aSi VOLUME- 1 ~7ro p^rt) of '\YauJJS R (3. yi oH^^_M AN. ORIZ, TUFTS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 9090 013 410 853 Webster Family Library of Veterinary Medicine Cummings School ct Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University 200 Westboro Road Mo^:hGranon, MA 01536 THE DOG BOOK s s- The Dog Book A Popular History of the Dog, with Practical Information as to Care and Management of House, Kennel, and Exhibition Dogs ; and Descriptions of All the Important Breeds. BY JAMES WATSON VOLUME I Illustrated from Photographs, Paintings, and Rare Engravings NEW YORK Doubleday, Page & Company 1906 f(/m^ Copyright, 1905, 1906, by Doubleday, Page & Company Published August, 1906 /• s >> u ^ S Q -o Early History of the Dog 17 Of the five sins set forth in the Avesta which caused the committer to be a Peshotanu, two concerned dogs — one for giving bones that were too hard or food too hot, the other for smiting a bitch big with young, or frighten- ing her so that she met with an accident or died. This book of the Iranians also states how puppies were to be cared for, and gives instructions as to the best method of breeding to secure healthy puppies — a method, we may remark, which would be most disastrous to breeding for a distinct type, as it necessitated the use of three different dogs. The date of the Zend-Avesta is still a matter of doubt, parts of it belong- ing to different ages and some undoubtedly very ancient. Originally it com- prised twenty-one books, but only three complete and fragments of others have been preserved. The division from which the above quotations are taken is the Vendidad or Zoroastrian Pentateuch, which is divided into Fargards or chapters. The one especially devoted to dogs, as shown by the citations, is Fargard II, but the animal is mentioned a number of times elsewhere, especially in connection with the dead. According to the traditional date now more generally accepted, Zoroaster lived 660-583 B. c, but some writers assign an earlier date. However, it is very certain that these penalties and rites were not the inauguration of a new creed, but the placing on record of customs of unknown age. So also in the Rig- Veda, the very oldest of Aryan literature, the dog is prominently mentioned. Brunnhofer made the claim that it was composed prior to the migration of the Aryans southward into India, and he based his argument in part on one man's having a family name which meant dog, and must have betokened a "dog-revering Iranian." Professor E. W. Hopkins took up the question, and from his reply, which appeared in the "American Journal of Philology," Vol. XV. No. 2, we extract as follows: "In point of fact in the Rig- Veda we find 'Dog's Tail' as a proper name, and in the Brahmanic period we learn that a good Brahman gave this canine name in different forms to his three sons, while still later we find 'Dog's Ear' handed down as a respectable name . . . Even were the animal despised, the name, then, was not objectionable. "On investigating the matter we learn that in the Rig- Veda the dog is the companion and ally of man; the protector and probably the inmate of his house; a friend so near that he pokes his too familiar head into the dish and has to be struck aside as a selfish creature. The chariot of the Maruts is pictured as one drawn by dogs, but he is, at any rate, used for hunting i8 The Dog Book (hunting dog called * boar-desiring,' vara hayus)^ and the gift of a kennel of one hundred dogs is gratefully acknowledged. . . . Here is a lullaby from the Rig- Veda which shows on how familiar a footing the dog stood: "Sleep the mother, sleep the father, Sleep the dog, and sleep the master. Sleep may all the blood relations, Sleef> the people round about." It is in the Rig- Veda that we read of the good old monarch who on his death proceeds to heaven accompanied by his wife, his brothers and a dog. His human companions drop off one by one and he reaches the end of his journey with only the dog. The god appears: "Enter, O King!" "But not without this faithful dog." "Desert the dog," commands the god; "there is no lack of mercy in doing so." "I will either not share in your heavenly world, or share it with this faithful attendant," is the king's re- sponse. The god rejoins: "There is no place in heaven for men with dogs." The king replies: "To desert a faithful friend is as great a sin as to slay a priest." Indebtedness is acknowledged to Professor A. V. Williams Jackson of Columbia University for suggestions with regard to these books, he being the author of "Zoroaster, the Prophet of Ancient Iran." Professor Jackson, who has visited the Iranian section of Asia and examined the remains of the temples at Persepolis and the caves in the Taht-i-Bostan valley, was of the opinion that perhaps dogs were represented on the bas-relief of the deer- hunt in the caves. This in response to our statement that, notwithstand- ing the status of the dog in ancient Persia, we had found no art reproduction of one. On referring to Kiash's work as suggested by him we discovered that the illustration was one we had studied and rejected, having found it in another work on Persian antiquities. There are two bas-reliefs cut in the rock in this cave, one representing the king on a boar-hunt. The reproduction shows it to be a well-executed piece of work, but there is not a dog to be seen. The deer-hunt shows that the hattue and carted deer are not modern inventions of the dilettante sportsman. The king accompanied by his orchestra and a troupe of sing- ing girls is shown in three different parts of a large inclosure. To the right of this are three connecting pens containing deer, which are liberated and driven into the large enclosure, and when killed are thrown over the fence < z c/1 a. < s ■< ° p I Early History of the Dog ig to the left by attendants and taken away on camels. The two animals which might be taken for dogs are quite clear and distinct and by them- selves at the lower part of the relief. They have collars with a long ribbon like a leash. One of the animals is over the fence, and no other animals but the dead ones and the camels are outside. The collars and one hav- ing leaped the fence distinguish them, but in the outline of the drawing they are exact duplicates of the does seen higher on the relief: the same heads, the same deer-like bodies, thick in the paunch, and the same short tail. It does not seem possible to our mind for an artist such as must have been engaged on this beautifully executed piece of work to have erred so conspicuously in these two animals, if he had meant them for dogs. It is a little out of chronological order to speak of Persia at this point, but as it can be dismissed as supplying no evidence it is not of much conse- quence. Turning to those prior to what Rawlinson calls the five great monarchies of the ancient Eastern world, we find fewer traces of the dog than in Egyptian antiquities. Some of the old cylinders dating from the time of the Chaldean kings, that is, some two thousand years prior to the Christian era, and the Second or Medean Dynasty, show animals which somewhat resemble dogs, but the crudeness of the engraving and the number of figures on the small space render it difficult to state with any degree of positiveness that they are dogs. What is stated by several authorities on Assyrian relics as possibly dating from the first monarchy is the dog on the terra-cotta tablet. There are also the dogs of the time of Asurbanipal, some being shown in the act of catching the wounded wild asses, and of these a number of small clay models were found, each having the name of the individual dog in cuneiform characters on his body. The late Rev. M. B. Wynn in his monogram on the mastiff held that the tablet representation was the old mastiff, because of the heavy flews and hanging ears. With this we cannot agree, the model of the named dog of Asurbanipal being the mastiff type, until modern breeders put on the extra flews and the later-day "character," as we will show when we come to treat of the mastiff in proper course. Hewitt's drawing of the mastiff of a hundred years ago — and he was always accurate — might have been made from this Assyrian clay model, but for the hound-tail. And as to this tail curled on the quarters as shown on the tablet, perhaps the modeller could not fashion the hound-carriage of tail in the material he was using. Com- 20 The Dog Book pare also this Assyrian model with the photograph of the molossian dog of Athens, in coat, muzzle and ears, for the molossus, although his ears are broken, had them erect and had a square muzzle. It cannot pass observa- tion that these dogs of Asiatic representation differ from the types shown by the Egyptian artists, who went in for something more like the greyhound in conformation. Asurbanipal brings us to 667-625 b. c, and by this time we also have some beautifully executed gem cylinders in which dogs are shown of what can best be described as boar-hound type and possessing good sub- stance, probably a lighter form of the rnolossian type, for they would not all run alike. We thus have in the land of the Assyrians dogs of the Thibet mastiff type; another indicating what was later known as the molossian or mastiff; a stout dog with a small drop ear, and a boar-hound style of dog. It seems somewhat strange that we can find but one greyhound, but it is suggested in one of the books on this country that only the truly kingly sports are depicted : the killing of the lion and wild boar, antelope and hare-coursing being left to inferiors. That being the case, of course the greyhound was also omitted. Antelopes and such game were caught and kept in inclosures and tended by specially appointed servants, but the kings and monarchs are shown only when attempting or accomplishing the most heroic deeds. But one greyhound model was found at Nimrud by Layard and in the act of coursing a hare. Another author states that the hound in the leash with an attendant must have been four feet in height. We have seen this bas-relief, and in- stead of being over six feet tall, the man looks short and thick-set — more like five feet seven inches in height. The dog at the shoulder (and he has rather high withers) falls short of the man's thigh-joint by two or three inches, which makes his height thirty inches at most. The dog on the tablet appears to be a large an mal, but there is nothing to serve as a standard of comparison in deciding the ^^oint. Dogs when put under the tape shrink wonderfully, and the dog "as t^ig as a calf," Marco Polo's dogs "as large as asses," and Chaucer's alauns "as big as any steers," are only immense by reason of comparison with much smaller ones, while thirty inches would doubtless have been too much for any one of them to reach. The dog next appears as a war adjunct, and on the sarcophagus of Clazamanas is a representation of the battle between the Cimmerians and GREYHOUNDS COURSING CUT I.\ STONE Cypriote collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cemr.l Park, New York THE MOLOSSIAN DOG NEAR ATHENS Photograph of the reproduction in plaster now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Central Park. New York Early History of the Dog 2i the Greeks, 652 b. c, wherein dogs are shown attacking cavalry horses, they having been taught to pin them by the hams. Pertaining to this period there is at the Hermitage, St. Petersburg, a silver vase, most beau- tifully decorated with an Iranian hunting-scene. One dog has attacked a wild boar, and there is another most beautifully outlined dog of boar- hound type. Greek art has supplied many dogs for illustration, but there is little diversity, which is surprising, considering that there were a fair number of varieties by that time. We have the greyhound type in plenty, a moderate- sized dog as depicted by the Greeks, as well as the molossian already re- ferred to. At the Metropolitan Museum in Central Park will be found a replica of the mural tablet at the tomb of Korallion, wife of Agatha, at the Dipylon gate, Athens. This lady is represented facing left and sitting, while facing her in a low relief is the figure of a man whose costume extends to the ground, and showing against the bottom of this flowing garment is a small dog looking anxiously up to its mistress. The head of the dog is a good representation of Pomeranian type, while the body is well covered with a tufty coat. Here again the difficulty of showing a Pomeranian coat might have been sought to be overcome by making it more like a poodle's coat. This dog was apparently very common, for in *' Die Attischen Grab- reliefs," Alexander Conze, Berlin, 1900, Vol. H., there are about twenty representations of toy dogs, the great majority being the same small Pome- ranian type, showing more or less coat. The Cypriote collection at this museum also provided another new dog. This small model has all the look of a spaniel. The tail and feet are missing, but the head is perfect and also the body. From the wealth of coat, the low feathered ears and the expression, this dog appears to be most characteristically a spaniel. In this collection there are also two small stone carvings of a greyhound catching a hare, which seem to form a com- panion pair. One of the Greek type of small greyhound dogs also appears in stone, and was found at the side of a sarcophagus which has at one end in bas-relief a dog of similar type and in the same position. It might be that this was a favourite dog of the deceased magnate. The statuary of Rome at the Metropolitan Museum runs very much on the Greek order of dogs, but there is also the hound-eared dog, and on one small relief of a youth training a horse there is a very handsome dog which looks larger than the average of these greyhounds, and shows more 22 The Dog Book of the boar-hound. Diogenes is represented with one of the hanging-eared dogs much resembling a pointer in general character, and on a silver plate are two dogs, one a greyhound and the other a hound. Ganymede is shown with a dog sitting by his leg, the dog having a studded collar such as Chaucer described : "Aboute his char ther wenten whyte alaunts, Twenty and mo, as grete as any steer. To hunten at the leoun or the deer And folwed him, with mosel faste ybounde, Colers of gold, and torets fyled rounde." One thing could not be overlooked in examining these representations of Greek and Roman dogs, and that is that they were of the same average size, excepting only the molossian; and in this case, as the dog was a monumental one, there is no possibility of determining the size of the original in life. The dog with the youth may also be excepted. We have then at the Metro- politan Museum over half a dozen dogs of this greyhound type, and taking the men as being five feet eight inches high in life, we may estimate these dogs at about eighteen inches in height. A six-foot man measures twenty inches to his knee-pan; and with these statues taken to represent men some three inches less, and not one of the dogs standing higher than the men's knees, makes them about the height stated. Compared with the youth and the horse the dog shown on that cast does seem taller; but what is desired to be shown at present is that, in order to accomplish more than the native dogs when pitted against beasts in the arena, there was no need for the dogs from Britain (particularly the one described as the Celtic greyhound) to have been what we should now call gigantic or very large. We may lay it down as an axiom that no animals of even semidomesti- cation will attain the same growth when running wild, and that at the present time all domesticated animals bred with care are larger than at even recent periods. It is the same with well-kept men. It is customary to think of knights who fought in armour in European wars as veritable giants, but when the Hon. Grantley Berkeley and a titled friend of his wished to par- ticipate in the Eglinton tournament, held some sixty years ago, they could not find in any armoury in England a suit of armour into which they could squeeze. True, they were six-footers, but so we thought must have been those doughty knights who met in tournaments of old. Travellers also mis- lead us by using similes quite out of place. The first visitors to Australia A SMALL DOG IN TERRA COTTA HAVING A DECIDED SPANIEL-LIKE APPEARANCE Cypriote collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Central Park. New York Early History of the Dog 23 wrote of the dingoes as being of the size of mastiffs. Other instances of this exaggeration in description have already been mentioned, and we had better discard them as fanciful and look at things rationally, and as far as possible take illustrations from life in place of statements. The Assyrian dogs might have been thirty inches high, and that was likely higher than those of Egypt. The shoulder-height of the ordinary gentleman's dog of Greece and Rome was twenty inches. The late Colonel Stuart Taylor had for many years a standing offer of one thousand dollars for a dog of thirty-four inches, and did not withdraw it till he had measured the St. Bernard " Rector," which he would not buy on account of its con- dition, coupled with the pleading of the owner's wife. These are facts and are strongly in contrast with the frequently quoted statement in Goldsmith's "Animated Nature," that the Irish wolfhounds were four feet tall. That four-footer, if he was ever measured, must have been tested with "Harry Reed's tape." The explanation of this remark is that on one occasion a sporting authority of that name had to referee a jumping competition in which a man had undertaken to clear a certain distance. Reed was paid to make the man lose by "faking" the tape. Fortunately for the man. Reed, in place of inserting an extra foot in the tape, cut one out, and when it came to measuring the jump, it made a difference of two feet in the man's favour over what was intended. For years after that when there seemed anything queer with regard to a measured distance in sporting matters in England, some one would remark that they must have had Harry Reed's tape, and most assuredly many dogs even to this day have been measured with that article in the home kennels. Research on the American continent has not yielded anything very definite, there not being the counterpart of the Egyptian or Assyrian monu- ments or the contents of palaces or tombs to ransack. Fossil remains are at best very indefinite, and geologists tell of "true dogs" without being able to say much more than what we read of the lake-dweller's marsh-dog. It takes very little harking back to get to prehistoric times even in the oldest parts of America — only to the conquest in the sixteenth century — so that we have no knowledge as to the age of the mummy remains recovered from Colombia and the west coast of South America. If we only knew something about the dates, it would be more interesting as to the dogs found in those despoiled tombs. Reiss and Stubel in their handsomely illustrated "Necropolis of Ancon" give one plate to dog-skulls, and in the accompany- 24 The Dog Book ing brief explanatory text say that one is something of the turnspit order, another collie-like, and the third somewhat like a bulldog or pug, these being presumably the three types they recognised. From our investigations at the Museum of Natural History we found a good deal beyond that unsatisfactory summarising, and the information made the lack of dates the more to be regretted. There are two complete dog mummies, unswathed and put in a sleeping position. They are very much dried out, particularly the larger one, which is in "poor condition," to borrow a dog-shower's phrase. The first examined was apparently undershot — at any rate we made the memorandum in our notebook " ( .?) undershot," and this prior to having seen "Necropolis of Ancon." The query was used because of the doubt as to whether the extremity of the nose had not shrivelled up in drying out and caused the retroussi shape. The teeth were exceedingly large and the dog must have been a hard- fighting customer, if his pluck was in keeping with his teeth. The head was of ordinary size to suit the dog, which, to judge from the measure- ment of eight inches from elbow to extremity of toes, would make him out a dog of about thirteen inches at the shoulder and probably weighing about twenty or twenty-two pounds. The coat on this dog was very much plain "yellow," with but little if any red in the colour. It was short on the head, ears and legs, and ran to an inch and a half on the body and had a harsh, stiff feeling. The tail was tucked between the hind legs, but was plainly shown as far as the hocks, and was club- or wolf-like in shape with longer hair than on the body, and from its shape it was prob- ably carried down. The ears were small and with forward-falling tips like a collie's. Whether that was their original position in life is a question it is not possible to answer definitely. They looked natural enough and very neatly carried. It is more likely that they were button ears like a fox- terrier's than pricked and now broken down. The skull measurements were two inches from nose to eye, and the same from corner of eye to ear. Mummy number two was so large as to force the question as to its being a dog. The evidence was forthcoming in a disjointed leg-bone and foot, which quite settled the matter. The fore-legs could not be measured, nor the head, but the leg-bone detached and minus the foot was good six inches and the shank-bone was also six inches — a rather peculiar proportion, for a six-inch shank-bone is more in keeping with the lower leg-bone of some four inches. This dog must have been eighteen inches at the shoulder, AKTAION ATTACKED BY HIS DOGS WHEN TURNING INTO A STAG m the Metropolitaa Muse.m of An. Centra. Park, New York. This is illustrative of the height of dogs « shown in Greelc and Roman statuarr- Early History of the Dog 25 and a shank-bone of six inches is in keeping with a terrier of fourteen or fifteen inches, so that this particular dog must have been very straight in hind-legs. Tv^^o well-preserved skulls with coat in good condition were also seen, the ears not being on, as the skin had been severed immediately in front of the ears in each case. The first head had a lighter-coloured and longer coat than either of the mummies. The teeth were small, almost like first puppy- teeth, but the canines were of fair size and showed slight wear. The muzzle was somewhat blunt, but the teeth were perfectly level. The length from eye to end of nose was two and one-half inches. The second head was quite distinct in several respects, and showed quite a lot of character. The skull was moderately wide with a well-carried-out fore-face, the type being of the fox-terrier order. The length from eye to teeth, the nose being miss- ing, was two and a half inches, and over all the head was probably seven inches. The teeth, were strong and sound. The colour was a warm red- brown, almost a maroon shade, with a narrow blaze up the centre and a flick of white where the tan-spot is over the eye of a black-and-tan terrier, and white along the lips to the cheeks as with the tan on a black-and-tan. We presume these were the dog's original colours, but we have never seen a dog so marked with white, and it was a very peculiar body colour. The half-dozen skulls also showed much difference in type. The lower jaws in each case were missing, and in most of them only some molars were still in the upper jaws. Two were from Colombia, one of ordinary appear- ance, but the other a beautifully shaped one, quite Italian greyhound in the fineness of the lines. Each head was five and one-half inches actual meas- urement of bone. From another section of the coast came a distinctly different skull. Across the only two molars left in the jaws, massive strong teeth, it measured two and one-half inches, and the length of skull was only four and one-half inches. Peluchucco yielded two medium-shaped skulls in a good state of preservation, and from Charassani came one of marked difference. Across the molars from outside to outside the width was but one inch and three-quarters, while the length of head-bone was six and one- half inches. The profile was very striking, there being not the slightest semblance of stop, but a perfectly flat head drooping slightly to the occiput — a miniature Russian wolf-hound head. From the size of the teeth it was the head of a mature dog. Taking these relics as a whole, coupled with some fragmentary bone 26 The Dog Book remains, we are safe in saying that there were no large dogs in that section of South America, but that they ranged from twelve to eighteen inches in height, and varied in type from the square-fronted, possibly undershot jaw, to the extreme of the borzoi and the fineness of the Italian greyhound. It is much to be regretted that nothing more definite than "before the conquest" can be learned as to the possible date of the existence of these dogs, as it is the most interesting of all the "exhibits," bringing us into actual touch with the dog and not looking at him through the eyes of a conventional painter or sculptor. Of the dogs in Central and South America when first visited by Euro- peans we have sufficient data to prove that there were several varieties. Columbus found dogs in several of the West India islands; Alonso Harara found domesticated dogs in New Granada, and Garallasso in Peru; Fer- nandez describes two breeds, one of which is called the Alco or Michua- caneus, and by the natives Ytzcuinte Porzotli. The name as given us at the Museum of Natural History was Itz-Cuintli; the other breed was the broad- footed Alco, said to be the carrier-dog of the country. The native name was the Techichi, or Chichi. The fat alco was early described as without hair, resembling what the old recorders called the Barbary dog, undoubtedly the hairless dog of Turkey. They said that this fat alco was eaten by the inhabitants. We have been told that the hairless dog was an importation of the sixteenth century, but he is somewhat of a cosmopolitan and is to be found in China, South Africa, Turkey, and Mexico. The Chihuahua dog, we fully believe, is one of the oldest breeds of dogs and is unique as a Mexican production. With regard to the orifice in the centre of the skull in the Chihuahua, there is in Mivart's "Monograph of the Canidce'* an illustra- tion of a Japanese spaniel skull with a similar orifice at the junction of the four quarters of the skull. In speaking of the dogs of Central America, Mivart expressed the opinion that they might have been bred from wild species of the new continent or been brought from Asia by man at some remote period. With regard to the latter suggestion, it must not be over- looked that the dogs of Asia in ancient times, of which we have any informa- tion, were much larger and altogether different from those found among the Peruvian mummies. So also of the wild dogs. Buffon, in "Hist. Gen. des Antilles," Paris, 1669, says, "Those belonging to the savages of the Antilles had the head and ears very long and resembled a fox in appearance." Again he says: Early History of the Dog 27 "There are many species which the natives of Guinea have named Dogs of the Woods {Chiens des Bots), because they are not yet reduced, like our dogs, to a state of domestication, and they are thus rightly named dogs, because they breed together with domestic races.** Colonel C. Hamilton Smith, whom we have already quoted in connec- tion with the wild dogs of India, wrote also from personal observation of South American dogs: "The semidomesticated dogs of South America are sufficiently tamed to accompany their masters on the hunt in the forests, without, however, being able to undergo much fatigue; for when they find the sport not to their liking, they return home, and await the return of the sportsman. In domesticity they are excessive thieves and go to prowl in the forest. There is a particular and characteristic instinct about them to steal and secrete objects without being excited by any well-ascertained motive. They are in general silent and dumb animals, and in domestica- tion others learn a kind of barking. . . . The native Indians who have domestic dogs of European origin, invariably use the Spanish term Perro, and greatly promote the increase of the breed, in preference to their own, which they consider to be derived entirely, or with a cross from the Aguaras of the woods, and by this name of Aguara it is plain, throughout almost all the interior of South America, that the whole group of indigenous canines is understood." In addition to the common dog of the North American Indians, there seems also to have been a distinct variety in Florida which was called the black wolf dog, and Colonel Smith was of the opinion that it came from a cross of the Newfoundland dog and the common Indian dog, which he called Lyctscus Cagottisy and placed in the same genus as the prairie wolf, Caygotte being the Mexican Spaniards' name for the Indian's dog. Colonel Smith also put all the Aguara dogs into a group under the name of Dasicyon, with the divisions of D. sylvestris, the dog of the woods; D. canescens, the hoary aguara, and D. antarcticuSy the Falkland Islands variety, and D. Fulvipes, the dunfooted aguara, which is a short-legged foxy-looking animal. This terminates the history of the dog up to the period at which he assumes breed characteristics. From here on the subjects must be treated specifically by varieties, each under its own heading, as a distinct member of the large and wonderfully differing family of the dog. iUi CHAPTER II The Dog in the House Of any beast none is more faithful found, Nor yields more pastime in house, plain, or woods, Nor helps his master's person, or his goods. With greater care than doth the dog or hound. — Molle. N selecting a dog for the house there is ample scope for choice according to the conditions under which the animal can be kept. The first consideration for an owner is as to what accommodation he can give his dog, for there is a vast difference between a city flat or home, and a country- house, where unlimited liberty can be given the pet of the household. For a city dog give preference to something of moderate size, even the smaller toy dogs, though setters or pointers do very well, if fancy runs in that direc- tion. Anything large, such as a St. Bernard, mastiff, great Dane, or the heavily coated dogs, had better be left out of the question, unless fancy is imperative for one of those breeds. Terriers are good for the house, pro- vided moderation in feeding is exercised, for they are apt to eat too much, and a fat-laden terrier is an eyesore to any person who likes to see a dog as he should be in the way of condition. Heavily coated dogs are better avoided for the reason that the process of the annual shedding of coat is a prolonged one, and it is impossible to prevent the falling coat from attaching itself to carpets, rugs, or anything upon which the dog lies. Still another reason is, that during this long process of shedding and then awaiting the coming of the full coat the dog does not look his best, and a house-dog should, like its owner, be fit to be seen by company at all seasonable hours. Having decided upon the dog that is most satisfactory to please indi- vidual fancy and the accommodations of the home, the next question is, what to do for the animal when it arrives. If the dog is to be the property ot any member of the family in particular, it is well to allow that one to attend solely to the unpacking or receiving the newcomer. Dogs are, as a 29 30 The Dog Book rule, prone to look upon such a person as a special master, and attach them- selves accordingly, though of course, there are exceptions, and puppies and young dogs call for more individual subsequent attention than do grown dogs who have had experience in recognising and obeying a master. Give water at once, more especially if the dog has come from a distance, or the weather is warm. Feeding is a secondary consideration, and may with advantage be preceded by a short run on the chain, followed by a light meal on the return to the house. No question is more frequently put by one who has not previously had a dog than how to feed it, and no question is easier to answer. Any clean food that the dog will eat is in the main satisfactory. Beware of the man who insists that meat must be avoided, for meat is as much a necessity as with ourselves. Like a good many things it can be abused, however, and when a dog decidedly refuses to eat anything but meat it will be well to give him nothing until he is willing to take mush and milk for breakfast, or a din- ner of bread and vegetables with gravy. If a child were permitted to choose its own meals, it would subsist largely on cake and ice-cream, but it would not starve itself if those dainties were denied and good plain bread and but- ter substituted. Neither will the dog injure itself or go too long without food, though it may refrain for quite a time, fasting not being so much of a hardship as with ourselves. There is no better or more suitable food for the house-dog than table scraps, the meat being cut fine enough to prevent its being specially picked out and the rest left. Mix this with bread and mashed vegetables, moistened with gravy or soup. Dogs are much better out of the dining-room, except in the case of a thoroughly trained one that will not beg for food. Puppies should always be excluded and food taken to them — preferably out of doors, or to some certain place always used for this purpose, so that the dog will learn that this and this only is its feeding-place. Have a dish of clean water there also, and if you wish to oblige your many advisers, you can put a piece of sulphur in the dish, or if you have not that handy, a stone will do as well, for neither is soluble in water. Sulphur is good for the dog, but it needs to be administered in another way. Take equal parts of sulphur and mag- nesia, mix thoroughly and put in the evening meal for a week as much as will cover a dime, and then discontinue. This will cool your dog off in the summer time. For anything smaller than a fox-terrier reduce the quantity one-half. Sulphur is also good for outward application for cuts, wounds SWISS MOUNTAIN KENNELS, GERMANTOWN Method of keeping exhibition toys, when not at exercise The Dog in the House 31 or sores; our almost universal remedy for these being crude petroleum and sulphur mixed to the consistency of thick cream. Stick-sulphur, however, is of no more use than a stone. How often to feed a dog depends upon age and weather. As we feed children oftener than we do ourselves, and we eat more in winter than in summer, so, too, in the case of a puppy of two months old, feed it at least five times a day — the last meal late in the evening, and the first as early as possible in the morning. In another month or so drop off the late meal, extending the time between the day meals. At the age of five months three meals a day should suffice, and in another month or so, if it is warm weather, a morning and night meal will be ample. Here again we must be governed by considerations of the breed and the individual. Some breeds you want as large as possible, while others should be of moderate size, and still others are better when as small as possible. To make a big man, it is of no use to stint the boy until he is eighteen years of age and then stuff him. His best growing age is past then, and so it is with a St. Bernard or any dog whose growth we wish to be as large as possible — collie, setter, great Dane, and others in the same category. Keep a dog of this kind grow- ing continuously from the time he leaves his dam till he is a year old, espe- cially so in the case of the larger breeds, as they are slow to attain full height, whereas collies, setters, and the like have pretty well reached their growth at ten months, after which they mature. Terriers and such as can be made too large by over-feeding should be brought to three or two meals a day sooner than large dogs. Toys it is better to feed with non-stimulating food than to limit the meals too much. Use cereals with a smaller quantity of meat, or rice and fish, the idea being not to grow a dog devoid of shape, as will be the case if it never has a full meal. For these small breeds the toy-dog biscuits are very useful when fed plain or with a little soup or gravy, there being meat enough in them for ordinary use. The exercise of a little judgment in this regard is the best advice that can be given. One should always remember that he is injuring his dog more by getting him fat than by cutting out the meat in his dish, and having him smell and leave his food. He will eat when he is hungry. Some will get along on almost nothing. We once had an Irish terrier that we took to Southport show, in England, where she was given equal first in the variety class, the judges being two well-known gentlemen. One of them, either the late Mr. Lort or the late John Douglas, said: "You would have won. 32 The Dog Book sir, if your terrier had not been so fat." We said that it was impossible to keep her down and that she had but one biscuit a day. "Show it to her, show it — don't let her eat it!" On the other hand, with some dogs one might almost shovel the food into them and then they would never be more than passably fat, for, like ourselves, it is not the heaviest eater that is the stoutest person at the table. To keep a dog clean requires washing or brushing, or both. The less washing the better, and unless the dog is a white one and looks dirty or smells a little doggy, stick to the brush as long as possible. There are many dog brushes, just as we have a variety of dogs' coats. Collies, setters, and those with a good quality of coat will do well enough with the better sort of dandy-brush, such as is used in the stable. The fibres are long enough and coarse enough to penetrate to the skin and clean that well. Then for a top polish the bristle-glove or the brush with the flexible leather and strap-back will answer admirably, polishing the coat and thoroughly separating it, so that it shows to the best advantage. The finer and shorter the coat, the finer the brush that may be used, until it comes to the long-coated toys such as those of the Pomeranians, spaniels, or Yorkshires. For Pomeranians a special brush is made, with good length of bristles and not all the same length; for Yorkshires, a fine bristle and a rounded front. As to the Yorkshire terriers such as we see at shows they are quite unsuitable for the house, as they have to be kept in the most artificial manner so as to grow and preserve the coat as we see it on exhibition specimens. The toy spaniels are diflFerent, however, their coats being of moderate length, of more substance, and not so liable to break when being brushed. In all long-coated dogs be par- ticular to comb or brush the coat thoroughly at the back of the ears, and also about the hind-quarters, for it will otherwise become matted. When it is deemed necessary to wash a dog, use the best quality of soap, whether special dog-soap or toilet-soap. The strong common soaps take the polish from the coat, and it will take a day or so to come on again. Use plenty of water, regulating its warmth according to the breed of dog and its ability to stand cold water. If the dog is not averse to the bath, begin at the head and lather well, being as quick as possible in the operation and doing it thoroughly. If you are using a carbolic soap or any flea-killer of strong quality, follow immediately with a plain soap lather and wash out. Have ready another bath or sufficient water to refill the one being used, and let this be colder than the first — ^with more than the chill off, and The Dog in the House 33 for strong dogs in the summer-time let it be cold water. It is preferable to put the dog in the empty tub or bath, and let an attendant pour on the clean water from a jug or water-pot while you rinse out the coat with both hands so as to remove every particle of the soap. On large and hardy dogs you can use the lawn water-pipe. This cooler bath not only cleans out the soap, but to a great extent prevents colds. As it takes considerable time to soap large dogs with a cake of soap and get a good lather, it will be found more convenient to shave the soap and dissolve it in warm water, using this either by laving it on with the hand as needed or pouring it along the back and rubbing the lather down the sides; Some dogs object to being washed, but no matter how fractious they may be, a little patience and firmness never fails to quiet them. In such cases wash the body first, and when they are quieted do the head. Let them know that they must submit, and they will. The toys are more likely to be the worst, but as they know the ashamed tone of voice very well, hold the little rascals down by their forelegs and talk to them seriously. If on letting go one of the legs a toy dog does not struggle, tell him what a nice little dog he is, and he is very certain to behave himself. If he does not, then repeat the process till he does. Now comes the hardest part of the process, the drying. Here again weather and the variety of the dog create differences. A good, hardy ter- rier in the summer-time is a very different thing from a toy in the winter. Having thoroughly rinsed all soap from the coat, empty the bath, and placing the dog in it or some place where the drip from the coat will not damage anything, squeeze as much of the water out as you can, running the hands the way of the coat and down the legs, squeezing the foot. After that take a sponge and go over the coat in a similar manner. If the dog is not long-coated so as to get snarled, the sponge may be rubbed up and down in the coat and will be found to absorb much of the water. The next proc- ess is rubbing with a towel, and this should continue till the coat is well dried, more particularly in cold weather, and in the case of delicate dogs, or of those which cannot be liberated for a smart run in the warm sunshine on account of their being prepared for show. This point will be treated later. You cannot err in drying the dog well, so do it thoroughly and in the case of toys use dry, warm towels, thereafter applying a warm brush and the hands till no trace of dampness remains in the coat. In the country in sum- mer time, when one has a good lawn on which to let a dog run, the sun and 34 The Dog Book breeze will assist materially in the drying process, though one must use judgment, for some dogs are almost too delicate for this exposure unless the weather is exceedingly favourable. There is no question that strong soap will take the polish off a dog's coat, but it is perhaps not altogether that. If a person takes a very warm bath, or washes his face in hot water, there is a very decided subsequent feel- ing of dryness about the skin, which is not the case when cold or tepid water is used. The hot water of itself takes away the natural tone of the skin, and it must have a similar effect upon the hair of the dog, hence the advisa- bility of using as cool water as the conditions will permit. Cleanliness in the house is the great essential in the house-dog, and it is very natural for a purchaser to insist upon its being guaranteed. Some people will do so readily, but others will not give a guaranty with a dog, and for a very good reason. They say, and with truth, that to a person ignorant of dogs the assurance that the dog is house-broken will cause it to be imposed upon to its possible serious injury, and the cleaner the dog the greater the likelihood of its being imposed on. Such a seller will say: "I will not guarantee this dog as house-broken, but I will tell you that he has been in my house for some time and has not misbehaved. He is always given a good run the last thing at night and liberated the first thing in the morning; and during the day he is allowed to go out whenever he seems desirous of so doing." A dog will conform to almost any habit desired, but the responsibility of respecting the requirements of the dog falls as much on you as on the dog. No puppy is house-broken, for that is a matter of education, and hence a young puppy is better kept out of the house and permitted only to come in occasionally and never before he has had a good run, if he has been sleep- ing. Once in the house, he must be watched and put out the moment there is any indication that it is advisable or necessary, and kept out till it is safe to admit him. Of course the puppy is sure sooner or later to misbehave, and then without the least delay he must be shown what he has done, scolded, and put out-of-doors. Any further mishaps must be punished by switching; but never punish unless you can at once associate the punishment with the reason for it, otherwise he does not know what it is for. Sooner or later the puppy will learn to let you know that he wishes to go out, and whenever he makes a move to the door let him out. He soon learns that he can get out if he wishes. T. FOOTE S KENNELS, FORMERLY AT NEW ROCHELLE The dogs were kennelled in the petroleum barrels and their chains attached to rings sliding on wires which extended to another row of spruce trees • A HUMANE WAY OF CHAINING A WATCH DOG The wire on which the sliding ring is put runs from the post near the dog to the kennel seen below the trees The Dog in the House 35 There are those who will train dogs for up-to-date flat use and accustom the puppy to use a box. Where a dog has once made use of a place, he is prone to return. Accordingly the puppy, on being brought home or taken from his travelling-box, should be put into a shallow box with sawdust on the bottom of it, and kept there till he may be allowed to run about. If the box is then left as it is and he can get into it unaided, he will likely tumble into it in his wanderings, and the smell of the sawdust will induce him to make use of the place again, and thus the habit is acquired. Very elaborate sleeping-baskets are furnished for house-dogs, with mats, rugs, or dainty cushions. These are well enough for the tiny drawing- room pet, but are out of place for a terrier or anything larger. For such a dog we recommend a plain box. It may be made of hard wood or of any wood painted and varnished if desired, but not upholstered. Have it of a size to enable the dog to lie comfortably, and on the bottom put a layer of paper — newspaper, plain wrapping-paper or, if one is fastidious, a piece of fancy paper. Tar-paper may be used in the summer-time if the smell is less objectionable than fleas. A dog will lie as comfortably on a piece of paper as on a feather cushion, and a new bed costs nothing, while a dash of boiling water around the box will kill any vermin. Keeping a yard-dog seems to be in many cases an excuse for never letting a dog off the chain. If a little exercise is thought necessary, it is attained in some cases by adding an extra length of chain strong enough to hold an ox! A very simple way to give a dog exercise on the chain is to hang a strong wire in such a manner that, with a chain of ordinary length attached to a ring on the wire, the dog can get into his kennel. The other end of the wire (supposing one end to be attached to the building near which the kennel is placed) is to be fastened to anything convenient — another building, a tree or post far enough away to give the dog a good run from one end to the other. If one end is attached to a tree or post, put it higher than at the other end. Then at a distance far enough from the post to prevent the dog from going around it, fasten another piece of wire, which pass through an eyelet fixed lower down on the post and pull tight — the long wire may have a little slack to permit of this. You will thus stop the ring from coming further than is wanted. Have the wires so stretched that, if possible, one end of the run will always be in the shade, and do not forget in winter to turn the kennel to face the south, putting a piece of sacking over the entrance and a good bed of straw inside, on top of an old news- 36 The Dog Book paper. Do not think any less of your watch-dog than did those old Iranians of whom you may have read in the chapter on the ancient history of the dog. Kennel Dogs When it comes to the kennelling of a small lot of dogs or the going into the business of exhibiting dogs on a large scale, we enter into a very different phase of the subject, calling for more or less outlay and systematic care, according to the number handled. Still, we have as the paramount features the three essentials — cleanliness, food, and comfort. We place them in that order because when a number of dogs are kept together, cleanliness is the most important of all, and every effort must be put forth to keep the dogs clear of disease and infection. Food is a close second to cleanliness, as per- haps three-fourths of what is called mange is the result of stomachic trou- bles caused by injudicious feeding. The skin is in a measure a thermometer, telling us that there is excessive heat inside, and it will not get into a normal condition until the inside heat is reduced. Thirdly comes the comfort and extra appearance of the kennels. Can we do better than introduce the subject with the poet Somerville's instructions ? They are as follows : "First let the kennel be the huntsman's care, Upon some little eminence erect, And fronting to the ruddy dawn; its courts On either hand wide opening to receive The sun's all-cheering beams, when mild he shines, And gilds the mountain tops. For much the pack Roused from their dark alcoves delight to stretch And bask in his invigorating ray. " Let no Corinthian pillars prop the dome, A vain expense, on charitable deeds Better disposed — For use not state; Gracefully plain let each apartment rise. O'er all let cleanliness preside, no scraps Bestrew the pavement, and no half-picked bones. "Water and shade no less demand thy care; In a large field the adjacent field enclose There plant in equal ranks the spreading elm, Or fragrant lime; most happy thy design If at the bottom of thy spacious court, A large canal fed by the crystal brook. From its transparent bosom shall reflect Downward thy structure and inverted green." 2 w i 1 < s ►J ^ < y z ■= '_ a S 3 The Dog in the House 37 The object of placing the kennel on a slight eminence is to secure drainage. At any rate it should not be built in a hollow, or the dogs will always be liable to rheumatic and other troubles, induced by dampness and cold. Having selected the location, the next thing to do is to decide upon what is wanted. If the kennel is a modest one of half a dozen terriers, which the owner is to look after himself, a suitable structure would be one of twelve feet square, with an elevation of six feet at the eaves and about eight feet in the centre. This will admit of a centre passageway of as much as four feet in width, and three four-feet-square divisions on each side, or enough to accommodate from six to nine terriers or anything up to setter size. Light can best be obtained by having tilting windows at either end, and these also afford necessary ventilation from the sheltered side in winter or with a clear, through draught in summer. In most kennels the indoor compartments are boarded up for about four feet between the kennels, but we have tried with success good wire-netting, and the dogs seem quieter and more comfortable than when in solitary confinement. Certainly with the netting there is less accommodation for vermin in crevices and cracks. The kennel looks lighter and airier and thus gains in appearance. Of course the netting must be small enough in the mesh and stout enough to keep quarrelsome dogs apart, but there is not so much anxiety to get at one another among terriers who see each other all the time. The com- partment doors should either open inward or slide to one side, and for two reasons: not taking any passage space, and never giving way when pushed against by the dogs. We prefer the sliding-door set to run down a slight incline and catch when it runs down. The sleeping-bench should not be too high, and must be entirely detached, so that it can be taken out, washed with some parasite-killer and sun-dried. Bedding is unnecessary in sum- mer, and in winter it is better to have boxes inverted on the sleeping-benches, part of the front being taken off and a strip of sacking nailed along the top front to drop down in excessively cold weather. Such a box, if put on the summer sleeping-bench with a layer of paper beneath the straw, makes as comfortable a sleeping-place for a dog as can be provided, and obviates the need of a fire for anything but sensitive dogs. No matter what lumber is used for the sides and roof of the kennel, you cannot get too sound and too good material for the flooring. This ought to be put down to be as tight as a drum and with just the least little bit of incline in the laying of it, so as to have it dry quickly when washed. How 38 The Dog Book to have the water run off has, of course, to be decided by the individual case as to where it had better be got rid of. No division partition should come down so close to the floor as to prevent the clear flow of water over the whole floor. The outside arrangements for such a kennel should be a piece of ground on each side and, if possible, at the further end. With the end-piece it will be possible to give side-yards of eight feet to the first and second divisions on each side, and turn the dogs in the third kennels into the yards at the end. When we come to the large kennel of dogs for breeding or exhibition purposes, we have a case which presents quite as much difference as exists between the family horse and the stable of race-horses. A competent kennel man is now an essential, and so long as he knows his business and keeps his dogs in good condition, it is much better not to interfere with him. So also, if he is the right sort of man, when he sees his employer wishes a thing done in a certain way he will do it, for there are many ways of managing a kennel, and any one will give satisfaction if the dogs are well cared for and kept healthy. It is quite possible to keep a greater number of dogs by making an en- largement of the small kennel just described, or by building more than one. The latter is preferable, for with a large number of dogs isolation becomes a possible necessity, and the cooking should be kept separate at any rate, even if there are no patients to be cared for. All of that is merely a matter of detail and possibilities as governed by circumstances and the wishes of the proprietor. There is yet another system, which is being adopted more or less in its entirety, and which for want of a better name may be called the "stall" system of kennelling. It is the adaptation to the kennel of the method in which horses are kept. The stall is the horse's restricted apartment for resting and sleeping, while for exercise he is ridden or driven. The most complete kennel of this kind we have visited is that of Mr. George Thomas, at Hamilton, Mass., and a description of it will explain how one may be built, or it can be used as a model in part or as a whole. The building was in part originally the horse stable, but has been so entirely remodelled as to be practically a new building. First, at the right hand or eastern end of the building you enter the office, a conveniently fitted up room for the con- duct of the business, letter-writing and the reception of visitors. To your right, as you enter, is a door leading to the kennels, and like all the other LOOKING WEST FROM THE TERRIER ROOM Showing the exit to the outdoor lots for morning and evening exercise THE INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS OF THE LARGER KENNELS All fittings are removable for purposes of thorougli cleaning: MR. GEORGE S. THOMAS' KENNELS AT HAMILTON, MASS. \ iKW tKuSl THK 1>FHCE l>i)OR AT THE EAST E.Mi Showing the main terrier room and the lonij passageway >ietween the doul'le row of kennels fur larger dogs; the duorway on the left admits to the covered or bad-»eather run THE "stall" system OF KENNELLING Showing the movable slatted kennel bott'^^J^^^^^^*^ THE OLD ENGLISH SETTER From Daniels' " Rural Sports," 1802 The English Setter 109 Edmond Castle Setters "There is also another celebrated breed at Edmond Castle, near Carlisle, Cumberland. This likewise is liver and white, without the tuft. These dogs are much lighter and more speedy looking than the tufted ones. They are very deep, wide and powerful in the forequarters; well bent in the stifles, so much so as to give them a cat-like crouching attitude. "Laidlaw was the keeper's name who had charge of them. These setters were noted all over the country for being first class and very enduring. "The late Mr. Heythorn, of Melmerby Hall, near Penrith, had this breed when he shot with me — at which time I had the shooting at Pitmain, Kingussie, Inverness-shire — and first-rate dogs they were. "Mr. Garth's Bess, a winner at the Shrewsbury trials, was from this kennel." How far the following strains, which Mr. Laverack refers to, resembled what we call black, white and tan, or how nearly they favoured Gordons with white markings, we have no means of stating, but are inclined to the opinion that they were distinct from the latter, for the reason that Mr. Laverack put them in one chapter, devoting the following chapter to the Gordon, or black and tan alone, then a chapter to his own breed, finishing with another devoted to the Irish setter. This seems conclusive evidence that he did not consider them allied to the Gordons, but as varieties of the general run of setters. Lord Lovat's Breed Lord Lovat's breed is named as a black, white and tan: "Another celebrated, tested and well-known breed has long been in the possession of the evergreen veteran sportsman. Lord Lovat, Beaufort Castle, Beauly, Inverness-shire. This strain is black, white and tan. His Lordship shot long with Alexander, the late Duke of Gordon, and he informed me that his Grace had black and tans, and black, white and tans, but preferred the latter. "A celebrated dog of Lord Lovat's black, white and tan named Regent was well known in Ross-shire and Inverness-shire. Old Bruce, his Lordship's keeper, told me this dog would never be beaten. Numbers of this strain and colour were in Lord Lovat's kennels when I last saw them. They have long been valued by many sportsmen for their excellence and beauty. no The Dog Book " I think I am correct in stating that this breed has never been exhibited at dog shows. They are very handsome, good, possessed of great powers of endurance; kept for utility and not for show. The Southesk "There is also another breed called the Southesk, belonging to the Earl of Southesk, in Forfarshire, black, white and tan. These dogs are very strong, fine animals, large in size and extremely well feathered, round bar- relled, powerful, and strong in their forequarters. " If any defect in their formation, they are apt to be somewhat slack in the loins and too long in the leg; notwithstanding this, they are well known to be good and staunch dogs, and highly appreciated. "The breed was well known to me when I rented the forest of Birse, adjoining the Glen of Dye, the property of Sir James Carnegie, now the Earl of Southesk." Strains of the Earl of Seafield The Earl of Seafield had tricolours and also lemon or orange and whites. "This is one of the most beautiful strains I have ever seen; there are few better than that of the Earl of Seafield of Balmacaan, Urquhart Castle, Inverness-shire. Perhaps there is no breed of setters possessed of a greater profusion of coat. I should say, save Russians; they had more coat of a glossy, silky texture, and more feather than any other strain of setters I have ever seen. Sheriff Tytler, of Aldoury, near Inverness, also had or has some of the same breed, as well as the late General Porter of Inchnacardoch, near Fort Augustus, and several others in that district. "I had many opportunities of seeing this pure and beautiful breed when I rented the Dunmaglass shootings and Boleskin Cottage on the banks of Loch Ness, Inverness. The formation of these dogs is as follows : Head rather short and light, full hazel eyes, ears well set on, of a soft, silky texture. They are similar to Toy Spaniels on a large scale, and covered with long floss like silky hair on body, and forelegs, flag, and breech; medium sized; good hunters; good dispositions and easily broken. The objection- able points are their peculiarly upright shoulders, straight hindquarters and sparseness of body, which makes them go short and stilty." The English Setter in Breed of the Earl of Derby and Lord Ossulston "The late Earl of Derby and Lord Ossulston, when shooting at Coul- nakyle, in Strathspey, Inverness-shire, had a beautiful breed of lemon and white setters, obtained, I believe, from Lord Anson. This breed in forma- tion was very similar to my own lemon and white; they were very powerful in the fore-quarters and remarkably handsome." Lord Ossulston's Black Setters We now return to the Border sportsmen for particulars regarding black setters: "Another breed of rare excellence, and greatly appreciated by practical sportsmen was that of Lord Ossulston, Chillingham Castle, Wooler, Northumberland. These were jet black, with beautiful bright, soft, glossy coats — a colour that our fastidious judges of the present day would probably ignore and not even notice, however handsome they might be, as not being fashionable. It was certainly one of the best, most useful and beautiful strains I ever saw, and for downright hard work could not be surpassed. I have, too, seen an excellent breed of light fawns, also a self- liver coloured one. Both these strains are first rate. Breeds of Lord Hume, Wilson Patten and Henry Rothwell "Lord Hume, of Tweedside; Wilson Patten, Lancashire; and the late Henry Rothwell (that celebrated old sportsman of hunting notoriety, who resided near Kendal, Westmoreland) had also a similar breed of blacks, well known, and eagerly sought after in those days by all the leading sports- men in that country. "Lord Hume's strain was famous all through that district and the Lammermuir Hills, for their acknowledged good properties, stoutness and powers of endurance. The last of this beautiful breed, so far as Harry Rothwell was concerned, was a dog named Paris, in the possession of his nephew, Robert Thompson, Esq., Inglewood Bank, near Penrith, North- umberland, and who shot with me for several years on the Forse shootings, Caithness, which I rented. It is a fact that this dog, a medium-sized one, ran almost every day for six weeks and he was, when required, as good a retriever as I ever saw. Mr. Ellis, the Court Lodge, near Yalding, Kent, who shot with us can testify to the truth of this statement. 