are many keepers and handlers who have discovered in individual specimens extraordinary merit in the field combined with great endurance. It is not certain that any great improvement has been affected in the variety during recent years, but there are particular dogs today who are decidedly better than any that existed a dozen years or more ago, when such celebrities as True, Old Sam, King Coffee, Ben Wanda, Dodon Ben, Ladd and Una were prominent, and there is no doubt that the Curly Coats attain show form in advance of the flat-coated variety. The coat of the Curly Retriever place a very important part in the value in personality. There are many kinds of coat, but the only true and proper one is the close-fitting nigger curl of which each knot is solid and inseparable. A coat of this quality is not capable of improvement by any method of grooming, for the simple reason that its natural condition is in itself perfect. The little locks should be so close together as to be impervious to water, and all parts of the body should be evenly covered with them, including the tail and legs. A bad class of coat, and one which readily yields to the fakers art, is the thin, open curl, which by careful manipulation can be greatly improved. Another bad quality of coat is one in which upon the withers and over the loins in particular, the curls do not tighten up naturally, but are large, loose and soft to the feel. Regarding the dog as a whole, the following may be taken as an all-round description. General appearance. That of a smart, active, clean cut and alert dog full of go-and-fire, a sportsman from stem to stern. Head, long and not weedy in the muzzle, nor thick and coarse in the skull, but tapering down and finishing with a stout broad muzzle. Skull. Should be flat and moderately broad between the ears, which are rather small and well covered with hair. Ears. Should lie close to the side of the head, but not dead in the carriage. Face. The face should be smooth and any indication of a forelock should be penalized. Eye. The eye should in all cases be dark and not too deeply sit. Nick. Well placed in the shoulders and nicely arched. Of moderate length and yet powerful and free from throatiness. Shoulders. Well laid back and as free from massiveness as possible, though there is a decided tendency in this variety to such a fault. Legs. Straight and well covered with coat. The bone should show quality and yet be fairly abundant. Feet. Compact and hound-like. Body should show great power with deep, well-rounded ribs, as little cut up in the flank as possible. Tails. Strong at the base. Set on in a line with the back and tape ring to a point, the size of the curls upon it diminishing gradually to the end. Hind quarters. Should show great development of muscle with bent hocks, the lower leg being strong and behind feet compact. Any suspicion of cow-hawks should be heavily penalized. Colour. Mostly a dull black. Some liver-coloured dogs are seen with very good coats and bodies, but their heads are generally thick and cause, and the colour of their eyes does not always match as it should do with the colour of the coat. A few dogs of this colour have achieved distinction on the show-bench. The Labrador. Within recent years the original smooth-coated Labrador dog has taken its place as a recognised variety of the retriever and has become prominent both at exhibitions and as a worker. It is not probable that any have been imported into England for the past quarter of a century, but without the assistance of shows or imported blood they have survived marvellously. Thanks especially to the kennels of such breeders as the Dukes of Bucklough and Hamilton, the Earl of Varellum, Lords Wimborn, Horne and Malmsbury, the Honourable A. Holland Ivert, Sir Seville Crossley, Mr. F. P. Barnett, Mr. C. Little, Mr. O. L. Mansel and others equally enthusiastic. To the Duke of Bucklough's kennel we are probably more indebted in the last twenty years than to any other. Its foundation was laid in two bitches by a dog of the Duke of Hamilton's from a bitch of Lord Malmsbury's. At Dumlanrake as well as on the Duke's other estates they have been most particular in preserving the purity and working qualities of their strain, and the same may be said of the Honourable A. Ireland Ivert, his principal dogs are not only typical in appearance but broken to perfection. The Duchess of Hamilton's kennels have been responsible for some of the best field trial winners of the present day. As far as looks are concerned one cannot say that the Labrador compares favourably with either the flat or the curly coated retriever, but that is immaterial so long as he continues to work as he is doing at present.