112 The Dog Book "Wilson Patten's breed, similar to the above, were very good, and noted for their hardy constitutions and innate love of hard work. "The colour of Lord Hume's and the other of the named gentlemen's breeds was a most beautiful jet black, as bright and brilliant as the blackest satin. Long, low dogs, with light heads, very strong and powerful in the forehand; well-bent, ragged, cat-like hind quarters, capital feet, hare footed, but not too much arched at the toe. They had not a great profusion of coat, but what there was, was of a first rate quality, and particularly silky. "These dogs were exceedingly close and compact in their build, and noted all through the country for their endurance; they were good rangers and very staunch." Mr. Lort's Setters Of Mr. Lort's setters Mr. Laverack does not speak from personal knowledge, but from information he believed that there were none better. In colour they were black and white, and lemon and white; long, silky coats; hardy, enduring and good rangers. Mr. Laverack expressed his regret that owing to Mr. Lort's judging so constantly at shows, he seldom ex- hibitedy and his setters were not known as they should have been. The Welsh or Llanidloes Setter Finally we have references to the Welsh setters, of which the Llanidloes strain was then dying out. A close, compact animal, very handsome; milk- white or chalk-white, as it was called in Wales, and the coats not so soft and silky as the other breeds named. Another black strain is mentioned as equally good, hardy and enduring. " In their own country they cannot be beaten, being exactly what is required for the steep hill sides." It will be well to supplement with the late Mr. Lort's description in the " Book of the Dog" this scanty reference to the Welsh setters. "The coat of the Welsh or Llanidloes setter, or at all events of pure bred ones, is as curly as the jacket of a Cotswold sheep, and not only is it curly, but it is hard in texture and as unlike that of a modern fashionable setter as it is possible to imagine. The colour is usually white, with occa- sionally a lemon coloured patch or two about the head and ears. Many, MR. EDWARD LAVERACK'S ENGLISH SETTER, FRED IV, BY DASH OUT OF MOLL Drawn when 15 months of age MR. EDWARD LAVERACK*S "OLD BLUE" DASH, BY STING OUT OF CORA Drawn when 10 years of a^re The English Setter 113 however, are pure white, and it is not unusual to find several whelps in every litter possessed of one or two pearl eyes. Their heads are longer in pro- portion to their size, and not so refined looking as those of the English setter. Sterns are curly and clubbed; with no fringe to them, and the tail swells out in shape something like an otter's. This breed is more useful than any spaniel, for it is smart, handy, with an excellent nose and can find with tolerable certainty at the moderate pace it goes. It usually has the habit of beating close to you, and is not too fast, being particularly clever with cocks and snipe, which they are no more likely to miss than is a spaniel." The Laveracks and Their Breeding It is very unfortunate that Mr. Laverack confines his comments on his own strain to a mere description of their general appearance, or what he aimed at in his breeding, and gives us no details as how he started the strain or how he progressed. He illustrates his book with likenesses of Old Blue Dash, Dash II., and Fred. IV. It is very tantalizing after reading about the other strains to find nothing about the one we desire most of all to learn how it was built up. What we do know on this score is that in 1825 ^^ obtained from the Reverend A. Harrison, who resided near Carlisle, two setters, Ponto and Old Moll, and to these two dogs alone he traced back the Laverack setters. Mr. Harrison had kept his strain for thirty-five years and carefully guarded their breeding all that time, so that accepting the pedigrees of the Laveracks of 1870-80 as correct, the breed was in existence for nigh upon one hundred years. Mr. Laverack mentions Mr. Harrison but once, when, in naming the three most perfect setters he had ever seen, he selected Lord Lovat's black, white and tan dog Regent, General Wyndham's Irish setter, not named, and Rev. A. Harrison's Old Moll. It has been claimed that this tracing back to these two dogs alone is fundamentally wrong and that Mr. Laverack brought outside blood into his strain, and as evidence of this there is a letter he wrote his friend Roth- well regarding a puppy that was liver and white saying: "The liver and white will be quite as handsome and good as any of the five in the litter. He strains back to Prince's sire, viz.. Pride of the Border, a liver and white. He strains back for thirty years to a change of blood I once introduced — the pure old Edward Castle breed — County Cumberland liver and white, quite 114 The Dog Book as pure and as good as the blues. Pride's dam was my old blue and white, with tan cheeks and eyebrows. Why I reserved Pride was to breed back with him and my blues. He is invaluable as by him I can carry on the breed." This was written in May, 1874, two years later than the book was published, and of course is a contradiction of the pedigree he gave with that dog and every other by Dash II. out of Belle II., and indeed of all his pedigrees, for if one goes they all go, so similar are they in the interbreeding of the descendants of these two original dogs he started with. So on this allegation those opposed to the Laveracks attacked the whole structure, root and branch. But what was there in that after all ? Did the excel- lence of the Laveracks depend upon whether or not all Mr. Laverack's self- acknowledged tests to improve his strain were subsequently, as he said else- where, thrown out, or whether some mixture of some excellent blood still remained, or did their claims rest upon what they were individually ? Were they not the outcome of fifty years of his own breeding with a well-defined object in view .? These are the points at issue and nothing else, except with that class of breeders who select a sire from the stud-book record of pedigrees — and never breed anything good for either show or field trials. We are far from supporting the published Laverack pedigrees — quite the reverse, in fact, for it is simply impossible that that of Countess is correct. If that one falls, they all go, at least all with any such cross as Dash II. — or Old Blue Dash as he was generally called — or that of Fred I. Usually the Laverack pedigrees are attacked upon two grounds, the presumed impossi- bility for any strain to have its origin in but one brace of dogs and to inter- breed their progeny successfully for fifty years. The other claim is that as Mr. Laverack tried some outcrosses and never gave a pedigree with such a cross in it, coupled with the statement with regard to the liver colour in Pride of the Border, he did not give correct pedigrees. There is no founda- tion for the first assumption as it would be quite possible to continue the interbreeding of descendants from one brace of dogs, exercising care to breed only from the physically sound ones. With regard to the second claim we will say, presuming that nothing further can be adduced against the given pedigrees, that a person writing an offhand reply to an intimate friend would hardly exercise the care nor make the necessary references he would if writing out a pedigree for publication. We would not take the Rothwell letter as conclusive against the testimony of the pedigree if the latter bore investigation, and that leads us to a line of discussion which we MR. C. H. RAYMOND S CHAMPION PRIDE OF THE BORDER A leader in the early Laverack importations LEICESTER Photo by Schreibtr One of the earliest importations from Mr. Purcell-Llewellyn's kennels by Mr. L. H. Smith, of Strathroy. Canada The English Setter 115 have not hitherto seen exploited, though it may possibly have been without our knowledge. Mr. Laverack obtained Ponto and Old Moll from the Rev A. Har- rison in 1825. Judging from Mr. Laverack's naming Old Moll, coupled with the name of Mr. Harrison, as one of the best three setters he had known, it would seem fair to assume that he did not get her as a puppy, but probably obtained both as developed shooting dogs, having possibly no thought of what he subsequently went in for in breeding. We will there- fore set the date of their birth at 1823. The peculiarity in the pedigree of Countess is not really so much that all lines trace back to the original brace, but that the links are so few and each brace named has but two descendants, with but two exceptions of one additional each. Boiled down in this man- ner here is the pedigree of Countess: Main stem. Spurs — see below. (1823) Ponto— Old Moll. ^Dash I.— Belle I. Pilot— ^MoU n. -^Cora I. Regent — Jet I. ''Rock. Rock n. — Blairs Cora. ^Sting — ^Belle H. sire of dam of (1862) Dash n. Moll HI. Countess (1869) Spurs to the main line: 'Dash I. ^Moll n. (.?i836) 'Rock Peg Rock I. ^Belle n. Fred I. (1853) ^Cora I. ( .? 1836) V , 'V ^ , Moll HI. Cora n. "^Stina. Y- Dash n. (1862) ^ / Countess (1869) ii6 The Dog Book Referring to the main stem table, we have six generations from Ponto to Dash IL, a period of thirty-nine years, or an average of six and a half years to a generation. According to that supposition Moll II. and Cora I. were whelped about 1836. Turning to the table of spurs, we have Fred I. recorded as whelped in 1853, by which time his dam, Moll II. was, accord- ing to the foregoing computation, seventeen years old. We next come to a veritable Sarah in brood bitches, the venerable Cora I. a full sister, possibly a litter sister to Moll II. , and find that she was bred to this nephew of hers, Fred I., about 1857, and when about twenty-one years of age, she produced Cora II., dam of Dash II. who was whelped 1862. If any person desires to believe these things possible we have no objection, but we do object to any one thinking to overthrow the name of Laverack or disparage the great benefit he was to the breed because his pedigrees will not scan. What difi^er- ence did it make if Mr Laverack had simply stated that he had bred his setters from 1825, starting with a brace he had obtained from the Rev. A. Harrison, and interbred their progeny, that he had at various times tried outcrosses with reputable strains, but had never had satisfactory results and had come back to his old line again as closely as possible. The dogs would have been just as good individually, Countess would still have been the wonder she was, and there would have been no difference in the results of the Dan cross on the Laverack bitches, nor of the Laverack dogs on Dan*s sisters. Mr. Laverack's setters were good because he had all the time been intent on their improvement, not because he gave with them a string of names in various order back to Old Moll and her consort Ponto. It has been said that Mr. Laverack only bred to supply his own wants for shooting dogs, and then only when his brace in use were getting old did he rear a litter, pick out a new brace and repeat the operation. The known facts do not support this supposition, for he writes about many gentleman having his strain of setters, and from the amount of shooting he did he must have had a fairly well-filled kennel from which to draw his supply. Writing to his friend Rothwell, when he was an old man, November, 1874, he tells of having lost three puppies Rothwell had sent him, also six more and two brood bitches, eighteen months old, for which he had refused fifty guineas each, besides four more young dogs. Again in the first volume of the English stud book we find seven setters registered in his name, fifteen dogs bred by him registered as the property of others, and about twice as many MR. PURCELL-LLEWELLYN'S COUNTESS From Stonehenge's " Dogs of the British Islands " MR. J. H. SHORTHOSE'S NOVEL From " The Book of the Dog " The English Setter 117 more bred from his dogs by other persons. It must also be understood that it never has been the custom to register dogs so freely in England as we do in this country, but it is left to the kennel club to enter free of charge all winners at field trials or at dog shows held under certain rules of the club. Hence Mr. Laverack's registered dogs were winners, and not one of his breeding stock was registered, as is the custom with us. Neither can we admit that his stud dogs were for the free use of every friend who wanted to breed to one of them. We do not say that he went into the business of breeding and selling to the extent that Mr. Llewellyn subsequently did, but there was no restriction of his operations merely for his own use. What improvement could a man possibly make by breeding a litter every six or seven years for fifty years .? A breeder seeking to improve and build up a strain must have a surplus of stock for selection and only breed on from the best, so that we are forced to the conclusion that Mr. Laverack used a good many intermediate crosses not tabulated in his pedigrees, and felt his way along until he had his strain well established and universally acknowledged as of great merit. Shortly after Mr. Laverack's book appeared, the talented editor of the London Field, the late Dr. J. H. Walsh, whose nom de plume of "Stone- henge" had world-wide fame, undertook a fourth edition of his "Dogs of the British Islands," and in this edition he personally wrote the sections on the setters, which were vast improvements on what appeared in prior editions written by contributors. This edition appeared in 1877 and covers the flush times of the Laveracks and the start of the "Llewellyns." Dr. Walsh knew greyhounds, setters and pointers better than he knew any- thing in the sporting world and, whenever he could, attended the field trials, and kept thoroughly in touch with what was going on. What he wrote is therefore " hot from the grid " compared with the fading recollections we have of what took place in England from 1876 to 1880. During the greater part of that period we contributed to the Field, knew Dr. Walsh personally and brought back to America an autograph letter accrediting us as his paper's representative at the New York dog show in 1880. This letter was immediately begged by Mr. Tileston, the Westminster Kennel Club's secretary, who, poor fellow, was killed the week prior to the date set for the show by the fall of the west wall of the old Madison Square Garden structure. ii8 The Dog Book Stonehenge on Laveracks and Llewellyns The opening paragraph of Stonehenge is as follows: "Since the pubHcation of the articles on the various breeds of dogs in The Fields during the years 1856-57, the strain of setters known by the name of Laverack, from the gentleman who bred them, has carried all before it, both on the show bench and in the public field trials which have been held annually. For this high character it is greatly indebted to the celebrated Countess, who was certainly an extraordinary animal, both in appearance and at work; for, until she came out the only Laverack which had shone to advan- tage was Sir R. Garth's Daisy, a good average bitch. Though small. Countess was possessed of extraordinary pace, not perhaps equal to that of the still more celebrated pointer Drake, but approaching so closely to it that his superiority would be disputed by many of her admirers. Though on short legs, her frame is full of elegance, and her combined head and neck are absolutely perfect. With her high pace she combined great powers of endurance, and her chief fault was that she could never be fully depended upon; for when fresh enough to display her speed and style to the full, she would break away from her master and defy his whistle until she had taken her fling over a thousand acres or so. . . . On a good scenting day it was a great treat to see her at work, but, like most fast gallopers, she would sometimes flush her game on a bad scenting day, and then she would be wild with shame. Nellie (her sister) was of the same size, but not so fast, nor so ekgant, still she was good enough to beat the crack on one occasion at Vaynol in 1872, but on most days she would have stood no chance with Countess. She served to show that Countess was not wholly exceptional, as was alleged by the detractors of the Laveracks; and these two bitches, together with Sir R. Garth's Daisy, may fairly be adduced as indicating that at all events the Laverack bitches are quite first class. No dog, how- ever, has put in an appearance at any field trials with any pretension to high form, but several winners have appeared half or quarter bred of that strain.'* Countess, although bred by Mr. Laverack, was run by Mr. Llewellyn,, who bought her from Mr. Sam Lang, who got her from Mr. Laverack. Nellie was apparently bought direct from Mr. Laverack, as no mention is made of Mr. Lang in the stud book. Hence although she gave prominence to Mr. Llewellyn's kennel, the credit was really due to the Laverack strain. That all was not plain sailing for the Laveracks is apparent from this remark CHAMPION CORA OF WETHERALL Considered the most symmetrical setter of her sex durinif the time of her career CINCINNATUS Prominent on the bench a few years ago The English Setter 119 of Stonehenge: ^'Before Daisy came out, Mr. Garth had produced a brace of very bad ones at Stafford, in 1867, and it was with considerable prejudice against them that the above celebrated bitches first exhibited their powers in spite of the high character given them by Mr. Lort, Mr. Withington, and other well-known sportsmen who had shot over them for years. It is Mr. Lort's opinion that Mr. Withington possessed better dogs than even Coun- tess, but it must not be forgotten that private trials are generally more flat- tering than those before the public." All of which goes to show that Stone- henge was a very conservative, unprejudiced writer, and what he says has added value on that account. Stonehenge then proceeds to discuss what were the originals of what have come to be called ''Llewellyns," and to show what this authority thought of the original title for these dogs we quote the opening paragraph: "I come now to consider the value of Mr. Llewellyn's 'field-trial strain, as they are somewhat grandiloquently termed by their 'promoters,' or, as I shall call them, the 'Dan-Laveracks,' being all either by Dan out of Laverack bitches, or by a Laverack dog out of a sister to Dan." If there were "promoters" in England, there were also promoters in this country, and they made it their business to give the most glowing accounts of the Llewellyns, late " field-trials " strain, so that not only were the American shooting public misled at that time, but nearly every person connected with field dogs since then has been, and is still, of the opinion that they were invincible in England from 1870 as long as Mr. Llewellyn continued to run dogs in the English field trials. Nothing could possibly be further from the truth, and while we could state the facts in our own way and be thoroughly accurate, yet any person who takes that position is still likely to be attacked as prejudiced or untruthful. In preference to that we will quote what Stonehenge wrote from his own knowledge and from the best information, publishing it when and where the facts were well known, that is, in England, and these statements were never called in ques- tion nor were his conclusions. Even there, however, the upholders of the Llewellyns were not as accurate in their statements as they should have been. One of them who wrote over the nom de plume of " Setter " is quoted by Stonehenge as saying: "During the past two years ten of the Laveracks and ten of the Duke-Rhoebe and Laverack cross have been sent to America: the former including Petrel, Pride of the Border, Fairy and Victress; the latter including Rock, Leicester, Rob Roy, Dart and Dora, the same men I20 The Dog Book being owners of both sorts. At the American shows both sorts have ap- peared, and the Rhoebe blood has always beaten the Laverack. At field trials no Laverack has been entered, but first, second and third prizes were gained at their last field trials, in the champion stakes, by dogs of the Rhoebe blood, all descended from Mr. Llewellyn's kennels." In the first place, the same men did not own the setters named, Mr. L. H. Smith, of Strathroy, Ont., being the only one to possess representatives of each lot. As to the wins, the first champion stakes of record, run in 1876, had Drake, Stafford and Paris placed in that order. Drake was bred by Mr. Luther Adams and was by the Laverack dog Prince, out of Dora, who was bred by Mr. Statter and was by Duke out of Rhoebe. A very strange record of breeding to claim to have come from Mr. Llewellyn's kennels. Stonehenge very pertinently remarks that as the two strains had not met afield there was no indication of superiority, and that without any definite knowledge he was quite prepared to admit superiority on the bench, as the Laverack dogs were heavy and lumbering, and the bitches, "though very elegant, too small and delicate for perfection." Going on to discuss merits of the field trials performers as shown in England, Stonehenge says: "Now, although I have always regarded Duke himself as on the whole a good dog, especially in pace and range, and have estimated Dan and Dick, the result of his cross with Mr. Statter's Rhoebe, favourably, as compared with the Laverack litters as shown in Bruce and Rob Roy, yet I never considered Dan as a good cross for the Laverack bitches, because his sire always showed a want of nose similar to the Laveracks themselves. Duke is said by 'Setter,' and I believe cor- rectly, to have received a high character from Mr. Barclay Field for his nose as exhibited in private, but he was notoriously deficient in this quality when brought before the public, going with his head low and feeling the foot rather than the body scent. In proof of this defect it is only necessary to say that he was beaten by Hamlet and Young Kent in this quality at Bala, in 1867, when the judge gave him only thirty-one out of a possible forty for nose, while at Stafi^ord in the following spring Rex found birds twenty yards behind the place where he had left his point, thereby gaining the cup, Sir V. Corbett, the breeder of Duke, being one of the judges and loud in his admiration of Rex's nose, while finding fault with that of Duke. Indeed, this defect was always made the excuse for E. Armstrong's con- stant interference with him by hand and voice — ^whether rightly or wrongly The English Setter 12 1 I do not pretend to say, but it evidently marked that clever breaker's want of confidence in his dog's nose. Of Rhoebe herself I do not recollect enough to give an opinion as to this quality in her individually, and among her produce I do not remember any but Bruce and Dan that displayed even an average amount of scenting powers. Rob Roy was notoriously deficient in nose; and Dick, brother to Dan, in his second season was constantly making false points, and is so described in the report of the Southampton Trials of 1872. For these reasons, although I had always considered the Duke-Rhoebe cross superior to the two Laverack-Rhoebe litters, I never expected Dan to get such a good bitch as Noma, in point of nose and cor- rect carriage of head and flag, according to my ideas. If Nora, as alleged by her owner and 'Setter,' as well as by the Field reporter at Horseheath, is superior to her, I can only make my apology to Dan and admit that he has turned out a better sire than I expected, and than might have been gathered from the performances of Laura, Leda, and Druid, at the Devon and Cornwall, and Sleaford trials of 1874, which I saw. "Taking into consideration that the dogs which have been exhibited by Mr. Llewellyn have been picked from a very large kennel, and that as far as I have seen them perform, they have not proved themselves to be above the average, I can only come to the conclusion that Dan has not done any great good in improving the Laveracks, except in looks and size. Neither do I place him or any of his stock in the first rank of field trials winners, which in setters would I think include only Countess, Ranger, and Dash IL, forming with the pointers Drake and Belle, a quintet in class Ai. Dan came out in public only once it is true, though winning three stakes at that meeting, but he met the same dogs in all, and the victory was virtually only a single one. After this he put his shoulder out and never appeared in public again, but his brother Dick, who was coupled in the braces with him, and went equally well in the short trial accorded them, did not do anything worth speaking of next year. . . . Moreover Dan had at Shrewsbury a very narrow escape of defeat by Rake, as recorded by myself at the time, so that on mature reflection I have no hesitation in placing him below the first class, but possibly he is entitled to rank in the second class along with Plunket and his son and daughter, Kite and Music, (Irish), together with Kate, Rex and Lang (Gordons). To them may be probably added the Dan- Laveracks Noma and Nora and also Die, all more or less crossed with the late Mr. Laverack's strain. To sum up, therefore, it may be safely alleged 122 The Dog Book that his (Laverack's) setters have been of great service to sportsmen in giving pace and style when crossed with other breeds." Those entitled by experience to enter into any controversy on the subject of Mr. Laverack's and Mr. Llewellyn's setters know only too well that the authority thus quoted cannot be gainsaid in any facts, and that the arguments with which he leads up to his opinions are exceedingly hard to controvert. That then was the position of the Llewellyns in England at the very time they were being forced upon the American market by a very much interested coterie intent on striking the financial iron while they were keeping it hot. Even in Shaw's "Book of the Dog," published in 1880, there is no intimation that Mr. Llewellyn had "set the Thames on fire" with his world beaters, and the only references to that gentleman are: "Mr. R. LI. Purcell- Llewellyn is one of our greatest Laverack breeders of the day, and spares no trouble or expense in perfecting his strain. . . . Count Wind'em, Countess Bear and Countess Moll are the bright particular stars of Mr. Llewellyn's kennel, and the first named is a great, big, useful-looking dog.'* We do not advance the latter quotations as in any way conclusive, for it is very evident that the setter article in that book was a piece of patch work, written by various persons, but that there is no mention of what was at that time to Americans the most wonderful combination of ability and good looks proves that they were exciting very little attention in England compared with what the agitation in the American press had accomplished in this country. Early Importations of Laveracks The success of the Laveracks in England, coupled with the interest engendered here by the publication of Mr. Laverack's book, unavoidably inspired American progressive sportsmen with the wish to secure some of the much-to-be-desired breed, and when it was announced early in 1874 that Mr. Laverack was offering for sale a brace of his dogs, he became the recipient of many inquiries, and of several offers to purchase them. Upon receipt of a communication accompanied by a draft for the amount asked, he shipped to New York the first pair of his dogs exported to this country, where they arrived in July of that year. These dogs were Pride of the Border, and Fairy, purchased by Mr. Charles H. Raymond, of Fox CHAMPION COUNT RENO A Pacific Coast son of Albert's Fleet MR. R. H. BARRY'S MYRTLE BEATRICE The English Setter 123 Farm, Morris Plains, N. J., Fairy coming over in whelp to Laverack's Blue Prince, a son of Pride of the Border. In appearance the imported pair did not greatly resemble each other. Pride of the Border, although not a large dog, was somewhat heavily made, with long, low action, and liver and white in colour. Fairy, although stoutly built, was smaller, of lighter frame and quicker in movement, and was an orange Belton. Both were wide rangers, and possessed extraordinary powers of scent. In this latter particular Pride of the Border was a remark- able dog. At first he was apparently indifferent to or puzzled by the scent of our game birds, but when he became acclimated and grew accustomed to the new conditions, he developed into a most satisfactory shooting dog. When in the field his intelligence seemed always actively at work, and in getting to his birds his head saved his heels many an unnecessary rod's travel. Like one of the blue Beltons described by Mr. Laverack, this dog displayed wonderful sagacity on running birds; for instance, pointing an old cock grouse, or a running brood, he knew by the scent when the game had left him; then, instead of footing, immediately sunk or dropped down wind thirty or forty yards and re-pointed, his sagacity telling him he could find game much quicker by taking advantage of the wind than 'footing.' When working on quail or ruffed grouse. Pride of the Border constantly resorted to these tactics whenever the birds * roaded.* When on his game he 'set' instead of pointing; lying down with neck extended like a dog at Mown charge,' reminding one of Laverack's expressed belief that 'most breeders of any note agree that the setter is nothing more than the setting spaniel improved.'" Pride and Fairy showed to great advantage on the open snipe meadow, ranging widely and pointing and backing staunchly, and they would doubt- less have made an equally effective brace on wide prairies. Fairy was faster than the dog, and more animated in her work, but like him was round ribbed and deep chested. Both were thorough "gun dogs," caring little for anything save seeking and finding game. They were never run in field trials — then in their infancy here — being reserved by their owner for his personal use in the field. Pride was never publicly advertised in the stud, but was bred to several bitches from various parts of the country, and some of his progeny were later imported by other fanciers. In 1881 we com- piled a record of the get of Pride of the Border which showed that of the fifty-six Laveracks then in this country, forty-six were descendants of this 124 The Dog Book noted dog. As quite a number of setter breeders of the present time are often at a loss to decide whether certain old dogs were or were not pure bred Laveracks, we give this record of 1881, exactly as we published it two years later in the old American Kennel Register. Pride of the Border's Progeny — first generation Out of Fairy: Charm, Guy Mannering, Roderick Dhu, Brough, Ranger. Out of Petrel: Shafto, Pontiac, Pride, Petrel II., Princess Nellie. Out of Fairy II. : Thunder, Duke of Beaufort. Out of Ruby: Diamond, Daisy Dean. second generation From Carlowitz (imported), out of Princess Nellie: True Blue, Carlina, Lilly, Sting II., Count Noser, Carmot. From Blue Prince, out of Fairy: Young Laverack (imported). From Pontiac, out of Fairy: Fate, Etoile. From Pontiac, out of Fairy II : Fairy Prince, Lance, Laverack Chief, Fairy III. From Thunder, out of Peeress: Dick Laverack, Prince Laverack, Mack Laverick, Maple, Coomassie, Lady Laverack, Daisy Laverack, Pet Laverack, Lu Laverack, Peggy Laverack. ^ From Young Laverack, out of Petrel II.: Lora Laverack. From Carlowitz, out of Daisy Dean: Bonny Kate, Sir Hal, Leo X. To this second generation there was added two years later the dog Emperor Fred, sent over and first shown here in the name of Mr. Robinson, but afterward as the property of E. A. Herzberg, of Brooklyn, who returned as part payment to Mr. Robinson the dog Aldershot, a son of Emperor Fred, whose name appears in the third generation which we now give. third generation From Tam O'Shanter, out of La Reine: Blue Queen and Don Juan, both imported. MR. FRANK G. TAV i 1 i.\ KNIGHT ERRANT A widely siiuwn dog from 1898 to 1900 DR. J. E. HAIR'S CHAMPION HIGHLAND FLEET The English Setter 125 From Bailey's Victor, out of Blue Daisy : Fairy II. and Magnet. These were credited in the stud book to Mr. Laverack as breeder, but we satisfied ourselves at the time that they were bred by Mr. Robinson, of Sunder- land, who was the canine legatee of Mr. Laverack. From Emperor Fred, out of Blue Cora : Aldershot. All three of these dams were by Blue Prince, son of Pride of the Border, and Emperor Fred was also by Blue Prince. The foregoing were of course not all of the get of Pride of the Border, for it was only the living descendants at that time that were tabulated, and Pride had also been bred to other than pure Laverack bitches, getting that excellent show and field dog St. Elmo out of a short pedigreed bitch of Herzberg's. In speaking to Mr. Raymond recently about the old dog and his descendants he told us that he still had some setters that traced to him, and whenever trained they were found to be excellent field dogs. Those were not pure Laveracks, however; indeed, we believe it would be impossible to find one anywhere that had such a claim. As to the controversies which have taken place regarding Laverack pedigrees, Mr. Raymond never in any way took part, he being thoroughly satisfied with the high character and excellence of the dogs themselves, without discussing old, unnecessary subjects, which had no bearing on the individuality of the dogs. Other importations followed Mr. Raymond's and for ten years the Lave- racks had their full share of success on the show bench. The series of importations of this strain terminating with that of Emperor Fred, a remark- ably good dog that never really got his deserts in this country. He was first shown at New York in 1881, and led in the class for imported setter dogs. The term "imported" including the progeny of imported dogs, so that Duke of Beaufort and Pontiac, both by Pride of the Border, the former out of Fairy II., and the latter out of Petrel, though bred here, were in this class, and these three Laveracks were placed in the order named. When it came to the breed special, Thunder, another Laverack, beat Emperor Fred, though the latter was an immeasurably superior dog. Thunder was a big winner at that period, but very faulty in essential points, though quite a taking dog to the non-expert. The judge on this occasion was not the only one to make this blunder, but as sound judges were not by any means plentiful at that time, awards by the non-experts must be accepted with caution. Emperor Fred finally had justice done him at Washington in 1883, 126 The Dog Book when Mr. Mason placed him first in a wonderfully strong class of champions — dogs which had won first in the open class. Here he defeated Thunder, Don Juan, Plantagenet, Coin, and Foreman. So successful were the Laveracks up to that time that at this show the classification for English setters was divided into sections for Laveracks of pure breeding and "except pure Laveracks." But this was almost the end of this short-lived division, for the glamour of the field-trial performances of certain dogs twisted the setter-judging to such an extent that Laveracks became practi- cally extinct. With the departure of Emperor Fred from the ring, Plantagenet was about the best setter of 1884. Foreman, it is true, defeated him, but while there was room for difi^erence of opinion, we always favoured the more quality-looking Plantagenet, for Foreman was a very heavy-headed dog. short and round in skull and rather short bodied, "chucked up," in fact, Nevertheless he was a very impressive dog, a good, vigorous mover, with superb hindquarters, and but for a slight turning out of the forefeet, and not being quite straight enough in pasterns to please the fastidious, he was a dog of grand character, and this, coupled with his superb coat, both in quantity and quality, made him a setter that should have pleased both sections of the fancy. It soon became noised abroad that he was a good field dog, so that when he won the champion stakes at the Eastern Field Trials Club meeting he sprang into deserved popularity as a sire with beneficial results, more particularly in getting bitches of quality, such as Haphazard, Calico, Saddlebags, Daisy Foreman and others, all decided acquisitions on the score of shape and appearance, though all showing more or less the roundness of skull and shortness of muzzle, with the pinched appearance their sire displayed. We take it, however, that he was the next dog to do good to the setter following Pride of the Border. The Era of Mr. Windholz and the Blackstone Kennels We now come to an era that warms the heart of those who can recall the dogs of 1885 and following years during which the dogs of Mr. Windholz played such a conspicuous part at the leading shows of that period. This gentleman started his prominent show career with Rockingham and Princess Beatrice, and, as the former remained an unbeaten dog for some time, it is always with considerable personal satisfaction we recall the facts attending BARTON TORY A prominent do2 in the present-day revival of the correct type of English setters, which began four years ago STYLISH SERGEANT A leading show dog in England and America ; now at Seattle, Washingto The English Setter 127 his purchase. We visited England in the early winter of 1884, and the only show of importance we had an opportunity of seeing was that at Hull. There we met our old friend Billy Graham, from Belfast, who, by the way, took the special for best four of any breed with the best matched team of Irish terriers we have ever seen benched by any person. Mr. Graham told us he had an order for a brace of setters for Mr. Windholz and wanted our opinion on a dog that was at the show. We had already had a casual glance along the benches and had noted a very likely looking dog and, remembering his whereabouts, we located the dog when Mr. Graham was trying to do so. It was the dog we had noticed. He was in very poor condition, thin as a rail and looking wretched. We took him down and in reply to the question as to whether he could be got right, Mr. Graham said he was positive he could, as he had seen him in good shape and his condition then was the result of sickness. "Then buy him if you are sure of that, for if he can be got right he will beat any setter we have," was our advice. So Graham bought the dog and later secured an excellent mate for him in Princess Phoebus. Rockingham was one of those dogs fitly described by one of the critics of that day who,when not exactly sure of his ground, summed up a dog as having no glaring faults — slightly strong in head, but of good type and excellent expression and needing a little more bend to the hocks and a little less flatness of back. A few changes of that sort would have been very great improvements in a dog that even without them was an excellent type all over, and with his lovely coat was one that gave pleasure to look at. He was a good dog to shoot over, and so were his get, Mr. Windholz always taking a fall shooting trip to the South in those days. Unfortunately,, neither this good dog nor his sire Belthus, then in this country, were bred to to any extent, nor as men of intelligence in the breed should have done. Breeders went after strange gods in those days with results we shall soon have to touch upon. Mr. Windholz followed up these importations with those of Count Howard, Cora of Wetherall, Countess Zoe and Princess Beatrice, and could show a team the counterpart of which we never saw until Mr. Vandergrift took up the breed a few years ago. The rival to Mr. Windholz was the Blackstone Kennels of Pawtucket, and as Foreman could not defeat Rockingham, Mr. Crawford decided to import one that might do so. The result was the oncoming of Royal Albert, who finally succeeded in winning from the older dog at New York in 1887. The question was not by any means considered settled thereby, for the con- 128 The Dog Book sensus of opinion was that the setters at this show were very badly judged. We might add to that that we know they were not properly judged, but as the awarder of the ribbons has joined the majority, this is neither the time nor the place to speak further. Another excellent importation was Royal Prince 11. , shown most successfully through the shows of 1887 and 1889. The Dark Days of the "Tennessee Setters" A very good American-bred dog was competing at this time named Roger, getting either first or second at a number of good shows. He was shown for three years at New York, and was second on each occasion. He was a big, sound dog, of good conformation, but failed in quality just enough to keep him out of the top rank. One would imagine that with all this education as to what an English setter should look like it would have been impossible for any person qualified to judge the breed to go wrong, but such was not the case. Judges who had seen dogs at the field trials did not seem able to forget that the sires of certain dogs shown under them in the ring had run well in the field, and it must have been on that account alone that many decisions were made by men who had placed dogs properly on prior occasions and have shown better judgment since then. As most of these singular and angular dogs came from Tennessee, those who attacked the bad judging gave them the name of the "Tennessee setters" and derided them to the full extent of their ability. Occasionally since then we have been asked what a Tennessee setter is, the inquirer being under the impression that it was some specially good line of the breed. As illustrative of what the "Tennessee setters" looked like we give the criticism of Mr. Mason on the dog that won first and special in a class of twenty-four dogs at a leading show of 1887, the extract being from "Our Prize Dogs" — a most valuable contribution to kennel literature, containing full descrip- tions with criticism on all the prize winners of that period: "Skull and muzzle fairly good, also eyes, ears and lips. Neck well formed and of sufficient length. Chest very defective, the ribs showing scarcely any deviation from a straight line, and being attached to the verte- brae in about the same way that the legs of a milking stool are set in. The result of this structural defect is a narrow, slab-sided chest, lacking incapacity for lodgment of heart and lungs, and a narrow, weak back. The short ribs should be much deeper and better spread, and the loin, instead of being flat^ MR. A. ALBRIGHT, JR.'s QUEEN'S PLACE PRIDE One of the many good setters imported by Mr. J. B. Vandergrift Photo by Schrciber c. iHu;>iA;>, JR.'.? , i.> Lk.-, 1 • i.. L lv..l An imported dog and consistent winner Photo by Schreiber The English Setter 129 narrow and tucked up, should show strength, not only in width but in depth. The vertebrae instead of protruding so as to leave a line down the back like the edge of a saw, should be well clothed on both sides with hard muscle. Quarters very light, and showing defects such as we have never seen over- looked by a judge of the breed. Thighs resembling those of a cat, being narrow and flat, and from a back view showing none of the beautiful lines which always portray speed and power, and which are indispensable in dogs which must go and stay. Hocks straight and light; they should be well bent, strong and clean. Forelegs not quite straight. Shoulders moderate. Feet fairly good. Tail long and curled over the back. Stands low at the shoulder in proportion to height at quarters. A small, weedy-looking dog, having body and limbs for which there is no standard and probably never will be." The second to this dog was summarised as follows: "An undersized, slab-sided, light-quartered, ring-tailed and bad-headed specimen, having few if any show points. After having examined very carefully this and other dogs at this show, we can readily understand why a new standard was contemplated." The cause of this perversion of the English setter type is to be traced to the introduction of the Llewellyns, not that the imported dogs were such weeds, but that the incompetence of breeders and the complete ignoring of anything like advisability in breeding let loose a flood of wretchedly built dogs, and judges who had knowledge of field trials did not seem able to properly place dogs descended from racing progenitors competing with true-built dogs of type, when it came to judging points in the show ring. With them the fact that a dog was descended from parents of excellent field qualifications was evidently ample reason for placing that dog high in the prize list. Their judging was very much on the order of the old game- keeper's who, having been persuaded to don the ermine, took a glance over the candidates till his eye lighted on one that made him at once decide the placing by saying, "That looks like our old Bill, give him first." What these "Llewellyns" were has never been lucidly determined, and later-day writers and supporters of the title acknowledge that no rule can be framed to interpret the name clearly. We all know what a Laverack was — a dog from Mr. Laverack's kennels, or descended from such, without any outside blood; but Mr. Llewellyn had no strain at all in his kennel. He had dabbled in Irish setters, bought "cracks" of full Laverack blood, such as I30 The Dog Book Countess and her sister, and then some more winners of Mr. Statter*s breed- ing. These he crossed, not as anything new or patented by him, but merely what many other English breeders were then doing. He, however, had the very good fortune to sell some of his dogs to some Americans, who at once proceeded to exploit the "strain," and, to differentiate them from the Laveracks, styled them Llewellyns. Now we have dogs from that breeder's kennels which were not of the cross between the Statter setters and the Laveracks, for Mr. Llewellyn very soon introduced different blood; and on the other hand, we have had dogs of this Dan-Laverack strain, as Stonehenge called the cross, which Mr. Llewellyn never saw. That Llewel- lyn enthusiast, Mr. Joseph A. Graham, of St. Louis, in "The Sporting Dog,** frankly and honestly says that it is impossible to give a definition that will hold good. He says the exclusionists* definition of Duke-Rhoebe and Laverack will not hold good because it shuts out "a large number of the most respected names in Llewellyn pedigrees;'* meaning dogs bought from that breeder with later crosses of Dash H. blood. Then he says that to limit the title to dogs which had come from Mr. Llewellyn*s kennel would exclude all the Blue Beltons and several others. These exclusionists wanted to keep out the Gleam strain because of his descent from another outside cross, that of Sam; but now they have let down the bars and the Gleams are in the inner circle. Finally, Mr. Graham says it "would be as well to go further and drop the *pure' idea altogether, letting Llewellyn blood stand for what it is — an influential but not separate element in English setter breeding." But he still leaves us puzzling as to what this Llewellyn blood is. Is it everything that Mr. Llwellyn bred from all sorts of outside sources, and everything that others bred at the same time and in the same way as he did, or what ? Bringing this question down to the present times, there was a special offered by Mr. Graham at the St. Louis Exposition dog show for the best Llewellyn dog and another for the best Llewellyn bitch. When it came to the judging Ben Lewis took in his regular class winners. Bracken o'Leck and Lansdowne Mallwyd Di. There was much discussion in the ring as to eligibility, and Mr. Marsh Byers, the judge, finally said as no one could give any definition or show any published condition governing the special, he could only judge the dogs claimed to be Llewellyns and the class awards were followed. We later saw the official judges' record and there was a memorandum "disqualified" against these winners, but by whom made ^1 The English Setter 131 or for what reason we were unable to find out. Mr. Lewis told us that some of the dog*s ancestors had come from Mr. Llewellyn's kennels, and if that is so then Mr. Graham's own book could be cited in support of the eligibility of these two dogs. Be it understood that we have no objection to the naming, in some special way, of a branch of the setter family bred for the particular purpose of running in field trials, but we do hold that no person can purchase a bitch from one man and a dog from another and in four months the progeny of this brace are eligible to be given his name as a distinguishing title, which is just what the so-called Llewellyns amount to. We have already referred to the manner in which they were forced to the front in dog shows, by placing crudely shaped animals, bred from dogs with field trial records, over much better setters; but it is not to be denied that the same methods were adopted in field trials, until it was almost a matter of necessity to run dogs of certain breeding to win at these contests. There is far greater latitude in field trials for the exercise of individual opinion — ^what Mr. John Davidson has aptly styled the judge's "think" — than in dog shows, and this was exercised to the full in field trials. By these means all opposition was swamped and the result was most conspicu- ous in the shrunken classes of setters at the shows of the period which fol- lowed the bad work we have referred to. Not only that, but type was cast to the winds, and only at intervals were dogs of the right sort placed where they ought to be. It was, indeed, dark days for the English setter for about five years beginning about 1887. As Mr. Mason hinted in his criticisms quoted above, new standards were made to fit the new dogs; but those who held to the old cult would have none of the new idea, and the first fell flat, as has also the second; and so radically wrong was the latest " made-to-fit standard " that it resulted in the formation of an English setter club which adopted a standard more in keep- ing with what an English setter really is. That this field trials strain of setters did good, we do not for a moment question. Greater interest was developed in the breeding and running of dogs at the trials, which also increased rapidly in number and importance; but any claim that our excellent class of field trials dogs is due entirely to being able to trace back through several generations to two or three dogs, is not tenable for a moment. In an article published recently in Country Life in America^ we stated our opinion that if there had been no importations 132 The Dog Book to speak of, the same amount of work in breeding to notable performers, a similar number of their progeny to select the young entry from and the same amount of labour expended in their training would have made just as high a grade as we have now. If it was all in the blood, in this particular Dan- Laverack cross, why was it that Mr. Llewellyn had to go outside for new blood, and then drop down to the bottom again with his field trials entries. It was little wonder that with bad dogs put in front breeders were all at sea in knowing what to breed to for type. Dogs went up and down in the prize lists — H. C. at some second-class show and second at New York, then back again to a commendation. The result was that every breeder could find warrant in breeding to almost any kind of a built dog, and most of them bred to dogs that had won in the field, no matter what they looked like. The natural result followed of worse mixed classes than we had had at any time since the introduction of the Laveracks and the separation of imported dogs from natives, a distinction that had long been done away with. It was not until about 1892 that we began to see daylight again, and although Albert's Ranger, imported at that time, was lacking in some of the essentials we deem necessary in a field dog, he was yet a dog of exceptional quality, and in some respects of type also. Almost at the same time Cincinnatus Pride appeared, a dog lacking in quality compared with those of the best type, but still of good parts and symmetry. For several years these two held sway in the show ring till Sheldon came out. This was a remarkably good son of Rockingham, and it was undoubtedly a most unfortunate thing that hardly had this grand dog been discovered than he was lost to breeders. Coming out at New York in 1896, he defeated both the dogs just named, and although the decision was much discussed, it was upheld at the four succeeding shows under different judges, one being a very severe critic of the first award. For seven shows he kept up his winning gait and then fell sick and died. He was a dog of grand formation and all a setter, while he was of great quality. Those opposed to his successes kept calling him a Laverack, possibly under the impression that that was a term of reproach, forgetting that his dam was by Belton, a Duke- Rhcebe-Laverack bred one, and eligible to the inner circles of exclusiveness; although, lamentably for the sake of the name Llewellyn, Mr. Statter bred Belton before Mr. Llewellyn ever owned Dan, with which he is claimed to have started the line of dogs given his name as originator. Sheldon's CHARITY COUNT OAKLEY RODFIELD A great 6eld-trials performer The English Setter 133 record shows him to have been very decidedly the best American-bred dog of that date, if not up to that time. Sheldon would probably never have been shown if he had not been "discovered" by that good judge of a setter and experienced breeder, Dr. J. E. Hair, of Bridgeport, Conn. Up to that time he had been kept as a private shooting dog, with no knowledge of how good he was from a show point of view. Had he lived we are fully of the opinion that he would have done wonders for the setter, for from the few bitches he was bred to each of his get was a winner, and the second generation are to-day about the only American-bred setters that have reached the title of champion during the past two or three years. A setter which had a great reputation in the West now made his appearance in the East, Rodfield, and although he was anything but a good dog, he eventually got his champion title through winning three firsts in the open class under fanciers of the field trials bred dogs, and then with no opposition in the challenge class at small Western shows he got the necessary three wins, a process which could not be repeated under present conditions. A far better dog was Cincinnatus Pride, for Rodfield was short in head and thick in skull, full in eyes, with an exceedingly bad front and weak pasterns to offset his good neck, body and quarters. Because he was a field trials winner he was bred to extensively, but as any person with knowledge of the rudiments of breeding could have foretold, he got worse-looking progeny than he was himself. Cincinnatus Pride was not a good-headed dog, but nevertheless close to the best in those bad days for the breed. Still the judges of that time would not have him till one day he did well at a field trials; whereupon, although he could not be as good a dog as when younger, he at once jumped from third and V.H.C. to first place and went over dogs that should have beaten him. He was then bred to very extensively, and it is gratifying to say that he materially improved the field trials dogs, it being to that class of bitches he was mostly bred. It does not appear, however, that he produced anything equal to himself in general merit for show purposes. It is not so very certain that those who breed for type did not miss an opportunity when they overlooked this dog, for on his dam's side he was wonderfully well bred, the lines running quickly to such excellent setters as Rock, Rum, Sir Allister, Belton, Fletcher's Rock, Novel and other well-known setters of the past, and if used to good-quality bitches he might have been a success. 134 The Dog Book Return to the Correct Type The end of the mixed-up condition of affairs seemed to be about 1898, or rather that was about the beginning of the much-to-be-desired change to something more stable. Albert's Woodcock came over that year and won through to winners' class at New York, followed by a dog of much similar type. These were English setters, dogs of substance, typical and showing character. Neither was a wonder, but they were nearer to the right sort than we had seen since Sheldon's day. Quite a nice American- bred dog was also shown in Highland Fleet, though as he was from imported stock he would under the old-time rule have still been considered as imported, as opposed to native. Fleet suffered from being somewhat under the desired size, but showing much quality and was well put together. He did not do very well at his first show, but attracted the eye of Doctor Hair, so soon found another owner. His name was not changed to the ** Albert" prefix and he is known on the records as Highland Fleet, with the addition of "champion." Like the unfortunate Sheldon, he did not Hve long at the Bridgeport kennels, being poisoned the following year, but not before he left some nice descendants, some of which were winners, and two champion- ship winners of 1904 are but two removes from him. Knight Errant was also a very prominent dog in 1900, though not one we altogether fancied, and when it came to placing him over Barton Tory at New York the following year we do think the judge made a mistake. Barton Tory was not a perfect dog, especially in hind legs, but his quality put him in a higher class than anything we then had. With the new century came flush times for the right sort of setters. Mr. Vandergrift took hold of the breed with the thoroughness that had characterised his connection with bulldogs and soon had a splended collec- tion of bitches and several good dogs, besides Barton Tory. The latter, while a very good dog, as already stated, was frequently rated too high in competition for specials against the best of other breeds. At Providence he erroneously won a cup for the best in the show. His poor hind- quarters were then all too conspicuous and there were several far more perfect dogs in the ring. We were one of a party of six judges on that occasion and our vote was for the mastiff Prince of Wales, the others voting for the setter or a toy spaniel. The mastiff eventually got the reserve. The setter was then mated with a far better bitch, and the toy spaniel in the LORIi BENTINCK, TAKEN WHEN SEVEN YEARS OLD One of ths famous sires of recent days in England MR. F. SHUNK BROWN'S ENGLISH SETTER EDGEMARK A prominent winner a few years ago The English Setter 135 previous class was mated with a poorer one. The majority having decided that Barton Tory was the best dog in the show, we of course voted for him and his better mate, only to find ourselves once more in the minority, the defeated toy and his inferior mate getting the most votes. Several similar experiences fol- lowed, and we have ever since eschewed judging specials in mixed company. The gems of Mr. Vandergrift's kennel were in the excellent collection of bitches, including Queen's Place Pride, Queen's Pride, Queen's Flora and one or two others. At the same time it was not all plain sailing for even this good kennel for Mr. G. C. Thomas, Jr., of Philadelphia, was also in the ring with his Bloomfield kennels, which shortly included Mallwyd Sirdar, Stylish Sergeant, Dido B., Mepal's Queen B., Pera, and others. Mr. Thomas was the better stayer of the two exhibitors, the Vancroft kennels being given up the following year. It looked lately as if Mr. Thomas was also preparing to go on the retired list, but fortunately it is not so, for at the close of 1904 he purchased from Ben Lewis his entire kennel of English setters and the latter will keep out of the breed, only showing for Mr. Thomas for a year from the date of sale. Mr. Barry, of Rye, is another of the standard sort, holding to his own course in storm and sunshine, keeping good setters to look at and good to shoot over, and breeding a little on lines that promise well, but no one will gainsay that the stick-fast-to-type is Doctor Hair, and too much credit can- not be given him by all who value the perpetuation of an old breed in its purity of type for his consistent course for so many years. At no time since the early eighties has prospects for the English setter looked more favorable than at present. Show committees are giving exhibi- tors better judges, and whatever fear there was of offending field trials men has been overcome. Even if we do occasionally have a judge who speaks of two types and thinks it right to put one of each in the prize list, he does not do it to any extent. If a man will not judge to one type, the type he believes to be correct, he has no business in the ring, for he is obliging some exhibitors at the expense of others and against what should be his immovable opinion and verdict. Pedigree in Field Trials Dogs There seems to be far more misconception as to which line of blood we are more particularly indebted to for the excellence of the dogs bred for 136 The Dog Book field sports and with a view of possibly approaching field trials form, than any person not conversant with the facts could imagine possible. It has become so much a matter of custom to accept the dictum that we owe every- thing to the original importations from Mr. Llewellyn's kennels and other dogs of similar breeding, that it is generally believed that Gladstone is the main reliance in pedigrees and that all modern field trials performers are of his family. We cannot make any change in the arranging of families in dogs from what is the custom in grouping other animals, and therefore take the male line as authoritative. We are indebted to Major J. M. Taylor for a vast amount of unrequited labour in getting up his book of " Bench Show and Field Trials Records," which covers the ground up to the close of 1891, valuable statistical information being included with the plain records. Here we find, from a thorough supporter of the Gladstone family, a table of the successful get of that dog, also what Count Noble accomplished and every other sire of a field trials winner or placed dog. Gladstone, Count Noble and Roderigo are however taken out of the alphabetical sequence as being dogs of prominence as sires. Gladstone up to the close of 1891 — he was born in 1876 and died in 1890 — had sired twenty-five dogs, which had obtained a place in the trials. Count Noble, imported 1880, died 1891, is credited with twenty-eight sons and daughters, and we may say that the tables show the two families as tied for honours, as each had fourteen firsts and nineteen thirds to its credit, the only difference being that Gladstone led by two points on second place and Count Noble by three as to fourth place. That, however, is the only point where there is an equality. If we had had to rely upon the male descendants in that Gladstone record for the carrying on of the family honours it would have been a broken reed, for with the exception of Paul Gladstone not one became famous, and he to a limited extent only. On the other hand, Count Noble sired such remarkable performers and sires as Gath, Roderigo, Cincinnatus, and Count Gladstone IV. It is quite true that Gladstone bitches had much to do with the success of Count Noble, and that it was probably the latter's good fortune in that respect that led to his very great success. Had the tables been turned and Gladstone followed Count Noble, the result might have been satisfactory to the admirers of the latter family, but we cannot deal with probabilities and must take the records as we find them. Gath, who died young, left a few very good dogs to carry on his line. The English Setter 137 He was out of a Gladstone bitch and when bred back to the Gladstone bitch Gem threw the htter in which were Gath's Mark and Gath's Hope. This line has not been so successful of late as have others, however. Roderigo was a most successful son of Count Noble. He also was out of a Gladstone bitch, and we have from him a number of lines, prominent among them being Antonio, from whom we had Rodfield, Tony Boy and Tony Gale, and there is little prospect at present of losing tracings to Antonio and Roderigo in the best dogs at the field trials. Count Gladstone IV. is bred like Roder- igo, and he was another most successful sire, his son, Lady's Count Glad- stone, being the phenomenal sire of 1904 in field trial records, no less than fourteen placed dogs being by him, while second to him come Count Danstone, his litter brother, and Rodfield, each with four to his credit during the year. While Count Noble was purely Dan-Laverack, he had an extra infusion of Laverack blood through his sire Count Wind'em, who was by the Dan- Laverack dog Count Dick, out of the pure Laverack Phantom, a sister to Petrel, dam of Gladstone. This makes the Count Noble and Gladstone cross very close in-breeding, for in the pedigree of Count Noble we have Count Dick, already mentioned, by Dan out of Countess, and Nora, the dam, was by Dan out of Nellie, sister to Countess. Then Phantom and Peeress the other two bitches in the pedigree are, as already stated, full sisters. Again we have the dam of Lady's Count Gladstone and Count Dan- stone, in-bred also. This was Dan's Lady, by Dan Gladstone, son of Gladstone out of the Druid bitch Sue; and Lady's dam by Gath's Mark, by Gath out of Gem, both with a Gladstone cross. In Dan's Lady we have a cross of Dash III., a dog that is not Llewellyn according to any reasonable interpretation of what that word may mean. He was bred by John Arm- strong, and was by a Laverack dog out of Old Kate, who was by another Laverack out of the pedigreeless E. Armstrong's Kate. Dash III. became quite prominent in pedigrees of noted performers, and it behooved the promoters of the " Llewellyns " to do something to keep the winners within their fold, so they decided to extend the pale and admit the pedigreeless Kate as worthy of becoming a progenitor of the commercial breed. This was no novelty for a similar thing was done in the case of Dash II. and Sam, dogs introduced into Mr. Llewellyn's kennels as out-crosses; something he was always practising, and as soon as it became evident that breeders were 138 The Dog Book climbing over the fence and breeding outside of the already proscribed limits, the promoters met the emergency by extending the limits and so keep all the good dogs as "Llewellyns." To our mind the excellence of the American field dog is owing to the concentration of effort in the securing a dog to suit the special requirements in our field trials. Breeders have bred to the winning dogs and kept on at that, and while there have been thousands bred annually not worth feeding, yet out of the great number there were bound to be some good ones. Doctor Rowe on the Llewellyns Many readers who have accepted the statements of persons no better informed than themselves regarding the Llewellyns may perhaps be of the opinion that we are either incorrect or prejudiced in what we have pre- viously stated in the article in Country Life in America.) already mentioned, and also herein. We propose therefore showing upon the best authority we can find that everything we have alleged was in 1884 made the basis of Doctor Rowe's attack upon Mr. Buckell and other supporters of what Doctor Rowe characterised as a speculative breed. The late Doctor Rowe was for many years editor of the American Fields and his name still stands on its title page as its founder, which is not quite correct, as he took over a struggling paper some two or three years old and after a few years changed its name to American Field. To-day it is the staunchest supporter of the Llewellyn cult, and in the stud book which it publishes annually there is a section entitled Llewellyn Setters as distinguished from English Setters. To paraphrase a well-known proverb, when fanciers fall out we are apt to hear some honest truths. At the close of the year 1883 Doctor Rowe announced that he would send some setter puppies he had bred on theo- retical lines to compete at the English field trials. The result was quite a wordy warfare with some gentlemen he had been very friendly with in the matter of supporting the field trials strain. Mr. Buckell said he was not telling the truth and the Doctor claimed "he was rude and personal." . . . "A contributor to Land and Water declared we had been guilty of an unsportsmanlike act in trying to appropriate the puppies as American- bred dogs; another declared we knew more about Kentucky widows than of breeding setters, and another pronounced us to be a feather-bed sports- man; our theories of breeding were declared vaporous effusions; the Turf, The English Setter 139 Field and Farm assailed us and now Mr. L. H. Smith declares we are " a bottle of soda water," whereupon the Doctor uncorked himself and told more real truths about the Llewellyn business than has appeared in that paper since then. It is impossible to quote him in the entirety as what he had to say on the subject filled a score of pages from first to last, but the following extracts are pertinent: " When a breeder by any peculiar plan shall change a breed of animals, and that change is uniform and can be intelligently defined, the group admits of a new classification. But Mr. Buckell (Mr. Llewellyn's right- hand man) ignores these facts when he writes about the Llewellyn setter as a breed. Neither he nor Mr. Llewellyn can show a title to the name, nor has any attempt been made to show what right Mr. Llewellyn has to monopo- lise the breeding of the dogs he calls Llewellyns. He bought Dan and Dick and Dora from their breeder Mr. Statter; then he purchased the Laverack setters Prince, G)untess, Nellie, Lill IL, and others. Dan, Dick and Dora he called Llewellyn setters. Dora's puppies by a Laverack dog he called Llewellyn setters. He might as well have called the Laverack setters Llewellyns. If he had a right to call Dan a Llewellyn setter, simply because he owned him, any man has the right to class any dog he may purchase as of a special new breed. " But Mr. Llewellyn did not stop with so much monopoly as we have mentioned. He proclaimed, or Mr. Buckell did for him, that every dog in the land which was bred like Dan or Dick or Dora, or their progeny, out of Laverack setters were Llewellyn setters, and it mattered not where they were owned or who bred them. He went still further, and claimed as his breed all dogs out of Rhoebe (a bitch he did not breed or own) by a Laverack dog. Dogs by Duke (a dog he neither bred nor owned) out of a Laverack setter bitch were his breed; dogs by Duke out of Rhoebe were his breed; the progeny of Duke-Rhoebe on the Laveracks were his breed. These bred back again to the Laveracks or to the other side were his breed. It does not make any difference how much Laverack blood there might be in a dog if the remotest part of the pedigree shows Duke or Rhoebe, or Dan or Dora, or any of the many Duke-Rhcebe-Laverack combinations, they are his breed if no other blood is shown. On the other hand, it matters not how much Duke or Rhoebe blood, or both, is present, a drop of Laverack makes it Llewellyn. "Thus Rob Roy, a noted field trial dog which Mr. Llewellyn never 140 The Dog Book owned, a dog he did not breed, a dog whose ancestors he never owned nor bred, was according to Messrs. Buckell and Llewellyn, a Llewellyn setter. Rock, a field trial winner in England, bred by Mr. Garth, out of Daisy by Field's Bruce, was also a Llewellyn setter, according to Mr. Llewelyln's classification. Belton, the sire of Mr. Sanborn's crack field trial winner Nellie, was monopolised as a Llewellyn, yet he was bred by Mr. Thomas Statter, out of Daisy (not Llewellyn's), by Sykes's Dash, a Laverack setter. Mr.Brewis's celebrated Dash IL, by Mr. Laverack's Blue Prince out of Mr. John Armstrong's Old Kate, is by Mr. Llewellyn claimed as his breed. His excellent brother Dash IIL is also, according to Messrs. Buckell and Llewellyn, a Llewellyn setter; and we might go on at great length and show a long list of dogs, bred by others, from dogs not bred or owned by Mr, Llewellyn, which that gentleman claims as his breed, without a particle of reason. "Had Mr. Llewellyn originated the Duke-Rhoebe-Laverack cross he might have some claim on the whole strain, but the cross was made, and its excellence proven before he owned any of them. Nor is Mr. Llewellyn entitled to any special recognition for having continued to breed these dogs exclusively, for they have been bred in England and in this country by others, during the whole time he has been breeding them. "Has Mr. Llewellyn done all that it is claimed he has, and are all these dogs, whose performances go to swell the 'Llewellyn record' his dogs .? Most assuredly not. He has no more right to their record than we have. What Mr. Laverack, Mr. Statter, Mr. Garth, Mr. Armstrong and others have done in England with their dogs, they, and not Mr. Llewellyn, are entitled to credit for. And what Mr. Smith, the Messrs. Bryson, Mr. Adams, Mr. Sanborn, Mr. Bergundthal, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Dew and many others have done in this country, they, and not Mr. Llewellyn, are entitled to credit for." — American Field y January 19, 1884. Replying to a Canadian correspondent in the American Field of February 9, 1884, Doctor Rowe writes: "Dominion's assumptions, when brought face to face with facts, furnish striking evidence of the length and breadth of the claims of Mr. Llewellyn and his followers. Every dog that is of any consequence as a field trials performer gets to be a Llewellyn setter. A little investigation through the great mass of 'Llewellyn setter* assumption brings us to a very few commonplace facts." When Mr. L. H. Smith, in the columns of the Turj^ Field and Farm, r. a :: > The English Setter 141 took Doctor Rowe to task he was treated to a three-column reply, from which we take the following: "We have asked how it is that Dan is a Llewellyn setter when he is a Duke-Rhoebe and nothing else; how it is that dogs which are not Duke-Rhoebe can be Llewellyns; and how if Duke-Rhcebe-Laverack equals a Llewellyn, Duke-Laverack, or Rhoebe-Laverack can equal the same thing. The question was asked in all seriousness, and the reply is: 'Your statements are vaporous effusions' — 'You know more about Kentucky widows than about breeding setters' — 'You are a feather-bed sportsman' — 'You are one of those talkative, effervescing little fellows' — 'You are a bottle of soda water.' "We now have another question to ask, and if Messrs. Buckell and Llewellyn cannot answer it, perhaps Mr. Smith can. Admitting that Mr. Llewellyn has a right to the title he claims, that all combinations of Duke- Rhoebe-Laverack are Llewellyns, how can he claim the progeny of Dash IL to be Llewellyns when they have other blood than that to which the so-called Llewellyn breed was limited by the definition .? We can ask a great many other questions as difficult for Messrs. Buckell, Llewellyn and Smith to answer satisfactorily, but we have asked sufficient for the present; when Mr. Smith and his friends answer those which have been asked it will be time to ask the others." — American Field, May lo, 1884. "We repeat Mr. Llewellyn has not any right to the title which he has claimed, and the idea that the term 'Llewellyn setter' has served as the ex- ponent of a principle is absurd. In the first place, as we have said before, Mr. Llewellin was not the originator of the plan of breeding the setters he claims as his own; he borrowed it; Messrs. Statter and Field had bred in the manner Mr. Llewellyn began to breed before Mr. Llewellyn owned any one of the dogs which he afterward bred from. "When we published the letters proposing that the title should be con- ferred on Mr. Llewellyn, we were asked to endorse the claim, which we positively refused to do and did not do for the reason that we did not con- sider Mr. Llewellyn entitled to it, and regarded it as cheap veneer, an imitation of Mr. Laverack." . . . "That we admitted the title to the dogs and styled them by it in our columns is not any more evidence that we endorsed it than that we endorsed it when we published the letters conferring the title. We received several private letters at the time asking if we approved of it, to which we replied we decidedly did not." . . . "The 142 The Dog Book dogs were not then popular (1878), excepting among a few who owned them, consequently there were not those who, although they ridiculed the idea, yet took sufficient interest in the matter to oppose it quickly. The title therefor came into use, and we used it and admitted it into our columns the same as we did and do many other vulgarisms, as for in- stance the term prairie chicken for pinnated grouse." — American Field, April 26, 1884. In the article last quoted from. Doctor Rowe said that Messrs. Buckell and Llewellyn were speculative breeders, by which he meant that they had no staple method, but brought in various outside blood. A correspondent replied to this and said that when he visited Mr. Llewellyn's kennels, in 1875, the dogs were a mixed lot. To his eyes, there were too many extremes in size and quality to show what was being bred for. In 1882 he again visited the kennels and found that there was a vast improvement. The dogs were larger and more of one definite type. Doctor Rowe twisted his correspond- ent's statements to suit what he had previously written and finishes his editorial foot-note to the letter with this sentence : " We know Mr. Llewellyn wrote Mr. A. H. Moore that he sent only his culls to America; that doubtless accounts for the evenness of the dogs described and the unevenness of those we have seen." These were the pertinent and never answered statements of the editor of the most aggressive kennel journal in the country at that time, and they were penned when all the facts regarding the introduction and pedigrees as well as the giving the name were thoroughly well known to readers of kennel and sportsmen's papers. Now, at this late date, when so many of the actors in the events of that period are no more, and others are on the non-combatant list, searchers after truth are misled on every hand and seemingly have no option but to believe what was twenty years pilloried as erroneous and without foundation in fact. Even the American Field itself, regardless of the dictum of its old editor, has switched as the following from its issue of January 7, 1905, clearly shows: "It will be remembered that a protest was made against awarding the special prize of twenty-five dollars, offered by Mr. J. A. Graham for the best straightbred [this is incorrect, there was nothing as to straightbred in the conditions announced regarding the special, simply best Llewellyn setter dog] at the World's Fair to Bracken O'Leck. The matter was referred to the American Field, and it decided that Bracken O'Leck is not a Llewellyn setter, for the very reason that he X,. V- ^ » MR. RIPLINGER'S ENGLISH SETTER BITCH PERA A prominent Eastern winner before bein^- sent to Mr. RipHnger's Seattle kennels 4 Photo by Schreiber MR. RIPLINGER's ENGLISH SETTER ELLOREE Also a leading winner at Eastern dog shows, now at Seattle. Wash. Photo by Schreiber The English Setter 143 has blood in his veins other than the Duke-Rhoebe-Kate-Laverack." Of course, not being confined to those Hnes, he could not be a "Llewellyn." That is true enough, but if his breeding had been within those lines the decision would have been the other way; a way that Doctor Rowe would not have decided it in 1884, when he said Mr. Llewellyn had not a particle of reason to claim the Kate line, even admitting the Duke-Rhcebe-Laverack, which was merely a borrowed idea from older breeders. There is a virtue in choosing your own referee as was done in this case, and that reminds us of a still more sudden reversal of opinions. About 1874 C. J. Foster was supplanted as editor of the Spirit of the Times by Mr. J. H. Saunders, who had had little experience in the then important duty on sporting papers of deciding wagers. The result was that he reversed certain rulings which had for years been taken advantage of by clever betters, who knew that the Spirit decided one way and the Clipper the reverse. One was the value of a certain throw with dice, and this Mr. Saunders changed to the Clipper decision, and the loser came to us about it, as we were then on the paper. Our advice was to follow the ruling of the new editor and have another question referred to the Spirit. And this he did, but in the meanwhile Mr. Saunders had received so many letters calling his attention to the "error" that when the question cropped up next week he went back to the old decision, and the twice loser came in hot haste with the paper containing it. The advice this time was to mark both papers and send them with a note to Mr. George Wilkes, the proprietor, with a statement of the facts. This he did, and Wilkes, knowing the im- portance of this department of the paper, at once sent his check for the hundred dollars, with a strong expression of regret; then he had a talk with Mr. Saunders, and the department was turned over to us to run on the familiar Hnes on all questions, except to formally state that the decision regarding the man and the squirrel in the tree was to be changed, and after that the man never walked around the squirrel, dodging on the opposite side, at least in the Spirit's columns. Had Doctor Rowe been as firm a man as George Wilkes he would have got rid of the term Llewellyn, just as George Wilkes stamped out timing fractions in trotting records. These would be reported in fifths and other fractions, but the office rule was that quarters could alone be used, and every report was changed to conform therewith. Other papers copied the Spirity and sportsmen after that would buy only quarter-second timing 144 The Dog Book watches. To be consistent, Doctor Rowe should have copied Stonehenge and called these setters Dan-Laveracks and altered the term Llewellyn in every published communication, but unfortunately he did not. Points of a Good Seiter The many excellent illustrations we give of dogs known for their good points is a far better education than any supposed-to-be typical drawing. In all dogs there are possibilities of improvement, and in some of our illus- trations of even the best dogs the reader, if he possesses the eye for symmetry and proportion, will be able to detect faults in conformation. They are also vastly superior to attempting to educate by the "standard" alone, however clear the description of what is desirable may be. By taking the standard and looking carefully at the illustrations, point by point, the seeker for light will surely reach the desired end. There have been several standards, more than one having been made to fit certain dogs and foist a totally wrong type of setter upon breeders. Very fortunately, these never met with support, each in turn being dropped, and the one which was lately adopted by breeders and exhibitors of the correct type, is short, concise and readily understood. It is that adopted by the English Setter Club of America : ''Head. — Should be long and lean, with a well-defined stop. The skull oval from ear to ear, showing plenty of brain room, and with a well- defined occipital protuberance. 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 equal length ; flews not to be pendulous, but of sufficient depth to give a squareness to the muzzle; the colour of the nose should be black, or dark, or light liver, according to the colour of the coat. The eyes should be bright, mild, and intelligent, and of a dark hazel colour — 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 clothed with fine silky hair. "Neck. — Should be rather long, muscular and lean, slightly arched at the crest, and clean cut where it joins the head; toward the shoulder it should be larger and very muscular, not throaty, though the skin is loose below the throat, elegant and blood-like in appearance. **Body. — Should be of moderate length, with shoulders well set back. The English Setter 145 or oblique; back short and level; loins wide, slightly arched, strong and muscular. Chest deep in the brisket, with ribs well sprung back of elbows with good depth of back ribs. "Legs and Feet. — Stifles well bent and strong, thighs long from hip to hock. The forearm big and very muscular, the elbow well let down. Pastern short, muscular and straight. The feet very close and compact, and well protected by hair between the toes. " Tail. — The tail should be set on slightly below the line of the back, almost in a line with the back, to be carried straight from the body, a curve in any direction objectionable; should not extend below the hocks when brought down, shorter more desirable, not curly or ropy; the flag or feather hanging in long pendant flakes. The feather should not commence at 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, wavy but not curly. " Symmetry^ Coat and Feathering. — The coat should be straight, long and silky (a slight wave admissible), which should be the case with the breeches and forelegs, which, nearly down to the feet, should be well feathered. "Colour and Markings. — The colour may be either white and black, white and orange, white and lemon, white and liver, or tri-colour, that is, white, black and tan; those without heavy patches of colour on the body, but flecked all over, preferred." Scale of Points Head 20 Tail 5 Neck 5 Symmetry, coat and Body 25 feathering 20 Legs and feet 20 Colour and Markings . . 5 Total 100 CHAPTER VIII Training a Field Dog INNUMERABLE are the books on the subject of training dogs for shooting, yet the general principles are the same that were told more than three hundred years ago. Changes in the method of capture have called for changes in the duties of the dogs used for finding the game, but the ground plan is the same as it was probably four hundred years ago, and since then it is only additional stories of education on the old foundation. The subject is not a complex one by any means and no one method is the Simon-pure to the exclusion of all others. Like the adding of a column of figures, one man does it from top to foot and another goes up the column. It is not the method, but the care exercised in applying the method, which insures in each case the correctness of the total. So also in the training of a dog, each of a dozen books on the subject varies slightly from the others, but all arrive at the same end of obedience inculcated and certain things ac- complished. The education of a child is not attained in a year or two, nor do we expect a neglected child to accomplish solely on account of his age what another gradually educated one can do. We must approach the subject of dog training rationally and with the thorough understanding that while compared with many animals the dog is exceedingly intelligent, he is yet an exceedingly ignorant one when compared with the human family. He is an animal you cannot argue with, nor is it any use telling him why he must not do a certain thing or why he must do something in a certain way. You have to make him do the things required of him in the way desired and check him when he goes wrong till the one way becomes habit, and he knows he will be punished if he does anything else. In these days when well-bred dogs are so exceedingly cheap, it is well to spend a little money in getting the right sort of dog to train, A great many people imagine that because a dog has a pretty good pedigree he must necessarily prove a good field dog. It is the same in dogs as with us, and M7 148 The Dog Book brilliant parents all too frequently have children in no ways their equals, so also well-built parents do not always have equally symmetrical children, though that is the case much more so than in dogs as a rule. Presuming that the would-be trainer is about selecting a puppy upon which to try his skill, and the breeding of a certain litter or dog suits him, as promising good results, then let him satisfy himself that the dog is shaped so that he can gallop with ease and freedom, if of an age to run at speed; or if too young for that, see that he stands straight in front, has good bone, a short back and is well crooked in hind legs. A dog straight behind is almost invariably wrong in shoulders, and anyway if he cannot reach well forward with his hind legs he will prove a poor gallopper. Stress is laid upon formation, because no matter if one sees field trials winners in all sorts of shapes, that is no argument that they do better than if they were better made, or as well. There are plenty of well-made dogs incapable of doing good work in the field just as we find many strong, muscular men quite incapable of continued exertion or of standing severe punishment. We know that certain conformations are not conducive to speed in animals and there is little use selecting a puppy with radical faults in that respect when there are plenty of others in the market. Good health is another necessity, and it will be well to find out that the parents are strong consti- tutioned dogs, vigorous and healthy. A bad constitutioned dog eats poorly and works poorly and should be left alone. In some works on training the first lessons are devoted to a good many simple things which are just as much associated with field work as is the a, b, c a hand-book for a college course. If the setter or pointer has not before he is six or eight months old been taught to come at call or become accustomed to the collar and chain, we may well ask what the dog's owner has been thinking about. "Here, puppy; come, puppy" was the first start in the education of the field dog, just as a-b, ab was the start of the college graduate's education. Training simply consists in the dog doing what he has been ordered to do, the recognition of the man as the director of his ways and one that must be obeyed. Not only must the puppy come promptly to his master when called, but he must get in the habit of obeying him in ways that are not quite as much to his liking, such as being taken for a walk and then ordered home, going to his kennel when so ordered, and all in obedience to order and long before any course of training is taken up. Wearing a collar and leading on chain are plain dog education and not Training a Field Dog 149 connected with field work, but in the case of setters and pointers it is essential that the dog on chain should keep slightly behind his leader. While making him take and keep that position, by switching him on the nose whenever he attempts to get ahead, and using the word "heel," he will become accustomed to that word of usual command for a dog to take up that position and not have to learn anything new. It must be borne in mind that a dog associates a certain sound as con- nected with a certain action. "Heel" is to him nothing but a sound, and a dog used to obey that command will do so equally well if " feel " or " deal " is shouted to him. This is a point that must also be noted in the selection of words of command which should be thoroughly distinct so that the dog will not have to seek for some action to distinguish what is meant. For instance some recommend that in addition to the long established "to-ho" as a command to stop, that for going on should be "go on." One man gives his particular rendering of these two words, and another person taking the dog out might make his "go on" very much of a "to-ho" and confuse the dog, so that the words "hie on," being clearly distinct, are much better and they are in common use. It is almost unnecessary to add that but one phrase only should be used for any one command, for it is not the words that convey the order, that is the meaning of the words such as they are to us, but merely the sound. Presuming that the owner has a puppy of from six to eight months old which he finds to be intelligent and willing, and prompt in obeying orders such as all dogs have to obey, and is desirous of training him for use with the gun, it is necessary to go to work with system, and unless the trainer is possessed of a great deal of patience and is willing to undertake the compelling the dog to do what he is ordered to do without in anyway getting out of temper, he had better not attempt it. It frequently arises that a bold, heady dog is averse to doing exactly what is wanted and in the way it must be done. In order to assert the trainer's absolute supremacy the dog must be made to submit. If once the dog succeeds in defying the trainer and having his own way there is always the danger of that happening again, and the dog must never be allowed to even imagine he has succeeded in defying his master. Herein lies the secret of successful training, and while a dog undoubtedly takes great pleasure in his work, there must ever ^e with him the knowledge that he is doing it as he has been made to do it \d must conform to order. 150 The Dog Book Whether it is advisable to gradually develop the young puppy and at an early age teach him some of the lessons pertaining to the broken dog, is a much discussed question, and those who have trained dogs differ materially in their opinions. We have seen young puppies taught to death, one might say, in yard breaking, as that part of the training is called which precedes the actual field work. Such overtrained puppies far too often lose all self-reliance and are perpetually on the look out for orders by sound or signal, the result of too early training and continual ordering. The natural spirit of the dog should be fostered and the education consist in learning the lesson of strict obedience to order when one is given, and not for the dog to be perpetually depending upon or expecting an order. For that reason many consider that it is better to leave the advanced training lessons till such time as a regular course of instruction can be given at an age when the puppy's mental powers have been well developed and continue the series of lessons till his education is complete. This is feasible and for several reasons, the main one being that the course of training leaves no gaps during which there is likely to be a lapse and part of the work have to be gone over again, in order to bring the pupil up to the requirements of a further lesson. As we have already stated, teaching the dog to come at call or whistle, to wear a collar or to lead on chain without pulling is simple dog education and is applicable to every dog, so that it is not to be considered part of the education of a field dog. There is only one suggestion, however, that should not be overlooked and that is that the use of the whistle should be regulated as are the words of command, and by that we mean one style for each com- mand. Now the most frequent use of the whistle while in the field is that when a dog is wanted to change his course and it is well to make one blast do for that: a simple attracting attention to be followed by the motion for a change of course. It is therefore obvious that to call a dog in, more than one blast should be given even from the first time of calling the dog in that manner. The first field dog training lesson begins with the order to stop and this should be begun with the dog on lead and at heel. Let the trainer when walking stop with the word "to-ho." We advise the use of that word, simply for the reason that it has been the signal used from the very earliest times, has become common and it does as well as anything else, besides it is a good sonorous sound to launch at a dog at a distance. Let this be Training a Field Dog 151 repeated till it seems reasonable that the dog connects the stopping with the word as an order. Then change the ordinary lead for a longer cord and proceed with the walk and the dog at heel. Give the order, accompanied with a wave of the hand, "hie-on," learned in teaching the dog to follow at heel. When he has gone a few strides give him the "to-ho," and if he fails to stop, check him with a sharp tug of the cord, repeating the command sharply. Walk up to him and again send him on, and as before "to-ho'* till he stops at the word, when he must at once be rewarded with some little dainty from the pocket, a few words of praise and a little petting. It need hardly be said that in order to permit nothing to distract the dog's attention this and all other lessons should be given when no other person or dog is anywhere near. As soon as he has successfully obeyed the order two or three times give him a free run and then calling him by signal order him to heel. He is now without the check cord and the next lesson is to be given in that manner. Again he is ordered on and as before, but at a slightly further dis- tance is ** to-hoed." Should he fail to obey he must be called in, rated and made to understand that he has done wrong. Try it again and if he again fails, then apply the check cord and so continue until he has learned the lesson well. This done, go no further for that day, for it is by easy stages only that the desired end can be accomplished. The next day's lesson begins with that already learned and the dog at heel is ordered on wth the accompanying wave of the hand and checked with "to-ho" and there is not likely to be much trouble in getting him to obey. If there is then the cord must be brought into use until he will stop at the word. The next step is to throw a piece of bread or biscuit at the same time ordering ** hie-on," although he is very sure to want to go anyway; still it is as well to let him perhaps think he is going because of the order. Before he reaches the object *'to-ho" him and if he obeys and stops talk kindly to him, with an occasional "steady" and then another *' hie-on" to let him get his reward. Then call him in and pet him with good words. Thus far the dog, having been facing from you, has had to obey the word, and now it is in order to teach him the signal which should accompany that word. To do this the order has to be given when the dog is coming toward you on recall to heel or to come in to you. When about ten yards from you give the "to-ho," at the same time raising the hand, palm toward the dog, a little above the level of the head. If he fails to obey and comes to you, he must be spoken to sharply and taken back to the place where 152 The Dog Book he should have stopped, turned facing you and scolded. Back away from him, holding the hand raised, with the admonition "to-ho" till you have got to your old position. Then call him in and check him again before he reaches you. On no account must this or any other lesson be discontinued till the dog has done what is wanted. Either the dog or you is to be master, and unless he is made to obey he will never acknowledge you as his complete master, but whenever so inclined will do or not as he pleases. Observe that as soon as the dog stops the hand should be lowered. That is an accom- paniment of the vocal order and the order is not repeated if the dog stops. As the dog becomes accustomed to the voice and sign as being the same order he will next be advanced to obeying the sign without the word. Far too many amateur trainers are prone to continual ordering until the ordeal must worry the dog, hence use discretion in the training, teach the dog what you are then doing till he does it, after which gradually restrict the orders, as long as he obeys them, until they are used only when required. It was formerly the custom to almost replace the "to-ho" with the "down charge," the dog dropping prone in his tracks, but that has fallen more or less into disuse. It is true that a dog couched is not so apt to break to shot or wing as a beginner standing and in a better position to spring for- ward, but that is something the dog must be broken from, and if a dog gets too much of the down charge education and drops at commands or signals meant for "to-ho" only, it is not so easy to locate the dog or to see what he is doing if there are weeds or brush where he is. It is something he should be taught, however, as it comes in useful when it is desirable to have the dog get out of sight or to remain down and quite near the shooter in a blind. It was really an order called for by the old time, slow loading-gun, but with the modern breechloader and filled cartridges there is not the necessity to hold dogs up and keep them quiet that existed formerly. Still it is useful at times, is easily taught 'and as it is frequently needed when silence is desirable, it is well to have it thoroughly learned by signal. "Down" is sufficient word of command and means what you want, while "charge" is arbitrary in this meaning. When the dog is perfect in the "to-ho," give him that command when coming to you and but a few paces from you. Walk to him and placing the hand on the shoulders, push him down, with the command "Down." Step back and if he attempts to rise repeat the order sharply and again push him down, giving him a rap with your finger on his nose as you repeat the order. When he has Training a Field Dog 153 learned this he has then to learn the signal. Let him come to you as before, stop him with the uplifted hand, then order "Down" at the same time motioning with the hand. The endeavour here is to get the dog to drop to but one motion of the hand, with head up. This lesson accomplished the finishing one is when the dog is down to motion, to go to him and push his head down on his paws, with the order "Close." The sign motion for this is repeated downward motions of the hand. We thus have the three hand signals in unison and natural in their order and motion. The hand aloft and stationary meaning to stop and stand still, the one downward motion to drop to the ground with head held naturally, and the urgent repe- tition of the downward motion to get closer and stay quiet. Some teach the word "up" as a signal to rise, but that is needless and is better kept for the retrieving lesson. A chirrup or a snap of the fingers will start the dog from his prone position readily enough, or the "hie on" if he is to go forward or the wave of the hand as that signal. So far the education of the dog has been such that it is frequently done before the dog is taken to the field, and is therefore called yard breaking. A yard-broken dog is one that to word or signal will come to heel, go ahead, stop and drop readily and willingly. Some include retrieving as part of the yard breaking, while others leave that till the last and even until the dog has been shot over, believing that it should be the final lesson of all. En- glish dogs are not taught to retrieve, yet can learn, or have learned it after arrival in this country with no great difficulty, and as it is not positively essential toward the proper killing of game over a dog, the owner and trainer can use his discretion in the matter. We will, however, take the subject up now. Admitting that dogs innumerable have been taught to retrieve by early puppy lessons of fetching and carrying, and seeking for a hidden object, we do not accept that as the best way to teach a dog, supposing that at eight months or more he has yet to learn that accomplishment. You doubt- less will succeed if your dog is biddable by adopting the play method of education, but as previously stated, our belief is in the perfecting the dog on the lines of obedience to commands, and as a part of that the badly mis- named "force" system is the one to adopt. It is true you force the dog to obey, and use force if necessary to do so, but we like not the word and use it merely because it has a certain vogue and meaning. The late Arnold Burgess was one of a party who made a great secret 154 The Dog Book of this force system and to read his book on the subject one would imagine it was the taming of a wild animal that he was describing. Burgess was admittedly a good dog man, but any person who advocated as he did the breaking of a dog to the chain by putting a collar on him and for the first time attaching the chain to some building and there leave the dog to fight till exhausted, may be expected to force a dog to fight by his own cruelty to the animal, and in retaliation. With Burgess brute force was more potent than patience and resolution, and he had to fight dogs because he forced them to fight him to begin with. The lesson of retrieving is the crucial test of control of the dog, and for that reason we think it should be deferred till the last so as to have a pupil which has gone through the whole discipline and learned the full lesson of obedience step by step, and has found out that what he is told to do he must perform, whether or no. We fully agree with Mr. Burgess that it is frequently a hard lesson to teach, and further that each step must be taught at one lesson, so as to leave victory with the master and not the dog. Lesson number one consists in making the dog take hold of some object and retain it in his mouth, and the modus operandi is as follows: Take the dog into a room having with you a roll of cloth or an old news- paper rolled so as to be about an inch or more in thickness and six inches long. Back the dog into a corner and make him sit up, while you seat yourself facing him with knees apart so as to fence him in as much as pos- sible. Take hold of the dog's upper jaw as you would to administer medi- cine, that is, pressing the upper lips against the teeth, with the thumb and fingers. Put the roll in front of his nose and give the order " Pick it up," at the same time forcing him by pressure to open his jaws till the roll can be inserted between the open jaws. Keep repeating the order till you get the roll in place, and there must be no let up till you do so. For this reason we deprecate the idea of starting in to make a fight and struggle all over the room to accomplish the object of forcing submission. There was no forcing a fight in the prior lessons of training, and why seek to bring one about in this ? With the dog unable to back away from you, unable to get past you on either side and having a firm hold on his muzzle, he can be held in subjection without fighting him. One can be firm without resorting to cruelty to the dog. The lesson must be continued until he opens his mouth for the insertion of the roll, or at least makes pretense enough to be an acknowledgment that MR. CHARLES PHELP'S ANTONIO Prominent as a sire of successful dogs at field trials Photo by Schreiber ROWDY ROD A well-known winner and member of a great field trials family Pkotc by Schreiber Training a Field Dog i5S he has been compelled to obey. That will do for the first day if the struggle has been a prolonged one, but if not and the mouth opening is readily accom- plished at the "pick-it-up" order, then proceed to make him keep it in his mouth to the order, " Hold." This hardly calls for any instruction, for it would naturally occur to any one that the muzzle is to be grasped while the word "hold" is repeated, and this continued till understood. The second lesson, presuming that the hold has been accomplished, consists first in repetition of what has gone before, and, likely as not, it may be as tedious as the first one, but it will have to last till the first lesson is done well, the pressure on the jaws being applied with force as punishment for refusal to obey. Each succeeding day must the teacher begin at the "pick it up" and proceed as far as the last lesson before going further. Presuming the first two lessons to have been successfully repeated, then hold the roll to one side and give the order. Now if there is one thing impossible for the dog to see in that room it is this roll, so it is very certain that his head will have to be sharply twisted so as to bring the object directly in front of his eyes, when he will probably pick it up to order. He must be tried at the other side and the roll put in various positions for the dog to turn or reach for it. This lesson accomplished with the added "hold" at each test, the next word to be learned is "give" or relinquish hold to allow the roll to be taken from the mouth. This is usually easy to learn, and of course as the dog shows signs of understanding and obeying, he must be made aware of it by pleasant words and an occasional reward, although not to the extent of giving him the idea that it is for the reward he is to get that he does it. The next step is to walk with the dog and drop the roll close in front of him. Stop and order him to pick it up, forcing him to do so if necessary. Then hold your hand and order " Give." Of course if he drops it the lesson must start with the pick up, followed by the hold and then the give. This is a work of patience and need not be gone into in detail, as the general principles governing the subject have already been fully given and they must be applied as necessity arises. When the pick up is done willingly from the floor the next step is to throw the roll a little distance ahead and send the dog for it or take him there as a starter and then send him, gradually increasing the distance, and encouraging and rewarding him for his efforts. Thus far the dog has picked up an object he could plainly see from where he stood and he must now be taken to some place where the object 156 The Dog Book thrown will disappear from view, such as in long grass. With the dog near and facing you throw the roll beyond him, keeping him at *'to-ho'* while you do so. Then with a wave of the hand send him for the roll, giving, when he has started, the command to "find." As he has now to use his nose to locate the object, nothing new and without a known scent should be used, an old roll being the best for this purpose. As you make the placing of the roll more difficult it is well to encourage the dog by assisting in the search, of course not going directly to the object, but looking in sundry places till the right location is finally reached, and with many a good word for his success and patting the dog realises that he has done something of merit, and will naturally try to do so again. Reduce your assisting as soon as possible and do not interfere so as to have the dog rely upon you for assistance, but only when hopelessly at fault give him any clue to the solution. He must be taught perseverance all by himself, for dead birds are hard to find at times. Every effort must be made at this stage to get the dog to use his nose, for upon his ability in this direction much of his future success depends. As an old and thorough sportsman in a sadly depleted shooting section near New York says, "Point, more point, and still more point is what is wanted in a shooting dog where game is scarce. You want a dog that misses no bird." Presuming that the trainer has now got his dog well educated along the lines laid down and has had him out on his walks during which he has been given orders from time to time, and has shown a promptness in obeying that warrants the belief that he may be taken afield, it is well to do so, the dog being taken by himself. The first duty taught in the field is ranging, or changing his direction of running. It is better to let the dog have a good run along the road before entering a field for this lesson, so as to have his romp out. Bring him to heel after his run and keep him there till you reach the desired spot, which should be clear of obstructions or brush so that you can see each other all the time. Send your dog out and when he has gone as far as you think advisable whistle once, and as soon as he looks toward you wave your hand in the direction you wish him to go and yourself follow that direction, which will naturally cause him to take it. As soon as he has straightened out change your course to straight ahead, and when he has gone a proper distance whistle, wave your hand in the opposite direction, moving likewise as before. A dog of intelligence will soon recognise the one whistle as the signal to Training a Field Dog 157 change his course and finally that his proper mode of progression is by diagonals. Too much stress should not be laid upon quartering as an essential in actual work. It is part of the education, the same as a boy is taught arithmetic systematically, and when he is more advanced uses his head in the way of short cuts to reach the desired end. Our game birds are not spread all over the fields as partridges are in turnips in England, but haunt favoured localities. When snipe shooting on marsh lands or pinnated grouse shooting on the prairies ranging is an essential, and as a part of the education of the dog to work to signal it is also essential. In actual shooting the dog should be sent to probable localities for the game sought, and the intelligence of the dog will eventually educate him to the knowledge of the most likely places for game. In all likelihood the youngster will fail to yield the implicit obedience he did to signals he formerly respected, and it is better to let him have a little leeway to begin with, as you want him full of go in his work. Let him have his fling for a little, if he must, rather than curb his spirits. Then when he has had a reasonable time for this exuberance of spirits to evaporate proceed to put in practice some of his signal orders and see that he obeys them. When he appears under control and you know where game is to be found, send him in that direction, keeping him well in hand as you approach the place. You will have taken no gun with you on this occasion. That will come later, the present object being to have him steady to wing and to learn scent and point. As soon as any indication of game is seen, either from your own observa- tion or the dog's action, "steady" him and keep him slightly checked. If the birds flush, "to-ho" at once and try to hold him. Some say to let the dog chase. Why, is not apparent, and the sensible thing is to start the dog right if it can be done. It is not such a grievous offence as to call for punishment, but he should be checked, stopped and brought back to the point where he broke from and admonished to be careful. Then if by any possibility you have marked down any of the birds, work him toward them and use every precaution possible to get him to stand to the birds. Rome was not built in a day, and the puppy is not likely to learn this lesson of his in one day, though he may. Remember, however, that the bolder dog will likely prove the better in the long run and take pains to set him right without getting him cowed. If the dog after two or three trials persists in running in, it will be necessary to use a check cord and use it with the to- ho." It is advisable when the dog stands steady on point, and you go ahead 158 The Dog Book of the dog to flush the bird, to pay every attention to the dog. "Steady" him as you pass him and move slowly and with caution yourself, and finally when the bird flushes, turn at once to the dog with a hand raised warningly and "to-ho" sharply if he is the least unsteady. If he stands staunchly, be lavish with your praise and show that he has done the right thing. Make haste slowly in thus initiating the dog to game, for it is the vital point in the dog's education, and when you feel assured that he is as steady as you can make him, take the gun for the final test. Presumably you have made yourself aware, by letting him hear a gun fired that he is not gunshy and that all your labour has not been expended upon a dog that could never be used. Having secured a point, go forward to flush and shoot to kill. This is rather a trying moment, for the eflFect of the shot on the bird and the sound on the dog have to be noted almost simultaneously. If the bird drops, quickly note the whereabouts and at once turn to hold the dog steady if inclined to break shot, holding him in check by word and signal. If he is steady, then tell him to " find " and go with him so as to be near at hand when he picks up the bird and take it quickly from him, as the first bird must not be mangled in the retrieving. This done successfully, the dog has fully rewarded you for the labour and time spent on his education. What he learns after that is experience, and if he is a stout, willing dog he will continue to improve, using his own intelligence toward perfecting himself, and become a companion you may well be proud of. The last lesson to learn is backing, and this of course calls for another dog. Select a well trained, reliable one and cast him off", followed by the puppy. The old dog will likely make for probable finds from his better knowledge of the habits of the game, and as soon as he is on point call in the puppy, and, taking him toward the old dog, let him see him and then hold him with the "to-ho." Be absolutely sure he sees the other dog on point and that he is steady before going past him to shoot. Keep him steady at the back, then go on, flush and kill. Still holding him steady, send the old dog for the bird. Another way is to get a friend to make use of his dog as the one to be backed, and when the puppy has been made to stand steady let the old dog's owner go on, flush, shoot and send in his dog to retrieve, thus permitting the handler of the puppy to give it his undivided attention. Backing is a lesson which should be taught carefully and thoroughly, as it is something many dogs fail in and displays more than anything, perhaps, the perfectly broken dog. CHAPTER IX The Irish Setter ECOND in popularity of the three varieties of the setter comes the handsome Irish setter or, as it is called in England, the Irish red setter. At one time he was much more popular in this country than of recent years. The run upon the English variety has had its effect on both the Irish and the Gordons. In the land of his name and also in England he is still held in high esteem and valued as a field dog. This may be seen by the large number mentioned in advertisements in those English papers which are used as mediums for the sale of broken shooting dogs. The success of the Irish setter Plunket in English field trials had naturally very much to do with Irish setters being popular here at that time, added as it doubtless was, to what was accomplished in America by the half bred Irish setter Joe Jr., by Elcho out of a native setter. That is nearly thirty years ago now, and for a few years, or up to about 1882, entries of Irish setters were not infrequent at field trials having some claim to prominence. The preponderance of English setters, however, even if the Irish had been every bit as good in the average, led to far greater success on the part of English setters, and the Irish were dropped. It is quite true that votaries of this breed can make up a long list of winning Irish setters at American field trials, but of what class were the trials ? Without going into an accurate investigation to determine the positive numbers, we may say that not far from 90 per cent, of any such tabulation would be found to consist of wins confined to members of the club giving the trials, or to such minor trials as those at Fishers Island, Robins Island, or the Phila- delphia Kennel Club, when the members of the last were more particularly interested in Irish setters. We are not seeking to disparage the Irish setter in making the above statement, but as total figures could be given by way of contradiction to a general statement that Irish setters have not met with much success at field trials in this country, it is better to say that they have won at a num- 159 i6o The Dog Book ber of trials, but the very great majority of these successes were attained at minor trials or in stakes of a restricted character, which precluded the wins taking rank with those obtained by English setters and pointers at important trials in competition open to all. In England the Irish setters run in competition with other breeds and meet with a very fair share of success, and if they were taken hold of here in the same way that the at-one-time discarded pointer was, by men having influence as well as the means to carry out their determination, the Irish setter would stand a chance of regaining favour outside of the sportsmen who still believe in the value of the reds as a useful shooting dog. The history of the Irish setter prior to the nineteenth century is little more than a tradition. The first reference we have come across is that quoted in the article on the spaniel family prefacing the chapter on the Eng- lish setter. This is from "A Treatise on Field Diversions," published originally in 1776, and written by the Reverend Mr. Simons, whose name is not given on the title page, in its place being "By a Gentleman of Suffolk, a Staunch Sportsman." In speaking of the setter, then only the setting spaniel for use with the net, he says: "None can have any just claim, however, to the appellation [of setter] but what is emphatically called by way of eminence the English spaniel. The Irish insist — theirs are the true English spaniel; the Welsh contend — theirs are the aborigines." Some readers might think this a mere figure of speech, but a little far- ther on there is this remark: "A gentleman who resided some time in Wales tells me this is a true description of their finest setters." It is per- fectly proper to assume therefore that at that period there was a variety known as Irish, or at least a variety in Ireland which differed in some respect from the dog in vogue in England and in Wales. We have sub- stantial evidence that the Welsh variety was white, or white and black, and Mr. Simons goes on to say, "Be that as it may, whatever mixtures may have been since made, there were, fifty years ago [that would be about 1725], two distinct tribes — the black-tanned, and the orange or lemon and white." There has never been any suggestion that the setter of Ireland was anything but red or red and white, and we may conclude that the variety specified by Mr. Simons was of that colour. Dalziel in "British Dogs" quotes, from a work we have never seen, entitled, "A Correct Delineation of the Canine Race," published in 1803 by "A Veteran Sportsman," a remark to the effect that setters were more The Irish Setter i6i popular in Ireland than pointers, but quotes no description of colour or appearance. Here, however, is proof of the existence of the "blood red setter" in the Emerald Isle at that period. Colonel J. P. Hamilton pub- lished in i860 his "Reminiscences of an Old Sportsman," and in it we find that he was for two years Inspecting Field Officer of Yeomanry in the South of Ireland, and "in 1805" had some excellent woodcock shooting in the County of Carlow. That sets us right as to the date. Then in a chapter on spaniels and setters we find this statement: "In Ireland the setter is called the English spaniel, having been originally brought from England. I had one of these dogs, which I purchased at Waterford, it was a blood red setter and certainly was beautiful in appearance . . . but I shall hereafter mention his extraordinary instinct in finding his way over the Welsh mountains back to Milford Haven, where I landed." Without this last, seemingly irrelevant statement, we should have had no positive evidence that the purchase was made in 1805. The promised anecdote is given in a chapter on "The Instinct of Dogs," and begins as follows: "Many years ago, when on the staff in Ireland I purchased at Waterford a very handsome blood-red setter. In a few days I embarked in the packet which sailed from Waterford to Milford Haven with my dog." Here we have the connecting link as to 1805 being the date. The story is, that the dog was taken inside of a coach for a distance of fifteen miles over a rough mountainous country, and that, making his escape from the house to which he had been taken, he found his way back on the same night to the wharf at Milford Haven. That is to us an immaterial point. What is worthy of notice is that the dogs in question were acknowledged as of English origin by the common name of English spaniels, and that the blood red colour must have been not uncommon, for it is merely specified that this particular setter was "one of them" — the ordinary English spaniel, as they were called. Corroborative evidence as to the name of English spaniel for the setter in Ireland and also as to colour is to be found in a foot note in Daniel's "Rural Sports" (London, 1807). The note is as follows: "Mr. Thornhill describes the Irish setter, termed English spaniels, as bringing very high prices when of peculiar breeds. The colours of these choice sorts are deep chestnut and white, or all red, with the nose and roof of the mouth black. He mentions a gentleman in the North of Ireland who once gave to his tenant for a dog and bitch of this kind the renewal of a lease of a i62 The Dog Book farm, which, had the lease expired, would have cleared to the landlord above two hundred and fifty pounds per annum." It is worth noticing that the parti-coloured setter is not in this case described as red and white, but as chestnut. The colour of the Irish setter of the present day is frequently likened to that of horse chestnut at the time the burr opens and the nuts first show in their nest. But chestnut is a rather variable description, for the chestnut horse is of quite a light colour compared with a large part of the nut, which is more "bay" in the main. Quite recently we had the good fortune to pick up a little paper-bound book published by a resident of Montgomery, Ala., prior to the Civil War, in which appear two of the late Frank Forester's sketches. They were written some time before for a paper, which ceased publication before they could be used, and they were given to Mr. Johnson J. Hooper to make what use he liked of them and at last saw daylight. The period set for the sketch entitled "The Yorkshire Moors" must have been about 1825, for it begins thus: "It is now well nigh thirty years since my first day on the Yorkshire moorlands." The date of entry of the book in the clerk's oflnice of the United States Court is 1856, and as the sketch had been written some time prior, the "thirty years" take us very readily to 1825. Forester's recollection is further reinforced by his saying that he was then about eighteen years of age and was in the sixth form at Eton, and as Forester was born in 1807 that checks the date. His real name was William Henry Herbert and his father was the Dean of Manchester. He was also a grandson of the Earl of Carnarvon. The old gamekeeper had started for the moors two days before, leading a pony laden with panniers and four brace of dogs. The description of these dogs begins with: "Cynthia and Phoebe, a pair of orange and white silky Irish setters, with large soft eyes and coal black muzzles, feathered six inches deep on the legs and stern." Orange and bright chestnut are not so very dissimilar and, being shades of red, would be called red by many people. This question of colour was a burning one sixty years later when classes were given for both the self-coloured and the red and whites at Irish shows, and this distinction was also made at the early American shows. Literature regarding the early Irish setter is most diflficult to procure, and although we have read innumerable books that gave somes light promise of even a passing mention, the result has been most unsatisfactory. The The Irish Setter 163 next note we came across was in "Sporting," edited by that well known writer "Nimrod," who was about as good an all-round sportsman as England produced during the first half of the last century = "Sporting" was issued in 1837, and in it we found one brief paragraph to the effect that the Irish setter was red and white. Mr. Laverack's Statement As a contemporary of "Nimrod" we have Mr. Laverack who, as In the case of the English setter, was the first writer to give us any definite infor- mation regarding this variety. Mr. Laverack had good knowledge of all setters from a very early period of the nineteenth century and condensed much information into small compass: "Perhaps there has been no greater controversy than on the merits of the Irish setter. When pure and thoroughly broken, they are an admir- able and excellent breed of dogs, being possessed of great powers of endur- ance and speed. So highly do I value the true blood belonging to the Irish that I have visited Ireland four times for the express purpose of ascertain- ing where the pure blood was to be found, with a view of crossing them with my Beltons. " I very much regret to say that after all my trouble and efforts, I found that this fine and magnificent old breed had degenerated, owing to the carelessness and negligence of the Irish in not keeping it pure. "I believe it Is admitted by some of the leading sportsmen in Ireland, among whom I may name John King of FIrbane, Colonel White of Newton Manor, near Sligo, and others, that there Is scarcely any breed now to be relied upon for purity. 'Sixty-one,' an Irishman, and who probably knows Ireland and the breed of setters as well as any one, does not, I am told, hold them in the highest estimation= As far as my own researches and observation go, the late John La Touche, of Harrlstown, possessed this breed In its greatest purity. "One of the best specimens of the Irish setter I ever saw was In the possession of Rowland Hunt, of Leicestershire, who has the Braemore shooting, Caithness. This dog, he informed me, he purchased at the late Marquis of Waterford's sale. Another magnificent specimen I saw at Cockermouth Castle, Cumberland, belonged to the late General Wyndham. Both these dogs were blood red with a dark shade on the tips of their coats. 164 The Dog Book The one I saw at Cockermouth Castle I consider, without any exception, to have been the most magnificent specimen of an Irish setter I ever saw. The General informed me that when he commanded the troops in Ireland he saw and shot over the best specimens of this breed and stated some were excellent, others worthless. The dog alluded to, he told me, was made a present to him by an Irish nobleman, whose name I have forgotten. This dog was very long in head, particularly low, very oblique in shoulders, v;heeled or roach backed, very deep and broad in the chest, remarkably wide behind the shoulders, and very short in the back and legs, more so than any Irish setter I ever saw. He had an immense profusion of coat, with a tinge of black on the tips of his ears. " I should have bred from this dog but for the following reasons, and I think I was right: no one was ever able to break him, and his stock were frequently black. Rowland Hunt's dog also got black puppies occasionally, evidently denoting that there must have been a black strain in the breed. "Captain Cooper's Stella, a sister to his Ranger, who obtained the first prize at Birmingham and Dublin, also occasionally throws black puppies. Notwithstanding this strain of black in the breed, the best and most perfectly formed Irish setters I have ever seen had this stain or tint of black, which I should never object to, although I am well aware many of the most eminent Irish breeders state that they ought to be without any tint of black whatever in their coats. "As far as I have seen and been informed, for general goodness and working properties, those possessing this tint of black have been quite as good, if not better, than those without it. "Mr. Shorthose's Irish setter Ben, blood red with a tinge of black, who has obtained upwards of forty prizes at exhibitions, gets a proportion, of black puppies. "My firm belief is that no Irish setter exists without throwing back occasionally to black. I can understand breeders preferring the blood red, without this tinge of black, and retaining the blood red in preference, but my idea is that those having a tinge of black are the better dogs, although the colour may be objected to. "There is another colour of Irish setters, blood red and white, quite as pure, indeed some people maintain of greater antiquity and purity of blood than the blood red. Both the blood red and the blood red and white will throw each colour, evidently denoting they are of the same strain. The Irish Setter 165 "I think the handsomest blood red and white Irish setters I ever saw were in the possession of the two Misses Ledwidge, of Beggarsbush, near Dubhn. Stella, the dam, and two sons, named Old York and Young York. Stella, although blood red and white, was the dam of Mr. Dycer's blood red setter Dan, well known in his day for his goodness. This dog was sire of Captain Hutchinson's Bob. Miss Ledwidge informed me that she possessed this breed for half a century or more, and Mr. La Touche's keeper at Harristown, when I visited his kennels there, pointed out a blood red and white setter as the best he had. I believe the Misses Ledwidge's kennel was as pure as any in Ireland. I was told they originally came from the Butler family. [A reference to the Butler dogs will be found in the article on the Gordon setter, — Ed.] "Another, and one of the best breeds, which have probably been kept as pure as any in Ireland, are those of the Hon. David Plunket and Lord Freyne of Coolavin, County Sligo. "Of the two colours, blood red and blood red and white, I admire the latter the most, they being in my opinion the handsomer of the two. Mr. Barton, County Wicklow, had a large kennel of the blood red and whites, and there are doubtless other breeds in Ireland considered as pure as those named. "As far as my experience goes of those I have seen worked, there are few, if any, setters more valuable for general utility than the Irish, provided you can get a sufficiency of point, but I am sorry to write it, the major part are deficient in this requisite, and not to be relied on, but when they have it they are admirable dogs. "Those I have seen were rather light, if anything too light in head, wanting a little squareness about the nose and lip; their ears are too high set on the head, being often on a line with the skull, which gives them a prick-ear appearance. A thin, spare, lathy body in general, and, in my opinion, too long on the legs. Their shoulders are generally well placed, low and oblique, with a drooping stern, coat rather harsh, more harsh and wiry than that of the English setter, neither is it so bright and silky; temper obstinate, fiery and impetuous, which detracts from the major part of the breed, but still there are exceptions, and notwithstanding some people say they never saw a good Irish setter, I have, although rarely; but when they are really good they are a first class dog, none better. "I should probably have crossed with some of the above named dogs, but on consideration I was afraid of their acknowledged insufficiency of point." i66 The Dog Book Stonehenge's Description Stonehenge very fortunately inserted in his first edition of "The Dogs of the British Islands" (1867), and also in the second edition (1872), a number of letters which had appeared in the Fields regarding Irish setters. The main controversy seems to have been as to the colour of the Simon pure article, but interspersed throughout the letters there is a fund of infor- mation as to what was known to the correspondents, whose knowl- edge extended back for upwards of fifty years in some cases. We will however first of all give Stonehenge's description of an Irish setter, a description we have never seen equalled in faithfulness to the correct type, and it should be studied by those who persist in placing English setter bodied and shaped dogs in the prize list at our present day shows. "We suggested, when describing the Gordon setter, that the black- tan came from Ireland. That opinion has been corroborated [With this we do not agree. — Ed.]; but the blood-red or rich chestnut, or mahogany colour, the deep rich red — not golden, nor fallow, nor yellow, nor fawn, but deep, pure blood red — is the colour of the Irish setter of high mark. This colour must be unmixed with black, and tested in a strong light, there must not be black shadows or waves, much less black fringe to the ears or to the profile of the frame. There are good Irish setters nearly white, red and white, black-tan, or intimately crossed with black-tan, and in the last case showing the distinctive markings of the cross in the black tipping of the coat, which Irish judges consider a very great fault in colour. "The head should be long and light, the cranium large, the brow well developed and projectingy and the sparkling hazel eye, full of fire and animation, will carry off^ the appearance of sullenness or bad temper. The ears should be long, set low, moderately wide, tapering toward the base, and the edges should be very moderately fringed. "The Irish setter is rather more 'on the leg' than the English dog. His ribs are a little more hooped. His brisket is very deep. In his back ribs he is a little deficient, and he might be improved in that respect. His loin is very strong, though his quarters are drooping; but his thighs ^and hocks, which are powerful, make up for this defect. "His feet are round, hard and well protected by the sole and feather. His stern is rather straighter than that of the Gordon or English breeds^ and the feather longer, but yet comb-like and flat, and of good quality. ■^'^^^^^ HUTCHlNSON'b BOB The first prominent dog-show winner in England and Ireland MACDONA'S KUVEK Litter brother to Plunket, and as prominent on the bench as Plunket was in the field The Irish Setter 167 "The whole aspect of the Irish setter denotes gameness, courage, speed, endurance, intelligence and talent." Stonehenge specifies the following as the best known strains: La Touche, O'Connor, Coats, Lord De Freyne, Sidwell, Eyers, Lord Water- ford, and Captain Hutchinson. The Colour of Various Strains Turning now to the letters referred to we will extract such information as is historical. Mr. John Walker started the discussion with a letter written in January, 1866, in which he questioned the correctness of the claim that the Irish setter should be blood red, although he had hitherto been of that opinion. He quotes from an unnamed old friend with forty or fifty years experience with the breed, to the effect that the oldest and purest strains had a touch of black and that it did not come from the Gordons. Captain Hutchinson and Colonel Whyte responded, having been named by Mr. Walker as two whom he would like to hear from. The former affirmed that the true colour was a "very deep, rich blood-red" and said he felt certain that Mr. La Touche would agree with him, "he being once a breeder of the finest coloured red setters in this country, and one of whose red dogs sold for the very large sum of ;^73 lOs. by public auction in Dublin." Colonel Whyte supplied the following: "The French Park breed was, in former times, celebrated for its purity. After the death of the first Lord De Freyne, I attended a sale there, and, of course, did not neglect the kennel, but was much disappointed, finding them a worn-out, and apparently a degenerated lot. I asked particularly to be shown one that could be warranted of the pure old race, and they pointed out a bitch that, if I recollect right, was not to be sold. She was a low but strong animal, with very little feather, extremely dark red, almost mahogany colour; dark mark down her back; dark tip to her ears and dark muzzle; no white about her anywhere. "In contradistinction to this I remember some twenty-five years ago two kennels, then much celebrated for their breed — Lord Forbes's and Mr. Owen Wynne's of Hazlewood. These animals in no way resembled the French Park bitch; they were higher on the leg and rather lighter in the rib, but powerful, wiry, active dogs, by no means very dark in colour, and showing a good deal of white about the face, chest and fore legs. I never saw i68 The Dog Book Lord Forbes's but once, and that was in the kennel. Mr. Wynne's I shot over several times — they were tremendous goers, but unsteady and headstrong." Colonel Whyte expressed his preference for a light built, muscular dog "lighter in the ribs than most people would approve of, but great loins and the hind legs of a hare. A longer, lighter, but a more lengthy and supple animal than prize awarders approve of, but one that has the prime qualification of going as lightly over the heather as a cat, and winding through the tussocks as quietly as a weasel." Mr. Walker responded with some information received from Captain Willis, who had procured from an Irish officer named McClintock a setter with black-tipped ears presented to McClintock by the late Marquis of Waterford. At this stage of the discussion a very well known personage who used the pseudonym of "Sixty-one" threw a bombshell into the camp by declaring that, having known Irish setters for fifty years, he was in a position to state that both blood red and blood red and white were correct; that black lines or tips were stories for the marines; that Irish setters were worthless, except a black and white breed of Captain Butler's and a black and white, with a little tan, owned by the Marquis of Ormonde; that he had found Irish setters had neither pace, nose, courage nor endurance, and for that reason had given them up. This onslaught evoked an excellent letter from Mr. Harry Blake Knox, who stated that he had known and bred Irish red setters for many years. He seems to have been the first to give this name of Irish red setters to the breed, a name still in use in Ireland and England. He very sensibly said that every mongrel setter was known as an Irish setter and that the addition of "red" was necessary to specify this particular variety, which he then described at length, being particular to decry black in every way, whether in the coat or on the nose, admitting white only in the centre of the forehead or centre of breast. In particular reply to the charge of in- capacity made by "Sixty-one," he asked, "Why on earth do we keep red dogs if they are worthless?" and claimed that for the arduous work connected with shooting in Ireland this breed was "the only dog for Ireland." The La Touche Setters Captain Hutchinson followed with a letter giving the following extract from a communication from a member of the La Touche family: "I have The Irish Setter 169 known the points of the Irish setter all my life. The original red Irish setters were a breed of dogs belonging to Mrs. La Touche's grandfather, Maurice O'Connor, Esq., of Mount Pleasant, King's County, and which family took great pride in them. Such a thing as a black hair would be scouted among them, nor were black tips to the ears or to the feathering ever thought of; it plainly shows a cross with another breed. The O'Connor setter is of blood-red colour — certainly of a purer and deeper red than is seen in the coat or fur of any other animal; a little white is not objected to, and of late years there were more red and white dogs bred. It was considered more convenient, as they were more easily seen out shooting, but Mr. O'Connor always preferred a pure red dog. He gave some to Mr. Robert La Touche of Harristown, County Kildare, and thus it was he became possessed of the breed. I remember the dogs and the traditions and rules about them from my earliest childhood, and I can certify that a black hair, or a black-tipped hair, was never seen among them; but I do remember that about twenty years ago a female of the O'Connor setter breed was given away, and afterwards crossed with a black and tan setter. I recollect that of the puppies some were pure red, others pure black and tan, but the red with black tips may have afterwards resulted from this cross. I never saw a red setter with a dark stripe down the back, or any darker colour about him than a rich blood-red, and my recollection extends over thirty- five years." Colonel Whyte again joined in the controversy and gave some good information as to old owners. "It appears to be pretty generally con- ceded," he writes "that the earliest recorded and most celebrated kennel of these dogs was that of Lord Dillon, great grandfather, I believe, to the present lord. There were, however, several others of great repute, but supposed, whether true or not, to have descended from Lord Dillon's. Of these, perhaps. Lord Clancarty's ranked highest, but Lord Lismore's and the French Park were much thought of. The purity of the Maurice O'Connor dogs is a moot point, some looking back to them with much respect, others, and good authorities too, denying that they were ever the real thing. "The dogs of the Dillon breed are said to have been powerful, wiry, active dogs — some red, some red and white; but that the latter colour showed only on face and chest, not much of it; the coat with a slight wave, but no curl whatever. They were headstrong in temper, without much 170 The Dog Book innate point, and rather deficient in nose, as they are to this day, and never to be broken in the first season, and very often not till the third; but that then, their temper taming down, and their sagacity improving by experience, they often become most admirable dogs. Their constitutions were so vigorous that they lived to a great age, and were serviceable even up to the thirteenth or fourteenth years. None of the authorities which I have consulted will admit of a pure descendant of the old race having a black stain; they consider it as undeniable proof of a cross. "There were also two other well established breeds in Ireland — one smaller and lighter in all ways than the red. These had better noses and were more tractable, and it is supposed that it is from a cross with them that the black and tan arises. I have seen some of these dogs myself; they were good but not handsome animals. The last I saw was with Lord Howth, and he was very fond of them. The other breed — the white and red [This is different from the red and white and was a setter mainly white, with red splashes. — Ed.] claims equal antiquity with the red, and many consider them to have been as good as the red in all respects and superior in point of nose. I have seen these dogs, magnificent in appearance and excellent in the field, but have not met them lately, though no doubt they are to be found. I know they were highly thought of eighty or ninety years ago, because a certain General White — a grand uncle of mine, who died about 1802, and was, perhaps, one of the first Englishmen who ever took a moor in Scotland — used to bring his setters from Ireland, and I have heard my father say that the General's favourite breed was the white and red; in fact, I distinctly remember seeing some of the descendants. These dogs were, and are still more or less curly." Here might be ground for Stonehenge's claim of Irish in the Gordons if we could connect General Whyte and the Duke of Gordon in any exchange, for a red and white dog was included in the Castle sale of 1836. It will not be out of place here to recall the extract made from "Nim- rod's" "Sporting," which was quoted in Part II, wherein he described having seen the old Flintshire Squire netting partridges with a leash of red and white setters. Also to point out, before leaving this discussion as to colour, that Mr. Laverack drew particular attention to a blood red and white setter hav- ing been shown him by the keeper at the La Touche kennels as the best he had. Also that the grand-dam on the sire's side of Captain DR. WM. JARVIS S IMPORTED SIGNAL Photograph taken on game in South Carolina CHA.MliuN RUbL-CHAMPlON ELCHu No photograph of these celebrities is in existence, tliis being a repruiiuction of fopes illustratiun of typical Irisli Setters The Irish Setter 171 Hutchinson's Bob was a red and white bitch in the Misses Ledwidge's kennels, a fact not mentioned by Captain Hutchinson or by Mr. Knox, who owned a brother to Bob. What seems to be very clearly demonstrated is that the setter in Ireland at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and for fifty years after that, was much in the same condition as the setter in England, where owners bred along lines of their own fancy and created strains. Finally, with the advent of dog shows and the opportunities for comparison, came the process of concentration on the best looking and most attractive dog, with the dropping out of the others. In Lee's "Modern Dogs" (London, 1893), there is a long communication from Mr. W. C. Bennett, of Dublin, "who has made this variety a hobby." Mr. Bennett in turn obtained his information of old times from Mr. Mahon, of Galway, then eighty years of age; from Mr. John Bennett, of King's County, and from Mr. John G. King, also of King's County. There is nothing very new in the information given. All agree that at an early date the parti-coloured red and white dog, or more properly speaking the white and red dog, was not only more numerous, but a better field dog. The evidence given regarding the O'Connor strain is that it was red. Mr. King states that a gamekeeper once brought him a self-coloured dog as a rarity. Mr. King also states that the ladies Mr. Laverack mentions as the Misses Ledwidge were the Misses Ledwell, though it was sometimes erroneously pronounced Ledwich. He further states that he saw Miss Ledwell shortly after the visit of Mr. Laverack, who, she said, wanted to take her dog to England to cross with his strain, but she refused to lend or sell the dog. The Early Show Setters Of the early Irish setters we know by name in connection with shows the most prominent was Captain Hutchinson's Bob, a wide fronted, thick shouldered dog, and described on one page by "Idstone" as a Suffolk cart- horse and cumbrous, and a little farther on as "good all over, formed in exact proportion, and with substance as well as symmetry." The reader can make his choice as to which description may be correct. His colour was perfect and he was free from white. Soon after that Mr. Macdona brought out Plunket at the field trials and did great things with him. The best description of this famous dog is from the pen of " Idstone," 172 The Dog Book who wrote as follows: "This setter is not of the deep red I have described, but — and this is of more importance — he is of the correct formation, conse- quently he is a high ranger, quick in his turns, light in his gallop, with a thorough command in action, enabling him to pull up and finish in style. He is narrow in front, with a capital forehand, a fine lean head, a full hazel eye, a large liver nose and nostrils, which expand when they catch the wind. He has the long taper neck, the broad back, the ragged hips, the strong hind-quarters, the firm small foot, the long muscular thighs of the genuine Irish setter, suitable for the rough sporting of his native island, or the Scotch mountains and granite boulders, and though not of that rich red which you see on the thoroughbred chestnut, as, in the highest condition, he takes his canter before the stand at Epsom on a May morning, in the sun, or the stain of the red beech leaves in early autumn, or the burnt sienna- like tint of an old Scotch fir, or of that deep red ochre sand which you come upon fresh turned up in some Berkshire lane (and not one of these illustra- tions gives a thorough notion of the Irish setter red, as I could desire to give it), you have in him and his class the quality, the pace, endurance and style which, to my mind, are to be obtained in few others of what I consider the best dogs for the moor and the gun." Dr. Jarvis on His Specialty The name of Dr. William Jarvis of Claremont, N. H., is so associated with the Irish setter in this country that to omit securing from him some information or comments on the breed would have been an oversight akin to the proverbial omission of the prince in " Hamlet." In response to a re- quest for a contribution from his pen we received much more than we had any reason to hope for, and with infinite satisfaction we find space for his communication, full as it is of information and opinions based upon intimate knowledge of his subject. "Perhaps no other breed of shooting dog has caused such a war of words as to colour, form and quality. Some have asserted that the frame of the Irish dog is modelled much like the best English specimens, and that his coat is of the same texture, the only difference in the breeds being in colour, while others say he has a coarser coat and is more bony and mus- cular than his English cousin. There is no breed known that produces a thoroughly typical specimen every time — I was about to write a perfect The Irish Setter 173 specimen, but anything of that nature is so exceptional that to use the word would obscure my meaning. That Irish setters have been, are and always will be framed after the English model is perfectly true, but that by no means proves that the type of the two varieties is similar, any more than the variations of the English setter towards the Irish type would prove that that is correct for the English. " The typical Irish setter stands a little higher than either the English or Gordon setter and is very blood-like or thoroughbred in appearance. His head is long, lean, narrow, high over the forehead and prominent at the occiput, the muzzle of good length, the lips deep but not too pendulous. There should be a well defined and cleanly chiselled stop; the ears should be set low and lightly feathered, hanging closely to the head, and reaching, when extended, nearly to the end of the nose, which should be dark in colour; a light flesh-coloured nose, though possessed by some dogs of good breeding, is by no means desirable. The eyes should be hazel or rich brown, not a gooseberry colour; soft and gentle when at rest, but full of fire and animation when aroused. The neck long, lean, clearly defined where it joins the head and set well into a pair of sloping shoulders. Elbows well let down, forelegs straight and feet well supplied with hair between the toes and with thick sound pads. Chest deep, rather narrow in front, but with plenty of lung room; ribs well sprung; loin arched and strong; stifles well bent and thighs broad and muscular. The hips are somewhat ragged but indicative of great power. A tail of moderate length tapering to a point and carried with no twist or curl. The coat should be short and flat, but soft to the touch and like spun silk where it extends into what is technically called feathering. "The colour of the Irish setter is like the red of polished mahogany, with no yellowish cast, but 'In gloss and hue the chestnut, when the shell divides three-fold to show the fruit within.' This red, which may vary from a bright shade to a deep rich hue, belongs exclusively and by right of inheritance to the Irish setter, and excepting a little white that appears occasionally on the head, chest or feet of many good specimens, is the only legitimate colour. "The statement that as a breed they are more difl&cult to control than other setters that have made their variety famous at field trials, or that they train later in life, is contrary to my experience, and I have owned, bred and shot over Irish setters on all varieties of feathered game North and South since 1868. Besides which, here are potent facts of record to the 174 The Dog Book contrary: Coleraine was only twelve months old when she won the English Kennel Club Setter Derby; Aveline, the beautiful, was but fourteen months when she was second in her Derby, and Signal but sixteen months when he made his great record of first puppy, second St. Leger, fourth Irish All-Ages Stakes, and ran the great setter Fred (winner of Third Grand All-Ages Stakes), at the Irish Grouse Trials, such a heat that Fred's handler said at its conclusion: 'I shall always have a great regard for Signal, and both fit and well, should like to see them draw^n together again. He is the best dog Fred has ever met. His son, Young Signal, was but sixteen months when he was second in the St. Leger Stakes, second All-Ages Stakes (for all breeds) and third in the Irish All-Ages Stakes at the Irish Grouse Trials of 1893. "Dr. J. H. Salter, who judged the Irish Grouse Trials in 1889, was certainly surprised at what he saw at the trials, where some of the best English setters and pointers competed, for he wrote as follows : ' It has cer- tainly done one thing, and that is to establish the Irish setter, when properly broken and handled, as equal, if not superior to the best English setters and pointers. For pace, endurance, cleverness and game finding sense give me an Irish setter such as Henmore, Sure Death and Mac's Little Nell.' Corroborative of that is this extract from the l^ondon Field: 'To Sure Death would undoubtedly have gone the Champion cup, had she not been so hard run. How she went over the ground even in the earlier part cf her last course, after running during the last three days no fewer than ten trials, some of which were prolonged ones, must have been seen to be believed. We fancy she is even faster than Mac's Little Nell; her style is smart and clean; she knows where to look for birds and possesses a fine nose. We do not expect to find such a prodigy as a dog that can gallop around her or take the outside beat.' "Mr. Rawdon B. Lee in 'Modern Dogs' (and Mr. Lee has been the London Field kennel reporter for years now), writes: 'When properly and perfectly trained, the red setter has shown us that no variety can beat him. I should not conscientiously say that from what I have observed in his work of late years, and I have seen all the best dogs run, that the Irish setter is as dashing, as energetic, as stylish as the best English dog I ever saw. I believe he will, as a rule, do a long and hard day's work better than any other breed of setter. His stamina is extraordinary, and the shooting man who has a wide expanse of moor upon which birds are scarce Photograph taken on game in North Carolina IMPORTED HEN MORE SHAMROCK A dog of an excellent field-ttials strain The Irish Setter 175 and require a great deal of finding, and the walking is arduous, can find no better dog for the purpose than a properly trained and staunch red setter. Such a dog will work hard all day and not give up in disgust about noon because he has failed to locate more than an old bird or two. I shall never forget that big strong dog Wrestler that ran in the Irish Trials of 189 1. Each morning he followed, or rather preceded the cars during the long ten miles drive to the moors, on his way racing over the fields and enclosures, and indeed doing an ordinary day's work before the trials commenced, and when he did run his first heat he was even then too wild. No Laverack or Gordon setter would have been allowed to do this, and it must have proved too much even for those untiring liver and white little dogs to which allusion has previously been made in the article on English setters.' Wrestler, although defeated in the Grand All-Ages Stakes by the famous English setter Fred at the English Trials of 1891, won the prize for second best of any breed, and later on had his revenge by defeating Fred, among others, and winning outright the International All-Ages Stakes at the Irish Grouse Trials. "To come nearer home, we have that well known artist-sportsman, the late J. M. Tracy, in his article on setters and pointers in 'Shooting on Upland, Marsh and Stream': 'The very best field dog I ever saw was an Irish setter. For those who shoot a great deal, and work the same dog on a great variety of game, there is no dog like a good Irish setter.' "Is it not strange in view of what has been done abroad and the good opinions so many hold in this country that the Irish setter has not been more conspicuous in our field trials, and stranger still that he has absolutely disappeared from public competition. But before condemning the breed in its entirety on that account it is well to remember that there are probably one hundred English setters and pointers bred in this country to one Irish setter, and that the proportion of dollars spent is still greater. Given any- thing like an even chance, such as there is to be obtained abroad and has been at some trials in this country in former years, the Irish setter has generally rendered an account of himself that lovers of the breed have felt proud of. Early Importations "That we have imported some of the very best blood cannot be denied, but something beyond that is necessary to bring them to the front in this country. The records prove that they can win if properly selected, trained 176 The Dog Book and handled [fairly judged ought to be added. — Ed.] notwithstanding their being so far outnumbered. Among the earlier importations were Erin and Loo 11. by Mr. Charles H. Turner of St. Louis, the former winning the Greenwood Plate Stakes for Irish setters and first in Brace Stakes with an English setter at the Tennessee Trials in 1876. Loo IL when bred to Elcho, another importation to the West, produced Champion Berkley, second in Open Puppy Stakes at Hampton, Iowa, 1879. Prior to that, how- ever, the late E. F. Stoddard, of Dayton, Ohio, had imported Bob, Duck and Friend, names which appear in many pedigrees when carried back to the old days. Friend won the open Champion Stakes at Sauk Centre, Minn., in 1878, beating among others such pronounced good dogs as San- born's Nellie, of the best field trials strain of the day, also the pointers Ranger and Countess Royal. In the East in the following year an Irish setter but nineteen months old won second in the All-Ages Stakes of the East- ern Field Trials Club. The reds also won First Puppy Stakes the following year and the Members' Stakes in 188 1 and 1884. An Irish setter divided the Members' Stakes at Grand Junction, Tenn., and at Fairmount, Minn., in 1882; one divided fourth in the Derby, while Champion Biz did the same in the All- Ages and defeated the great Count Noble in one of his heats; and Patsy D. divided second with the famous Lillian in the (Free- For- All) Western Field Trials, 1885. His defeat by Trinket's Bang, winner of first, 'was attributed more to his trainer and handling than to himself,' owing to the fact that he was trained to flush his own birds. "At the Fisher's Island, Philadelphia Kennel Club and New Jersey Kennel Club trials the Irish setters always played a prominent part, and at these trials conditions were equal as to the fancies of the owners as between English and Irish and pointers. Last year a show winner with only the slightest training was started at the Indiana Club Trials and was placed fourth, while the Members' Stakes of the International Club Trials went to an Irish setter. As only Irish setters competed at the Irish Setter Club Trials, reference to those are omitted, but it must not be forgotten that they brought out some very good dogs, and it is to be deplored that those meetings have been discontinued. Irish Field Trials Winners Abroad "Still we must look abroad to secure the telling facts regarding the ability of the Irish setter in field competition, and we must continue to do The Irish Setter 177 so just so long as the prejudice or animosity against them in this country continues to exist. Let the reader put himself in this position for a moment. Suppose he wanted to import a dog suitable for almost any work a setter is called upon to perform, and with a view of a run in a field trials meeting if all went well. He would naturally turn to the foreign sources of infor- mation and he would find such facts as I am now about to give. "The first Irish setter to gain prominence in field trials was Plunket, a dog placed on a very high level by that eminent authority Stonehenge in summing up the merits of all the field trials winners up to 1878. 'Ranger may be classed Ai among field trials winners in a quintet including Drake, Countess, Dash II. and Belle; the Irish setter Plunket approaching them very nearly, but not quite reaching their level.' Later on he says regarding the great Dan, the half — or quarter is it — foundation of the Llewellyns: *I have no hesitation in placing him below the first class; but possibly he is entitled to rank in the second along with Plunket and his son and daughter. Kite and Music (Irish), together with Kate, Rex and Lang (Gordons).' Thus we have of the 'Old Guard' of field trials performers, three Irish named in the list of twelve best performers, with but one pointer in the lot. "Subsequent to that summing up we had 'the beautiful' Aveline, as she was called; she has been already referred to and the story of her great work need not be repeated. Airnie, by a son of Frisco out of a daughter of Cocksure, won the Puppy Stakes at the English K. C. Trials, and by defeating a pointer became the winner of the Derby; second, third and fourth in the Puppy Stakes also going to the Irish. Airnie was also second at the National Trials; second in the St. Leger Stakes and Irish Setter Puppy Stakes at the Irish Grouse Trials in the same year, and second the following year in the All-Ages Stakes at the same meeting. She was bred by Col. J. K. Milner, who owned her sire and dam. Cocksure, it must not be forgotten, was also the sire of Mac's Little Nell, winner of First Puppy 1885, Second All- Ages and Brace Stakes 1886, Irish Grouse Trials; Second All-Ages English K. C, 1888; First All- Ages, and Brace Stakes, Irish Grouse Trials, 1889; Second All- Ages and Third Grand All-Ages, same club, 1890. "Isinglass, the only Irish setter at the National Trials in 1893, was second to Fancy Fair, beating Mr. Llewellyn's Jessie Wind'em. He was also second for the Setter Derby, and second for the Puppy Stakes. At the Irish Trials he won the St. Leger Stakes for Irish setters and was third in the All-Ages Stakes for all breeds. Isinglass was by Wrestler, the dog 178 The Dog Book specially spoken of by Mr. Rawdon B. Lee in the quotation already given from 'Modern Dogs.' The dam of Isinglass was Henmore Shotover, second Irish Puppy and Irish All- Ages Stakes, Irish Trials, 1889. She was a daughter of Henmore Refina, 'the very best field dog I ever owned,' Mr. Cooper wrote me, and she was of Palmerston-Elcho blood and full sister to the dam of Wrestler and Woodbine, second Grand All-Ages Stakes for setters and pointers, the Irish Henmore Sure Death being first, at the Irish Trials, 1889. "In the All- Ages Stakes of the English Kennel Club of 1896 the only Irish setter out of fourteen competitors was Punchestown, and he was placed second, the London Field stating that he should have won. He was also first at the National trials and won three firsts at the Irish meeting. This was a strongly inbred Palmerston-Elcho dog and, I might almost say consequently, was one of the greatest show-winners of his day. "Breaking away for a spell from the performance record I will quote from the London Field regarding the good looks of Irish field dogs, the occasion being the first field trials held in Ireland: 'With the working of the Irish setters we were generally pleased. They bore the character of being headstrong, wild rangers, disobedient to whistle and wilful in the extreme. To none of these not gentle impeachments did we find them more prone, or even as much so as their cousins of the Laverack, Llewellyn or any other variety. So uniformly handsome a lot of dogs never before ran at trials; indeed, about one-third of the animals running had appeared and been successful before what are known as bench show judges. A fact of this kind is so contrary to the ruling that obtains either at the National or Kennel Club Trials as to be quite remarkable. An English setter having a record — i. e., as a winner both on the bench and in the field — is indeed a rarity, but here, at the first trial of Irish setters, we have a best on record obtained immediately. In so far the strain common to the Emerald Isle possesses a great advantage.' "Aveline was well styled 'the beautiful,' and justified that by winning first in the field trials class for all breeds at the English Kennel Club show. Plunket was also a show-winner, though not of high type himself, and neither did he get anything that was, excepting, perhaps. Kite and Knowing. Although a good-looking dog, he was much darker in colour, when I saw him, than he was generally reputed to be, but was not nearly so typical as his full brother Rover, used as the best illustration obtainable in one of PALMERSTUN The only known photograph of this celebrat d dog which set the type fur the Irish Setter. Taken when he was very old GLENMORE KENNELS' IMPORTED FINGLAS Photo by Schreibc i The Irish Setter 179 the 'Stonehenge' editions. In 1875 I imported a daughter of Plunket, a sister to the field trials winner Kite, which, according to Mr. Teasdale Buckell, was one of the best working setters in England, but my purchase did not prove satisfactory, so the following year I got over a granddaughter of Hutchinson's Bob; a far better specimen than the Plunket bitch and very good on game, but unfortunately she died before I had any produce from her. "Getting back to the record at the point we took this little recess, we find two Barton's, each playing a part, in the trials, Mick being second at the English K. C. trials and Punch taking second at the Irish fixture. These were both of Palmerston and Elcho blood. Regalia was another good winner in 1891. She was second in the Irish Puppy Stakes, Signal winning; third Irish All-Ages Stakes, first in the Setter St. Leger and abso- lute winner of the stakes, beating the English field trials winning pointer Bertha of Draycott. In 1892 and 1893 she won the Irish All- Ages Stake, while her full sister Clonsilla was first in the St. Leger at the Irish trials and second for the Acton Reynald Stakes at the English K. C. meeting. These were of Palmerston and Elcho blood. "Then there was that good dog Blue Rock, a brother to Signal and Miss Signal. Blue Rock won first in the Setter St. Leger and won the stakes outright, was second in the Irish Puppy Stakes and fourth in the All-Ages Stakes and reserve for the Twenty Guineas Challenge Cup, his competitors including all the winners at the Irish Trials of 1890. " Ben Sullivan was the only Irish competitor out of sixteen in the All- Ages Stakes at the English K. C. trials of 1897 and won the stakes, while two years prior he was placed third against seventeen competitors. The Grand Challenge Cup for pointers and setters at the Irish Trials of 1903 was won by Donegal Rake, while his full brother, Strabane Palm, was first in the Irish Setter All-Ages Stakes of 1902 and 1903. But there is little need to prolong the record, so it will be closed with this summary: Third in the English K. C. Derby of 1890; second, 1893; third, 1894; second and fifth, 1896; first and equal fifth, 1897. An Irish setter was also placed in 1904, and the winner of fourth in the English Kennel Club All-Ages Stakes of 1905 was the only Irish setter entry among twenty-two competitors. "Surely that is a most creditable showing when one considers that the breed is so much fewer in numbers than the English setters and the pointers. And does it not amply support the claim that, properly selected, bred,. i8o The Dog Book reared, and developed as other varieties are, the Irish setter would make its mark at our public trials ? It must not be forgotten that at one time the pointer was all but as much out of it as the Irish is now, but cash and brains were put into the business of pushing the pointer, and with success. The most ardent supporter of the present fashionable English setter for field trials could not ask for an opinion that he would not sooner accept than from Teasdale Buckell, the former henchman of Mr. Llewellyn and the exploiter of the Llewellyn setter, and they cannot therefore decry his published opinion to the following effect: 'The Irish are tractable, easily broken, and fast, very fast. I never saw one with the pace of Dan, but as a breed there is none faster. They are exceedingly staunch, and you cannot look at them without their understanding you. There is no false point in the breed. They are exceedingly handsome, of a rich dark red, with more or less white.' "Having disposed of the working section of the Irish setter, it is only proper to deal with his show qualities and record, and that I will do in a brief historical manner. The first class for Irish setters was made at Birmingham in i860, and three years later Hutchinson's Bob came out and won there as also at the monumental Cremorne fiasco and at Islington in 1864. His likeness is given in an early edition of 'Stonehenge.' Bob was a field dog of well known merit. In 1867 Captain Allaway exhibited Shot, a dog considered so excellent in type and so handsome that he beat the Laverack setter Fred II. at a leading show for the setter cup. In 1871 Ranger was shown by Captain Cooper and he did a lot of winning. He was by Bob out of a bitch of La Touche blood. A good deal has been said in the press that some of the La Touche setters were black or had black in their coats, but Colonel Milner, who knew well the setters of his country and has a reputation as a breeder of the Irish setter, wrote me some time ago: 'It would be useless to tell Irish setter breeders here that the La Touche setters had a black strain in them.' Colonel Milner also wrote as to the red and white setters: 'There is and was at the same time as the reds, strains of red and white setters, and prizes are still offered at one show in Ireland for them. They look best when the red and white are about equal. I have never seen one so well shaped as the best reds. They are supposed to be as good in the field.' It is not the red and white dog that has made the breed known world-wide, but the reds, and the Irish setter is now and always will be the red dog. The Irish Setter i8i Advent of Palmerston "The next dog of note was Dr. Stone's Dash, but when Palmerston came out he ecHpsed everything. Palmerston was a dog well on in years when he fell into the hands of Mr. Hilliard for show purposes. He was bred by Mr. Cecil Moore, who had large shootings and kept his red setters for that purpose. When Palmerston was shown it was impossible to give his date of birth, and that is 'not known' on the records. He was out of Kate, a bitch shown by a Mr. Cochrane at Birmingham in 1871, without a pedigree or any particulars and with which he won first. Palmerston was bred by Mr. Moore before Cochrane got Kate and he was seven years old before Mr. Hillard got him for show purposes. When he was shown at Belfast in 1875 Mr. Sandell, better known to many as *' Caractacus," and who was associated with Messrs. Lort and Walker as judges, stated that the scales which had for so long been unbalanced as to Irish setter type were so no longer. So struck was he by Palmerston and such of his get as he then saw, that he obtained an interest in him and later on was in charge of the dog when he was being exhibited in England. His breeding is not properly stated in the English stud book and should be as follows: By Cecil Moore's Grouse out of his Kate, by Mr. Hazzard's Grouse out of his Belle, by the Earl of Enniskillen's Grouse. Mr. Moore's Grouse by Mr. Evan's Shot out of Mr. Lloyd's Kate. "He was a revelation to Irish setter breeders, as were his daughters Kate, Kittie, Mina, Bella and Rose, and believing that this blood would be of benefit I commissioned a well known expert to purchase for me the best Palmerston bitch he could, to cross with Elcho, which I had recently purchased from the St. Louis Kennel Club. Six months later my agent wrote: *At last I have got the thing to suit you, and am well repaid for waiting. I have purchased Cecil Moore's Rose, an own sister to O'Brien's Kate and Kittie, and to MacHaffie's Mina and Bella. She is in point of quality next to O'Brien's Kate, and has the loveliest head of the lot, without Kate's can equal it, but she certainly is before her other sisters. I really think you never saw such a head on a bitch as that of Rose, while for colour she can't be excelled.' "There is no place more appropriate than this to quote from a brief history of this strain, information for which I obtained from Mr. Moore 1 82 The Dog Book and published in a pamphlet in the early eighties, and from which Mr. Lee did me the honour to quote in his article on the breed in * Modern Dogs/ As the pamphlet is out of print, no better opportunity than the present can be found to place it before American breeders of the present day and insure its life as an authentic record. "'About 1796, the then Earl of Enniskillen, of Florence Court, County of Fermanagh, had a remarkably fine breed of Irish setters, and in 18 14, he and Mr. Jason Hazzard, of Timaskea, same county, also had an equally fine strain, which they crossed. Mr. Jackson Lloyd, of Tamnamore, obtained this breed from Mr. Hazzard, and in 18 19 Mr. Robert Evans of Gostmerron, Dingamore, County of Tyrone, obtained the breed from Mr. Lloyd, and crossed it with the then noted strain of Irish red setters possessed by Captain McDonald, husband of the Countess of Antrim. Mr. Evans was then a noted sportsman in the north of Ireland and his Irish setters were famed for their beauty and field qualities. In 1846 Mr. Moore obtained the breed from Mr. Evans and has since kept it pure.' "If one may judge from the sensation Palmerston created when first exhibited and couple that with the wonderful success of his get, it will be very evident that Mr. Moore had not permitted the strain to deteriorate, and how soundly they were bred is established by the long life of Palmer- ston, who was full nineteen years of age when he died. "Finding the Palmerston strain a good nick for Elcho, I next imported Noreen, a daughter of Palmerston's best son Garryowen, and the records of the breed in this country show what Elcho, Rose and Noreen did. It is merely the simple truth to say that their blood is to be found in nearly all, indeed, I might say, with little fear of contradiction, all the best Irish setters in the country since their day. "No credit is due me for the Elcho importation; that belongs to Mr. Charles H. Turner of St. Louis, a fact which should never be forgotten by Irish setter breeders. It was my good fortune to buy the dog and secure such very remarkable bitches as Rose and Noreen to mate to him. "At one time it was feared that there was too much Elcho blood, and the cry was for an outcross, for which purpose several importations were made, and among them that very good dog Finglas, a dog with a very excellent field trials record. But that this was an outcross could only be made to appear by giving a very short pedigree, for he was by Fingal III. out of Aveline, and both were by Frisco, grandson of Elcho, and out of Grouse II., daughter of Palmerston. This shows how hard it was to get away from The Irish Setter 183 the Elcho-Palmerston when a good dog was wanted. This Grouse II. was an own sister to Ganymede and Hebe, all bred and owned by the late Rev. Robert O'Callaghan, one of the most successful breeders of Irish setters of his day. Hebe was accidentally mated with Ganymede and the result was the famous Geraldine and Tyrone, and so plain was the good results of this interbreeding that the same mating was continued, and among their additional offspring was Kildare, one of the best show dogs of his day. "Grouse II. won the Challenge Cup at Dublin in 1879 and was selected for illustration in 'The Book of the Dog.' Four years later she was bred to Frisco, and the result was Aveline and Fingal in the first litter, and later on came Desmond, Desmond II. — imported by Mr. Charles T. Thompson of Philadelphia, and winner of many prizes on the bench as well as a field trials winner — Fingal I., Fingal II., Shandon, Shandon II., Ossory, Or- monde, Ormonde II., Drogheda and others. Mr. O'Callaghan always considered Shandon II., and Geraldine II., a granddaughter of Frisco and Ganymede, as about the best two Irish setters he had bred. Frisco was said to have black in his coat, but his owner wrote me that it was abso- lutely erroneous. Ossory was the sire of Champion Ponto, famous as a sire of show and field trials winners; among the latter being Punches- town, Regalia, Clonsilla, Creevagh and others. "Another dog about which equally false statements were made by rivals was Muskerry, which was kept as a private shooting dog by the late W. H. Cooper, of Henmore, Derbyshire. Until he became prominent as a sire nothing was known of him. Entering into correspondence with Mr. Cooper I obtained a good deal of useful information regarding his setters and their breeding. Muskerry was bred by the well known Mr. F. H. Bass, of County Cork, and was by Ballingary, a great shooting dog and a show- winner, also owned by Mr. Bass, whose dog Count was Ballingary's sire. Ballingary's dam was Mr. Bass's Flirt, and beyond sire and dam we simply have the knowledge that the ancestry were from old strains. Muskerry's dam was Romp, a full sister to Rapid Meg, whose daughter Nancy Lee was the dam of the field trials dogs Blue Rock, Signal and Miss Signal. Romp was by Milo out of Fan, who was by Colonel Warren's Major, and he by Hutchinson Massey's Rock (son of Hutchinson's Bob) out of Captain Woodley's Flirt of the La Touche strain. Milo was by a son of Palmerston out of a daughter of Dr. Stone's Dash, a dog of a strain which Dr. Stone had bred pure for twenty years. This Dash had white 184 The Dog Book on head and toes, and 'white snake mark on head and neck.' He won firsts at the Palace, Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham in 1873 and was only defeated at Dublin. The Palmerston dog that sired Milo was out of a sister to Elcho, all of which shows that Muskerry was of excel- lent breeding. He was the sire of Henmore Sure Death, Woodbine, Blue Rock, Wrestler, Signal, Miss Signal, Tearaway, Listowell and Shavanny, winners of forty-two prizes and cups at field trials; also sire of many show winners, including that good dog Henmore Shamrock, imported by Mr. Cheney of Pittsfield, Mass. Henmore Shamrock was full brother to Henmore Sure Death above mentioned. "Of the later importations of Irish setters, that is since the days of Kathleen, Noreen, Rose, Elcho, Loo H., Duck, Bob, Friend, and others of that period, the imported ones, as I recall them, were Coleraine and Finglas, Blue Rock, and Tearaway, the latter two imported by Mr. Covert of Chicago; Desmond H., and Winnie H., imported by Mr. Thompson, and Signal, imported for my kennel. Picking out the most important of these I should select Tearaway, Coleraine, Signal and Blue Rock — a dog I bought after he reached this country — on account of the field trials records they made before coming here, but all were of the highest breeding, amply fitted on that score to impress good qualities on the Irish setters in this country. Finglas was the absolute winner of the All-Ages Stakes of the American Field Trials of 1892, defeating many representative English setters and pointers, but when he ran in the Irish Setter Trials and in the All-Ages Stakes, open to all breeds, in North Carolina, at which I was one of the judges, he did not show up well, much to my disappointment. He, however, had many good qualities and was a good sire, among his get being Finglan, winner of second in the International Field Trials Derby of 1893. *'It would not be proper to close without mentioning by name at least some of the many who in years past have done yeoman service for the breed. Max Wenzel of Hoboken is one never to be forgotten, and Dr. Davis of Philadelphia, who is still as enthusiastic as ever. Louis Contoit of Tuckahoe is also entitled to a 'place,' and of those whose memory still survives I may name W. L. Washington of Pittsburg, Marsh Byers of Michigan, Dr. Fowler of Moodus, Mr. Sauveur of Chestnut Hill, Phila- delphia, George H. Covert of Chicago, F. H. Perry of Des Moines and E. B. Bishop. "In these notes and reminiscences of records, show performances have DR. GWILYM G. DAVIS'S CURRER RUTH This is used as a sample of many photographs showing how n.-.t.rany the Iri.h Setters stand in good positions ST. LAMBERTS MOLLIE A Canadian-bred Irisli Setter and a winner on both sides of the line The Irish Setter 185 been lightly touched upon, notwithstanding that it was said in the days of Elcho Jr., Glencho, Bruce, Tim, Chief, Lady Clare, and other flyers of that period, that we could beat the world, for to me 'the red dog is first of all a field dog.' " Dr. Davis Expresses His Views Dr. Gwilym G. Davis of Philadelphia has for many years stood by the red dogs for work, and much of what has been done in the past by the Irish Setter Club has been due to his energy. Unlike most enthusiasts on the subject of one breed, Dr. Davis can see faults or points of difference, as the following very candid note regarding his experience testifies: "As to Irish setter field qualities, my experience is that they are the equal of any breed or strain of setter. I have never bred a low-headed one. They run high-headed, have good noses and are fast and usually wide rangers. "One drawback to the popular success of the Irish setters is that they are late in developing, and usually do not train until their second season, say a year and a half to two years old, and do not show their true form until they are at least three or four years of age, and continue to improve until five, six and even seven years of age. Because they do not train early most people and the regular run of trainers get tired of the expense and time necessary for development and say they are *no good.' In hard- headedness and timidity they average about as other dogs, and also as to staunchness, but I doubt if they show as a breed either the pointing instinct or the staunchness of the pointer, though far ahead as a field dog. *' In voicing this opinion I have no doubt I shall find plenty of com- batants, but I am not giving other people's views but my own, and my views are the outcome of an experience of eighteen years with shooting dogs. I have owned and shot over some of the best Llewellyns and owned some pointers. I have owned wholly or in part two Count Noble bitches, a Roderigo bitch, and setters by Buckellew, San Roy and other good dogs, and I now have my fifth generation of Irish setters, four of which I have bred myself. I began with Currer Bell III., by Sarsfield out of Maud II., by Champion Berkeley, by Elcho. I bred her to Champion Tim, a son of two champions — Biz and Hazel, by Elcho. One of the bitch puppies I named Currer Bell IV., and she I bred to that good dog Finglas, and a beautifully bred one as all setter men know. Her daughter Loo I bred to i86 The Dog Book Champion Fred Elcho, son of Champion Duke Elcho, by Champion Elcho Jr. Fred Elcho's dam was Red Rose, by Champion Biz out of that beau- tiful bitch Champion Lady Clare. From this mating I got Currer Ruth^ now five and a half years old. I also bred Loo to Signal and have Currer Del of that litter, and her I bred to Fred Elcho, and I now have three puppies in the South a year and a half old. These are not broken yet but they will be this fall, and from what I saw of their fun and frolic when South recently I feel sure that they will turn out well. *'What I am desirous of making the main point in breeding now is earlier development in work; to begin earlier and have their education completed sooner. I think I have got good field dogs as a foundation, for Loo won first in the Irish Setter Trials in 1895 and the Members' Stakes at both the Philadelphia Kennel Club Trials of 1895 and the Eastern Field Trials of 1896. Currer Bell IIL was also a winner of first at the Irish Club Trials of 1893. I ran Currer Ruth at the Continental Trials of 1902, and hoped for better success in the Members' Stakes than I had. However, Field and Fancy paid her the compliment of saying: 'Dr. Davis is to be congratulated on having in Ruth a really good Irish setter.' One difficulty Irish setter men have to encounter is that there is not the choice of stud dogs English setter and pointer men are favoured with, and we have to feel our way along." Good Dogs for a Poor Game District Both Dr. Jarvis and Dr. Davis do the most of their shooting in the South, where game is plentiful, but in the immediate neighbourhood of New York it is a different thing, and it takes a good dog to find anything, where there is so little to find. A near neighbour, Mr. B. L. Clements, of Hacken- sack, has been an Irish setter man for many years now and has bred them for several generations. English setters of great reputation have been brought from New York and elsewhere to try out these reds, but victory has always been with the home talent. One of his dogs, Iceberg, was sent South a few seasons ago and four hundred and five quail were shot to his points in ten days. On snipe he is really a wonderful dog, and to these Irish setters fall quite a respectable bag of woodcock and quail in the sea- son. Somewhat doubting the probability of seeing any woodcock so close to home, we at first laughed at the idea suggested by Mr. Clements one day The Irish Setter 187 in July last (1904) of carrying the camera to get a snapshot. Nevertheless we did so and within fifteen minutes' walk of Hackensack the brace of Irish setters pointed a half-fledged trio of woodcock in a swampy hollow. These we carried out to the sunlight and having taken snapshots of them, returned them to their nesting ground. These dogs seem to have no lack of point, but per- haps it is the way they are educated. Mr. Clements dwells on this part of the dog's work, and to make up for the scarcity of game in his neighbour- hood his dogs are made to point the dead bird. "Where there is so little pointing you have to give them all you can," is the way he puts it. "So far as my experience goes," Mr. Clements says, "and I have owned a good many English setters and also a few pointers, besides the Irish setters, I find the Irish no harder to handle. Mine are from parents that have been worked for several generations, all good field dogs and given plenty of work, and I think that in such a case you can look for quick development. Some of the English setters I have owned were from field-trials-winning parents, but I have only had one that I liked as well as my Irish. That was my old dog Indicator, by Buckellew out of Lady May. I aim to get a dog that looks well when at work, high-headed, a good ranger and fast, though taught to hunt close and slow when wanted. "One of my early Irish dogs was Scamp, who was a son of Glencho, and was whelped as far back as December, 1883. I shot over him next fall, so he did not take long to develop. He was about as easy a dog to train as I ever handled. It took only five days to make him a perfect retriever of live or dead birds from land or water. He seemed to be equally good on woodcock, snipe, grouse or quail, and I refused ;^250 for him. I had another good dog in Lance. I thought him good looking enough to enter at New York show and he did fairly well. There was no end of point in him and he retrieved exceedingly well. I will give you some of my diary entries about Lance: July i, 1885, at Lodi, N. J., on woodcock, began with a flush and then scored nine points without a mistake. Some time later I took him to Catasauqua, for quail, and out of forty points one was false and twice he flushed. Here is another day on woodcock, some years later: July i, 1889, between Woodridge and Hackensack, made twenty- two points on woodcock. One of the cock he flushed twice. He was hunted nineteen days out of twenty-one at White Creek, Washington County, N. Y., and was fresh and strong every day of the entire time. He would do a peculiar thing if he was on a point and could not see me or I i88 The Dog Book see him. He would back out, find and take me to the place and resume his point. "Lass was another good one of more recent years. I had her for a month in North Carolina in the winter of 1895-96, and there were few days on which she was not in the field. One day she nearly drowned her- self trying to point a quail when she was swimming a creek; finally she touched bottom, and there she stood with only her head above water. On another occasion we had driven to the shooting ground, and as soon as she was lifted from the wagon she stood at point to some birds fifty yards on the other side of the wagon. At Shokan, N. Y., I shot fifteen quail and seven ruffed grouse over her, and bad weather it was for pointing any- thing, but she missed nothing. With her I once struck a little bunch of woodcock, beginning at Woodridge and working up toward home. It was most difficult to get anything like a shot at them, for they kept in the scrub. I do not know how many cock there were, but she made twenty-one points and two flushes. In July, three years ago, I had three days' woodcock shooting over her about Lodi and killed twenty-one birds. These may seem very small bags to men who go to specially selected shooting grounds, but I have had some dogs with great reputations, world-beaters, come out to run against my reds on this hard locality for game, and whether it is their experience on the ground or not I do not know, but mine have always had the majority of the points. Dogs have got to be game and persevering for this poverty-stricken game country. I was out yesterday till noon, started early too, and got one snipe. I only had one dog with me, however, and the snipe were not on, for that is the only one I saw. Many dogs would quit with no better success than that." Elcho's Great Record For a man who had four champion dogs of his own breeding competing in one class and had eight field trials winners, Dr. Jarvis was far too reticent regarding his dogs. We therefore feel the necessity of telling the story of the great Elcho. Thirteen years ago we wrote in the American Kennel Register as follows: "If ever a dog deserved the title of champion that one is Dr. Wm. Jarvis's Irish setter Elcho. His long list of personal prize-winnings and his success as a sire of bench, show and field-trials-winners stamp him as far and away the best animal — we do not confine it to dogs — that ever The Irish Setter 189 lived. To such an extent does the progeny of Elcho in the first and second generation usurp the honours of the bench that we found it advisable in preparing a list of his winning produce, to confine ourselves to prize-winners only and leave out the names of the legion of commended entries. The stoutness of the blood of Elcho is further evidenced by the freedom which can be exercised in in-breeding between the closest possible relations, and though he is nine years of age, his last crop of youngsters seem, if anything, to be superior to their forerunners. To Elcho we owe the opinion, so freely expressed by foreign visitors to our bench shows, that in Irish setters we can beat the world. Mr. Graham of Belfast, Ireland, informed us that he considered Lady Clare the best Irish setter he had ever seen, and that Glen- cho and Chief could hold their own with the best dogs in England. The great feature of the Elchos is quality, the perfection of fashion and sym- metry, without the slightest coarseness." The early history of Elcho in Ireland is well told in the following letter from his breeder to Mr. Cooper, who was commissioned by Mr. Turner of St. Louis to purchase, without regard to price, the best Irish setter he could find. Elcho had taken second at Dublin when Mr. Cooper decided that he was the dog for Mr. Turner "November 6, 1875. "Dear Sir: — I give you particulars of my red Irish setter Elcho. He is by Charlie out of Nell, both of which were purchased specially for their good pedigree and sent to Russia for breeding purposes. They are now the property of Mr. Oppenheimer of St. Petersburg. . . . The dog and bitch both ca'me directly from the strain of both the Marquis of Water- ford and the Marquis of Ormonde's breed, and were originally owned by Captain Irwin. You can get no better blood in Ireland. I trained Elcho myself and he is the best first-season dog I ever had. He will drop to raising the hand, and at the word 'to-ho' will be steady, and to shot. ... In case you should send him to America it will probably interest whoever gets him over there to learn that he is called after the Elcho challenge shield which came to Ireland by the last shot which was fired by me at Wimbledon this year. . . . Robert S. Greenhill." When the St. Louis Kennel Club was formed Mr. Turner joined it and the club took over his dogs. But this arrangement did not last long, and in 1877 Dr. Jarvis had the good fortune to secure Elcho. How Rose and Noreen were purchased has already been told by Dr. Jarvis. In America Elcho won one first in the open imported class at Chicago in 1876, and six 190 The Dog Book champion prizes after that up to the end of 1883, besides five prizes for the best stud dog, and innumerable special prizes of one kind and another. Up to the close of 1883 forty-three of his sons and daughters were first or second prize winners, while there were nineteen in the second gener- ation with the same record. These numbers were added to liberally during the next few years, the leading addition after that being Elcho Jr., considered by most unbiased fanciers to have been the best of the many good sons of the old dog. His little brother Glencho, owned by Mr. W. H. Pierce of Peekskill, was another very good dog, rather too large to suit some people, but having a lot of quality considering his size. One of the first of the Elchos was Berkley, bred at St. Louis, but the record of his wins makes him out a better dog than he really was, for he was not true Irish, being on the English setter model and with a blackish tinge to the coat and a black nose. But he got an uncommonly good son in Chief, a better Irish setter than he was himself. Berkley, however, was the correct thing for first in those days and he improperly beat Chief for the Special at New York in 1881. Chief was probably the best coloured dog we have ever had, and his coat handled to perfection. With age he went a little thick in head and in shoulders, but take him all in all he was a hand- some dog of much quality. Bruce, by Elcho out of Noreen, was another lovely dog, and with a little more size and ranginess he would have taken very high rank. His back also showed the least inclination to dip, and that seeemed to flatten his loin. But he had such a beautiful head and such a rich colour and quality of coat. It was a little darker than Chief's, but quite devoid of the objectionable tinge in Berkley's. Mr. Wenzel also had Tim at this time. A son of Biz, who was a grand- bodied dog and had a very successful career notwithstanding his quite coarse head. Tim was his best son and owed some of his good looks to his dam Hazel, by Elcho. What distinguished him was his gay upstanding carriage and the look of speed and vim in his every movement. His colour was not of the best and he could have been improved in foreface — needed a little more length and fining below the eyes, but he was an excellent, good dog and just about the last of the good ones that made this period in Irish setter history so famous. Like the English setter men, the breeders of the reds lost their grip somehow, not as their cousins did by chasing field trials Will-o'-the-wisps, but probably through lack of judgment, and poorer and poorer became the The Irish Setter 191 show on the Irish benches, which had formerly been one of the "garden spots" at Madison Square. Dr. Jarvis continued to show Elcho Jr. until 1890, when he sold him to Mr. George H. Covert of Chicago and retired as an exhibitor — the last of the old brigade. In place of the Wenzel dogs we now had the Seminole Kennels of Chestnut Hill, with Tim as the star. Mr. C. T. Thompson sold his last good ones to Fred Kirby, and the St. Cloud, Kildare and Washington Kennels were the newcomers in the ring competitions. The leading setters of this period were Blarney, owned by Mr. E. N. Clark Jr. of Philadelphia; Dick Swiveller, a big winner for Mr. Covert; Kildare, Laura B., Ruby Glenmore and Winnie II,, shown later on in the name of the Kildare Kennels, Kildare being the premier dog. He was by Elcho Jr. out of Red Rose, a daughter of Biz and Lady Clare. The next important step was the bringing together of a number of high-class dogs in the kennels of Mr. F. C. Fowler of Moodus, Conn. He secured Kildare, Duke Elcho, Edna, Seminole and others, and in his own name and afterward in that of Oak Grove Kennels took a leading part at the best shows. But these exhibitors did not last long, as is far too often the case with men attracted by the pleasure of owning winners only and not imbued with the true spirit of the fancier, the man who keeps on the even tenor of his effort to improve his kennel. Such a man, for instance, is Mr. J. J. Scanlan, or Mr. Nelson Mcintosh, each of whom was playing a by no means inconspicuous part at that time and has lasted up to the present. The dogs named held their own well until the close of 1900, but the year before that some good new ones came out, such as Fred Elcho, Lord Lismore, Redbud Finglas and Red Rose III., the three first named doing a lot of winning for their owners, Messrs. J. S. Laycock, J. S. Wall and J, A. Meyer, names no longer prominent. In this year Ben Law made his appear- ance and began a well-merited career of success. It cannot be admitted, how- ever, that the general run of Irish setters was in any way equal to what was seen during the Elcho period, there being a lack of that quality then so con- spicuous. A few still looked like the old sort, but their very presence only accentuated the lack of Irish setter character in the classes. As a natural result less interest seemed to be taken in the breed, and things were not going the right way at all. The first approach to a return to the good old days was noticeable when a choice lot of Signal bitches made their appearance. They perhaps 192 The Dog Book did not do so well as might have been the case, but what they did show was something like a return to the type of setter from which fanciers had strayed. They were true Irish. In the revival which dated from that period the good work of the Canadians must not be overlooked. Mr. Coulson of Montreal had been interested in the breed for quite a number of years with fair success, and he now formed a partnership with Mr. Dave Ward of Toronto, and the St. Lamberts then became noticeable in a few of the shows on this side of the line, as well as taking a very prominent part in Canadian shows. On the death of Mr. Ward these were dispersed, and Mr. Walters of New Brunswick got hold of some of the best and brought the St. Lam- berts down to the New York shows up to the time of a business call to Eng- land which necessitated the sale of the entire kennel. The majority of his dogs were purchased by Mr. Louis Contoit, who had lately brought out St. Cloud III., a dog that has been very successful and is still doing the lion's share of winning wherever he appears. Mr. James Douglas of Toronto is another Canadian who has bred and owned many good ones. Of late years the rank and file have shown improvement, but it would be too much to say that the leading winners are of the high quality we can remember twenty or more years ago. There has been a change for the bet- ter, and with the experience of the past and the much more marked attitude of breeders in seeking to mate with the best procurable dog and not merely to something with a good pedigree, there is a very good prospect of gaining ground and again drawing attention to the breed by reason of marked excellence and uniformity of type at the best shows of the year. The following is the standard and scale of points as adopted by the Irish Setter Club of America : Descriptive Particulars ''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 and fairly square at end. From the stop to the point of the nose should be long, the nostrils wide and the jaws of nearly equal length, flews not to be pendulous. The colour of the nose dark mahogany or dark chocolate and that of the eyes (which ought not to be too large) rich hazel or brown. The ears to be of moderate size, fine in texture, set on low, well back and hanging in a neat fold close to the head. CHAMPION BORSTAL ROCK Mr. Nelson Mcintosh's well-known Irish Setter which gained his title this year CHAMPION ST. CLOUD III The most prominent bench-show winner of 1904-1905. Owned by Mr L. Cuntoit, of Mt. Kisco, N. V. The Irish Setter 193 ''Neck. — Should be moderately long, very muscular, but not too thick, slightly arched, free from all tendency to throatiness. "Body. — Should be proportionately long, shoulders fine at the points, deep and sloping well back. The chest deep, rather narrow in front. The ribs well sprung, leaving plenty of lung room. The loins muscular and slightly arched. The hind quarter wide and powerful. "Legs and Feet. — The hind legs from hip to hock should be long and muscular, from hock to heel [The heel is the hock, and this should be hock to foot, or 'short below the hock.' — Ed.] short and strong. The stifle and hock joints well bent, and not inclined either in or out. The forelegs should be strong and sinewy, having plenty of bone, with elbows free, well let down and, like the hock, not inclined either out or in. The feet rather small, very firm, toes strong, close together and arched. "Tail. — Should be of moderate length, set on rather low, strong at root and tapering to a fine point; to be carried in a slight scimitar-like curve or straight, nearly level with the back. "Coat. — On the head, front of legs and tips of ears should be short and fine, but on all other parts of the body it should be of moderate length, flat, and as free as possible from curl or wave. " Featherifig. — 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 belly, forming a nice fringe, which may extend on chest and throat. 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. "Colour and Markings. — The colour should be a rich golden chestnut or mahogany red, with no trace whatever of black; white on chest, throat or toes, or a small star on the forehead, or a narrow streak, or blaze on the nose or face not to disqualify." Scale of Points Head lo Hind legs lo Eyes 5 Tail 8 Ears 5 Coat and feather 8 Neck 5 Colour 8 Body 15 Size, style and general ap- Shoulders, fore legs and feet. 12 pearance 14 Total 100 SHANDON BEN A good winner of late yeais, owned bj- Mr. J. J Scanlan, of Fall River, Ma ^; # CHAMPION TIM This photcgraph was taten when this prominent dog was the property of Mr. .Max Wenzel, late cf Hotoken CHAPTER X The Gordon Setter TN using the name of Gordon setter for the black and tan variety we do so because it has become universal, though it is undoubtedly a misnomer, if it is meant to specify that the breed so named originated with the Duke of Gordon, or was alone and specially fostered by him. That this nobleman, who died shortly prior to the oft-mentioned sale of dogs in 1836, by any means confined himself to a special colour is an entirely wrong idea. Every particle of evidence goes to prove that he had setters of various colours, and although these included black and tans, they were in a minority, and it seems very certain that he preferred tricolour dogs, as better fitted for the moors, even using black and white dogs, while one red and white was catalogued at the sale. The particulars of the sale referred to have never been quoted properly in any dog book, hence it will be well to give a copy of the catalogue ver- batim, adding the purchasers' names and the prices paid: 1. Duke, 5 years old, a black and tan dog, by His Grace's famous Old Regent — Ellen. Lord Abercorn. 34 guineas. 2. Young Regent, 4 years old, a black, white and tan, by Old Regent — Ellen. Lord Chesterfield. 72 guineas. 3. Juno, 5 years old, a black and white bitch, by Old Regent — Juno. Duke of Richmond. 34 guineas. 4. Satan, 2^ years, a black dog, by Blunder — Juno. Lord Douglas. 56 guineas. 5. Crop, 3 years old, a black and white bitch, by Lord Saltoun's Ranger — Bell. Lord Chesterfield. 60 guineas. 6. Duchess, II months old, a black and white bitch, by Dash — Crop, pupped August 20, 1835; was hunted this spring but not shot to. Mr. Martyn. 37 guineas. 7. Random, 10 months old, a red and white dog, by Ranger — Romp, pupped September 10, 1835; was hunted this spring but not shot to. Mr. Martyn. 35 guineas. 195 196 The Dog Book 8. Princess, 11 months old, a black and white bitch, by Dash — Crop, pupped August 20, 1835, not broken. Mr. Walker. 25 guineas. 9. Bell, 1 1 months old, a black and white bitch, by Dash — Crop, pupped August 20, 1835, not broken. Mr. Martyn. 34 guineas. 10. A puppy, 4 months old, black and white, by Regent — Crop, pupped March 5, 1836. Lord Douglas. 15 guineas. 1 1. A puppy, 4 months old, black and white, by Regent— Crop, pupped March 5, 1836. Mr. Robinson. 15 guineas. Mr. Robinson was the gentleman who made the foregoing public in a letter to the Field, January, 1870, and he mentions that Princess had a little tan about the face. He bid on her, so that he is a competent witness. It will be seen that of the eleven lots, there was but one black and tan, and not alone that, but the Duke was breeding from tricolours and also from black and white, so that even admitting that among those given away prior to the sale, there was a preponderance of black and tans, yet no one who was a stickler for colour, or was forming a strain, would have bred so indiscriminately when there were plenty of the desired colour to be had from other breeders at that time. " Idstone " (the Rev. Mr. Pearce) states that a brace of black and tans with frills went to the Duke of Abercorn, and nine went to the Duke of Argyll and Viscount Bolingbroke. " Idstone " adds that eleven setters would have been a poor team for Gordon Castle, and that possibly the Duchess, who had little fancy for sports, got rid of them. Still this hardly bears out what Laverack says in this paragraph: "Two years after the decease of Alexander, Duke of Gordon, I went to Gordon Castle, purposely to see the breed of setters. In an interview with Jubb, the keeper, he showed me three black tans, the only ones left, and which I thought nothing of. Some years after, I rented on lease the Cabrach shootings, Banffshire, belonging to the Duke of Richmond, adjoining Glenfiddich, where His Grace shot. I often saw Jubb and his setters. Then and now, all the Gordon Castle setters were black, white and tan." Mr. Laverack emphasises the last statement by putting it in italics. Duke, the black and tan dog sold as " Lot i ," was not bred by the Duke, but by Captain Barclay, from whom the Duke bought him, and this prob- ably accounts for the manner in which his pedigree is given, to show that, although bred out of the kennels, he was yet by one of the Duke's dogs. This Captain Barclay was a celebrated sportsman and athlete, and was the first man to walk one thousand miles in one thousand hours, one mile each »ls' The Gordon Setter 197 hour. It was quite customary in those days for gentlemen to engage in sporting matches of various kinds for high wagers. The pedestrian Gale, now in Cincinnati, we beheve, quite ecHpsed this feat about twenty years ago by walking a quarter mile in each quarter hour, starting at the beginning of each quarter, and keeping it up for a thousand hours. The Castle Gordon Setters The late Mr. Dixon, who wrote under the pseudonym of "The Druid,'* visited the Castle after the Duke died and corroborates Laverack as to setters still being there, and that they were tricolours. "Now all the setters in the Castle kennels are entirely black, white and tan, with a little tan on the toes, muzzle, root of tail, and round the eyes. The late Duke liked it. It was both gayer and not so difficult to back on the hillside as the dark coloured. . . . The composite colour was produced by using black and tan dogs on black and white bitches. . . . Lord Lovat's, and Sir A. G. Gordon's dogs have been the only crosses used for some time past at Gordon Castle. ... A dozen pups by a dog of Lord Lovat's, also of the Gordon Castle breed, were out at quarters, drawing nurture from terriers and collies." These extracts from what "The Druid" wrote confirm what Mr. Laverack said as to breeding going on after the death of the Duke, and the sale in 1836 was therefore not a complete dis- persal of the kennels. A man who might have told for the benefit of posterity all about the Gordon setters at the Castle in the closing years of the eighteenth century was Colonel Thornton, the Yorkshire sportsman who played a prominent part in the improvement of the fox-hound, pointer and fox-terrier, but his books are absolutely worthless in connection with dogs. We read his "Sporting Tour in England and Scotland" with every expectation of find- ing a fund of valuable information from a man of his knowledge and ability to note dogs and their characteristics. But not a single reference to setters is made that we could find. His own pointers are mentioned only occa- sionally, and when at Gordon Castle he tells of seeing a "Highland grey- hound." He went to church with the Duchess, tells about the good singing, the dress of the men and the women, and gives all sorts of information about every conceivable thing, but never a word about dogs. Yet he mentions that the Duke, who was absent at his sporting seat, was a keen sportsman. 198 The Dog Book Later on he tells of sending back one of his pointers which he had promised as a present. It does not seem possible that he never saw any setters at Gordon Castle or at any of the other noblemen's or landed proprietors' establishments he visited, but he is mute as to dogs, except for the most casual remark here and there. Stonehenge seemed to be of the opinion that the ancestors of the Gordon strain came from Ireland, but there was no need to introduce the reds to get the tan, for black and tan is one of the old setting spaniel colours, Caius before 1576 wrote regarding spaniels that "Othersome of them be reddishe and blackishe, but of that sort there be very few." Markham in the early part of the seventeenth century said that " the black and fallow are esteemed the hardest to endure." The Rev. Mr. Simons in 1776 wrote as follows: "Whatever mixtures may have been since made, there were, fifty years ago, two distinct tribes — the black-tanned and the orange or lemon and white." These extracts from early writers dispose of any idea that this com- bination of colour originated at Gordon Castle, besides which, from a number of letters which appeared in the Field about forty years ago, it is very certain that, as we have already suggested, the Duke of Gordon had no specific colour rule to breed to. We give a few extracts from letters which appeared in that London newspaper. A Mr. Bastin had asked for information as to the name of the dog from which the black and tan Gordons had descended, stating that he meant a black, white and tan dog. This opened the gates for a flood of information. Francis Brailsford, a family name well known to this day among field trials men, said that the dogs of the late Duke were invariably black, white and tan. "J. C. S." said the same, and that he had had one of the breed years ago. "D." told the story of how the Marquis of Huntly, as the Duke then was, got a black and tan collie bitch from a shepherd who lived on the Findhorn and bred her to one of his best dogs, and that some of the litter were black and tan. The name of this collie was Maddy, and she was known to be remarkably clever in finding grouse. She did not point them but "watched them." English Owners of Black and Tans and Tricolors Mr. Samuel Brown, of Melton Mowbray, a gentleman who is referred to repeatedly by the best known writers on the breed, confirmed the state-^ Ii\ pertnission from the "American Kennel Gazelle' CHAMPION BEAUMONT This dog of many owners had a well-merited career of success before and after becoming the property of Mr. J. B. Blossom IDSTONE'S KENT Considered the best dog of the early English sho From Stonehenge's second editiin period The Gordon Setter 199 ment that the tricolour prevailed in the Gordon setters. "An old gentle- man sportsman^ and one who has shot over the same breed for fifty years and knev^^ them during his boyhood, assures me that the late Duke of Gor- don, the Marquis of Anglesey, and several other noblemen had their original stock of setters from the late Mr. Coke of Longford, and that the colour was usually black, white and tan. Mine are descended from the original breed of Mr. Coke, the Gordons Regent and Fan, and within the last five years from a black, white and tan bitch which I got direct from the Beaudesart kennels. " I am aware that there are black-tan setters which are not of the same blood as the Gordon breed, and recollect crossing from one more than forty years ago that was bred by the late Mr. Edge of Strelly. I also recollect a clergyman having a pure breed of black-tans about that period. They fetched high prices at Tattersall's, but were not sold as Gordon setters." "D" here enters the discussion again, and says that he was born within nine miles of Gordon Castle and still resided there, and that in his neigh- bourhood "it was as well known that there was a collie strain in some of the Duke's dogs as that there was a strain in Lord Rivers's greyhounds." Further than that he states specifically: "The duke got a clever colley bitch (black and tan) from a farmer's son in the Streens, on the Findhorn. The family are still on the farm, and, if necessary, I can get this statement verified. He crossed the bitch with a setter, and next year sent a pup with a five-pound note to the farmer's son. The farmer's son tried to make a sheep dog of the pup, but he was useless." Mr. Adye in a rather discursive reply gives some very good information as to some strains from which much of what is called Gordon blood came. He is writing regarding a dog called Beau, whose placing at a recent show had caused criticism. "His pedigree is clear and authentic on all sides for some forty years, as he is descended from the two Gordons above alluded to. Regent and Fan or Crop [Young Regent and Crop, sold to Lord Chester- field at the sale of Gordon setters], and the black, white and tan breed of the Marquis of Anglesea, who is well known to have kept his setters for sixty years, pure and unmixed with any other blood. With regard to the curl in Beau's coat, he derives that from the late A. W. Coke's black, white and tan breed, most of which he used to say — at least the best — had the curl. Mr. Coke always said the more curly the coat the better the dog. The Marquis of Anglesea's were wavy-coated, with very long silky feather. 200 The Dog Book Both the Gordons, Regent and Crop, were wavy-coated. The sire of Beau was even more curly-coated than his son, and Mr. Brown of Melton Mow- bray, who bred both, tells me that he took after Mr. Coke's breed, in coat — which, though curly, was as soft as floss silk — as well as in make, character and goodness in the field, and it would be difficult to find a better." The Duke Not Conservative as to Colour Mr. John Fisher of Leeds tells of how the Duke used to send down to Major Bower of Welham for greyhounds to run at the Scotch meetings: "After Belle had won the Malton Cup I handed her and a setter dog over to His Grace's trainer, who was sent from Scotland expressly for them. The setter came from Ebberstone Lodge — ^whether from Mr. Osbaldestone's own kennel or not I cannot say, but he was brought to Welham by Mr. Inman, his gamekeeper. This dog was black and white, no tan, with long thin feather; not less than twenty-six inches at the shoulder; rather lathy looking, with a grand head and stern, and had the appearance of great courage. "His Grace's setters of that day were said to be black; but as John's specialty was greyhounds rather than setters, it is quite possible they may have been black and tan, and that he overlooked the latter. I believe that His Grace was too thoroughly a sportsman to confine himself to shades of colour or fancy markings even in his setters; and if on trial the Ebberstone Lodge dog was found to be as good as his looks, he would not hesitate to breed from him; and I think it not improbable that the white still found in some of the pure Gordons may be the result of this very cross, for he was a very likely dog to leave his mark in more respects than one." Mr. Adye, in commenting on this statement, wrote that Mr. Brown had been told by Mr. Coke himself that he often sent dogs to the Duke of Gordon and received others in exchange, in order now and then to obtain fresh blood. Mr. Fisher might well have given the date of the transaction. "After Belle had won the Malton Cup" is decidedly indefinite, even in England, and is of course meaningless to Americans. But fortunately our library contains Thomas Goodlake's "Coursing Manual," published in 1828, just late enough to contain the entry of Major Bowers's black and white bitch Belle as having run second for the cup at Malton in 1827 and getting a goblet therefor. Whether this is the "win" referred to by Mr. Fisher CHAMP1(_)X ECHO CLINTON II A dog which lately secured his prefix title JEROME MARBLE'S GROUSE A well-known dog of early show days in America The Gordon Setter 201 cannot be asserted definitely from the sources of information at our dis- posal, but we have the date near enough when that black and white dog must have gone north to Gordon Castle. The Duke of Gordon was at that time a member of the very select coterie that formed the Malton Club. There were only eleven members, and Major Bower was the honorary secretary and treasurer. Mr. Osbaldestone, according to Cecil's "Records of the Chase," went to Northamptonshire in 1827 o^ 1828 from Leicester- shire, but the name of his establishment at the former place is not given. He lived at Quorndon Hall in Leicestershire and was just such another all- round sportsman as Colonel Thornton, except that he went in more for hunting, while Thornton made hawking his hobby. The Rev. Mr. Hutchinson, who wrote as "Sixty-one," chimes in with a reminiscence of the Gordon sale. He dined on that day with the Laird of Raith, and sat between a son of the Duke of Richmond and a cousin of the Duchess, both of whom were well acquainted with the Gordon Castle setters, which were apparently the main subject of conversation. From that conversation, coupled with one he had just had with a very near relative of the present Duke of Gordon, "Sixty-one" writes as follows: "Once more, and for the last time, I will repeat what years ago I stated in the Field, knowing it to be the true version, viz. : that the original colour, taken, sent or brought to Gordon Castle was black, white and tan. That the Duke of Gordon did cross with a black setter of Lord Lovat's, that came from Raith, where the breed was, to my knowledge, very good. His Grace may — very likely did — cross with others, for, as Mr. Fisher says. His Grace was not the man to confine himself to shades and fancies; but black, or black and white, and black and tan were his crossing colours." Comment- ing further on some of the correspondence, "Sixty-one" says he has known the black and tans for forty years and owned them for twenty. "Reuben, the champion setter, was bred by my friend Mr. Malcolm, by his Milo out of Ruin, whom he purchased of Lord Roslyn. Ruin was by my black and tan dog Grouse H. (whom I gave to Lord Roslyn) out of his black, white and tan bitch Duchess, the handsomest animal of the breed I ever remember seeing. My dog Grouse H. had very little fringe, or flag. I still have in my possession Rapid, own sister to Ruin and of the same litter, and nearly if not quite as fine a bitch. Rapid has very little fringe or flag. She has bred me several litters, among them some black, white and tan, but not particularly fringed or flagged. I cannot remember any curly- 202 The Dog Book coated among her progeny, and am glad of it, as I don't believe in curly- coated Gordons." Mr. Robinson having asked "Sixty-one" to say something about the proportion of black and tan puppies he would expect even if bred from black and white Gordons, he was answered as follows: "I never cal- culate on my black and tan bitches producing black, white and tan puppies, though always well pleased when they do so, and I hardly ever have any puppies that are not somewhere marked with white, generally a white frill. I mean no fancy word, but a white frill, showing what a well-dressed gentleman of the olden school he is. Rapid has bred me in her time four black, white and tan, all very handsome, good dogs. Old Lady bred me four also, that were very handsome and good. Young Lady bred me three, and among them was one of the best of the breed I ever owned. "Sixty-One" Compares Irish and Gordon "Allow me to suggest a point which I think would be worth investi- gation. Taking for granted that it is proven that the original setter (taken or sent to Gordon Castle, I believe, by the first Marquis of Anglesea) was black, white and tan, that that said black and tan [sic] dog was also at Holkham in the late Earl of Leicester's time, and in Derbyshire in his brother's — I ask whence came this dog or breed .? It is worth inquiry." Presumably that is the information he says in the previous letter he had written to the Field years ago. "Sixty-one" then proceeds to say that in make and shape the Irish and Gordons are identical, and that, but for the tan, the latter were the exact counterpart of the black and white setters, with just the least touch of tan, that were owned by the Marquis of Ormonde and Captain Butler. He adds that in 1833 he compared two of these Ormonde or Butler setters [Butler is the name of the Ormonde family] with some Gordons belonging to Lord Panmure, the Admiral Wemyss and others at Mill Den, and that all were astonished with the resemblance, barring the lack of tan. This statement we give to show that at that period there could not have been the difference between the Gordon and Irish setters, which was shown at the period of the institution of dog shows. We do not see how it is pos- sible to accept his opinion as to this claim as applying to the setters of 1870: "The Gordon setter is in shape, make and action, in all but colour, the The Gordon Setter 203 Irish setter all over." He is wrong there, most undoubtedly, but this can be explained by this quotation from Laverack: "The Rev. Mr. Hutchin- son has as good a breed of black and tans as any one, being much lighter, and not nearly as cumbersome as the ordinary class." Of course if you are going to take light Gordons and somewhat heavily built Irish you will not have much distinction of type, and that Gordons differed in those days is unquestionable. Laverack describes them thus, in the next paragraph to the foregoing quotation: "Black-tans, as a rule, have sour, coarse heads; shoulders loaded, heavy and too upright; are heavy and thick-limbed; large feet, often too straight and stilty in hind quarters; tail thick and ropy. Many of the black tans have obstinate and stubborn tempers, and not par- ticularly easy to break." Again he says: "They are longer in the leg and looser in the loin, heavier and coarser in head, thicker in the neck, more throaty than other breeds and not so clean made in the limbs or so short in the back; neither are they so close in feet. Nevertheless, they are very beautiful dogs, and I have seen many good black-tans, more par- ticularly those of the lighter build." Mr. Laverack's knowledge of the setters at Gordon Castle has already ■ been set forth in an earlier quotation, and he was also acquainted with the setters of Major Douglas and Mr. Thompson, who kept their setters at Broughton Ferry, near Dundee, and presumably of the same strain as those of the Duke of Gordon, Lord Panmure and Admiral Wemyss. Laverack thought it would be a good plan to cross with the Irish blood-red setter to give them better heads and render them lighter and give them more endurance, so that the Gordons or black and tans he knew could not have been of the light type resembling Irish such as "Sixty-one" describes. In Captain Brown's "Anecdotes of Dogs" (Edinburgh, 1829), he makes no mention of Gordons, nor of Irish either, for that matter, merely giving a short description under the head of "The English Setter," and then some anecdotes. One of these is from a letter from Mr. Torry, a resident of Edinburgh, who furnished two or three of the anecdotes, and in the one referred to he said: "The black and tanned small bitch which I have was originally out of the Duke of Bedford's breed." He then told of taking her at ten months old to the moors, and without a single training lesson she pointed, backed and was staunch, and also retrieved a bird of her own volition. "This happened in 1825." Mr. Torry also told about a dog owned by a friend of his, "a rough brown setter, out of the shepherd's 204 The Dog Book Colley, which possesses much sagacity, both as a sporting and fancy dog, and has the faculty of smell to a surprising degree." One more anecdote is given by the author regarding another of Mr. Torry's setters, which is not described; so that very evidently Mr. Torry was a shooting man and con- versant with setters. Therefore his statement as to colour and origin of his small setter bitch was undoubtedly correct, and it only goes to show how widespread the black and tan setter was at that period, and in how many gentlemen's kennels the colour could be found. "Idstone" on the Origin and Colour It is to "Idstone" that we owe the best account of the early Gordons of the English show bench, for he was an exhibitor and breeder during that period and took more particular notice of the Gordons than any other writer of modern times. "Idstone's" "The Dog" was published in 1872. With regard to crosses and the colour dispute, "Idstone" says with truth that "no dispute has ever been raised as to their quality, and dogs with any trace of descent from the Duke's blood command the highest prices. To trace back to his Regent, Old Bang, Old Don, or to Mr. Coke's Pan or Fan — for Mr. Coke and the Duke bred from the same stock — is ample warrant for purity of lineage." On the authority of a gentleman, then living, and who had shot with the Duke, "Idstone" stated that black and tans and tricolours were kept at the castle. Howitt, the artist-engraver, is quoted as calling them black, but as "Idstone" remarks, it is nothing out of the way to hear colours misnamed in this way, such as black and white or black and tan, for a tricolour collie. Howitt, it appears, tells nothing except that one might as well ask the Duke for a church living as for one of his setters. Perhaps we are in error as to the Howitt "Idstone" refers to, but that is the only man of the name of any prominence in connection with dogs or the sports of the field that we know of. He lived in the early part of the last century, and his best work was done from 1798 to 1800. In our copy of "The British Sportsman," a series of seventy-two plates, drawn and engraved by Howitt, that of the setter is unfortunately one of the two miss- ing, but the setter appears in some of the others, including that of grouse- shooting, and not one is a black and tan or a tricolour so far as can be judged. If this is the Howitt referred to, it is all the more to be regretted that Colonel Thornton gave us no information regarding any setters at The Gordon Setter 205 Gordon Castle on the occasion of his visit, to which we have made reference, and which was made shortly before Howitt's best work was done. Referring to the collie cross, "Idstone" says he does not give much credence to the story, but acknowledges that he has seen the tail of the collie occasionally in the very best and most authentic strains which trace directly to the Duke's breed. Also that he had one from Wemyss Castle which ran around its game "like a Scotch sheep dog round a flock, and from first to last determined to put the birds between herself and me." This bitch showed something of the collie in her appearance and "Idstone" always was of the opinion that she was not pure setter. He also had two curled-tailed puppies in the first litter he ever bred from dogs of undoubted Castle strain, and from Ruby by Ranger. "These were Argyle II., one of the best dogs I ever saw, and a dog so close to Kent when he first appeared that the judges had hard work to decide between them. He was to my mind far superior to Kent except in stern. ['Idstone' owned them both.] The other was the bitch Ruth, which I subsequently sent to Lord Bolingbroke." After stating that the breed does not differ in any essential point from the English setter, "Idstone" proceeds: "He fails, however, in some points wherein the English setter excels. He has not so finely formed a head; it inclines occasionally to the heavy and bloodhound type. His ears are frequently too large and weighted with coat, as well as leather. He is far too heavy — I am writing of the common type observed at our shows — and he must be refined at any cost. ... In spite of his wide chest and loaded fore quarters, he is free, active and lithe in his gallop, and a good specimen (I mean a narrow, deep-chested, long and low Gordon setter) will more than hold his own. I have seen better setters of the black and tan than of any other breed." He then credits them with not being so thirsty as the other setters, but admits that they are nervous dogs, and though one may require no in- struction another may be the veriest dullard. One good word is that he never saw one of them go lame, and he speaks of their grace on point. Improbability of Any Irish Cross "Idstone" thought they must have tried Irish blood at the Castle, "for in every litter, provided it descends from his kennel, there are a brace or more of red setters. These have the peculiarity of being almost white until 2o6 The Dog Book they moult their setter [sic] coat, when they take the brilliant mahogany red, and follow the form and have the noiseless panther gallop of the Irish setter." This statement is exclusively that of this writer, and if it had been at all generally known surely "Sixty-one" would have been only too glad to tack it on his claim that the Gordons originally came from Ireland and resembled the Irish most closely. " Stonehenge " said the Irish was used to get the tan, but the tan was there in the English setter long, long before there was a setter in Scotland. We doubt the Irish affiliation very much, and for this reason: The Duke was a great breeder of improved cattle, and he got his shorthorns from England. He went in for coursing and he got his greyhounds from England, and, as we have seen, he got a setter from Mr. Osbaldestone when he sent his trainer to Major Bower for the greyhound Belle. He was a member of the Malton Coursing Club; he was well acquainted with Colonel Thornton and had received the gift of a pointer from him; he exchanged setters with Mr. Coke, so that all his associations were with England. There was no taking a "Flying Scotchman" in those days and going from Gordon Castle to Yorkshire in a day. Colonel Thornton gave up his Scottish trips on account of their excessive cost. From "Sporting Anecdotes" (second edition, London, 1807), we take the following: "So much was the Colonel enchanted with the diversity of the scenery and the variety and quantity of game of every description which the remote parts of the Highlands afforded, that he there passed the best part of seventeen years in succession." His first visit was paid in 1789, and on that occasion he had to charter a sloop which came from London to Whitby to take his party to Forres, the point nearest to his destination. We continue the quotation: "Previous to Colonel Thornton's quitting the Highlands, he gave up the land there which he had received from the Duke of Gordon, where he had erected a small mansion in the Gothic style, which was called Thornton Castle. The Colonel was prompted to this measure on account of the great expense attending the keeping up of this establishment, as well as the enormous sums which were expended in travelling from England; in addition to which the roads were scarcely passable during the rainy season." Here we have a description of the conditions as between Gordon Castle and Yorkshire, and it is left to the imagination as to what a trip from Ireland must have been. No, we will have to discard the Irish suggestion altogether and stick to the line of least resistance, which is, that when he sent south for grey- The Gordon Setter 207 hounds or cattle he got what setter crosses he wanted. His man would have to ride on horseback as the easiest mode of travel and the dogs or animals would have to walk. Yet Irish setter crosses are glibly talked about as if all that had to be done was to telephone or telegraph to Ireland to send over an Irish setter by express and look for it at the railway station the next day. Still another point is that the colour which was said to be the result of the introduction of the Irish blood was conspicuous by its absence in the setters sold in 1836, if we except the red and white puppy, and after that sale there was never any suggestion that Irish blood was being intro- duced. There is more food for thought in the fact of the impressive black and white setter from Mr. Osbaldestone going north in 1827, ^"d seven of the eleven lots being of that colour. Red and white, it must be borne in mind, was a well established English spaniel and setter colour, and its presence in setters whose ancestors were a mixed lot might naturally be expected. Early English Show Dogs From "Idstone's" comments on the dogs of his day we give what may be interesting to those who can trace back the pedigrees of their dog to these old-timers. He owned Kent, the leading prize-winner of the first shows, and he says he was weak in hind quarters and thick in shoulders, and that he probably imposed on judges by his rich colour and stature. His get were largely gun-shy. Reuben, illustrated by Stonehenge, was a dog of mark for coat, depth of chest and action. Lord Bolingbroke's Argyle was to "Idstone's" mind the best Gordon he ever saw. "He had a grand frame, powerful hocks and loin, and his neck and shoulders so long, well poised and muscular that he would have taken high rank anywhere. He was a narrow, deep-made, racing-looking dog, of true, pure Gordon blood, and I will engage there was no collie blood in him, though several of his get had the collie stern, which rather weakens my theory. I had one litter by him out of Ruby, which included those celebrated public winners, Argyle II., Boll and my bitch Regent, who was never beaten except by her mother. Regent was the most perfect Gordon I ever saw." Except in coat, Moll was not so good as Regent. She was bred by Mr. Jobling and owned by Mr. Handy. The Marquis of Huntly owned two good ones in Silk and Young Kent; the latter was not fast, but a perfect field dog. Mr. Jobling's 2o8 The Dog Book Dandy was one of the best setters of his day as to coat and colour. His son Fleming's Dandy, out of Lord Loughborough's Ruin, was a most excel- lent field dog, scoring high at the first field trials in England. Brown's Robin L was also a very clever field dog, and "Idstone" tells how on one occasion when his retriever was at fault on a running bird, Robin, who had been watching from "down-charge" got up, caught the running bird, took it to the retriever and dropped it, then returning to his down-charge. In English field trials Gordon setters have been anything but promi- nent, and the same can be said of them in this country. From 1879 to 1891 Major Taylor had record of but ten dogs he could class as "Gordons and Black and Tans," and of these the earliest two were not pure Gordons. These were Ned and Glen, owned by Dr. Aten of Brooklyn, and runners at the Eastern Field Trials of 1879 and 1880. Four more of the ten ran in one stake confined to Gordons, leaving four placed Gordons in the entire number of public stakes for a period of thirteen years. The Gordon Setter Club, which might have done something toward gaining some popularity for the breed as field dogs, seems to have died of inertia since Mr. Blossom ceased to take the active part he did in forcing dog shows to give good classi- fications for the breed. We cannot therefore expatiate on qualities which have not been publicly demonstrated. As a dog-show breed the Gordons have had a most erratic career, now popular and in a year or two quite neglected, only to spurt once more under the impetus of some new fancier who in a year or two tired and dropped out to leave the breed in the doldrums. Our first recollection of the late Dr. Rowe was in connection with a Gordon setter he had lost when at St. Louis. He had called upon Mr. Foster, editor of the newly started New York Sportsman, to ask him to notice his loss, in the hope of recovering the dog. He never got the stray back, however. At that time Dr. Rowe was contributing to the billiard columns of Turf, Field and Farm. Mr. Tileston was one of the early supporters of Gordons, Tileston's Loo being a prominent winner in 1876 and 1877, Marble's Grouse being also a winner in the dog classes. The first dog of real merit was Taylor's Turk, which we remember seeing win the champion prize at New York in 1880, and he continued to win until 1885, when he took three firsts, all however under the same judge. The same owner also at that time had a good bitch named Gem, which was never beaten after we gave her a first at Danbury in 1884. CHAMPION DOC A home-bred champion from the Blossom Kennels MR. E. MAKER'S CHAMPION ROYAL DUKE At the time this photograph was taken it was customary to retouch negatives very much, not always to theii Photo by Sckreiber iiprovement The Gordon Setter 209 An early Canadian fancier of the breed was Dr. J. S. Niven, of London, who was also an importer of several spaniels and Irish terriers with all of which he was very successful. He imported Blossom, the dog selected by Vero Shaw to illustrate "The Book of the Dog" article, and from which and the imported bitch Moll he bred Argus, a dog that had a very good show record ere he was retired in 1887, winning about a dozen championships besides other prizes. Blossom did not do nearly so well and was only shown at two or three shows, one of them being London in 1 88 1, when he defeated his son Argus, it being the latter's only defeat that we can recall. Philadelphia has always been a strong supporter of this breed. Mr. A. H. Moore's Bob was the first of a long line of winners owned there, and was followed by Mr. Maher's Royal Duke, who was the prominent winner of his day. Ned Maher was a very popular owner and quite a good dog was named after him, but when the owner registered it with the Kennel Club he spelt the name Mayers, and the registration official did not detect the error, which cannot now be corrected. Lapping the Royal Duke period came the first of a most successful showing by Dr. S. G. Dixon, also of Philadelphia, whose first good winner was Little Boy, who began as first. New York, 1884, and as late as 1890 won in six champion classes. Mr. Morris of New York had also at that time that very good dog Beaumont, which in 1890 became the head of the Beaumont Kennels, and had for company such good Gordons as Belmont, Beemont, Flomont and others. Then there was the Meadowthorpe Kennels in Kentucky, with its short-lived, but good-winning kennel of dogs, including the Gordons Mea- dowthorpe Heather Roy, Heather Harold, Rex and Defiance. "Scotch" Baillie, who managed the kennels, was an excellent judge of sporting dogs and his entries were always close up to the blues. Dr. Dixon added materially to his kennel, and there never was a period in the history of Gordon setters in this country when there were so many good ones opposing one another. The Dixons included Countess of Rich- mond, Duchess of Waverley, Field Marshal, Ivanhoe and Lady Waverley as the chief winners, in addition to Little Boy, already mentioned. Mr. Frank Smith, also and still of Philadelphia, had one or two money-winners during this time. King Item, Roxie and Countess Roxie doing a creditable amount of winning against such strong competition. 2IO The Dog Book The American Gordon's Brief Career We have now carried the record to 1890, and at this stage it is necessary to say something regarding the efforts to change the type of the Gordon setter. Mr. Harry Malcolm of Baltimore was a firm believer in a lighter built dog than the show Gordon, and as there are always a good many dogs not quite right according to show points he did not experience much difficulty in getting a good deal of support from men who would like to win, but could not, and were willing to join any movement that might lead to that result. So the American Gordon was boomed, and as the American Kennel Club was not very strong at that time it was easily led into changing the vacillating stud-book title for the breed and styling the variety, ** American Gordon and Black and Tan Setters." But in the "Stud Book" for that year, 1890, the record of registrations was under the title of "Black and Tan Setters." Mr. Malcolm in his article on the American Gordon, published in 1901, hailed this diluted recognition of the title as a great victory, but the club which was to support the new title never put forth another effort, and next year the records of the American Kennel Club returned to "Gordon Setter" and have remained so ever since. The American Gordon was a light-built black and tan setter incapable of winning against dogs of type, and no owner is going to continue paying entry fees and express charges on dogs incapable of winning. The Gordon distinction was very much like present-day foxhound division. A first- class hound is shown as English. When not good enough to win in that class he is made to do duty as an American. Not but what there is a fox- hound perfectly eligible to be shown as American, but not the half-bred harrier type that wins under that title. The Beaumont Kennels of Dr. Myer were broken up in 1892, Mr. J. B. Blossom, who had been showing a few dogs, taking over the best of the Beaumonts, and adding thereto some new ones, such as Heather Bee and Heather York. He thus became the only dangerous competitor to the dogs of Dr. Dixon, for the Meadowthorpes had given up exhibiting and all the dogs had been sold. Next year the Dwight Kennels was started at the town of that name in Illinois, the dogs being owned by Mr. J. R. Oughton, who aided most materially in advancing the interests of the breed through- out the West. He even invaded New York, and with Heather Lad won first in open class and also took second with a puppy. Another Western CHAMPION HEATHER BRUCK A prominent member of Mr. J. B. Blossom's winnin;; kennel of Gordon Setteis CHAMPION HEATHER LAD An exceedingly good dog, imported from Mr. Robert Chapman's kennels by Dr J. R. Ougliton, of Dwight, 111. The Gordon Setter 211 kennel called the Highland also sent dogs to New York and contended against the Dwight dogs throughout the West, the best of this kennel being Highland Yola. Dr. Dixon did not make any additions to his kennel for several years, and his entries gradually became fewer, until 1896 saw the last of what was probably the strongest kennel of Gordons ever got together. In their best days they certainly beat everything and it took the best of several kennels to peg them back eventually. The leading exhibitors were now reduced to Mr. Blossom in New York, and the Dwight and Highland Kennels in the West, no less than twenty-two of the recorded eighty-four winners of reserve or better during 1897 being owned by one or other of these three kennels. This of course made it difficult for the small men to win, and as a natural result we find in succeeding years that competition dwindled to such an extent that it was only by the hardest work on the part of the Gordon Setter Club that the same number of classes were offered as for English and Irish setters. In 1900 there were but fifty-five recorded winners of reserve or better, and as the Western kennels did not send to the Eastern shows that year their absence still further reduced competition, and the best dog in the East that season was Mr. Blossom's Doc, while Heather Lad still led among the Western setters. Mr. Blossom retired in 1900, after having not only played a conspicuous part in the prize lists, but having by his untiring energy in insisting upon "equal rights for the Gordons" done a great deal of work for others for which he has never been given full credit. We then had a year or two of the Vancroft Kennel, with a grand specimen, even if he was going grey, in Duke of Edgeworth as leader. Much as we thought of some of the dogs of the past, we can hardly name one that, both fit and well, could positively have beaten the Duke of Edgeworth. He possessed quality, character and conformation in a marked degree, and must have been a grand dog in his prime, for even when he was showing grey about the muzzle, as was the case when exhibited here, he won the highest honours at New York, Pitts- burg, Buffalo, and again at New York at the Ladies' Kennel Association show. He was defeated at Chicago, but not on his merits, the setter judging at that show being very much criticised. To make up in some measure for departed fanciers in the East, 1901 saw the advent of Mr. B. W. Andrews, who may be said to be a Philadelphian, - although a resident of Woodbury. Starting modestly Mr. Andrews has im 212 The Dog Book the few years he has been connected with Gordons bred more winners than any of his contemporaries, and he is one of the restricted class to whom it is the greatest gratification to breed their own winners — the true fancier feehng that makes a man last. In 1901 Mr. Andrews showed Teddy A. and Wenonah, his dam, and in 1903 showed and won with Bertha A., Billy A., Florence A., Molly A., Peter A. and Teddy A., all from his own breeding. Present Time Conditions Although entries in the Gordon classes are now very poor, the total in seven classes at New York this year being but twenty-one, from a total of only ten dogs, yet it is just possible that this very paucity of entries may be of benefit to the breed. There is now no controlling kennel to deter the owner of one or two dogs or the small breeder. The chances for the many are improved thereby, and we look for an increase in the immediate future along the lines of present exhibitors of one, two or three dogs of good average quality. There is one thing to be said regarding Gordons that cannot be conceded either in the case of English or Irish setters. They have not suffered from indefensible judging, as did English setters, nor from injudicious breeding and loss of type, as was the case with the Irish setters. The Gordons have always been very well judged; that is, type has never been overlooked and there has been no field trials record to divert judges from the plain path of deciding on the looks of the dogs. At the present time, while acknowledging that in the dog section we have nothing of phenomenal merit, no Turk, nor Beaumont, nor Heather Lad, nor Duke of Edgeworth as a pattern, they are mainly sound good dogs. In bitches we have in Florence H. a beautiful bitch owned by Mr. F. Howe Jr., of Lansdale, Pa., and Mr. McColley's Lulu M., one of the best Gordons ever benched, possibly the best bitch we have ever had, and a setter we venture to think the equal of any setter of any breed now being shown. Lulu M. has been perhaps shown a little too lusty at times, but she is a Gordon from tip to tip, in fact one of the few dogs that it is very hard to find fault with, in character, quality or shape. This year maternal duties have kept her from the show ring, but a little sister of hers named Dolly has been very successful in the hands of Ben Lewis, who, failing in his efforts to purchase Lulu, sought out another member of the family, for the dam, Kate, is not the kind that is likely only to throw one chance good one. To look at Kate one understands why we have a Lulu M. and a Dolly. The cornerstone uf Mr. B. W. An.lrewss kennel of Gord.m Setters it Wooilbury. N J CHAMPION DUKE O'^' EDGEWORTH Imported from the kennels of Mr. Luke Crabtree by Mr. J. B. Vandergrift, of Pittsburg. The dog was beginning to show age at the time this photograph was taken The Gordon Setter 213 The Gordon setter is not distinguishable by colour alone from the English I and Irish, no matter what one may have read about resem- blances or as to incorrect formation for utility. A Gordon that resembles either of the other branches of the setter family is not right, nor is an English setter of Gordon formation, nor an Irish setter with the heaviness of the Gordon the correct thing. The Gordon is larger and bulkier, is heavier in head and has not so much feather as the English setter. The quality of coat may be somewhat stiffer, but it does not want to look any different, except in being not so plentiful as that on the English setter. From the Irish setter the Gordon differs most materially in his stoutness of build; somewhat in the texture of coat but not much in the amount of feather. There is also a marked difference in the length of the stern, which is not so long in the Gordon, with heavier bone to start with, and it tapers more quickly, thus adding to the appearance of being somewhat short. The fact is the Gordon setter can hardly be treated seriously as a dog for the gun. We do not of course deny the right of any man to buy a Gordon setter for shooting purposes, any more than his buying a toy terrier or a pug for killing rats, but we think he is making a mistake and would find it to his advantage to get one of the other two breeds of setters, or a pointer over which to shoot, as he would buy a Scottish, Irish or Welsh terrier for rats. The Gordon setter has neither the speed nor possibly the staying ability of the other breeds and his colour is a drawback; even the dark red of the Irish setter renders him hard to keep track of in our shooting as com- pared to a dog with white enough about his coat to render him easy to catch sight of as he slips through the rank growths which cover so much of the shooting grounds in this country. That such a statement will draw out oppo- sition claims is to be expected, but we can point to the records and ask how many of the Gordons we know are field dogs and how many exhibitors are of the class that shoot over their own dogs. Perhaps we might have kept this idea dormant, -but on looking through a portion of Lee's "Modern Dogs" which we had hitherto over- looked we came across the following, the opening sentence of which referred to some old strains kept at Cawdor and Beaufort Castles, some of which were tricolours: "Although these old breeds have been kept as nearly pure as possible, and may be found useful in crossing with the ordinary English setter, especially when work more than actual beauty is required, 214 The Dog Book I do not see any great future before the black and tan setter. He is not easy to follow with the eyes on the moors, and, as a rule, is not so smart as either the English or Irish varieties, and I cannot imagine why even his most ardent admirers prefer him to others, excepting that a team of them match well." A Proper Standard for the Breed The supporters of the breed have really made it a "fancy" variety, with colour the guide as it is in black and tan terriers, we therefore hold that it is not proper to tamper with the type which is recognised as Gordon and introduce modern ideas as to alterations in conformation. Men who want lighter dogs can get them in the Irish or English setters and should not try to make them out of Gordons. Hence we discard entirely the standard framed by the "American Gordon Club," which is supposed still to do duty, but which has never received a moment's consideration by judges of setters, conversant with type. It is somewhat strange that no dog book has given a full standard, and the English club which supports the Gordon has con- tented itself by publishing a "description" which is part historical and part "points." Taking this as a guide and adding to it from Stonehenge and Shaw such points as are not described, we present the following as a proper description of the Gordon setter: "Head. — Is much heavier than that of the English setter, broad between the ears, skull slightly rounded, occiput well developed, and head showing more depth than in the English setter; muzzle well carried out to a well-developed nose, showing no snipyness or pinched appearance. Lips and flews heavier than in the English setter. Eyes dark and with rather a bold look. Ears placed so as to show the formation of skull, and not too heavily feathered, but in this there is much variation, and the English club considers it of minor importance. Altogether a head showing strength without coarseness or sourness of expression. A slight showing of the haw is permissible. "Neck. — Of strength enough to be in keeping with the head and of good length. A little throatiness not so objectionable as in other breeds. "Shoulders and Body. — Upright shoulders are too frequently seen in this breed, and they give a short-necked clumsy forehand appearance to the dog. The shoulders should therefore have a good slope, be devoid of any loaded appearance, and the dog should not have too wide a brisket. Chest MR. BEN. LEWIS'S MOLLY A winning sister to the justly celebrated Lulu M. BAY VIEW GRACE A very successful Gordon Setter at Eastern shows during the past two years. Owned by the Bay View Kennels, of East Providence, R. 1. The Gordon Setter 215 deep, ribs well sprung, no slackness in loin and hind quarters showing great strength. "Legs and Feet. — Legs should be rather heavy in bone, straight in front and with well let-down elbows. Hind legs well bent, with strong, firm action in moving. Feet absolutely sound and well feathered between the toes. " Tail. — Set on low, rather short and tapering. Should not be carried above the horizontal and only slightly curved at any time. "Coat and Colour. — The coat is usually shorter and stronger in texture than in the English setter, flat and quite devoid of curl. A slight wave is permissible, but not desirable. Heaviness of feather is pretty certain to be accompanied by heavy curly ears, and inclination to curl between the ears, and is therefore not altogether desirable, but if obtained without those objections it adds to the finished appearance of the dog. Colour should be pure black and rich mahogany tan. The black should on no account show brown or rusty, but be dense, jet black. The markings should be a counter- part of the tan on the black-and-tan terrier. Black pencillings on the knuckles, tan carried to a little above the knee of foreleg, with a sharply defined edge where it meets the black. A thumb mark is often seen as in the terrier. On the head the tan should not extend too far up the lips toward the top of the muzzle, but about half way. Under jaw and throat tanned, a spot on each cheek and above each eye, and tan on the inside of the ears. There should be no running of the colours, but the edges should be clear and well defined. On the hind legs the insides of the legs should be tanned, also the inner portion of the breeching, and the tan shows slightly down the front of the stifle, on the hind pasterns and hind feet, which should be pencilled like the forefeet. "General Appearance. — The Gordon setter differs from the English setter in being heavier, and shows strength in his make-up more than speed. More bulk of body, rather larger every way, with more bone and substance. Strength without coarseness is more particularly the feature which distin- guishes the Gordon from other setters." Scale of Points Head and neck 25 Legs and feet 15 Neck 5 Stern or tail 5 Shoulders and body .... 25 Colour and markings .... 25 Total 100 CHAPTER XI The Clumber Spaniel HE Clymber spaniel affords a most striking illustration of the difficulty experienced in tracing the history of dogs, when it comes to some special variety. Here is a breed said to have been kept at one place, by one of the leading families of England, and to have been there for two hundred years, having according to accepted tradition originally been presented to one of the Dukes of Newcastle by the Due de Noailles. "Idstone" in "The Dog" (1872), wrote as follows: "They were given, Daniel tells us, to one of the former Dukes of Newcastle by the Due de Nouailles. Vero Shaw, or whoever wrote the Clumber article for his "Book of the Dog," had read "Idstone" thoroughly and says: "We learn on the authority of Daniel that the breed was imported into this country by a Duke of Newcastle, who acquired them from the Due de Nouailles many years ago." Lee in his "Modern Dogs," writes: "It (the intro- duction) was probably about the middle of the eighteenth century when the Due de Nouailles presented the then Duke of Newcastle with a number of spaniels, which in France had the reputation of being better than any others, as they were steady workers and easily brought under command, i. e., there was little difficulty in training them." Mr. Lee, it will be seen, added materially to the number of crows in the original story and rather mixes things by immediately saying: "Although in various parts of France many spaniels are still found and used in work, I have not been able to trace any kennels of true Clumbers in that country." The Clumber article in Stonehenge's first edition (1867) did duty up to and including his fourth and last edition in 1878, and the Daniel story is not given, so that it would seem to have originated with "Idstone." We have preserved the letter "u" in the name of the French nobleman to show that each of these writers after "Idstone" copied from him. The slightest investigation on their part would have proved several things: first, that Daniel makes no mention of Clumber spaniels nor the names 217 2i8 The Dog Book of the noblemen referred to; secondly, that Noailles is the correct spelling of the name, and finally that the gift was made to Henry Clinton, the duke who succeeded to the title in 1768. The gift was presumably made before he attained the title, for the Due de Noailles died in 1766. There was after him a Marshal Philipe de Noailles, but his title was Due de Mouchy, and he was one of the victims of the Reign of Terror. We find him mentioned in a brief account in the Sporting Magazine for 1793, of the King of France going shooting at Versailles, "attendant by a physician, surgeon, the Mare- chal de Noailles and a few other persons of rank." "Idstone" stated that there was an article in the Sporting Magazine for the year 1807, and if he had only taken the trouble to read what was there said he would have saved a lot of speculation and on the part of his followers. The brief article in question accompanied an engraving of a copy of part of the painting by Wheatly, which we give in full. The part copied is that of the figure of the tall man standing and the three spaniels in front of him. This is William Mansell, and the accompanying article is as follows: "The annexed engraving is the portrait of William Mansell, game- keeper to His Grace, Henry Clinton, Duke of Newcastle, and taken from the picture painted by F. Wheatly, Esq., R. A., now in the Duke's possession, at Clumber House, Nottinghamshire. The group of Springers, or Cock- flushers, by which the gamekeeper is so tastefully surrounded in the picture, was a gift to Duke Henry, when in France, from the Duke de Noailles, and William Mansell, during a uniform attention to the duties of his office (near thirty years), has, above other things, studied to increase, unmixed, this peculiar race of flushers. "The Duke's (or Mansell's) breed is still held in higher estimation than any other of the spaniel kind; that justly celebrated painter, P. Rei- nagle, Esq., has made Mansell's breed of Cock-springers his peculiar study, and wherever we trace in that gentleman's productions the resemblance of his favourites we find them to possess the master touch in the highest degree of excellence." The late Mr. Mercer of Ottawa was a great Clumber enthusiast, and had he been in England would probably have gone to the bottom of things, but he relied on English writers when in 1901 he wrote his article on the Clumber. He, however, adds a little to the original "Idstone" and says: "In Daniel's 'Rural Sports' we learn that the immediate ancestors," etc. As an illustration of how an enthusiast will tone things at times we will This is the only good illustration of the Clumlier Spaniel in the various editions of the two books by Stonehenge. and appears in the third edition of " Stonehenge on the Dog," 1879. We Icnow of no drawing which shows more of the required expression and character CLUMKLK AND SUSSEX SPANIELS From the " Book of the Dog " The Clumber Spaniel 219 give here, though not quite in order, another quotation from Mercer. "Colonel Hamilton in his 'Recollections,' which are of shooting incidents in the early days of the century, writes: *A spaniel known as the Clumber breed. His Grace always shooting over them in the woods, is much sought after by sportsmen'; then he enumerates their many excellencies." Now we will give the Hamilton facts. It is true he did write of incidents dating before 1800. He was not, however, speaking of the Clumber as an old breed dog, but as one of the breeds of the then present time. He wrote in i860. Mr. Mercer could hardly have seen the original or he would surely have quoted at greater length, for this is what Colonel Hamilton wrote: "This spaniel is red and white, is larger than the usual spaniel, strong made, an intelligent coun- tenance, dark eyes and the ears not very long. These dogs have excellent noses and display great spirit in beating strong covers, and after having been shot over two or three seasons, become very valuable for pheasant and cock shooting. They are naturally ill tempered and rarely form any attachment but to their master or gamekeeper. I had one of this breed which I gave to a relative. I brought him up from a puppy; he was very much attached to me and was a twelvemonth old when I parted with him. He recollected me for a year afterward, and was still very caressing. But the second year he had forgotten me and growled when I went to pat him. My friend told me he was the best dog among his spaniels. He had the shooting over a thousand acres of woodland, the greater part of which was particularly strong, from blackthorn, high sedges and long grass." Colonel Hamilton was such a discursive writer that one does not know whether he has got all the facts regarding anything till he has read the entire book and pieced statements together, as we have done in the case of the Irish setter he mentions. So also in this case we get additions to patch out with. In a chapter on pheasant shooting and suggestions to a young sportsman he recommends his going to ** a chain of cover in Oxford- shire known as the Quarters, and covering about one thousand acres." He describes them in almost the same language as used above. "They consist of three large woods . . . with a phalanx of blackthorn, bramble, thick underwood and in some parts long sedgy grass." The connecting link is found in reading a further recommendation to the young sportsman: "He should have two or three brace of strong spaniels, like the Clumber breed, and a good retriever." There is then this footnote : " I gave one of these dogs three or four years ago to a young 220 The Dog Book sportsman, a connection of mine, who was shooting in the Quarters. He told me Dash was the best spaniel he had ever had, that he fetched his game tender mouthed, and that if any other dog attempted to touch it he instantly fell on him and drove him off. These dogs are red and white, strongly made in the chest and hind quarters, and have an intelligent countenance. They are in general not good tempered." It will thus be seen that Colonel Hamilton was not giving a beginning of the century recollection about the Clumber, but was speaking of quite a modern dog, so far as his knowledge was concerned, so that Mr. Mercer was not quite justified in the way he suggested that Colonel Hamilton wrote of the Clumber of the "early days of the century." But to Mr. Mercer is due the credit of being the first to draw the attention of dog men to Colonel Hamilton as a writer on the breed. Dalziel, with all his Scotch pertinacity and mclination to get to the bot- tom of his subject, could only suggest, by way of an excuse almost, for some- thing better, that the Noailles dogs were Bassets, but he was too shrewd an observer not to disarm criticism by saying that the muteness was a con- tradiction to the supposition of any hound cross. He says that it is difficult to understand how the great difference between the Clumber and the sprightly cocker came about; in the long barrel, short legs and general heavy and inactive appearance, with the heavy head, large truncated muzzle, deep eyes, sometimes showing the haw. But the Clumber is not any longer, if as long, in proportion to his height than the black field spaniel, and what was that dog twenty-five years ago ? In the days of Brush the field spaniel was mainly a large cocker, and it was not until the time that Mr, Jacobs took hold of it, and others followed, that we got the very great length that we still have. Was there such a wonderful lot of difference at that time between the Sussex and Clumber as to puzzle any one to imagme they both could not be genuine spaniels .? Look at the dual illustration of the Sussex and Clumber in "The Book of the Dog," published less than thirty years ago, and which would be which if they were colourless. The haw is not necessarily indicative of hound blood. If it was would we not have it in all hounds ? What causes it is the weight of the flews, and in all breeds with an extra development of lip and loose skin there is the aptitude to have the lower lid pulled down from the eye. We get it in the mastiff, the St. Bernard, the Clumber, the Sussex, and the Gordon at times. The English Spaniel Club now proposes doing away with the The Clumber Spaniel 221 haw, by altering the standard. If that is followed out then there will be less lower lip in the accepted hawless specimens and a tendency to loss of that expression and character which is so distinctly Clumber in type. An exaggerated showing of the haw and no haw at all are equally incorrect. If we are to believe that the painting by Wheatly of the Duke of Newcastle and his spaniels is an accurate representation of the Clumbers of that early date as to size and general appearance, then there is but one conclusion to arrive at and that is to attribute the Clumber of 1 8 75-1 900 to advanced selection along a line of type originally bred for at Clumber. The spaniels at Clumber in the year 1807 were and had been for thirty years under the care of William Mansell, and were then known as the Duke's or Mansell's breed, and most assuredly Mr. Mansell had an ideal type if that was the case. A man can accomplish a great deal in thirty years in altering and moulding a breed, and how much longer Mansell lived we do not know. We need go no farther in illustration of what can be accom- plished in making type by selection than Boston, with its "round-headed bull and terrier" of 1890 and the Boston terrier of to-day, or to speak more correctly, of 1885 and 1895, for it was well established before it was recog- nised by the American Kennel Club in 1892. The distinction of hunting mute is also something quite possible to secure by selection, for the Duke of Albemarle had large black and tan spaniels that were mute; the Sussex was very nearly so, and if pains had been taken to breed for that peculiarity it might doubtless have been established in that breed. So that there is nothing whatever in the case of the Clumber which needs any explanation beyond selection and breeding to a type fancied by those in charge of or who owned the strain. We will now give what is recorded of the variety under its name of Clumber. In "The Dog," written by Stonehenge, probably in 1868 — the second edition is dated 1872 — the description given is as follows: "A remarkably long, low, and somewhat heavy dog. In weight he is from thirty to forty pounds. Height, eighteen to twenty inches. The head is heavy, wide and full, the muzzle broad and square, generally of a flesh colour. Nostrils open and chops full and somewhat pendant. Ears long and clothed with wavy hair, not too thick. Body very long and strong, the back ribs being very deep, and the chest being very round and barrel- like, the ribs at the same time being so widely separated from each other as to make the interval between them and the hips small in proportion to the 222 The Dog Book great length. Tail bushy, but not at all woolly, the hair being waved only, not curled. It is generally cropped." From the weight being put at from thirty to forty pounds, and a remark in the Clumber article in the first edition of "The Dogs of the British Islands,'* that the Duke's team shown at Islington in 1863 were rather small, it is evident that the Newcastle dogs had not progressed in size as had others. In this article the weight is put at forty to forty-five pounds, and Stonehenge never made any change in the various editions of this work, which gave him his world-wide reputation. The dog Lapis, selected by Dalziel to illustrate his "British Dogs," weighed sixty-two pounds, and he was a Palace winner in 1877. Lee then sets the weight at from fifty-five to sixty-five for dogs and from forty-five to fifty-five pounds for bitches, an increase of twenty-five pounds in as many years of our definite knowl- edge of the breed. Finally the English Clumber Club raises the weights to seventy for dogs and sixty for bitches. One reason for the slow progress that the Clumber made was that one dog was of little use, so slow are they in their movements, and it called for a team of several braces, as many as could be obtained, in fact, to be of use for a shooting party. This entailed special training and looking after by a man who could handle them, for they would not work for every person or any person. This was naturally a drawback to the ex- tended use of this breed, and although it did become somewhat spread, it did so only to a limited extent among those who could make use of the dog to the best advantage, having coverts suited to his style of work, and capable handlers. In America the Clumber has had a very erratic career. In 1880 we remember Mr. Tileston's Trimbush and Fairy, the former being a very good dog, so good indeed that we asked Mr. Dalziel, who was one of the foreign judges that year, what he thought of the dog, and he agreed with us that he was most typical and fit to win anywhere. He was entered as im- ported and "full pedigree," a verv customary way of giving pedigree at the early shows. It is a long look back, but Trimbush was a dog that has lingered in our memory as one of the best we have seen in this country. He was shown at New York the following year by Mr. De Luze, but in wretched condition, and got "the gate." The next Clumber had rather an amusing history. We picked him up at the public stores, where he had been left by the man who brought him over. He had no pedigree, but his history seemed SPANIELS These bear a faint resemblance to the Clumber, but are given no distinct title. The illustrati.m nppcare.l in Daniel's "Kural Sports." 1801, from a painting bj' H. B. Chalon LAPIS Mr. W. Arkwrig-ht's Clumber, used to illustrate Dalziel's ■' British Dogs ' The Clumber Spaniel 223 to be pretty straight, and for want of a better name he was christened Bate- man, after the man who owned him abroad at one time. Bateman was shown in a class at New York for large spaniels and took second, but when application was made for the medal to be awarded to the best Clumber in the class it was not forthcoming, the judge declaring or specifying that Bateman was not a Clumber, and the medal went to something else farther down the list. We then sold Bateman to Mr. Marmaduke Richardson, and the next thing was that the dog got quite a piece bitten out of one ear. It was somewhat of a disfigurement, so that Mr. Richardson had the ear rounded and the other one shaped to match. After this Bateman won several prizes in classes for Clumbers. He was not much of a Clumber, we will admit, but he was nothing else, and was entitled to the medal as against any dog he beat in that class at New York. The late Mr. Mercer was a great enthusiast on the subject of Clumbers, and as the breed had always had more supporters in Canada than in the States, he was more at home in Ottawa in securing his facts. Mr. Mercer credited Major Venables, who was stationed at Halifax as a lieutenant of the 97th Regiment in 1842, with being the first importer of Clumbers, he having got his dogs from Mr. Yeatman of Dorset, a prominent breeder mentioned by " Idstone." Major Venables's Clumbers were the foundation stock upon which later importations were grafted, Mr. Piers of Ottawa getting some of their descendants as well as Mr. Mercer. While Clumbers flourished in the Ottawa district under the rivalry of Messrs. Mercer and Hill and Messrs. Bate and Geddes, it was left to Mr. J. L. Little to uphold the breed in the States, but he soon relinquished the field and the Canadians had matters their own way. From the Mercer kennel came Johnny, a seventy-pound dog according to Mr. Mercer, but a little under sixty by others who weighed him specially. He won many prizes, but his only positive claim to being a Clumber was his length and his colour. In all else he was a very poor dog, over nineteen inches at the shoulder, light all over and devoid of Clumber character in head. The same owner's Drake was a better Clumber, but in those days judges knew less — not much less — about Clumbers than they do now, and they thought the big dog must be the better one. Newcastle and Tyne were also winners sent down from Canada, not one a really good one, our opinion always being that Tyne was the best of the four and Drake the best of the dogs. Mr. Richardson bought Newcastle and Tyne. 224 The Dog Book Poor success in breeding killed off the Ottawa kennels, and another year or two of poor entries ensued before Mr. Little once more made another of his dashes into the breed, and at the same time Mr. George R. Preston took Clumbers up in a way that promised much good for the breed. At New York, in 1895, they made up a total entry of ten, without any duplicates, and in this lot were such good ones as Friar Boss and Glenwood Greeting each of the exhibitors scoring a first in the two classes provided for the breed. In the following yea'r Mr. Preston had the field to himself at New York and won all four prizes in the two classes, his best being Major Gilfeather and Glenwood Greeting. Mr. Preston had been much annoyed by some law proceedings for over a year in connection with some of his dogs, and the unpleasantness was such that he disposed of his entire kennel of Clumbers to Mr. Henry Jarrett, who with another useful addition of his own put down an excellent team of four at the New York show of 1897, with which he not only took all the Clumber class prizes, but also the special for the best four spaniels, other than cockers and this under Mr. George Raper. Mr. Jarrett then sold them all for a good price, and once more the breed was a blank for another year or so. It was not until 1901 that there was any apparent revival of interest, and competition became somewhat diversified but still scant. Miss Douglas, who had been an occasional exhibitor for a few years, still made her customary entry at New York, and in the fall of that year we had two new competitors in Mrs. Robert Stride and the Nor- wood Kennels of Chestnut Hill, that being the name under which Mr. D. Murray Bohlen shows his dogs. How much good the accession of these two exhibitors did the breed is shown by the total list of winners of 1903 jumping up to twenty from the usual five or six at which it had been standing. Colonel Stride was now showing the dogs from the Agawam Kennels, and he exhibited six winners that year, while Mr. Bohlen had eight with the prefix of Norwood, and Maggie of Eaton Park, a very good bitch brought over by Mr. Tilley and sold to Mr. Bohlen after she had won at New York from Norwood Harmony. The getting together of the Norwood Kennels team had its usual effect however, for when others could not beat them com- petition fell off, and at New York last year only two opposition entries of one dog each were made out of a total of thirteen entries, and this year, 1905, the entire entry of ten was made by the Norwood Kennels. This is not a very encouraging state of affairs, and the outlook is no better, for the breed seems to be even more of a fancy one with us than the PREMIER QUEEN BEECHGROVE BERTHA r«o very sjoofl Clumber hitch-s owned by Tilley Brothers, of Shepton Mallet, England MR. R. PRESroN. JR S GLENWOOD GREETING MR. LUKE CRABTREE'S COLWYN CLOWN The Clumber Spaniel 225 Gordon setter among sporting dogs. People who keep them very naturally think a great deal of them, but to the outside public or the man looking for a breed to take up they are a good deal of an educated taste. To the ordi- nary man they lack attraction and cannot compare with the black field spaniel, which in turn loses to the active and taking cocker. For these rea- sons we fear the Clumber will never become popular or be taken up by a sufficient number of exhibitors to make competition interesting. The standard adopted by the American Spaniel Club was one originally drafted by Mr. Mercer. As a fellow-committeeman in framing the standard, we strongly objected to many of his alterations from the accepted English standard. Some of these objections he acquiesced in, but not all. To bring the matter before the club Mr. Richardson, the chairman of the committee, voted with Mr. Mercer, and the club accepted the standard without dis- cussion. This being a peculiarly English breed we held then and hold now that with the very few specimens we have in this country, the limited number of exhibitors and the very slight knowledge possessed by even spaniel men as to breed, the English club's standard should be adopted without question. What would we think if two or three Englishmen took up Boston terriers and set about making a standard for the breed differing from ours in just the points wherein their dogs differed from our standard ? That is what our Spaniel Club did with the Clumber standard, and for that reason we give the standard of the English club. We have already commented on the recent alteration regarding the suppression of the haw, and are pleased to say that our views are in complete harmony with those of that recognised spaniel authority in England, Mr. FarroWo So much has been said in opposition to this change that it would not be at all surprising to have it altered and the prior standard again govern on this point. The standard is printed in a manner to show the recent alterations, the additions being within brackets. The only depletion made was in striking out "and showing haw" in the description of the eyes. From the defense of the alteration made by the Clumber Club secretary it would appear that the alteration was made to fit a condition, and it is claimed, though not apparent how, that dogs with the haw showing are still all correct. An exaggerated haw is of course as faulty as it is in other dogs showing that peculiarity, but the haw has always been a Clumber characteristic and is in keeping with the thoughtful look of the dog. 226 The Dog Book Scale of Points POSITIVE POINTS NEGATIVE POINTS Head and jaw 20 Curled ears lo Eyes 5 " coat 15 Ears 5 Bad carriage and [set-on of tail] 15 Neck 5 Snipy face [or faulty jaw] 20 Body 15 Legginess 10 Fore legs 5 Light eye 10 Hind legs 5 [Full eye] 10 Feet 5 [Straight stifle] 10 Stern 5 Colour of markings 10 Coat and feather 10 General appearance and type 10 TOO Descriptive Particulars The words in brackets are the additions to the old description. ''Head. — Large, square and massive, of medium length, broad on top,, with a decided occiput; heavy brows with a deep stop; heavy muzzle, with well-developed flew [and level jaw and mouth]. "Nose. — Square and flesh coloured. "Eyes. — Dark amber, slightly sunk, old look. [Full, light, very objectionable.] "Ears. — Large, vine-leaf shaped and well covered with straight hair, and hanging slightly forward, the feather not to extend below the leather. "Neck. — [Fairly long], thick and powerful, and well feathered under- neath. "Body. — (Including size and symmetry) long and heavy, and near the ground [with well-sprung ribs]. Weight of dogs, about fifty-five to seventy pounds; bitches, about forty-five to sixty pounds [five pounds added in weight]. ^'Shoulders and Chest. — Strong [sloping] and muscular; chest deep. "Back and Loin. — Back straight, broad and long; loin powerful, well let down in flank. "Hind Quarters. — Very powerful and well developed. "Stern. — Set low, well feathered, and carried about level with the back. "Feet and Legs. — Feet large and round, well covered with hair; legs short, straight, thick and strong; hocks low [stifles well bent and set straight]^ A WINNING TEAM OF CLUMBERS Mr. n. Murray Bohlens exhibit at Atlantic City, 1903. show CHAMPION MAGGIE OF EATON PARK Up to the time of her death this Clumber was the star of Mr. D. Murray Bohlen's Norwood Kennels The Clumber Spaniel 227 "Coat. — Abundant, close, silky and straight; legs well feathered. "Colour. — Plain white, with lemon markings; orange permissible, but not desirable; slight head markings and freckled muzzle, with white body preferred. "General Appearance. — Should be that of a long, low, heavy, very massive [but active dog], with a thoughtful expression. CHAPTER XII The Sussex Spaniel T is to be regretted that we have to speak in the past tense with regard to the Sussex spaniel, a true-bred specimen of which variety it would be as difficult to find at the present time as a pure Laverack setter. As will be seen by reference to the article on the Clumber spaniel, where w^e quote from old writers of a century ago, the Sussex spaniel had then a w^idespread reputation and a name. Mr. Fuller of Rosehill paid great attention to this variety and kept them from the beginning of the century until his death in 1847. He lived at Rosehill Hall, and the name of Rosehill has always been associated with the breed and considered a guarantee of excellence beyond question. Few, indeed, however, can now claim the right to dis- play Rosehill on their escutcheon, which is now blazoned with "sable" to far too great an extent, and the former sign of true breeding, the golden liver coat, is all but a forgotten bygone. When Mr. Fuller died, his keeper was permitted by Mrs. Fuller to select two spaniels from the kennel, and he took George and Romp, the others, seven in all, Lee tells us, being sold. It is through the pair Relf got that we trace back at all to the Rosehill strain. Of course there were other Sussex spaniels or we would hardly have heard of them as a variety; and they were in many hands, but the best of the early show dogs came mainly from the Rosehill strain. That this was not so in its entirety is well illustrated by a dog called George being selected for Stonehenge's book as the typical dog of the breed, and he was by a black dog. Blacks and livers were interbred very much, and twenty years ago only a very limited few could lay claim even to being "almost pure bred." One of the best of the dogs of that period, and one who made a greater name for himself than any Sussex possible to mention, was Bachelor, a great winner in his day and entitled to the prefix of champion. His dam was mainly black in her breeding, and Lee says she had water spaniel blood in her, but adds that Bachelor even at that was about as pure Sussex as any- thing to be had in his day. 229 230 The Dog Book Purely as a Sussex spaniel Bachelor would have passed into the records with no more claim to be remembered than many other champions of his breed, but he fell into the hands of Mr. Jacobs of Newton Abbott, Devon- shire, who used him to advantage in crossing on spaniels of various strains, mainly on blacks, with the object of getting a purer and deeper black, as pigeon fanciers cross dun and black birds for that purpose. At that time we had quite a little correspondence with Mr. Jacobs and he told us his reasons for using Bachelor. He succeeded far beyond his expectations, but that is another story, and what he did, being not Sussex, but field spaniel lore, will appear in that section of spaniel history. What Bachelor looked like, indeed what a really good heavyweight spaniel should look like, will be seen by the illustration of Bachelor. The only exhibitor in America who has had anything in the Sussex spaniel line has been Mr. Rowland P. Keasbey, but his have been and are more liver-coloured field spaniels than Sussex, the peculiar golden shade being missing. His Coleshill Rufus was of as pure Sussex strain as was possible to get probably at the time he was imported, but back in his pedi- gree there are many black crosses. Mr. Keasbey also purchased from Mr. Newington some of his Rosehill dogs, he having about as pure Sussex as any, but the golden shade is apparently not to be retained. What remains of the Sussex in this country is incorporated as a colour distinction of the field spaniels, being shown in the classes for liver-coloured spaniels. In the Sporting Magazine for July, 1807, there is an engraving by J. Scott from a painting by Marshall of three spaniels, the property of Mr. John Carr, of Monmouthshire, described as follows: "The one to the left is of the Sussex breed, the other the common cockers; all of them remarkably good, but the Sussex-bred one certainly shows the most blood, and the sort is esteemed by the best-informed sportsmen to be the most genuine of the spaniel race." The one to the left is a black and white, or he may be a black- and-white roan. A dog of good substance and not so high on the legs as the other two, which we take to be orange or red and white, quite settery in shape, with long, rather narrow heads; the tails of the centre one, which is standing, and of the Sussex, are truncated. The illustration we give from a painting by A. Cooper is referred to by "Idstone," who states that the sportsman seated, holding the woodcock, is Sir Edwin Landseer the artist, and the dog facing him is a Sussex spaniel. It is not necessary to write further of a breed which practically does CHAMPION BACHELOR The Sussex Spaniel used to improve the black field spaniels as bred by Mr. T. Jacobs COLESHILL RUFUS The Sussex Spaniel from which Mr. K. P. Keasbey got many uf his good field spaniels The Sussex Spaniels 231 not exist to-day, and in this country does not exist at all, and those who desire to know what the Sussex spaniel was can find it best from the English Spaniel Club's standard, which is as follows: Positive Points Negative Points Head lo Light eyes 5 £yes 5 Narrow head lo Nose 5 Weak muzzle lo £afs ID Curled ears or set on high 5 Neck 5 Curled coat 15 Chest and shoulders 5 Carriage of stern 5 Back and back ribs 10 Topknot 10 Legs and feet 10 White on chest 5 Tail 5 Colour, too light or too dark 15 Coat 5 Legginess or light of bone 5 Colour 15 Shortness of body or flat sided 5 General appearance 15 General appearance — sour or crouching 10 Descriptive Particulars ''Head. — The skull should be moderately long, and also wide, with an indentation in the middle and a full stop, brows fairly heavy; occi- put full, but not pointed, the whole giving an appearance of heaviness without dullness. ''Eyes. — Hazel colour, fairly large, soft and languishing, not showing the haw overmuch. "Nose. — The muzzle should be about three inches long, square, and the lips somewhat pendulous. The nostrils well developed and liver colour. "Ears. — ^Thick, fairly large and lobe shaped; set moderately low, but relatively not so low as in the black field spaniel; carried close to the head and furnished w^ith soft wavy hair. "Neck. — Is rather short, strong and slightly arched, but not carrying the head much above the level of the back. There should not be much throatiness about the skin, but well-marked frill in the coat. "Chest and Shoulders. — The chest is round, especially behind the shoulders, deep and wide, giving a good girth. The shoulders should be oblique. "Back and Back Ribs.— The back and loin is long and should be very muscular, both in width and depth; for this development the back ribs must be deep. The whole body is characterised as low, long and level. 232 The Dog Book ''Legs and Feet. — The arms and thighs must be bony as well as muscu- lar, knees and hocks large and strong, pasterns very short and bony, feet large and round, and with short hair between the toes. The legs should be very short and strong, with great bone, and may show a slight bend in the forearm, and be moderately well feathered. The hind legs should not apparently be shorter than the forelegs, or be too much bent at the hocks, so as to give a settery appearance, which is so objectionable. The hind legs should be well feathered above the hocks, but should not have much hair below that point. The hocks should be short and wide apart. [The hock is the joint itself and cannot be short. What is meant is that from the hock to the ground should be short, or that the hind pasterns should be short. — Ed.] "^ail. — Should be docked from five to seven inches, set low, and not carried above the level of the back, thickly covered with moderately long feather. " Coat. — Body coat abundant, flat or slightly waved, with no tendency to curl, moderately well feathered on legs and stern, but clean below the hocks. ''Colour. — Rich golden liver; this is a certain sign of the purity of the breed, dark liver or puce denoting unmistakably a recent cross with the black or other variety of field spaniel. "General Appearance. — Rather massive and muscular, but with free movements and nice tail action, denoting a cheerful and tractable dispo- sition. Weight from thirty-five pounds to forty-five pounds/' CHAPTER XIII The Field Spaniel PANIELS of a size larger than cockers and intermediate to the setter have been known for many years. They have had a variety of names, such as finders, starters, spring- ers, and still later that of field spaniels; but in treating of the field spaniel of the present day it is not necessary to go further back than the time when the modern type was established, mainly by Mr. T. Jacobs in the early eighties. Prior to the period when that gentleman revolutionised the variety the heavy spaniel which was neither Sussex nor Clumber, and might be of any colour, was classed as a field spaniel and was of no definite and settled type. It ran higher on the leg and had a coat more inclined to wave or curl than had the dogs introduced by Mr. Jacobs, which set the fashion we have followed ever since. Of course we are speaking entirely of spaniels in England, for spaniels up to that period were a motley lot in this country. In English works on the dog a good deal is said about the old Burdett, Bullock and Boulton strains, and we have nothing to say against them in any way. Indeed, it is almost certain that as regards usefulness they were superior to the present-day dog, which, with all his show qualities in appearance, we cannot help concluding is not much adapted for use. His conformation is proof posi- tive that he has no great speed, but moves like a Clumber or a heavy Sussex, and his vocation is in heavy coverts at a moderate pace; a kind of shooting very little followed in this country. The pre-Jacobites, if we must invent a word, were mainly like large cocker spaniels in conformation, and although we read in the older books of Stonehenge and writers of his period of their lowness and length, that was only a comparative description. The prize winners were lower — in comparison with length — than the ordinary run of working spaniels of that period, but we should call them too high on the leg now. They also lacked the type in head called for in present-day spaniels, and we really think were more spaniel-like than our exaggerated type. We will take Brush 233 234 The Dog Book as an instance. Stonehenge says of Brush that he was the very best speci- men of the field spaniel he had ever seen, and is lavish of his praise. Dalziel does not mention Brush, giving as his illustration of the black spaniel the twenty-two-pound bitch Flirt; but among the measurements "fur- nished by their respective owners" that of Brush appears, and Mr. Easton states that he was fifteen inches at the shoulder and thirty-eight inches from nose to set-on of tail. We saw Brush on one occasion, and we are very decidedly of the opinion that he was not built that way at all. In addition to which, the late Thomas Dawson, who came from Beverley, in Yorkshire, gave us, about 1883, a small photo of Brush, which showed him to be, so far as build was concerned, much on the lines shown in Stonehenge. That photograph we have lost, but we fully recollect the immense ringleted ears and his length of leg, which we should say was more fitted for a dog of nearer seventeen inches. Mr. Dawson was inti- mately acquainted with the Boulton spaniels, and wrote for us a criticism on spaniels at the New York show of 1883, which we published in the American Kennel Register. The following is an extract therefrom: "Coat is more artificial than natural, as I do not care how good a dog's coat is, if it is neglected it will show some curl on the shoulder and on the thigh. Brush was a notable example of this; he probably was with the exception of being a trifle leggy, one of the best spaniels that ever was exhibited. Well, when he was shown by Dr. Boulton, and afterward by Mr. Easton, and cared for by John Reed, of Beverley, his coat was perfection. Mr. Easton sold him for a long figure (about $500), and he got into the hands of amateurs at exhibiting, and the dog came out with curls all over." It will be noticed in the reproduction of the Stonehenge illustration that Brush is built on lines precisely similar to the little eighteen-pound red cocker of Mr. Langdale; indeed, if anything, he is not so long propor- tionately. If Brush was only fifteen inches at the shoulder and thirty-eight inches long, and EndclifFe Bishop is 14 x 35I, how could Brush be called leggy } After Brush the black spaniels were bred longer, lower and heavier, but as is always the case when length is forced, and shortness of legs is insisted upon, nature called upon the fore legs to assume the shape best fitted to support that style of body, and crooked fore legs became notice- able; but despite this acknowledged detraction in a spaniel, the desire The Field Spaniel 235 for length was so enforced that extremely bad-fronted dogs figured promi- nently at English shows of the early eighties. We recall the most adverse criticisms passed upon a dog called Beverlac, a prominent winner scahng over fifty pounds and of extreme length. It was during this period that Mr. Jacobs took up the breed and purchased some of the then winning strains, such as Nigger, of the Bullock line, and some of Mr. Lang's bitches, of which the sisters Smutty and Negress were the prime factors in his main start. Later he got the Sussex spaniels Bachelor (illustrated in the article on the Sussex spaniel. Part IIL), and Russet, which he renamed Ladyship, and we might say that with these he made himself and his strain the talk of dogdom the world over. First he tried Nigger on Smutty and Negress, and in 1878 got one fairish dog called Boss. That year he decided to follow pigeon breeders colour- breeding methods to bring about better black, so he secured Bachelor and bred him to the two black bitches, and the result was eminently successful. From Smutty he got Kaffir and Zulu, the latter of which he sold to Mr. Royle, of Manchester, for a high price. From Negress he got Lass o' Devon, liver, and the great bitch Squaw, black, with which he had wonderful success both at stud and in breeding, but the second litter from Bachelor and Negress was not nearly so good; Negro and Benedict, the latter of which we imported in 1881, being the best. We do not know of any further breeding from the bitch Smutty. Mr. Jacobs then proceeded to inbreed, and crossed Zulu on Lass o' Devon and got '2. winner in Ladybird, and the pedigree of his winners showed that he still believed in crossing the colours, for he got Bend Or from the black Kaffir out of the Sussex Russet, renamed by him Ladyship. Pur- suing this successful line of breeding, Mr. Jacobs continued to turn out good dogs year after year, not of course with uniform success, but always showing dogs capable of getting in the prize lists at the few important shows at which he exhibited outside of the local shows in the west of England. In a few years he took the prefix of Newton Abbot, and all his dogs in later years were so distinguished. A good deal of his breeding got into other kennels, but no one seemed quite able to produce from those that came from Newton Abbot the equals of Mr. Jacobs's turnout, and his ex- hibiting was continued until 1892, when he had in his kennel perhaps the best he had ever had, a bitch for which Mr. Woolland gave ;^ 1,250, renam- ing her Bridford Perfection. When she left the show ring it was with an 236 The Dog Book unbeaten record. At that time Mr. Jacobs sold a bunch of his dogs for ^7,500 and retired from breeding and exhibiting. It would be quite incorrect to assume that no others during this period had any good spaniels. Far from it, but we have given the condensed record of what was accomplished at Newton Abbot, almost as much by way of showing what one man can do when he hits the right idea and carries it out. Besides Mr. Jacobs there were, at the time he first became prominent, Mr. Spurgin, Mr. Easton, Mr. Bowers and several others. Mr. Schofield also had the Bachelor cross, and was very success- ful with Salus, and from her came Solus, a beautiful black dog shown most successfully by Mr. Royle, of Manchester, who kept a mixed ken- nel of only high-class dogs. Mr. Marples, now of Manchester, was a later exhibitor, and after showing Midnight and a few others, finally got a really good one in Moonstone. Then came Mr. Woolland, Captain Thomas, Mr. Robert Chapman and others of a more modern period, all showing and breeding good dogs. Prone as Americans are to note anything new and striking in the English kennel world, it was to be expected that the very remarkable success of the Bachelor litters from Negress and Smutty would have its result here, and such proved to be the case. Mr. A. H. Moore, then the leading exhibitor in this country, imported one of the Smutty litter, shown here as Dash, which later on passed into the possession of the Hornell Spaniel Club. To our own kennel we imported Benedict, from the second Negress litter, and Mr. Kirk, of Toronto, got Toronto Beau, from the Kaffir-Squaw litter of 1880. Just to show that type was then by no means established, we got at the same time with Benedict a cocker spaniel shown as Beatrice, who was by Mr. Jacobs's first field spaniel Nigger. But that was nothing out of the way, for, if one looks through the old American Kennel Register containing the records of the early importations, it is easy to see that there was little reliance to be placed on the dogs of that time, for we had as many cockers from Brush as we did spaniels over twenty- eight pounds. A great many dogs tracing to the Bullock and Burdette strains were cockers close to the limit of weight, and some well under. Another early importation was Success, a dog owned by Mr. J. H. Winslow, now of Philadelphia. This was a Schofield dog, being by Bach- elor out of Salus, and a winner of third at the Crystal Palace. Success unfortunately had a bad front, and when he met Benedict it was that ^^- w 1 The Field Spaniel 237 which beat him. Benedict was never beaten that we can now recall, but he was weak in muzzle and it was his body properties, his good front and his beautiful coat that put him before his opponents. Moore's Dash was better in head when they met at New York in 1881, but nowhere else. None of these dogs did any good for the breed, however, for there was nothing to mate them with except the cocker spaniels, and there was no sound foundation in their breeding. What interfered at that time, and has always interfered, with the popularity of the field spaniel was the preference for the cocker, which was then entering upon the Obo regime. The shooting man has never found much use for the field spaniel, and he who simply wants a dog suited to his uneducated taste for fancy points will in the vast majority of cases prefer the cocker to any other variety of spaniel. Just as the fancy for the breed seemed dying out, Mr. E. M. Oldham took hold of it, and by judicious importations improved the classes very much. Many of these came from the Newton Abbot kennels, and he had so many of them that he subsequently took the name and still uses it as his prefix. What in his opinion was the best of the many good dogs he owned we never asked, but ours is that Glencairn, not from the Jacobs kennel, was the one with the greater claim to that position. Not alone was he good individually, but the few opportunities he had to be bred from (only two, we believe, owing to his untimely death), showed more good puppies than was the case from any dog of the time, or possibly any field spaniel we have ever had. He was much inbred, being by a dog called Bracken, by Solus out of Beverley Bess, by Beau out of Nell; Solus by Bachelor out of Salus. His dam was Belle, a full sister to Bracken. We do not consider the photo- graph of Glencairn a good one, and it does the dog no credit. Mr. Oldham then associated himself with Mr. Willey, who was more intimately connected with cockers at that time, and the partnership was productive of good results during the brief time it lasted. Mr. W. T. Payne, also a cocker man, interested himself in field spaniels to a slight extent, and perhaps there was no time when competition was better than about 1890. In that year at New York the spaniel entry was four Irish water spaniels, eight Clumbers, twenty-one field spaniels and eighty-seven cocker spaniels. We are speaking of actual dogs, and this total of 120 dogs were shown in nineteen classes, an average of six and a third per class. This year, 1905, the record showed two Irish, seven Clumber, 238 The Dog Book twenty field and 107 cocker spaniels, a total of 135 dogs in twenty-nimi classes. Duplicate entries, not in vogue in 1890, raised the total entry in spaniels to a paying basis this year, but it will be seen that the large spanieis have by no means increased in number in keeping with the cockers. The entry at New York in 1890 shows upon what lines we were e^ en then breeding field spaniels and the close connection they had with cockers. The challenge dog class had two of Mr. Willey's imported Newton Abbots, Don and Laddie, both field-spaniel bred, and Black Prince, Mr. A. C. Wilmerding's well-known winner, by Benedict out of a Canadian-bred cocker bitch named Madcap. There was no entry in challenge bitches, but in open dogs, black, there was a new dog named Baron imported by Mr. G. W. Folsom, from Mr. Spurgin's kennel. This was a beautiful quality dog, and he won easily from Bolus, a dog of whose breeding we can say nothing. In the class for black bitches were three bred by Mr. D. S. Hammond, and by Newton Abbot Darkie out of Bertie, a bitch of mixed cocker breeding. Two others were shown in this class, one by the cocker Young Obo, out of a Jacobs field spaniel bitch, and the other of cocker breeding on both sides. In the open class for liver-coloured spaniels Mr. Payne won with his imported Newton Abbot Skipper; second going to a brother of Bolus, already mentioned, and third to a Canadian of cocker breeding. Two black and tans were in front in the next class, by Glen- cairn out of Lady Abbot, and therefore straight bred. Third to Adonis, by the cocker Hornell Mikado. It will thus be seen that the native field spaniels were still being bred very much as they had been in England ten to fifteen years before. But while use was being made of cockers in this manner, the same breeding was not at all useful in the cocker classes, for the only two so bred, shown by Mr. Willey, gained only commendations. We believe we are correct in saying that the reason this breeder resorted to the field-spaniel blcod was because he was even at that early date aware that the cockers were becoming smaller, and he endeavoured by the field-spaniel cross to keep up their size. But he told us that he did not like it, and what else he might have done in the same direction was put a stop to by his soon afterward having to give up in a great measure his breeding operations. With the dropping out of Mr. Jacobs and the increasing prominence of Mr. Woolland's kennel in England, we naturally find a similar shift on the part of American buyers. Mr. Kirk secured Bridford Ruby, a bitch TORONTO F.KAU Imported by tlie late Mr. J. F. Kirk, of Toronto, from Mr. Jacobs's Newton Abbot Kennels m ■■- ■ "'^'^ A JACOBS PUPPY This photograph was received many years ago from Mr. Jacobs, and was of one of his best puppies of the second generation breeding The Field Spaniel 239 that Mr. Payne got in 1888; Mr. Laidlaw had Bridford Gladys; Mr. R. P. Keasbey had Lady, an imported daughter of Bridford Ruby, all bred by Mr. Woolland; and all were at the New York show of 1891. Here also Mr. Keasbey, who now ranks as our oldest field-spaniel exhibitor, had Beverley Negus, one of the old Yorkshire sort that Mr. Easton bred, also the bitch called Saybrook Lass, another of the same kind. This was Mr. Kirk's last time of exhibiting, and he sold Bridford Ruby to Mr. Keas- bey, who with her and Beverley Negus won both challenge classes at New York in 1902, at which show a remarkably good black named Judex came out. This was a son of Glencairn, and we do not think we are far wrong in saying that he has to be considered seriously when guessing at which might be the best American-bred field spaniel we have had. He won his first in the open class from another Glencairn named Echo, who was out of a very good bitch named Ace of Spades, one of the Newton Abbot Darkie- Bercie litter, bred by Mr. D. S. Hammond. Ace of Spades won in her class at this same show, and was followed by her daughter Dame Trot, a sister to Echo. Spaniels at New York in 1893 were judged by Mr. Oldham, and as we consider him one of, if not the best and most reliable of field-spaniel judges, we will give more particular attention to his placing, as a guide to how the dogs of that time ranked. Mr. Keasbey had in 1892 shown Mr. Kirk's Schofield dog Beau at New York and at other shows, and now had him in the challenge class opposing his old dog Beverley Negus, who won. Bridford Ruby had no opposition in her challenge class, but Mr. Oldham expressed his opinion of her by giving her the cup he oflFered for the best bitch. In the open black dog class Judex won, beating Warwick, Echo, Beau, Compton Brigand and Bolus. Warwick and Echo were both bred by Dr. Bradbury, out of Patti by that good dog Baron, mentioned as having won so easily in 1890 from Bolus, who was last of the lot in the present class. Baron was also an untimely loss, judging from this one litter of his. In the open black bitch class Ace of Spades won from her daughter Dame Trot, with a half-bred cocker named Rosedale Bess third. This bitch was bred by Mr. Kirk out of Bridford Ruby and by Bob Obo, and was one of the lot bought by Mr. Keasbey. Fourth went to another half-bred cocker named Dainty, bred in Canada. In the class for liver- coloured spaniels another half-bred Canadian named Queen was the winner from three of the Baron-Patti litter. We do not remember Queen. 240 The Dog Book She was bred by Mr. Spracklin, and her sire was Bob Jr. by Bob III. out of Black Bess. Her dam Muggins was by Brahmin out of Gipsy, by Rollo out of Judy. Black Bess was Dr. Niven's cocker celebrity by the English dog Brush out of Dr. Boulton's. great cocker bitch Rhea. Bob III. was a leggy fellow we got from "Billy" Graham, of Belfast, and a dog that lives in our memory as the worst spaniel to fight we ever had. After much consideration we decided to stretch the bonds of friendship with the most amiable friend we had, Dr. Niven, so Bob III. went to London, Ont., and, mated with Black Bess, got some very useful spaniels, such as Doctor and this Bob Jr. Graham visited New York a year or so after the arrival of Bob III., and we asked him what prompted him to send such a fighting spaniel. When Billy could not answer he usually asked a question, so in this case he wanted to know if we had ever seen him fight a red dog, and then came the story: "I had him at my place before I sent him out to you, and he was the divil to fight, and I got tired of it. One day I thought I would stop him, so I slipped three of the hardest of my terriers (Irish) out of their kennels, and then I helped them a bit with my stick. The divil a red dog would Bob touch after that, and he went out for his daily run with the rest of them till I sent him to you." Mr. Keasbey took another first with the black and tan Newton Abbot Farmer, a dog of many owners in this country. Judex was given the special for the best field spaniel, which is in keeping with what we have just written as to his merits as the best American bred, written purely from recollection of the dog and prior to noting this good win. The year 1894 was not particularly noticeable in field spaniels. A new dog called Staley Baron was brought over by Toon and Thomas — a particularly lengthy dog, but one we never took a liking to. His first test against a good dog was in 1895 at New York, when he was beaten by Royd Monarch. Mr. Marcel A. Viti also made a first appearance in a very modest way as the owner of a black bitch named Gossip, bred in Canada by Mr. Laidlaw, and out of his Woolland bitch Bridford Gladys. Gossip's sire was Muggins, who was by the cocker Black Pete II. out of Queen, the winning New York bitch just referred to, who was by a son of Bob III., the fighting spaniel. Gossip proved a very useful purchase for Mr. Viti. The following year brought about some changes. Mr. George R. Preston, Jr., who had for a year or more been showing Clumbers with GLENCAIRN Imported and owned by Mr. E. M. Ululiaiii. His promising career as a sire was ended by his early death NEWTON ABBOT DARKIE Probably the best of all the imported Jacobs spaniels. Owned by Mr. E. M. Oldham The Field Spaniel 241 success, imported Royd Monarch and won the special for the best field spaniel. It cannot be said that the quality of the spaniels shown this year was equal to what it had been a short time prior. Royd Monarch was in our opinion not the equal of Judex, or his sire Glencairn and one or two others that might be named; but when it comes to a question of the best sire it is a different story, for there Royd Monarch is an easy winner. Miss Anabel Green was then an exhibitor, as she is still as Mrs. Evans, and in addition to field spaniels she was also interested in Irish water spaniels. Another welcome addition about this time was Mr. C. T. Mead, of Toronto, his best being the bitch Woolton Dagmar, which, like most of his winners, was imported. Royd Monarch passed into the kennels of Mr. Viti, and at New York in 1898 he suffered defeat from Woolton Baron, who, notwithstanding his having won at New York in 1897, was priced at ;^50, which was just half the price asked by Mr. Mead for his Woolton Wonder, placed fourth to Baron. A very faithful servant to a good owner made his appearance in this same show, Mr. Keasbey's now well-known Saybrook Popcorn, a good all-round dog that has kept on improving in character and has had a deservedly successful career. He is a son of the Sussex spaniel Coleshill Rufus, imported by the Hempstead Farm and bought from that kennel by Mr. Keasbey in 1894. Although Popcorn might be shown in a class for Sussex on account of his being a liver dog, yet he is hardly of that variety, for his dam was black and tan, and by that good English dog the black Moonstone, while the rest of her breeding seems to be mainly black blood. He is certainly a well-bred dog, and at the present time ranks as one of the successful sires of the large-spaniel fancy. A decided impetus was given to field spaniels when the Swiss Mountain Kennels, of Germantown, long and favourably known in connection with cocker spaniels as well as St. Bernards, got together a very strong kennel. At the head was EndclifFe Bishop, a dog imported by Mr. George Thomas, as the prefix implies. With this dog were several very good bitches, the best being a black named Wansbeck Chloe and a black and tan named Banner Hazel. Endcliffe Bishop we consider very close to being the best field spaniel we have ever had, notwithstanding the fact that he has some- times been defeated for specials. In his class he has never won anything but first. He has the correct head with well-placed ears; is long in the body without the least slackness; is especially good in front, and his coat 242 The Dog Book is of good substance. A dog so nearly perfect as is Endcliffe Bishop is very seldom seen, and on that account he has sometimes missed what was his due when competing for mixed specials. It is to be regretted that he has produced no successor, but it is doubtful if he has done much stud service, for Messrs. Keasbey, Viti and Mead, as also Mrs. Evans, have all taken to home breeding, while the Swiss Mountain Kennels did little of it. Mr. Viti also strengthened his kennel by the addition of Bridford Morda from Mr. WooUand's kennel. Morda excelled in length and body, but though she had a well-modelled head, it did not strike us as being large enough to correspond with her body. That she won with considerable ease in 1890 at New York is very certain, but when she again got the high honours in 1901 over Princess Correzina, a new importation by the Swiss Mountain Kennels, there was quite a difference of opinion, both being very good bitches. Mr. Viti also showed two good ones in Wealdstone Field Marshal and Wealdstone Morda, both by his Royd Monarch out of Bridford Morda, the former taking reserve in winners to Endcliffe Bishop, and the latter taking second to Princess Correzina in novice class. At the con- clusion of this show Mrs. D. P. Evans purchased the best in the kennel of Mr. Mead, of Toronto, materially strengthening her collection in the way of breeding stock. Even the most ardent supporters of field spaniels have found little cause for congratulation on the displays made since 1902 at even the best shows. At New York that year the entry was lamentably small, and that under such an experienced exhibitor as Mr. George Douglas, who had at last been prevailed upon to judge. His nine classes yielded only a total of twenty-two entries, and three of these were absentees. Wealdstone Madge, a Woolland bitch which Mr. Viti had imported for the Philadelphia show of the preceding November — where she won — took first in whinners. A very high-quality bitch in every way and deserving of her honours. Last year, under Dr. Bradbury, there was no improvement, as eleven of the twenty-one entries were made by Mr. Keasbey. Of course this lack of competition had the natural result of drawing the attention of owners to the possibility of winning, and there was a little improvement at New York this year. Mrs. Clemont B. Newbold filled the vacancy from Philadelphia made by the retiring of the Swiss Mountain Kennels; and Mrs. Evans was still an exhibitor and promises to remain so, though she has also a few Scottish terriers. The upholding of the breed is now, however, depend- The Field Spaniel 243 ent upon the support of Mr. Keasbey and Mr. Viti, who made fourteen of the twenty-six entries, the other than black classes depending almost entirely upon the support of the former with his home-bred Saybrook Popcorn and his progeny. It would seem to be the urgent duty of the Spaniel Club to use every effort to increase the interest in three at least of the spaniel breeds, Clumber, field and Irish water spaniel, each of which is urgently in need of better support. The black field spaniel when w^ell shown is certainly a very handsome dog, with his highly polished coat, but that is not the only colour, and there are varieties other than the liver and black and tan which should be exploited. The roans are more or less attractive, as much so certainly as the livers and black and tans, and there are various particolours. We remember seeing at Mr. Robert Chapman's famed Glenboig Kennels a number of white and black field spaniels, a most handsome variety which we regret has not been introduced here. These w^ere not blacks with a little white other than on chest, but white with black markings similar to a well-marked particolour cocker or black and white setter or pointer. Then we have seen tricolours, though they are scarce. We remember getting a brace of puppies from Mr. Jacobs many years ago. Most unfortunately, they reached the steamer at Liverpool with incipient distemper, and although they arrived at New York in fair strength, they never fully rallied. The dog was a particularly good one, and would, had he lived, have made a sensation on account of his very handsome markings as well as his good head and character. Our recollection is that they were bred from a cocker bitch, but by what dog we cannot now say. A cross of the Welsh spaniel might produce good field spaniels with the Welsh red and white markings. Some amendment of the classification along the line of putting blacks and livers together and catering to other colours by special conditioned classes might bring about the necessary interest to increase the number of exhib- itors and thereby the entries. Of some of these colour varieties we pick up notes in many of the works devoted to shooting, as well as books more particularly connected with dogs. Jesse wrote as early as 1846 regarding the variety kept by the Earl of Albemarle: "They are black and tan, of a large size, with long ears, and very much feathered about the legs. They are excellent retrievers, and those who have seen will not soon forget Mr. Landseer's charming picture of Lord Albemarle's celebrated dog Chancellor and one 244 The Dog Book of his progeny, holding a dead rabbit between them, as if equally eager to bring it to their amiable master. These dogs, like those of the Clumber breed, hunt mute, and seldom range out of shot." Youatt claims that the Duke of Norfolk's breed was a large black-and-tan variety, and makes the absurd statement that to get the colour he used the black-and-tan terrier. Youatt was wrong as to the Duke of Norfolk's breed being large, for they were King Charles spaniels of the old type, and possibly used afield, as were the Blenheims of the Duke of Marlborough. Credit must certainly be given breeders for their noticeable success in improving the fronts of these — we think we are right in saying — naturally crooked-legged dogs. The great objection of our judges to crooked fore legs has of course caused breeders to take special pains to secure improve- ment in this respect, and that they have met with success, to the extent that they have, in a fight against the call of nature as evidenced in all dogs of length and with short legs, is deserving of much credit. The illustrations, together with the text of the standard, render it unnecessary to go into any special description of the field spaniel, all colours calling for like conformation. We give the standard as adopted by the American Spaniel Club. Descriptive Particulars General Appearance. — Considerably larger, heavier and stronger in build than the cocker, the modern springer is more active and animated than the Clumber, and has little of the sober sedateness characteristic of the latter. He should exhibit courage and determination in his carriage and action as well as liveliness of temperament, though not in this respect to the same restless degree generally possessed by the cocker. His con- formation should be long and low, more so than the cocker. Intelligence, obedience and good nature should be strongly evident. The colours most preferred are solid black or liver, but liver and white, black and white, black and tan, orange, and orange and white are all legitimate spaniel colours. Head (value 15). — Long and not too wide, elegant and shapely, and carried gracefully; skull showing clearly cut brows, but without a very pronounced stop; occiput distinct and rising considerably above the set-on of the ears; muzzle long with well-developed nose, not too thick immediately in front of the eye and maintaining nearly the same breadth to the point; CHAMPION SCANDAL CHAMPION TOBY BRIDFORD MORDA A strong team from Mr. Viti's kennels CHAMPION ROYD MONARCH MOSTON MOONSTONE Property of Mr. I-nke Craltree. of Moston. F.nglanil CHAMPION ROYD MONARCH ?roptrty of Mr. M. A. Viti, of Hhiladelpliia. A prominent winner and successful sire The Field Spaniel 245 sufficient flew to give a certain squareness to the muzzle and avoid snipiness or wedginess of face; teeth sound and regular; eyes intelligent in expression and dark, not showing the haw, nor so large as to be prominent or goggle eyed. Ears (value lo). — Should be long and hung low on the skull, lobe shaped and covered with straight or slightly wavy silky feather. Neck (value 5). — Long, graceful and free from throatiness, tapering toward the head, not too thick but strongly set into shoulders and brisket. Shoulders and Arms (value 10). — ^The shoulder blades should lie obliquely and with sufficient looseness of attachment to give freedom to the forearms, which should be well let down. Legs and Feet (value 15). — The fore legs should be straight, very strong and short; hind legs should be well bent at the stifle joint with plenty of muscular power. Feet should be of good size, with thick, well-developed pads, not flat or spreading. Body and Quarters (value 20). — Long with well-sprung ribs; strong, slightly arching loins, well coupled to the quarters, which may droop slightly toward the stern. Coat and Feather (value 15). — The coat should be as straight and flat as possible, silky in texture, of sufficient denseness to affx)rd good pro- tection to the skin in thorny coverts, and moderately long. The feather should be long and ample, straight or very slightly wavy, heavily fringing the ears, back of fore legs, between the toes, and on back quarters. Tail (value 10). — Should be strong and carried not higher than the level of the back. Scale of Points Head 15 Body and Quarters 20 Ears 10 Coat and Feather 15 Neck 5 Tail 10 Shoulders and Arms .... 10 Legs and Feet 15 Total 100 CHAPTER XIV The Cocker Spaniel T the head of all varieties of spaniels in America, so far as popularity is concerned, stands the bright, attractive cocker spaniel. His admirers are far too numerous to admit of our considering the cocker as entirely used for field sports, for not one in ten, we may say one in fifty, of the owners of cocker spaniels is a shooting man or uses the spaniel in its special line as a field dog. The cocker is the smallest of the four "Er's" of gun sports, the pointer, setter, springer, cocker, being the order in the way of size. In old books we come across the name in its variety of cocking spaniel, the derivation being the use the small spaniel was put to. We are inclined to the opinion that the term cocker had originally little reference to size, although the smaller dogs were more likely to be kept for cock shooting, from which use the name arose. In books issued since 1775 the terms springer, springing spaniel, cocker, cocking spaniel and cock flusher seem to have been applied to spaniels of all sizes. The first attempt at classifying spaniels that we have found is in Thorburn's "Shooting Director}^," issued just one hundred years ago. The editor gives credit to a Mr. Charles Street for the information that "the following kinds were made use of formerly: the springing, hawking spaniel or starter, and the cocker or cocking spaniel. The first was used for springing the game when falconry was amongst the prevalent sports; but the discovery of the gun superseding the falcon, the powers of the dog were directed to the new acquisition. Some of the true springers still remain about London, but rarely elsewhere. These are little difi^erent from the larger spaniel or setter, except in size. Generally red or red and white, thinly formed, ears short, long limbed, coat waving and silky, tail bushy and seldom cut. Differing from this is the cocker, esteemed for its compact form. The coat is more inclined to curl than the springer's, and the tail is commonly truncated. The colours are liver and white, red, red and white, black and white, all liver, and some- times black with tanned legs and muzzle." Thorburn held that the cocker 247 248 The Dog Book was closely related to the English water spaniel, and stated that some of the strongest of the cockers were found in Sussex and called Sussex spaniels, and that another and smaller variety was the Duke of Marlborough's. Also that the term cocker was taken from their being used for woodcock shooting. That is the only attempted distinction we have found written about that time, and all other spaniel information tends to show that there was little discrimination in spaniel names. In the Rev. Mr. Simons's useful little book previously referred to regarding English and Irish setters he begins a chapter headed "The Springing Spaniel" by saying: "The cocking or gun spaniel of true, perfect breed." It is quite true that he only describes what we know nowadays as the cocker — "back broad and short, legs short with breeches behind" — which does not fit a large dog at all, besides which, he first places the "black and tan, commonly called the King Charles" breed. On the other hand, he describes no large spaniel at all, and yet uses the words springing spaniel to cover the entire group. Mr. Simons covers the ground from 1725 to 1775. We then take Daniel; 1801-13 are the dates of the editions of his "Rural Sports." Throughout the entire work, of the editions we have seen, he never uses any word but spaniel, no matter what the sport may be under consideration in which they are used, except in one instance when he italicises springing spaniels in con- nection with shooting some red-legged partridges in turnips which always ran from pointers. It almost looks as if he meant to say that they were not setting spaniels. Vincent's poem, "Fowling," is also drawn blank, spaniel being the only word he uses, and on one occasion he might well have used either "springing" or "cocking" when he writes, "The questing spaniel some prefer," in his description of pheasant shooting. Again, in Scott's "Field Sports" of the same period we find but the one word, "span- iel." On the other hand, we have in Bewick's "History of Quadrupeds" an illustration and description of "the springer, or cocker," in which he includes the King Charles and the Pyrame Dog, Buffon's name for the Blenheim. But here we must take into consideration that Daniel, W. H. Scott and Vincent were experts with a thorough knowledge of the correct terms in usage and Bewick was not. When we come to the next group of writers we find J. Scott, in the "Sportsman's Repository," publishing an illustration by Reinagle of a large, leggy spaniel springing a woodcock, with the title "springer,'* The Cocker Spaniel 249 and then in the text stating that "the three chief varieties of land spaniel were the springer or large spaniel, the small or cocking spaniel, and the small, delicate, domestic spaniel or comforter." Further on he states that the springer and cocker differ but in degree, the former being larger. Cap- tain Brown, 1829, gives to each a chapter, but mixes his varieties very much, describing the Sussex as a cocker, and in the other chapter practically saying they are both springers, only differing as to size. His one illustra- tion is for the cocker, and it bears a strong family likeness in position to Chalon's left-hand spaniel in his very pretty illustration from Daniel's book used in the chapter on the Clumber spaniel in Part III. Youatt is the last writer of this period, and he gives the same division and about the same description, only we can note a change in the springer in its approach to the field-spaniel type when he says that they are slower and steadier in range than the cocker. The next jump is to the modern authorities beginning with Stonehenge, and the absorption of springer into the field-spaniel classification and the preservation of cocker. Some writers have drawn attention to the double use of "cock" for pheasants and woodcock, and here are a few quotations on that subject: Daniel, in his chapter on pheasants, says: "Spaniels for pheasant or cock shooting cannot be too short upon the leg, or have too much courage; the thickness of the coverts will oppose and sometimes almost overpower even this combination of form and spirit." The reader can choose his own interpretation as to that meaning woodcock shooting; for to show that the hens were spared he quotes the poet Pye: " But when the hen to thy discerning view Her sober pinions spreads of duskier hue, The attendant Keeper's prudent warning hear And spare the offspring of the future year; Else shall the fine which custom laid of old Avenge her slaughter by thy forfeit gold." The custom was to make the shooter of a hen pay a guinea, which was given to the keepers. This was also a Continental custom, and the attendant of one of the Bourbon princes, shooting by invitation at Mr. Coke's Holkham estate, gave the warning "poule" when a hen sprung. From W. H. Scott we take these: "On the Suffolk manors of Mr. Thelluson they could afford to kill two thousand brace of cocks annually." This was distinctly with regard to pheasants. Under the head of wood- 250 The Dog Book cock shooting he uses the term cock shooting almost entirely, such as: "Good questing spaniels are the only dogs for cock shooting." "Here lies the difficulty of cock shooting." We by no means hold that these extracts are at all conclusive and beyond a reasonable doubt, but we do hold that there was no distinct line as to small dogs being kept for woodcocks and large dogs for other covert work. In the brief description of the Clumber spaniel, then known as the Duke of Newcastle's or Mansell's breed, which appeared in the Sporting Magazine in 1807, even this, the largest of all the spaniels, was styled cock flusher; while in one of our pointer illustrations will be seen some small spaniels used for hawking. We have already shown that the field spaniel was very much mixed with cocker, or small spaniel strains up to the close of the seventies, and into the next decade to a smaller extent, and it is not necessary to attempt any tracing of lines previous to 1880 when the improvement in spaniels began in this country. At that time there were probably not a dozen spaniels in America that could get a highly commended card at New York among present-day cockers. George D. MacDougal, of Toronto, brought down to New York in 188 1 a nice little lot, showing much more character than the most of the American entry. We then became associated with him in what he called the Lachine Kennels, and worked up sufficient interest among breeders to establish the American Spaniel Club at the next New York reunion. A black cocker sent out to us with the field spaniel Bene- dict from Mr. Jacobs's kernel was about the best of the cockers section, but did not get the cup, the judge explaining that he thought we had won enough, and, having the field-spaniel cup and sundry first prizes, it was only fair to let someone else get the other cup. Such was dog-show practice in those days. With the establishment of the Spaniel Club the breed boomed, and as the great authority for dog men, Stonehenge, had praised the spaniel Brush, some breeders made a rush for Brush stock. Mr. Pitcher and Mr. Cum- mings, of New Hampshire, imported some of this blood from the Easton Kennel, as did the Hornell Club, but these were a mixed lot. Doctor Niven got the best cocker of all the Brush line in his Black Bess; a very good bitch, nice size, good head and particularly good in coat. Doctor Niven also got her daughter Bene, who was by Bob HI., the fighting field spaniel referred to in the previous chapter. Bene was also a nicely feathered bitch, and some preferred her to her dam. The Cocker Spaniel 251 One of the many tales they used to tell in connection with the irrepressible Dan O'Shea was that on one occasion, when showing these two cockers, the judge pegged back one, telling him it was no good. Dan went to work on her with shears and knife, and with half her feather gone led her in in place of the one entered in the other class, was highly complimented upon this spaniel and got with the blue ribbon the assurance that it was worth a whole carload of the one he had brought in before. There was little dependence to be placed upon the results in breeding from this blood of mixed field and cocker strains, some being large and some small, so that the only difference was that of the dividing Hne of the twenty-eight-pound limit as to cockers. Above that, the cocker's brother was a field spaniel; but the end to this state of affairs was rapidly approaching, and arrived in the shape of a puppy, imported in utero, and by Mr. Farrow's Obo out of Chloe II., a Bullock-bred bitch. This black puppy Mr. J. P. Willey bought from Mr. Pitcher and named Obo II., after his then well-known sire, for the Obo strain had become very prominent in England. To Obo II. we owe the sudden elevation of the cocker and the fixing of type, which so quickly changed the appearance of the cocker benches. The remarkable thing about Obo II. was that for some time he got nothing but solid black, no matter what colour the bitch might be. His litter brother Hornell Silk was not quite so prepotent, and from him came mixed colours, while from both of them later on we got buffs, and from them the reds. We wrote as follows of Obo II. in October, 1884: "About a year ago it was rumoured among the spaniel men that there was a clinking good puppy up in New Hampshire, owned by a person named Willey, who had lately taken to the fancy. Rumour is frequently astray in such things, but this time no mistake had been made. Mr. J. P. Willey gave quite a long figure for the puppy and named him Obo II., and it was not long before we heard of breeders of experience sending their bitches all the way to Salmon Falls. Young as he was at that time, he had yet matured so early that large litters were the rule from the beginning, and that his vitality has not been impaired is evidenced from his first love, Critic, having just thrown a second litter of twelve to him. As usual in his litters, all are black, none of the difficult-to-sell livers turning up to annoy the breeder. "Obo II. was first shown at Manchester, N. H., in September, 1883, 252 The Dog Book where he won first. At Lowell, in December, he won the championship and the special for best cocker in the show. At New York the championship fell to his share, and the special for the best cocker owned by a spaniel club member. He is sire of the winning puppy at Lowell, also of the first three puppies at New Haven, of three prize winners at Toronto and of first and second at New York. Obo H. is a nice, compactly built little fellow. His head is a little strong, but it is nicely carried; his coat is dense and flat,, and his legs and feet first class. He is a long way in front of any of his sex seen in this country so far, either as a show dog or sire." Mr. George W. Leavitt, of Boston, who afterward became so prominent with trotting horses, next imported Obo, Jr., from Mr. Farrow's kennels; he being out of Nellie, one of the best bitches in the Ipswich establishment and dam of many good ones. Mr. Willey, however, wanted another dog and bought Obo, Jr., in order to supplement the work of Obo H.; but he was not the success that the old dog had been, though a very useful dog. Mr. Leavitt also imported that beautiful bitch Miss Obo H., who was out of Farrow's Fern, and she by the very long and heavy Beverlac. Com- pared with Obo n.. Miss Obo was quite lengthy, and at that time the effort to get the spaniels low on the leg was being accompanied by more length than was altogether correct. Miss Obo H. was sent up to Boston specially on the occasion of our visiting that city soon after her arrival, and we then wrote that she was without exception the best spaniel yet seen here. She had just been bred to Obo H., and Mr. Leavitt had refused Mr. Willey's oflPer of ^275 for a half interest in her. Soon afterward he bought her outright and she had a great career on the bench. To show somewhat the type of Miss Obo H. we give an illustration of Paro, the only dog Mr. Willey now owns. Of course he is not nearly so good as Miss Obo was, but that was about what she looked like in conformation, as we remember her. As Obo H. and Miss Obo H. were so representative of the best cocker type of that period, we support what description we have given of them with the more elaborate criticism made by Mr. Mason in his valuable contribution to American kennel literature, "Our Prize Dogs'* "Obo n. Criticism. Skull showing slight coarseness. Muzzle should be deeper, with a cleaner-cut appearance in every direction; it is wider than we like and the lower incisors project slightly. Ears correct in size,, shape, position, quality and carriage. Eyes good in colour, size and ex- pression. Neck somewhat too heavy. Chest deep, with ribs beautifully CHAMPION BLACK DUKE It is not too much to say that this was the best cocl,-. The Pointer 285 regard to any one of the many related incidents of his career. He was a boy at Eton when Lawrence Sterne was connected with York Cathedral, and it was a forgotten appointment of the Dean of York to meet Judge Topham that was the means of Sterne first entering upon his literary life, the Dean getting him to write a pamphlet entitled "The Adventure of a Watch-coat," Judge Topham being the watchman of the tale, and the future major the boy for which he was supposed to want to make a pair of small clothes out of part of the parish watch-coat. Sterne was in York- shire from 1740 to 1760, and we are not far wrong in giving the date of about 1740 for Major Topham's birth. He was eleven years at Eton and four at Cambridge, went abroad for eighteen months, and then travelled through Scotland, describing the latter trip in his "Letters from Edin- burgh." He entered the regiment of First Life Guards, was soon appointed adjutant and so much did he improve the morale of the regiment that he was caricatured in the prints of the period as "The Tip-Top Adjutant." His hobby, however, was literary; he was one of the most popular writers of epilogues for the plays of the day and numbered among his intimates quite a different class of men from what was usually the custom with wealthy young English officers of crack cavalry regiments. Being a gentleman of education, of travel, and accustomed to demand exactness in his subordinates, we may claim with some degree of confidence that he must have had reasons for specifying the pointer as the dog used to find the game for coursing. So far as his reference to the time of King John, he could not have had any more knowledge than we possess now, but he could learn from first-hand knowledge what was the custom about 1700 and have accurate information regarding 1650. Speaking personally on this subject of recollection, we are about the age Major Topham must have been when he wrote, exactly one hundred years ago, and probably our earliest memory, outside of family occurrences, is the death of the Duke of Wellington, November, 1852, and seeing the pictures of his funeral in the shop windows in Edinburgh. Then came the war in the Crimea, followed by the Indian mutiny, all before the end of 1858, and of the main incidents of both wars our recollection is very clear. As to what we were told by eye-witnesses, those of our own family related incidents of the Bonaparte invasion scares, of the French prisoners, the unknown author of "Waverley," the Battle of Waterloo and the rejoic- ings at the downfall of "Boney." That period goes back to 1810. Beyond 286 The Dog Book that is hazy, but we recall the delight we took in some of the Jacobite songs which our mother and aunts had learned from nurses and their parents' folks, who were Haddingtonshire residents when Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Highland followers were there. We liked nothing better than to hear our oldest aunt, born 1801, sing "Hie Johnnie Cowp, are ye waukin' yet?" — the song that was written after the Battle of Prestonpans, which was won by an early morning attack of the Highlanders upon the sleeping English troops under Sir John Cope. That goes back to 1745. Had we been at all curious, there is no doubt we could have been told about incidents of that campaign which had come at first hand to those who sang to us the Jacobite songs. The great interest now being taken in the dis- covery of the body of Paul Jones and the bringing it to this country for interment in American soil recalls the fact that he was the "bogey man" of our very youthful days. The direct punishment for misbehaviour was the threat to have "Paul Jones, the Pirate," attend to our case. On the southeast coast of Scotland there was undoubtedly the greatest fear of a visit from "the Pirate," and some of those who used the threat to us must have been living at the time of his exploits, while others used the threat as it had been used to them. We therefore hold that Major Topham could write with authority of incidents participated in by his informants as far back as 1700, and those informants could with like knowledge by informa- tion take him back nearly another fifty years, and this without any extraor- dinary stretch of longevity. Men he knew in his youth could tell him of the introduction of the flintlock, which, as we hold, covers the life of the pointer, and what more natural for some of these old fellows to say that they remembered when the pointer was just a dog for finding hares for coursing. There is a good deal more than mere theory in this. The following anecdote from the "Sportsman's Repository" is not advanced as evidence of the claim set forth being absolutely correct, but it certainly is not in any way a contradiction. "A gentleman in the County of Stirling lately kept a greyhound and pointer, and being fond of coursing, the pointer was accustomed to find the hares and the greyhound to catch them. When the season was over it was found that the dogs were in the habit of going out by themselves and killing hares for their own amuse- ment." The rest of the story is that a collar and large ring were so arranged as to prevent the pointer jumping walls or fences, but the greyhound learned to take the ring in his mouth and carry it till the pointer pointed the hare. The Pointer 287 The pointer then put up the hare and the greyhound ran it down. It would be natural for a custom to survive so far from the centre of up-to- date sport as Stirling was for many years after it had ceased to be practised in the more advanced sporting counties of England, such as Yorkshire or Norfolk. At the time Major Topham penned the statements quoted he was one of the most prominent coursing men of England, and had just completed the critical and explanatory preface to Scott's beautifully illus- trated edition of Somerville's "The Chase." He was not the kind of man to give a wrong name to the dog he was speaking of, and the repetition of the statement clears away any doubt as to the dog he meant to specify. It should also be borne in mind that modern coursing was not established until about 1776, when Lord Offord organised the Swaffham Coursing Club, so that some relics of old-time methods might well have remained into the eighteenth century and the pointer not improbably have been used to locate the hare. As to improving this finding hound into the gun dog, we can see no obstacle to the acceptance of the conclusion arrived at. These dogs were led when they followed the trail or located game, and it not being their business to rouse the quarry on all occasions, they or some of them undoubt- edly became accustomed to stand, or to their being checked when close to the game, just as headstrong dogs are broken with the check cord to the present day. Undoubtedly some of them developed on their own account this standing when close to the game, and were used to breed from on that account. Then when a dog was wanted for use with the improved gun, this pointing hound was the one that was found to be exactly the thing needed. That of itself will account for the hound type of the early pointers, dogs which were painted long prior to what we know were actual crosses between the pointer and foxhound as made by Colonel Thornton, who was copied by others, at the close of the eighteenth century, and will also account for no serious harm from such a reversion to the parent stock of the hound.* * Since the chapter on the pointer was written we have come across some very important testimony on this point. When in Philadelphia for the Wissahickon dog show in June, 1905, we found among other useful prints that of shooting flying from horseback. No one could tell us where it came from, so a copy of the engraving was sent to Lon- don and our correspondent was exceedingly fortunate to come across the "Sportsman's Dictionary," second edition, 1735, which not only had all the plates of the edition but nine extra plates from an earlier quarto book on sports. The two volumes contain nothing regarding pointers, the name never being mentioned, but under "Bloodhound" we found this: "Some are of that nature that when they have found the game they will stand still till the huntsman come up, to whom in silence, by their face, eye and tail, they show the game." This "Sportsman's Dictionary," we soon found, copied liberally from older writers, and we have traced the complete bloodhound article through several books S": far 288 The Dog Book "Field Diversions" is an authority we at one time were so impressed with that we expressed the opinion that the pointer first came to England about 1735. But Gay's quoted description of the pointer and shooting flying over his points, in his poem published in 1711, disposed of that supposition. The quotation in "Field Diversions," which bears upon 1735 as the date, is as follows: "This kind of dog [the pointer] was intro- duced here in the beginning of the present century, and is acknowledged to be a native of Spain or Portugal, as many were, and yet are, brought to us from both kingdoms. The first I remember to have seen was about forty years back [Mr. Simons's book was pubHshed in 1776]. Black and white, heavy, slow, without any regularity in beating, under no command, but a natural pointer. The most general import was in liver and white, especially mottled. They all fall under a parity of description as to shape and performance; nor can nature be much improved upon or assisted by art, as they 'have a ferocity of temper which will not submit to correction or discipline, unless taken in hand very young. The activity of our modern race of pointers we are indebted for, I presume, to the cross between the foreigner and our setter. The mixture in this case was successful; as thereby we are furnished a strain that will act in a greater variety of capaci- ties than any other. " I mentioned that a pointer is of more general use than any other dog, and that he may be elevated to a setter. [The reverend author did not mean the setter of our day, but the net spaniel. The pointer was the only dog over which birds were then shot from points.] He answers the purpose in one sense, it is certain, but by humble imitation at best. He insults the finished, fine setter by invading his province, and admitting that game enough may be taken at him, it is the same as challenging a delicate grey- hound with a coarse lurcher, because he can kill as many hares. The back as Cox's 1677 edition of "The Gentleman's Recreation," and it is undoubtedly older than that. We have also been fortunate enough to get a copy of "The Complete Sportsman," by Thomas Fairfax. It is undated, but a very high authority gives the date of publication as 1689. Much of the book is taken bodily from other writers, as was the custom by all but Markham, but last of all comes a chapter entitled "Shooting and Shooting Flying," which begins as follows: "Go early into the field, take with you some rum in a wicker bottle that will hold about a gill; tin:- will keep out or expel wind, cure the gripes, and give you spirit when fatigued; but do not take too much, for too much will make your sight unsteady. When you have got your gun, a turn screw, worm and flints ready, call your pointers." It is not necessary to copy the shooting instructions, but to show that the true sportsman's feeling then existed we give this extract: "In firing at a covey always confine your aim to one." It is just possible that this copy of the "Com- plete Sportsman" might be a later edition and this an added chapter, but the evidence so far is that it is a book published in 1689, although this is an early period for the use of the word gun. Another totally different "Compleat Sportsman," by Giles Jacobs, 1718, m.akes no mention of pointers, but does of shooting flying, and in the only copy we have seen of "Art of Shooting Flying," seventh edition, 1767 ( ?), by T. Payne, a chapter is devoted to the pointer, and he introduces it by stating " as nothing has yet been published on these dogs, at least that I have seen.*' CAPTAIN FLEMING, OF BAROCHAN, AND HIS HAWKS From an iUustra ion in Colonel Thornton's " Tour Through Scotland " (1786) THE POINTER Published by Sydenham Edwards, London, 1803. The rough dog is the Russian pointer, Russian setter, or Russian retriever, as it was variously called. The centre dog is orange lemon on the head, and the one in the foreground is liver colored The Pointer 289 pointer is serviceable in light coverts, as coppices, cars or broom, with a bell on his collar to direct attention to the right quarter. I neither commend nor recommend this method, only signify the possibility of the thing. "I once had such a Proteus, as many gentlemen in the vicinity will remember, who would stand for a gun at one bird, drop for a net at another, and so on as I thought fit. In covert he would do the work of a brace of spaniels. Take him into field directly, he was as clean and regular in his hunting as if he had never acted in a lower character. This supports my assertion of general utility. Some will set the springing spaniel in opposition to the pointer, arguing that more chances are had from the former than the latter, because they pass nothing, and so consequently find more game. Allowing the first datum, the conclusion is by no means deducible. Suppose both on a parity of goodness in their different kinds. The spaniel must not hunt faster than a man can walk up to him. A rating pointer, moderately speaking, will beat four times the ground; and if he springs or misses half (which is in a decent dog not to be imagined), still the balance of find will be on his side. The only advantage a spaniel can have is in strong furze; and there he must spring his game at great uncertainty of shooting, unless constitution and resolution drive in up to the middle; in which situation — non equidorn invideo. There are many pointers, which, by use, will stand woodcock very well. And I know one of a very eminent physician (Dr. Bigsbye) that, if she found in covert, unperceived, would give tongue for discovery, and that repeatedly, till she was relieved from her point. "It is not my intention to depreciate the springing spaniel, as being of little or no consequence, for I am really a great advocate for that knot of slavery. And when I say a pointer may be made to do, and has done, such a variety of works, I still think it acting out of character, whenever he represents his superior or inferior. "There was a breed of rough pointers introduced to Suffolk by the late Earl of Powis, from Lorraine, of which I remember a very few capital. Novelty, and the little satisfaction of deceiving and surprising strangers, were their chief recommendation. Sullenness, and a violent attachment to mutton, brought them into disgrace, and they have been discontinued for many years." The rough pointer is the dog shown in Sydenham Edwards's illustration of the pointer, and is variously named Russian pointer, Russian setter and Russian retriever. We remember seeing some of these dogs at the Chicago 290 • The Dog Book show of 1876, entered as Russian setters, and have always had the idea that they were closely related to the rough griffon. They also might have been descended from some rough-coated tracking hounds which developed pointing instincts and were then made use of with the gun. Lee quotes from Sydenham Edwards, 1805, that the pointer was first introduced in England from Portugal by a merchant who traded with that country, and was first used by a man named Bechill, a resident of Norfolk, "who could shoot flying." It was also said that Bechill was a "reduced baron," and that the importation of this Portuguese pointer was made at a very modern period. Presuming that to be all true, there were many pointers in England before that one arrived from Portugal. We have already proved that shooting flying was well known in England in 171 1 and if not known on the Continent at an equally early date, it was so at least sixty years before Edwards wrote, and over pointers. We show proof of that in a copy of a painting, by the German artist Ridinger, of a French gentleman with his pointers. As this engraving has both a French and a German title, we presume it was published in France, and although the German title of Reise J'ager has but the one meaning of the travelling or moving sportsman, the French title, *^ Le Chasseur au vol,' can be rendered as the flying sportsman or the on-the-wing sportsman; what we would call "the wingshot." The painting certainly does not admit of the interpretation of a travelling sportsman, but of one resting after shooting or just returned from shooting. The pointers are well drawn, and all much similar in type, showing altogether different character and makeup from the Spanish type, and at about the same time as Ridinger we know that Desportes was painting French pointers which bore no resemblance to the Spanish dog, showing that that heavily-built animal had nothing to do with the production of the pointing dog of France and Germany. We can readily understand how the heavy Spanish dog became plentiful in England. Communication and commerce were by water in preference to expensive and tedious land travel, and English trade with Spain was very extensive, so that more dogs came from Spain to England than from the interior of the Continent, and with far less trouble. Another suggestion is that the dogs of France and England were nearer alike, and the appearance of a French dog would not be at all noticeable compared with that of the heavy, strongly-built dog from Spain. The Pointer 291 The natural aptitude of the imported dogs from Spain to point, as mentioned by Simons and those who followed him, undoubtedly caused them to be crossed very extensively on the native dogs, and being better or older bred, perhaps, they impressed their heavy type to an extent that rendered it advisable to try for a faster dog. The setter was used and so was the foxhound, but there is no reason to suppose that the entire change to the smarter-moving dog was due to either or both of these crosses. There was the process of selection at work all the time, and the lighter, better built and faster dogs, if that was the type wanted, were undoubtedly bred from and with more certainty as to what the outcome would be than from cross- bred dogs. The setter cross, producing the dropper, was continued up to the time of dog shows by men who simply wanted a shooting dog, and short chapters were devoted to them even in the late editions of Stonehenge and in Dalziel's book, only twenty-five years ago. No dog book, however, ever did more than mention the foxhound cross as a long-bygone experiment with which the name of Colonel Thornton was prominently connected; still, it did not stop with him. We doubt very much whether this was more than a passing experiment on the part of Colonel Thornton. His books do not mention anything about how he bred his dogs, but he does in one place say that no one paid more attention to the improvement of dogs than he had done. In a brief record of his career written during his lifetime, and probably published originally in 1807, mention is made of the most important dogs of various breeds which he had bred. The foxhounds Merlin, Lucifer and Old Con- queror are mentioned; the greyhounds Major, Czarina and Skyagraphina; the spaniel Dash, the beagle Merryman, and the fox terrier Pitch, while the pointers are set forth as follows: "Dash — An acknowledged fine pointer, which sold for two hundred and fifty guineas. Pluto — A celebrated pointer. Juno — A remarkable fine bitch which was matched with a pointer of Lord Grantley's for ten thousand guineas, who paid forfeit. Modish — A bitch of acknowledged excellence. Lily — A most remarkable steady bitch. Nan — It is only necessary to state that seventy-five guineas have been offered and refused for this bitch." We give a copy of the painting of Dash, the pointer with the foxhound cross, and said by some to be three parts foxhound, which was sold to Sir Richard Hill, but not for the sum stated above, nor on the terms given by Scott, "Idstone," Shaw or Lee. After the sale there was some discussion 292 The Dog Book as to the terms, and a gentleman, who was not contradicted, stated in the Sporting Magazine a few months after the transaction that the sale was made at a dinner (at which he was probably present), the terms being 120 guineas, a cask of genuine Madeira, and fifty guineas to be returned when the dog was sent back to Colonel Thornton, which was done very soon afterward, as Dash broke his leg. Pluto and Juno were the brace which stood for an hour and a quarter on point while Gilpin made the sketch from which the painting was made, of which we give an illustration. It has been somewhat customary to ridi- cule the statement of these dogs holding their point so long. Lee does so by matching it with the story of the man who returned to the place w^here he saw a pointing dog the year before and found its skeleton on point at a bird's skeleton, but his beau ideal of an authority, Stonehenge, not only fully credits the statement, but caps it with one of his own knowledge where a dog stood his point for six hours. "Idstone" quotes from the Sporting Magazine of a point of five hours, though he doubts the possibility of birds remaining so long on one spot. Notwithstanding that doubt, he states that a relative of his travelling from Leicester to Oxford in the memorable frost of 1814, came across a dog frozen dead on point. "Idstone" leaves no doubt as to his implicit belief in the positive correct- ness of this assertion. It will be well to draw attention to the very great difference between these dogs of Colonel Thornton. The brace on point show no evidence of foxhound cross, if the dog Dash is to be considered typical thereof. Yet the pointer Pluto took part in several hunts after outlying deer at Thornville. If these are compared with the drawings by Sydenham Edwards, the latter show decidedly more quality, while all differ very much from the Spanish pointer of Stubbs, which has always been recognised as the typical painting of that variety, even Bewick seemingly copying it. There can be little question that during the period we are now discussing —from Colonel Thornton's time to, say, 18 10— there was no established type, but that every dog was good enough if he found birds and was staunch. Colonel Hamilton, who was a shooting man so far back as 1800, states in his "Recollections" that he had had various breeds of pointers, "amongst them the Russian breed, which are distinguished by having extremely rough hair. I had also one of that smooth species which are pupped with, tails not more than two or three inches in length. I also used the old .. '"^fi WWi 111 ' lliiiii lit The Pointer 293 double-nosed Spanish pointers, which are slow but sure in finding game. I may boast of having had some excellent dogs of these various breeds. One of the short-tailed breed I sold to a friend for fifty pounds. His name was Pluto; he was liver coloured and particularly well made, had a fine nose and was as steady as time. When we drove a covey into a clover, potato or turnip field, the other dogs were taken up and great havoc was generally made amongst the birds by Pluto's dexterous skill in finding the single birds. Some gentlemen shoot with pointers in cover, but I prefer a brace or two of well-broke spaniels, with a retriever. A friend of mine, an old sportsman, always shot in woods with pointers with bells of different tones on their necks, by which he was able to ascertain which of his dogs stood. He was a first-rate shot, and by this mode bagged a great deal of game. Although I generally shot in cover with spaniels, yet when the pheasants were to be found in turnip fields, hedgerows and very low cover, I took with me a brace of pointers." When Colonel Hamilton began shooting the pointer was the gun dog except for the moors or partridges, and he seems to have been conservative in sticking to the breed, although he acknowledges that he once had a dropper that seems to have been about the best dog he ever owned. Daniel Lambert, when he went to London in 1806 to exhibit himself, took some sporting dogs which were sold at Tattersalls. Lambert after- ward had a special strain of black pointers, and at his death in 1840 six and a half brace were sold at auction for 256 guineas. At the sale we are now referring to there were ^even setters and two pointers. The two pointer bitches were sold to Lord Kinnaird for twenty-two and twelve guineas, and Mr. C. Mellish bought all the setters, the colour of only one of which we know — the black bitch Peg, lot i — the total for the setters being 186 guineas. Lambert had an excellent lot of terriers also, but we have no description of what they were. The Duke of Kingston's black pointers were well known at that time, but were mentioned more particularly because they were all black. The Earl of Lauderdale, a Scottish nobleman, fancied a diminutive breed of pointers, and they were in several other hands in the Edinburgh district. Captain Brown in his "Anecdotes" describes one belonging to C. G. Stewart Menteith, of Closeburn, as follows: "His length from the point of the nose to the tip of the tail is only two feet and half an inch; from the one fore foot to the other, across the shoulders, two feet; length of head 294 The Dog Book six inches; round the chest one foot three inches. He is an exquisite minia- ture of the EngHsh pointer, being in all respects similar to him. His colour is white, with dark liver-coloured patches on each side of the head, extending half way down the neck; the ears, with some patches on the back, are of the same colour, and numerous small dark-brown spots appear over his whole body and legs. This beautiful little animal has an exquisite sense of smell, and it is said that some of the same variety possessed by the Earl of Lauderdale have been broken in and make excellent pointers; although from their minute size it cannot be expected that they will be able to do much work. I have not been able to ascertain the native country of this variety, although I have been informed it is common in the south of Germany. Sir James Colquhon has a dog of the same breed, which is even smaller than that belonging to Mr. Menteith." In Colonel Thornton's "Tour through the North of England and Scotland," made in 1 786, we have an occasional reference to other people's pointers in addition to those he took with him. Of the latter he gives no description, but in one place says: " Pero, Ponto, Dargo, Shandy, Carlo and Romp, all whelps, behaved incomparably." The Duke of Hamilton's pointers are mentioned, two of which were brought into the house for inspection on the evening of the Colonel's arrival at Hamilton House. "A brace of finer looking dogs I never saw. The one is a cross from a foxhound, full of bone and strength, and appeared a most capital moor dog, but does not excel for partridge; the other, Pero, is not much better." At Wigton in the south of Scotland he heard of some famous pointers, looked at a brace, and "tried them on the road to Ouse Bridge, but did not approve of them. I scarcely ever found one pointer in fifty answer my expectations, either for shape, bone or action, and the diflPerent methods of breaking, if they are not whelps, make them irre- claimable." He makes no mention of any pointers when he visited Captain Fleming at Barochan Castle on more than one occasion, yet in the published account of the tour there is a copy of a painting of Mr. Fleming and his hawks, and in it a very good pointer, undoubtedly a portrait of one of his favourite dogs; the small spaniels and the poodle shown in this painting are also worthy of notice, some of the former being quite Blenheim in their character and size. Colonel Thornton's " Tour through France," in 1802, gives a little more doggy news, though it is all too scant; and pointers are only mentioned The Pointer 295 three times outside of an occasional reference to shooting over his own dogs. The Hst of dogs taken by him mentions only one pointer, Carlo, but the plural is used several times throughout the letters. At Rouen he "tried an English dog [pointer] belonging to one of the gentlemen, who seemed to esteem him very highly, as they all do everything English, but he was not half broke." In a footnote referring to the remark about esteeming English things, it says : " Indeed it is proverbial, 'Anglo-mania.' " Elsewhere mention is made of a very poor pointer he had tried, and near Paris, when returning from one of his trips from that city, he makes this, for him, very full reference: "I was shown a breed of small pointers, the price being ten guineas each. I offered six guineas for a whelp of nine months, which was refused, but with the polite assurance that if I came near Bordeaux a dog should be sent to me." The remark about Bordeaux suggests that the dogs belonged to M. Bergeir, a Bordeaux banker, whose Chateau De Lotville he had just mentioned as being seen in the distance. Whether these were of the size of the Lauderdale pointers, or merely small in comparison with the English idea of the proper size, is not determinable by the text, probably the latter, otherwise the description would likely have been more minute. At the same time we must not overlook that between the Edinburgh district and France there had been close communion for very many years. This is shown in the number of words of French origin in common use in Midlothian and Haddingtonshire Scotch. The ability to stand motionless on scenting game is not the exclusive privilege of any breed of dogs. The pointer, or pointing hound, by his many years of training through his ancestry, was the best adapted for the work required and was made use of, and it was not until the net was given up as a gentlemanly method of taking game that the setter became his rival with the gun. We read in old books of other dogs which also pointed and stood game. The adaptability of the collie as a dog to shoot over on the moors was recognised years ago, and it is beyond dispute that the Duke of Gordon did use such a cross on one occasion. Daniel tells us that "Lord Gwydir, whose manors are as well stocked with pheasants as most in tjie Kingdom, and astonishingly so if their short distance from the metropolis is considered, shoots pheasants always to a lurcher, who points them with singular correctness, and whose nose is so excellent as never to miss securing a wounded bird that runs into the thickest covert; 296 The Dog Book yet it does not hence follow that this kind of dog is generally appropriate to the use here made of it. " So Toomer (formerly one of the King's keepers in the New Forest, and afterward gamekeeper to Sir Henry Mildmay) actually broke a black sow to find game and to back and stand. Slut was as staunch as any pointer, still nobody has since thought it worth while (which, by the way, is some- thing surprising in this age, and present rage for novelty) to be accom- panied by a brace of pig pointers." The story of the pig pointer is told in full by Daniel as follows: "Of this most extraordinary animal will be here stated a short history, to the veracity of which there are hundreds of living witnesses: Slut was bred in, and was of that sort which maintain themselves in the New Forest without regular feeding, except when they have young, and then but for a few VN^eeks, and was given when about three months old to Mr. Richard Toomer by Mr. Thomas, both at that time keepers in the Forest. From not having young she was not fed, or taken very little notice of until about eighteen months old. She was seldom near the Lodge, but chanced to be seen one day when Mr. Edward Toomer was there. The brothers were concerned together in breaking pointers and setters, some of their own breeding, and others which were sent to be broke by different gentlemen. Of the latter, although they would stand and back, many were so indiffer- ent that they would neither hunt nor express satisfaction when birds were killed and put before them. The slackness in these dogs first suggested the idea that by the same method any other animal might be made to stand, and do as well as these huntless and inactive pointers. At this instant the sow passed by and was remarked as being extremely handsome. Robert Toomer threw her a piece or two of oatmeal roll, for which she appeared grateful and approached very near. From that time they were determined to make a sporting pig of her. The first step was to give her a name, and that of Slut — given in consequence of soiling herself in a bog — she acknowledged in the course of a day and never afterward forgot. "Within a fortnight she would find and point partridges and rabbits, and her training was much forwarded by the abundance of both near the Lodge. She daily improved, and in a few weeks would r^rieve birds that had run as well as any pointer; nay, her nose was superior to any pointer they ever possessed, and no two men in England had better. They hunted her principally on the moors and heaths. Slut has stood COLONEL THORNTON'S CELEBRATED POINTER, DASH Nearly three-quarters foxhound blood. From Daniel's "Rural Sports," 1801 A THORNTON POINTER From an engraving of a Reinagle picture, published in Jesse's "Anecdotes of Dogs," London, he was owned by Colonel Thornton The branded "T" on the dog's ribs shows The Pointer 297 partridges, black game, pheasants, snipes and rabbits on the same day, but was never known to point a hare. She has sometimes stood a jack- snipe when all the pointers had passed by it; she would back the dogs when they pointed, but the dogs refused to back her until spoke to, their dogs being trained to make a general halt when the word was given, whether any dog pointed or not, so that she has been frequently standing in the midst of a field of pointers. Her pace was mostly a trot; was seldom known to gallop except when called to go shooting. She would then come home full stretch off the forest, for she was never shut up. She obeyed the call as well as any dog and was as much elevated when shown the gun. "She has frequently stood a single partridge at forty yards' distance, her nose in a direct line to the bird. After standing for some time she would drop like a setter, still keeping her nose in a direct line, and would keep in that position until the game moved. If it took wing she would come up to the place and put her nose down two or three times, but if the bird ran she would get up and go to the place and draw slowly lafter it till the bird stopped, when she would stand it as before. "Slut was about five years old when her master died, and at the auction of his pointers and effects she was bought for ten guineas by Sir H. Mildmay and taken to Dagmersfield Park, where she remained several years. She was last in the possession of Colonel Sikes, and when ten years old would point game as well as before, but had become fat and slothful. When killed at Basilden House, she weighed 700 pounds." Mr. Daniel very properly adds that her death, "to those who possess common feehngs of humanity, appears at least animal murder. It would have cost but a trifling sum to have fed and sheltered her in winter, and the park would have supplied her wants during the summer at no expense." Very little is to be learned about the pointer in Daniel's "Rural Sports"; indeed, he does not seem to have had much fancy for the breed, even for pheasant shooting, preferring spaniels, and in the open shot over setters. The white setter illustrated in the article on the English setter, Part II., is his setter Beau, painted by Reinagle. What little he says about the pointer is to the effect that he is the Spanish dog crossed and improved. His version of the sale of Colonel Thornton's Dash has been copied by all writers down to the time of Mr. Lee, and if the story we have given is correct, then Daniel is wrong. It is not a matter of much consequence, only it shows what a very small amount of original investigation has been 298 The Dog Book the custom among compilers of dog books. Daniel said the buyer was Sir Richard Symons, but he told the story many years after the transaction, and the Sporting Magazine account published about three months after it took place is much more likely to be correct. We miss a history of the breed such as Mr. Laverack gave of the various strains of setter existing in England from the early part of the nineteenth century up to about i860, but M^e do know that as in setters so in pointers, various noblemen and gentlemen sportsmen had their several kennels and bred more or less along fancy lines of colour. When we have no liter- ature to turn to, the next best, perhaps the actual best thing to refer to, is the work of the painter. We have given one or two copies of Landseer's work, and will have a good many more before '* The Dog Book" is finished, but we have never considered him a dog artist. He seemed to have not the slightest idea whether the dog he was painting was a good or a poor one, and some of his drawings were shockingly bad. For the sake of his repu- tation we would gladly have omitted the pointer shown with the Irish setter "setting a hare" and given as an early drawing of the Irish setter, but the two had to go in. At the head of the dog painters of the last cen- tury there has been no one to compare with Abraham Cooper. Gilpin and Reinagle preceded him, and both did beautiful work, particularly Gilpin. Moreland also introduced portrait dogs in some of his work, but the man we like is Cooper, and a great deal of his work consists of portraits of selected dogs. It is to such artists as those named that we owe our knowledge of what some of the best dogs of their day looked like. There is no question as to Gilpin's drawing being true to nature, so his representations of Dash, Pluto and Juno must be accepted as correct por- traits of those dogs, and we would not think much of what Colonel Thornton accomplished in the improvement of the pointer if those were the only portraits of his dogs or dogs of that period; but that they were not typical of the pointer of 1800 is shown by the beautifully drawn pointer in the painting of Mr. Fleming going hawking. Some of Reinagle's pointers are portraits of bad dogs, such as the one in the "Sportsman's Repository," which is a goggle-eyed, lumpy-headed dog, with an abnor- mal length of neck. To represent his work we have taken the pointer illustrated in Jesse's "Anecdotes," 1846 edition, which is a very different dog and a good one. It will be observed from the "T" branded on the side that it is a portrait of one of Colonel Thornton's The Pointer 299 dogs, but which one we cannot say. Most certainly there is no fox- hound apparent in that dog. It is difficult to understand why the old timers were perpetually cross- ing to get what they wanted, without considering what their cross-bred dogs would produce when they were mated. Our breeders do not think of that, but select along the line wanted, while still keeping to the breed. It was not until dog shows and the stud book that we really got rid of this crossing breeds, and at this date it is almost impossible of belief that as late as 1868 breeders of the highest intelligence and of the greatest experience were calmly discussing and approving of crossing the foxhound on the pointer. Those who have already read the chapters on the varieties of the setter are already well acquainted with ** Sixty-one" and "Idstone," the pseudonyms of the Rev. Mr. Hutchinson and the Rev. Mr. Pearce, both thorough dog men. A correspondent of the London Field wrote that he had decided upon trying the pointer and foxhound cross, and had bred a foxhound bitch to a pointer. He asked for information as to what points he should more particularly attend to in choosing puppies for rearing. American readers will smile when told that this gentleman signed his letter "N. G." One reply was to the effect that dogs bred thus were bad tem- pered, and not easily broken, but to choose puppies that favoured the pointer and to expect little benefit until the cross was carried through another generation or two of the pointer blood. "Sixty-one" said: "As far as my experience goes, I consider the foxhound cross with the pointer most valuable." "Idstone," while deprecating foreign blood, said that if he used a cross it would be the foxhound, but stated that in his opinion there was sufficient sound pointer blood to be had to obviate any necessity of going outside for invigorating the breed. In another sentence he says: "If the pointer must be crossed, would it not be advisable to combine foxhound, bulldog and greyhound.?" What a splendid lottery breeding from such a combination would be! Fortunately for the good of the breed, there were plenty of gentlemen who stuck to the line and made no outside casts, selecting their best and continuing the work of improvement till their respective strains became established, and are still landmarks to trace back to. It is not necessary at this time to dwell at length upon those strains, for they have pretty well lost their identity and become welded into the breed as a whole. We refer to such old-time kennels as those of the Earl of Derby, Sir E. Antrobus, 300 The Dog Book Lord Sefton and Mr. Edge, the two latter being particularly prominent owners in pedigrees carried well back at the time the first English stud book was compiled. Mr. Edge's kennel was sold in 1845 and the blood widely distributed, two that Mr. Statter bought being about the best known in the way of pedigrees traced back to olden times. Coming a step nearer to the present, there were Mr. Garth's and Mr. Whitehouse's kennels, the former being the breeder of that wonderful dog Drake, which Stonehenge in his article on field trials dogs, quoted in the chapter on the English setter, placed at the head of the hst of the five entitled to be considered in the first class. It was about this period that America came slightly into touch with England, but to such a limited extent that we find out of the 165 dogs registered in the first volume of our stud book only about a dozen actual importations. A good many trace back to imported ancestry, but the vast majority "take to the woods" in two or three generations. Among the recorded importations of thirty years ago none is better known than Sensation, a grandson of Whitehouse's Hamlet. He was shown abroad and registered as Don, 4963, owner Mr. R. Parr, breeder Mr. J. R. Humphreys, and pedigree "not on record." Sensation's record in England was not of high mark; three firsts and three seconds at some minor shows, four of them being Welsh fixtures, and a second at Birming- ham, of which a great deal was said as proving Sensation's claim to merit, but it was a second in a class of two for medium-sized dogs. Backed by the Westminster Kennel Club as owner, and with his well-chosen name, Sensation became the rage, but he was a very faulty dog, and notwith- standing his being run after for years as a stud dog he never sired a really good one. It was a great misfortune that a better selection was not made, as the good a high-class dog would have done is incalculable. The St. Louis Kennel Club also got a Birmingham winner of the following year, the small-sized Sleaford, one of Mr. Whitehouse's breeding, but for some reason this dog did not take here. Still his name crops up in quite a num- ber of pedigrees of good dogs. The Western club then secured two excel- lent dogs in Bow and Faust, and Mr. A. H. Moore, of Philadelphia, got Donald. With these three dogs we must also mention the kennel of small pointers shown by Mr. E. Orgill, of Brooklyn; Rush and Rose, with their sisters Belle, Pearl and Ruby, being all nice pointers. Of this same litter was Beulah, who earned fame as the dam of that grand dog Beaufort, by Bow. The breeding of the Orgill litter was by Flake out of Lily, by SLUT. THE POINTING PIG From Daniel's "Rural Sports." 1802 SPANISH POINTER Painted by G. Stubbs. From Daniels "Rural Sports," i3o2 The Pointer 301 Sam out of Lily. Flake was by Dr. Strachan's Flash out of a very pro- lific brood bitch known as Schieffelin's Juno, by the Marquis of West- minster's Ponto. Juno was the dam of Dr. W. S. Webb's Whiskey, a winner and a well-known brood bitch in her day. At the time of Beau- fort's successes we were told that there was a foreign cross close up on his dam's side; but while she was short pedigreed on two or three of the lines, it does not seem possible that there could have been any near cross breeding, otherwise this Flake-Guido lot would not have been so exceedingly excellent. We have Beulah's extended pedigree before us as we write, and the only line carried out to any length is that of the sire of Schieffelin's Juno, and this dog, Ponto, came from the Marquis of Westminster's kennels. No name even is given to the dam of Juno, but that by no means implies that she had neither name nor pedigree. It all happened thirty or more years ago, and to get a dog from Eaton Hall with the assurance that the sire was Ponto might have been all Mr. Schieffelin cared about at the time, and afterward the pedigree probably could not be traced. Flash, the sire of Flake, was a good deal of a native. His sire George was brought over by Sir Frederick Bruce, who got him from the Duke of Beaufort, and that is all about him. Flash's dam was General Webb's black bitch Peg, and the two generations of names beyond her mean nothing nowadays. As to Guido's Lily, dam of Beulah, it is stated that three of the four in the second remove in her pedigree were imported, but there is nothing that means anything to an investigator of the present day in the names or owners given. Both Flake and Guido were lemon and white, Juno was orange and white, and her sire Punto was also lemon and white, but Flash and his dam Peg were black. The Orgill pointers ran to lemon and white, but Beulah threw liver and white to the liver and white Bow, son of Bang, the great Enghsh pillar of the stud book. Prof. W. W. Legare is the gentleman entitled to the credit of breeding Beaufort, after which Beulah passed into the possession of Mr. A. H. Moore, of Philadelphia, who in turn presented her to the Hon. John S. Wise, who certainly tried hard enough to produce another Beaufort, but success does not always follow effort in dog breeding. The Whitehouse Kennels and Whitehouse's Hamlet had a great repur tation before the Bangs came out, and it v/as the descent from Hamlet that was dwelt upon in regard to Sensation; but looking back now through the pedigrees of some dozen of the crack dogs of the past ten years the one 302 The Dog Book thing forced upon our attention is that all stud dogs have to bow to the great Price's Bang. We can only reach Hamlet through him at this dis- tance, except in a very occasional cross, but we meet Bang everywhere, and that not only in the good-looking dogs shown at the shows, but the field dogs go back to him with even more intensity than do the exhibition specimens. There was Mainspring, one of the dogs to show our field- trials men that setters were not bound to win everything. He was by Bang's son Champion Mike. If we take Mainspring's son Jingo and look at his dam's pedigree we find her grandsire was by that other remark- able son of the old dog. Young Bang; while there is a double cross in the grandam of the dam of Jingo, Kent Bitters, by Champion Priam, by Young Bang out of Hops, by Champion Mike. If we turn to Rip-Rap we find that he is a grandson of Champion Priam, who was bred to Kent Baby, a grand- daughter of Bang, and produced that excellent dog Champion King of Kent, sire of Rip-Rap. The latter's dam was by Champion Mike. Then all the Graphic line, all the Croxteth, all Vandervort's Don's descendants, have come from Bang. You not only cannot get away from the Bang blood, but the more you can get in a pedigree the better your dog is likely to be. Mr. Wise, in an interesting article in Recreation on dogs he had owned, wound up by saying that he had decided to breed his Beulah IV. to Strideaway, because of his three crosses of Bang. A very interesting sketch of Price's Bang in manuscript, but which we are convinced was copied from some English paper, has been in our pos- session for some time, and we would willingly give credit to the author if we knew who he was. From the style and the amount of information we are inclined to believe it is one of Mr. Lowe's articles, and no more reliable writer ever penned a sketch than "Leatherhead." If the author is anyone else he will not object to our saying that it is equal to anything Mr. Lowe ever wrote. "There is hardly a country in the world where sporting dogs are used that has not boasted at some time or other of a descendant of Bang. They have been eagerly sought after from Australia, New Zealand, the Cape, America, Spain, Germany, France, Russia, to our knowledge, and it can hardly be saying too much when we assert that his stock were more generally known than that of any dog that ever figured in the stud book. Bang was bred by his owner, Sam Price, in 1870; so he lived to the ripe old age of 13^ years. He was got by Mr. Coham's Bang, son of Mr. White- The Pointer 303 house's Hamlet, out of Vesta, by Brockton's Bounce. Bang was first seen in public at Shrewsbury field trials, 1871, when he was third in the pointer puppy stakes, won by Mr. Statter's Pride, the second going to Bang's brother Beppo, but Mr. Price was soon aware that Bang was better, so he sold Beppo, thus retaining the future champion. The following year Bang came out again at the Devon and Cornwall trials, and we can well recollect how grandly he worked against a lemon and white dog of Bishop's called Rock, and a smart little dog of Mr. Body's called Ranger, "At this time Mr. Price had commenced breeding from Bang, and the following year brought a young dog of his called Pat, who was no match for Bang in the braces, while Brackenberry's Romp (dam of Mr. Statter's Romp) bested him in the singles. Bang was in something more like his old form in the next season, as with his first real good son, Mike, he made a splendid brace at the Devon and Cornwall, winning two stakes, one an all-ages stakes, Mike also winning the puppy stakes. So elated was Mr. Price that he made a journey to Shrewsbury with the sire and the son, and against fourteen of the picked braces of England they came out first in brilliant form. This feat was repeated for three seasons in suc- cession, and it would not have been difficult to have named Bang and Mike as the best brace of pointers in the world. "At several other field trials Bang figured well up to the fore, his extraordinary style and bold way of coming onto his birds being very telling, and he was a very dangerous dog for any other to come against. At shows he very soon took the lead also, and until he began to show age was never beaten. He was a big pointer, possessing enormous bone, and his proportions were faultless, though perhaps on the coarse side, his coat being more of the pin-wire order than most of the show dogs, and his head bolder and blunter than some of the high-bred ones. He was a champion at the Crystal Palace and won that prize several times, also the twenty- guineas cup for the best field-trials pointer shown at the Palace in 1874. He regularly 'farmed' all the shows in the Western counties as well. "As a sire no pointer has ever equalled Champion Bang in getting both show and field-trials performers, his produce including Mike, a show and field-trials winner; Bow Bells, a show and field-trials winner; Don (Vandervort's) a show and field-trials winner in America; Bang Bang, with a similar record; Bow, the same; and such winners at field trials as Whim, Laurel, Blanche and innumerable others. As to bench-show wmners, 304 The Dog Book they are too numerous to mention, but we may name Lilac, Bang II., Tiding, Bona Belle and Maggie, and quite a tribe of beautiful bitches, such as Shotover, Quickshot, Belle of Bow, Meally, etc. In fact, they are too many to name. He kept getting good stock up to the end, as he was eleven years old when he got Bang Bang, while several others in the possession of Mr. Price are much younger than that. "His extraordinary merit also descends to further generations, as shown in Priam, Romp, Graphic, Lake, Tramp II. and others, while some of the best pointers out have been bred from his daughters and granddaughters. It is a strain so bred into that we are never likely to lose it, and fifty years hence there will doubtless be numerous records to remind breeders of a day when there lived a pillar of the stud book known as Champion Bang." True as that was when written at the time of his death, it has still more force to-day, for his blood was then only known as a first cross or perhaps once interbred, while at this distance of time we have it interwoven all through the pedigrees of our cracks, showing it to be the great surviving . blood. In his time, too, there were the Pilkington dogs, the kennel from which Tory, Garnet, Jessie and Faust came, and later on Meteor, but they are no longer prominent compared with the Bangs. The most concentrated instance of Pilkington breeding that was in this country was probably Spinaway, who was by Garnet, out of the St. Louis Kennel Club's Keswick. Spinaway was the dam of Robert le Diable, by Croxteth, and it must not be forgotten that the latter was by Young Bang, who ran any of the sons of the old dog a good race for first honours as the best of Bang's sons. Perhaps Young Bang was assisted in attaining his excellence by a piece of rather unusual inbreeding, and that is to the sire of Hamlet. Coham's Bang was as we know the sire of Champion Bang. Coham's Bang was by Hamlet out of Venus, each of which was by Bird's Bob, whose dam came from the kennel of Joseph Lang, the gunmaker, always a famous one for good dogs. The dam of Young Bang was Davey's Luna, who was by a son of this same Bob, and Luna's dam was also by a son of Bob. The first of the Bang family to come to this country, at least the first of any prominence, was Bow, which Mr. T. H. Scott brought over in 1878, when the dog was four years old. When Bow arrived in the West he was in very bad condition. We remember the late Charley Lincoln empha- sising the excellence of codliver oil as a skin application by giving an account of the fearful condition that Bow was in and the marvellously short time RIDGEVIEW SADDLEBACK One of the few surviving Graphics still living. Owned by Mr. J. L. Hinkley, of Poughkeepsie. Mr. R. E. Westlake also has an eleven-years-old bitch still able to do her day's work afield CHAMPION GRAPHIC Not a very good pose, but a photograph which shows much of the " quality " he so amply possessed The Pointer 305 in which he coated out. Mr. Thomas, in his address to the Pointer Club at Dayton, O., a year ago, on dogs he had known, told of his meeting Mr. Scott with the dog in the field, and his account agrees with that of Lincoln. Notwithstanding the condition of the dog, Mr. Sterling gave %oo for him, and from this gentleman the dog was passed to the St. Louis Kennel Club, and later on was sold to Mr. Odell, of New Orleans, in whose possession he died in August, 1884. Very shortly after Bow's arrival Mr. J. C. Macdona brought over quite the best dog imported to the East so far, Croxteth, by Young Bang, and Mr. GodefFroy, of Guymard, bought him. Croxteth was a great deal more of a pointer to our mind than Sensation, and ad- mitting all that was said about his mistakes at the Robins Island trials, who that saw his really sensational work will ever forget the revelation he gave of what a pointer was capable of in throwing himself into sensational attitudes the moment he caught scent. He was beaten, counted out politi- cally in a sense. One bad fault in Croxteth from a show point of view was his light eyes. This is a matter that also calls for attention at the present time, as there are far too many yellow and light eyes to be seen on the benches now, and it is a fault easy to acquire and hard to breed out. Croxteth was bred to quite extensively, and he was really the only dog of his day in the East to which any reasonable number of present-day field and show dogs trace back. Notwithstanding the fact that setters were the popular shooting dog of that period, quite a number of good pointers were being imported. In 1879 the St. Louis Kennel Club brought over Faust, Keswick, Jessamine and three others which seem to have left no mark. Then Mr. A. H. Moore, of Philadelphia, took up the breed for show purposes and got over Donald and a few bitches. Donald was a medium-sized dog of Lord Sefton's line on the sire's side and out of a Hamlet bitch. He was a Birmingham winner, besides taking a first in Sam Price's district — at Bristol. It was not until Mr. Anthony, many years later, bought this dog and got from him one of the sensational litters produced at the Graphic Kennels that American breeders realised what opportunities they had missed when breeding to dogs of fictitious reputation and overlooking this pointer. We believe we are correct in stating that two bitches were the total public support when Donald was in Mr. Moore's possession. In 1 88 1 the St. Louis Kennel Club imported Meteor, and Mr. Vander- vort brought out his Don. Meteor was a Pilkington dog, bv Garnet out 3o6 The Dog Book of Jilt, and Don, as previously stated, was of the Bang family. Meteor's fame, or more properly his notoriety, rests largely upon his being placed over Beaufort at New York in 1884. The result was the most aggressive correspondence that was probably ever published on dog matters in any country. Mr. Sterling placed Meteor first in a very strong champion class in which were Beaufort, Croxteth and several others. Beaufort was immeasurably the best dog in the class and Croxteth the next best. As an illustration of how show matters were misconducted in the anti-A.K.C. times, the following summing up of the "Pointer Protest" case, taken from the American Kennel Register, of September, 1884, will prove interest- ing to exhibitors who have always shown under present rules and government. "Mr. Munson has stated over his signature that at the time he made his entries for New York the bitch Vanity was the joint property of himself and Mr. Sterling [the judge at New York that year]. He also states that he has the show rights of Meteor, but against this there are the reiterated statements of Colonel Hughes that he owns Meteor, and he makes no allusion to Mr. Munson's claim. Mr. Munson also stated that he advised the club of the ownership of the dogs he entered. Mr. Sterling knew of his own interest in Vanity at the time the entries were made, and we have every reason to assume that, being on such intimate terms with Colonel Hughes, he knew who owned Meteor. . . . Meteor won in the cham- pion dog class, but when it came to the bitch class in which Vanity was entered Mr. Sterling, on account of his part ownership at the time of entry [he later sold his interest to Mr. Munson, it was said], had Mr. De Forest Grant to give, or assist in giving, the decision, and we are under the im- pression that the same course was adopted when Meteor and Vanity were shown as a brace. "The blunders made in the judging ring to our mind were these: Mr. Sterling for his own sake should have said to the club, 'Vanity has no business in the ring. I partly owned her when your entries closed, and you must order her out, for I will not judge her.' ... In the brace prize we come across further complications in the fact that two dogs came before Mr. Sterling for a prize *for the best pair of pointers to be owned by one individual or club,* and these dogs were, to the judges' knowledge, owned separately and by three individuals when entered." The occasion was then taken to show the need of a governing body which would put a The Pointer 307 stop to such proceedings, and it was about two months later that the American Kennel Club was started. What foundation Mr. C. H. Mason had for calling upon Mr. Munson to prove that the dog shown as Meteor was actually a dog bred by Mr. Pilkington, and by Garnet out of Jilt, was never known. The challenge was not taken up and the promised disclosures were not forthcoming. The influence of this dog does not compare with that of many others, and he was individually not a high-class dog. In thus criticising this Western favourite we know those who believed in him will not agree, but he was very faulty in head, his neck was short, and so was his body, he was leggy and stilty, and above all he lacked the quality so essential in a pointer of class. When the St. Louis sportsmen had such good type pointers as Bow, Faust and Keswick for comparison, it was inconceivably strange that they went so astray regarding this dog. Whether the notoriety of the "Pointer Protest" business caused the pointer men in St. Louis to stop we know not, but that was about the end of the importations of dogs to that city, and kennel interests fell off very much. The Western dogs were not* missed, however, for during 1885 a new Richmond took the field in the person of Mr. James L. Anthony, of New York, who startled the kennel world by importing the famed English champion Graphic, and a valuable brood bitch, Nell of EfFord, from Mr. Norrish's kennels in Devonshire. We saw Graphic in England during the preceding winter and had a commission to buy him if we thought he could beat Beaufort. The price asked was ^2,400, and that would not have been too much if the dog was what was wanted, but we could not conscientiously advise the purchase, and our judgment was supported when the dogs finally met under Mr. Davidson at Newark. Graphic was a good dog, a dog of exceptional merit, and we owe a vast debt to Mr. Anthony for bringing him to this country, and also the dogs which followed : Bracket, Meally, Revel IIL, Lad of Bow, Lass of Bow and Beppo IIL That was a collection of pointers such as no person ever owned in this country, before or since, and they bred on and produced better than themselves in some instances. To these was added Donald, got from Mr. Moore, of Phila- delphia, and a most valuable acquisition he proved as a stud dog. Of course these good-looking dogs were attacked as being useless in the field, but not only did some of them run in English trials, but they were shown on game here, and it was well known were regularly shot over. 3o8 The Dog Book Mr. Anthony formed a partnership with the late Mr. Charles Heath, of Newark, and he never missed an opportunity of having his dogs out with the gun and made regular trips to the South each winter. Graphic's first appearance was at the Pittsburg show of 1886, and we well remember the interest that was taken in the first entry of the Graphic Kennels. Major Taylor judged, and when it came to the special for the best pointer he gave it to Robert le Diable over Revel III. and Graphic. This was entirely wrong, for not only was Graphic much the better dog, but Revel III., who won her first American blue ribbon here, was also better than Robert le Diable. Bracket defeated Bang Bang, and in the small- sized pointer class Meally should also have won, but by some unaccountable reasoning first went to the very moderate Jetsam, owned by the show-giving club, and Keswick II., in deplorable condition, won second for the St. Louis club. At Newark, which was held soon after Pittsburg, Mr. David- son judged, and here Mr. Charles H. Mason's Beaufort beat Graphic, but the Graphic Kennels owners had the gratification of winning the pointer special with Revel III. We always considered Graphic a better pointer than Revel III., so we did not believe in the correctness of the decision. As two such good dogs as Beaufort and Graphic have never been in competi- tion in this country at any time, and both had their admirers, we will quote our criticism upon these dogs and Revel written at the time of the Newark show: "Beaufort has the advantage of Graphic in head, particularly in squareness and proportion of muzzle, beauty of eye, in skull and set of ears. Graphic has a little the best of it in neck, it being better arched and free from throatiness; while Beaufort is somewhat throaty, although his neck is not so thick as Graphic's. In shoulders, chest, back and fore legs both are grand. In loin Beaufort is well arched, while Graphic is comparatively flat. In quarters and stifles Beaufort is the best and much the best in second thighs, and has by far the best tail. There is not much diff"erence in feet; Beaufort's are the larger, but the toes are well arched, and the pads are firm and of good thickness. Graphic is just a bit too short coupled, while Beaufort is very good in this respect. In appearance of coat Graphic had a slight advantage, as his was new, while Beaufort had not cast his. Both are very symmetrical and full of quality, with the advantage slightly in favour of Beaufort in the former and with Graphic in the latter." With regard to the Revel III. decision, we then wrote: "We cannot agree with the judge in placing Revel III. over Beaufort for A ROW OF TEN FROM THE TOPNOTCH KENNELS " STEADY " A ■• Topnotch " on Long Island BANNER FASKALLY Taken in North Carolina LADY WESTLAKE WESTLAKE ORNAMENT In Pennsylvania ■^■^C^#i THE GRAPHIC KENNELS' TEAM OF FOUR BRACKET REVEL III. The Pointer 309 the special, for the best pointer. She is not so good in head even as Graphic, and not nearly so good in neck as Beaufort, neither has she so good a tail, and has not enough the best of him in other respects to overcome these points. She is a very taking animal to look at, and, as we have before remarked, is the best large bitch we have ever seen, but we do not think she is quite good enough to beat Graphic even." Mr. Anthony thought otherwise, and his opinion was that at that show Revel III. was the best in his kennel. The late J. M. Tracy judged at New York a month later, and he also put Robert le Diable over Graphic, but it was not accepted without protest; indeed Forest and Stream, then the leading kennel paper in New York, stated that "last year and the year before the pointer judging was remarkable for the number of erroneous decisions made, and we regret there was no improvement this year in this respect." Exhibitors of the present day have little idea of what owners had to put up with twenty years ago in the way of judging. We cannot devote the space that would be necessary to give anything like an adequate idea of the successes of the Graphic Kennels during the next few years, but it was anything but a pleasant experience outside of winning prizes, for the length to which personal attacks were permitted in the press at that time can hardly be imagined now. Mr. Anthony stood it as long as he could and then pulled up stakes. From the third and last edition of their kennel catalogue we quote: "We have been driven from the arena of competition on the one hand by libellous and vindictive partisans who have been permitted not only the use but the abuse of the kennel press to belittle the kennel, and, if possible, to injure us; on the other by judges in the field who did not know good work when they saw it, while in the show-ring kennel partners of exhibitors are at times appointed to judge their own partners' dogs in competition with those of outsiders." There was a great deal more truth than poetry in that statement, and the Graphic Kennels disposed of some of their dogs and divided the others. Mention must be made of some of the breeding done by the Graphic Kennels. From Donald and Revel III. came two good litters, one of which included Rumor, Slander, Revel VI. and Donald VI. The first two names were aimed at those who had been attacking the kennels. Rumor was a most exquisite small-sized dog, but just as he was old enough to show the decision to withdraw was arrived at and he was never exhibited. Mr. Anthony held at the time that this was the best pointer the kennel 3IO The Dog Book had ever had; the others named were also of high merit. A younger brother to Rumor was a New York winner for Mr. Muss Atnolt, who had quite a nice kennel of pointers at that time. The last occasion of the Graphic partners showing at New York was in 1888, when Bracket beat Robert le Diable, Revel III. won in her class and Lass of Bow in open heavy bitches; her brother Lad of Bow being beaten by Fritz, a good son of Beaufort, who unfortunately produced nothing anyway near as good as himself. Mr. Heath continued for a year or two to show Graphic, Revel in. and those which he had for his share, and Bracket was afterward shown by Mr. Muss Arnolt. Nothing has been said about what the Westminster Kennel Club had been doing during this time. This was essentially a pointer club, but as it never exhibited at its own show in New York, the only wins the W. K. C. dogs obtained were elsewhere. Sensation we have already mentioned. After him came the smaller Bang Bang, by Bang, who had made a very nice record in England and on the Continent in field trials. He was quite a different type of dog from Sensation. One of the few lemon and whites of the Bang strain, he had a black nose and was dark about the eyes, which were considered dreadful drawbacks to this quite good little dog. After that came Naso of Kipping. Now this was a pointer, and if the W. K. C. had begun with a dog like this we think the Babylon Kennels would have become world famous. When we first saw this dog we wondered what the partisans of Sensation and of Bang Bang, each of which had in turn been one of the nine wonders of dogdom according to their claims, could possibly think of the old dogs when the newcomer was in front of them, or how they could reconcile the widely different types of the three as each being correct and a world beater. Naso of Kipping was not quite right about the eyes, a sort of ferrety look, perhaps from their being rather small, and there was not quite enough stop. The eyes were also a little light in colour. After that was said, and perhaps a passing reference to the benefit of a little more squareness to the muzzle, one had to go over Naso from all points of view to find any more faults, and the more one looked at him the better pleased he was bound ro be. His muscular development was superb, and without any heaviness in shoulders. As he was as well bred as anything ever imported, being by Naso II. out of Maggie, by Champion Bang out of Leach's Belle, it would have been very remarkable had this dog not proved of great use at Babylon. Outsiders were not slow to recognise what kind The Pointer 311 of pointer this was, and young Naso puppies were soon seen and got into the prize Hsts. Another dog that got a good many very nice puppies was Tammany, owned by Mr. F. R. Hitchcock, but he could not avoid trans- mitting some of his defects, of which he had a good many, though he was pointer enough to always claim recognition when in the ring. There was one dog, however, that came out in 1890 as a puppy that was destined for a most successful show career, and that was Lad of Kent, bred and owned by Mr. George Jarvis. He was sired by Bracket, and out of Renie, who was by Tammany. Lad of Kent lasted uncommonly well, being able to take first in open and winners up to 1900, when he was eleven years old. The Hempstead Farm Kennels was at this time inter- ested in pointers, but it was never shown that any particular line was being followed, dogs and bitches of all and almost any breeding being got together, of which the most successful that we can recall were Duke of Hessen and Woolton Game. Robert le Diable was added to this kennel when getting on in years, but Lad of Kent had his measure in the heavy-weight classes. A new competitor at New York in the early nineties was Mr. T. G. Davey, of London, Ont., who had been quite a setter man at one time. He went in largely for Graphic Kennels stock, and at New York in 1892 showed a very strong team, winning the kennel prize with Westminster Drake, by Lad of Bow, Revelation, by Graphic, and Lady Gay Spanker and Miss Rumor, by Rumor out of Lady Norrish. Mr. Davey used his dogs in the field, but wanted them good looking, and this combination was the means of his disposing of a good lot of dogs at a very remunerative price to Mr. George Gould for show and shooting purposes. Dr. Daniels, of Cleveland, also went in for the same stock so far as Graphic sires were concerned, but was not quite so successful as the Canadian fancier. Dr. Daniels was more fortunate later on, when he got that good dog Plain Sam. How potent the blood introduced by Mr. Anthony was is well illustrated by the results at New York in 1903, five years after he had retired, when six firsts and three each of seconds and thirds fell to the credit of first- generation descendants of dogs imported in 1885 and 1886. The Rinada Kennel was another prominent factor at this time, but it was a short-lived combination of good dogs, to one of whom, Prince Regent, we owe many good descendants. Mr. George S. Mott bred his Spinett to Prince Regent and got Sir Walter, Prince's Lad, Prince's Boy, Sir George, and one or two others, all good-looking pointers and one or two exceedingly good. 312 Xhe Dog Book By judicious mating Mr. Mott succeeded in keeping well to the front up to the time of his retiring a year ago. For some time most of the dogs named were shown in Mr. Brokaw's name, that gentleman having purchased them, Mr. Mott still having them in charge; and when Mr. Brokaw gave up exhibiting some of the best were repurchased b]^ their breeder. At this time the Strideaway line began to attract attention, and through Dustaway and his descendants it is an excellent strain, breeding true and producing dogs of merit. Another strain that also came before the public in the nineties, and has bred on and improved, is that of Mr. R. E. Westlake, now of Mill City, Pa. It is about twenty years since we judged at a small show at Wilkesbarre and there met an enthusiastic pointer exhibitor who proved to be Mr. Westlake. Acting upon Mr. Mason's advice, he had purchased a pointer which was bred to Beaufort, and from Westlake Grace's first litter two first-prize puppies resulted. Mr. Charles Heath had also befriended the man who was not afraid to ask for information, and perhaps to him more than anyone else is due the present position of the Westlakes, for his watchword was: "Improve your brood bitches by careful selection." The first selection from this Beaufort litter was the peculiarly-named bitch Beau Beaufort, who was bred to Robert le Diable, and from that litter Molly Beaufort was picked out as the best. Molly was so like her sire in colour and markings and her owner thought so much of her, that he entered her in three classes at New York. He was sent out without a mention, came in for the second class and again got the gate. He was on hand early for the third class, when the judge asked him what was the use of his coming in again. The reason for the success of the kennels may be surmised in the answer: "Well, sir, I have paid for three classes, and if the chain holds out I propose going through the programme." Then he asked if he had not a pointer worth noticing. "Yes," was the answer, "if you had not clipped her tail." The tail being clipped was certainly not the novice exhibitor's doing, but it served its turn, and when on the top of that came an offer which was raised to ^300 and refused, the young man from the coal regions went home with a very large amount of food for thought. At New York arrangements had been made to breed Molly to Lad of Kent, artd from this mating came no less than ten winners, three of which became champions: Belle Westlake, Westlake's Startle and Daisy Bell. Westlake Startle won the Brokaw Challenge Cup, which called for five wins to take it outright. She was FASKALLY BRAGG . An English celebrity imported by Mr. Clarenie H. Mackay CHAMPION OREGON'S JESSIE ii. Mr. R. B. Adams's high quality lightweight pointer CHAMPION REVEL III. A striking natural pose of this Graphic KennJs crack CHAMPION DONALD Imported by Mr. A, H. Moore ; owned later by the Graphic Kennels CHAMPION SIR WALTER The best of the good dogs of Mr. G. S. Mott s breeding BEPPO III. Dr. Daniel purchased this son of Bow from Graphic Kennels in 1892 I I The Pointer 313 the next selection in the march of improvement, and was bred to Sir Walter, and the result was ten dogs and bitches that proved able to win prizes. In this litter were the champions Westlake Surprise and Westlake Ornament. Startle was also bred to Mott Regent, a brother to Sir Walter, and Westlake Chancellor from that litter took a first at New York in 1903, at which show Westlake Surprise won in winners' class and in 1904 took the reserve to her sister Ornament. Since then, we believe, Mr. Westlake has been experimenting in interbreeding between the progeny of Startle, but as he has not been exhibiting this year, owing to an accident in the late winter, we have yet to learn with what success. We have dwelt a little more at length on what has been accomplished by this gentleman, because his success has not been attained by the lavish use of money in expensive purchases, but as economically as any man could wish to do. It will be observed, however, that he did not tie himself up by buying a dog, but came to the New York show, saw the best dogs of the day and used his own judgment as to which to breed to, nothing but the best being good enough for that purpose. The three dogs selected from time to time were the best of their day according to the record. The rest was judicious selection of the home material. What this gentleman did was and is open to all, and while equal success might not reach a very large number, yet it is very certain that pointers would improve materially by individual effort of this kind. And there never was a better time for the small breeder than now, for good pointers are very scarce. In dogs we have nothing to equal such as Beaufort, Graphic, Naso of Kipping, Lad of Kent, Sir Walter or dogs of that class. Mark's Rush is the most successful of late years, and is the best dog at present, but that does not put him on a parity with the best we have had. On the other hand, there are many excel- lent bitches, and in that sex the average of quality is good, which means much in estimating prospects of possible improvement. There is also no predominating kennel of pointers, such as we have had in the past. Mr. Frank Gould, Mr. Clarence Mackay, Mr. Brokaw, Mr. Walton Ferguson, Jr., have retired after more or less brief experiences in the show ring, and as they say on the turf, it is a very open field for the man who cannot keep a large kennel, but wishes to do a little breeding and try to get a few prizes. So far we have said nothing of the pointer as a field dog, in which line he has a vast number of supporters. At one time pointers were looked 314 The Dog Book upon very much as the pacer was by those who considered the trotter the only horse a gentleman could possibly use for driving, and plenty of judges seemed smitten with the same idea when it came to deciding field trials, so that to get a favourable decision a pointer had to win "away off" when opposed to a setter, otherwise the latter got the verdict. Many tried to win with them and gave it up, till the late Mr. Dexter took hold of the breed, and with the late Captain McMurdo in charge of the dogs, established the Charlottesville Kennels. This does not mean that no pointers had done any good winning, but that they had not been recognised as in any way entitled to rank with setters. Croxteth had previously sired some winners of good stakes, and as the sire of Trinket's Bang, from whom came Pearl's Dot, "the mother of field trials winners," will never be forgotten by field trials men. Ossian was also a Croxteth, and so was Patti Croxteth which went out to the coast and won two all-ages stakes. There were other minor winners by Croxteth, who may be set down as the one dog of his time that proved himself competent to sire good field dogs; and when it comes to that there is the quite forgotten Drake, by Croxteth. How many are aware that this dog beat the great Mainspring in the pointer stakes at High Point in 1884? Then there were the Graphic Kennels dogs that were run during the bad times of prejudice against pointers and their descendants. In Major J. M. Taylor's "Field Trials Records" no less than thirty-five Graphic Kennels pointers and their descendants are named as winners. It is generally supposed that Mr. Dexter was the first owner of Main- spring, but such is not the case. This dog was the property of Mr. J. F. Perkins and ran in his name at High Point in 1884 and 1885, the only two trials he took part in. Mr. Dexter was then a setter man, and continued to be so till the American Trials of 1888, in which he ran Count Piedmont into fourth place in the Derby. His first successful appearance with pointers was at the Eastern F. T. Club*s meeting of 1889, when he ran second to Rowdy Rod with Rip-Rap. Before this Mr. Dexter had, however, imported some pointers and owned King of Kent, and the kennel in which he had an interest had for some time had the bitch Hops, which became his property later on, and from these two pointers he got Rip-Rap. By this time he had bought Mainspring from Mr. Perkins, and from him came Jingo, bred by Mr. Dex- ter out of his Queen III., who was by his imported Pontiac. The Jingo family is one of the most important in the annals of field trials, and includes The Pointer 315 as leaders Young Jingo, Lad of Jingo, Sister Sue, Dot's Jingo, Two-Spot, Count Cyrano and others. King of Kent was a most valuable introduction, for from him we got Rip-Rap, Hal Pointer, Strideaway, Tick Boy, K. C. Kent, Kent Elgin and two other field trials winners. The King of Kent line is perhaps the most potent factor in the pointer family of field trials performers of the present day. Considering that we owe all that came from Mainspring, from King of Kent and from Hops and Queen HI. to what was done by Mr. Dexter, Mr. Perkins and their able manager. Captain McMurdo, no tribute is too much to pay to these pioneers in establishing pointers in the front rank as field trials competitors of the highest class. We have mentioned Pearl's Dot as the mother of field trials winners, and it would be difficult to name a more remarkable bitch. She ranks with the English setter Rhaebe and the great English thoroughbred Poca- hontas in her capacity to throw winners to any mating. From her King of Kent litter we got Strideaway, a founder of a family noted for field and bench-show qualities. From Jingo she threw Young Jingo, and when bred to Rip-Rap the result was Ripstone, Young Rip-Rap, Ripple and the bitch Dot's Pearl, a worthy successor to her great dam, for from her came Lad of Jingo, Two-Spot, Jingo's Pearl and three other winners. Of recent years the line followed by breeders has been to cross these two leading families, the Jingo and Rip-Rap, and this has resulted in the production of many good dogs, and so far there does not seem to be the slightest need for any importations. The blood is strong and potent, and with the exception that some attention should be paid to form and get good-looking dogs as well as good workers, nothing need be said regarding breeding for field trials purposes. Why we cannot get as good dogs as the Englishmen do in the way of looks is only explainable by saying that we do not pay attention to looks. But that is no reason why we should not. The good-looking Graphic Ken- nels dogs we know were good in the field. Beaufort was a good one also. The Charlottesville dogs combined good looks and good work. Mr. West- lake's and the Top-Notch Kennels dogs and those of nearly every present- day exhibitor are used afield. As a specimen, not selected, of what style of dog the English breed for use, we refer to the photograph of Banner Faskally on point in South Carolina. This was one of the pointers brought over a few years ago by Mr. Turner, kennel manager for Mr. Butler, of Pitlochry, 3i6 The Dog Book Scotland, who uses the well-known prefix of Faskally for his pointers. The dogs were not here long enough to become accustomed to our game condi- tions and ran unplaced at the Newton trials in North Carolina, but they were much admired, and Mr. F. Lothrop Ames, of Boston, gave a good price for the lot. Mr. W. B. Meares, to whom we are indebted for the photo- graph, offered Mr. Ames ^500 for Banner, but without result. They were by Faskally Bragg, the dog Mr. Clarence Mackay imported at a very long price a few years ago. Descriptive Particulars Skull. — Of good size, wider across the ears than that of the setter^ with the forehead rising well at the brows, showing a decided stop. A full development of the occipital protuberance is indispensable, and the upper surface should be in two slight rounded flats, with a furrow between. Muzzle. — Long (4 in. to 4I in.) and broad, with widely-opened nostrils. The nose should be black or very dark brown in all but the lemons and whites^ but in them it may be a deep flesh colour. It should be cut off" square, and not pointed — known as the 'snipe nose' or *pig jaw.' Teeth meeting even. Ears, Eyes and Lips. — Ears soft in coat, moderately long and thin in leather, not folding like the hound's, but lying flat and close to the cheeks, and set on low, without any tendency to prick. Eyes soft, and of medium size; colour brown, varying in shade with that of the coat. Lips well developed, but not pendant nor flew-like. Neck. — Arched toward the head, long and round, without any approach to dew-lap or throatiness. It should come out with a graceful sweep from between the shoulder blades. Shoulders and Chest. — These are dependent on each other for their formation. Thus, a wide and looped chest cannot have the blades lying flat against its sides; and consequently, instead of this and their sloping backward, as they ought to do in order to give free action, they are upright, short, and fixed. Of course, a certain width is required to give room for the lungs, but the volume required should be obtained by depth rather than width. Behind the blades the ribs should, however, be well arched, but still deep; this depth of black ribs is especially important. Back, Quarters and Stifles. — ^The loin should be very slightly arched and full of muscle, which should run well over the back ribs; the hips should be wide, with a tendency even to raggedness, and the quarters should droop CHAMPION BRACKET The crack lightweight dog of the Graphic Kennels. Sire of Lad of Kent, etc. CORONATION The English champion bitch and a winner of many specials for " best dog in the show ' i The Pointer 317 very slightly from them. These last must be full of firm muscle, and the stifles should be well bent and carried widely apart, so as to allow the hind legs to be brought well forward in the gallop, instituting a form of action which does not tire. Legs, Elbows and Hocks. — These must be strong enough to bear the strain given them. Substance of bone is therefore demanded, not only in the shanks, but in the joints, the knees and hocks being especially required to be bony. The elbows should be well let down, giving a long upper arm, and should not be turned in or out, the latter being, however, the lesser fault of the two, as the confined elbows limit the action considerably. The reverse is the case with the hocks, which may be turned in rather than out, the former being generally accompanied by the wideness of stifles insisted on. Both hind and fore pastern should be short, nearly upright and full of bone. Feet. — All-important; for, however strong and fast the action may be, if the feet are not well shaped and the horny covering hard, the dog will soon become footsore when at work. Preference is given to the round or cat foot, with the toes well arched and close together. The main point, however, is the closeness of the pads, compared with the thickness of the horny covering. Stern. — Strong in bone at the root, but should at once be reduced in size as it leaves the body, and then gradually taper to a point. It should be very slightly curved, carried a little above the line of the back, and without the slightest approach to a curl at the tip. Symmetry and Quality. — The pointer should display good propor- tion, no dog showing more diflf"erence between the 'gentleman' and his opposite. It is impossible to analyse the essentials, but every judge carries the knowledge with him. Texture. — The coat in the pointer should be soft and mellow, but not absolutely silky. Scale of Points Skull 10 Legs, elbows and Muzzle and nose lo hocks I2 Ears, eyes and lips 4 Feet 8 Neck 6 Stern 5 Shoulders and chest 15 Symmetry and quality. 10 Back, quarters and stifles.... 15 Texture of coat 5 Total 100 i i CHAPTER XIX The Retriever HERE seems very little prospect of the English retriever gaining a foothold in this country, though in Great Britain and Ireland he is made of great use, as setters and pointers are preferred not to touch dead game. It is one of the many little peculiarities of the shooting men across the Atlantic to hold that while it does not in the least matter in the case of a spaniel, it is a drawback to setters or pointers to retrieve the game killed over them. Here we do not find it so, and no shooting dog is considered thoroughly broken until he is a perfect retriever. To avoid calling upon the setter or pointer to retrieve, the Englishman takes another dog afield with him, whose duty it is to retrieve the dead and wounded game. At the present time the usefulness of the retriever is made still more apparent owing to the change in the style of shooting by walking up the game, the battue, and driving to the guns. In such cases the retriever is a necessity, and as it is likely to be a long time before any appreciable amount of Amer- ican shooting will be done on those plans, the day of the retriever is yet in the dim future with us. On the Rutherford estate at Allamuchy, N. J., at Fisher's Island, at the late Mr. Moen's and Mr. Bayard Thayer's pre- serves in Massachusetts, where English pheasants are reared for battue shooting, a few retrievers are kept, and we occasionally see one or two at the New York Dog Show. These are mainly of the smooth variety, but from time to time a rough or curly coated specimen has been shown. The case is very different in England, where retrievers are frequently one of the best-represented breeds at the various dog shows and much attention is paid to their improvement. The breed is supposed to have its origin mainly in what has been for many years called the Labrador or lesser Newfoundland, a dog that could not have originated in Labrador, but undoubtedly owed its origin to animals brought as ship's dogs by vessels from Europe. When we first became acquainted with the retriever he was much more wavy in coat than the modern specimens, the change 319 320 The Dog Book probably being due to selection more than to a cross with the setter, though that may have been resorted to by some who cared only for getting a suitable working dog, and by others with the object of getting a better- looking dog. The late Mr. Shirley, chairman of the English Kennel Club, was a great fancier of the wavy-coated retriever, as it was then called, and he used no setter blood. Lieut.-Col. Cornewall Legh is another who is credited with sticking closely to the old Labrador stock, and the improve- ment he has made has been by selection. It can be readily understood that in a dog called upon to retrieve the main thing before the establishment of the breed was to secure a thor- oughly good dog for the work, and we read in "Craven's" "Advice to Young Sportsmen" that the best retriever he ever owned was a bull terrier; but, as a later writer pertinently remarked, that is no reason why we should take bull terriers for retrievers on account of the exceptional fad of this particular dog. One of Cooper's good paintings is of " Brush, a Celebrated Retriever." This was painted fifty years ago, though the loose engraving we have bears 1868 as the date of publication. Brush was apparently black, with prominent white frill and white on the feet, extending on one fore leg about the fetlock. The head is smooth, with body coat like a rough setter. A very intelligent-looking dog of no definite breed; one might almost say a half-bred setter and collie. The curly coated retriever is one we feel assured might well be intro- duced here for duck shooting, the crisply curled coat being very water resisting, and as there is less of it than in the Irish water spaniel he should be a preferable companion on his return from the water, while in compari- son with the Chesapeake Bay dog he certainly is much the better-looking. Lee gives the curlies a bad name on account of hard mouths, but the coat can hardly cause that, and there ought to be good retrievers among them. Whether it is that, or whether the smooths are the more attractive and have thus crowded out the curlies, we are not in a position to say, but we do know that we have quite a liking for a good curly coated retriever, and would much like to see them taken up here by the duck shooters who desire a good-looking dog. We remember seeing quite a number of brown or liver curly-coated dogs, but they seem to have gone out of fashion, or have been bred out in the desire for blacks as the preferable show colour. Mr. H. Reginald Cooke, of Davenport, Bridgenorth, England, who kindly sent us a photograph of one of his champions and photographs of The Retriever 321 paintings of two more of his champions, states that with this team he not only won the special for the best team of retrievers at the Crystal Palace, but also that for the best team of sporting dogs of any breed. Mr. Cooke writes: "I often wonder how it is that the Americans have not taken up the flat-coated retriever, as they have setters and the pointer. Retrievers are the most useful of all sporting dogs for modern shooting." The answer to that is that we have not adopted English modern shooting methods in this country, with the exception of battue shooting at a few isolated pre- serves, and there they have retrievers. We have lately been advised that a number of retrievers have been recently imported for use in some of the Southern preserves, but throughout the country at large Americans prefer the setter or pointer broken to retrieve as well as point and back. To show the hold they have in England as a sporting dog, Mr. Cooke says he has bred them for over twenty-five years, and always for work as well as show. We were struck with a remark of Lee in "Modern Dogs" regarding "other retrievers," where he says: "The latter [brown retrievers] are repeatedly produced from black parents, are very handsome, and equally useful as any other. Personally I have a great fancy for this pale or choco- late-brown wavy-coated retriever. He is a novelty, and, if he shows dirt more than his black parents, his coat is equally glossy and he is quite as good tempered and sociable. The white or pale primrose-coloured eye is objectionable in this variety, as it is in the black." The suggestion may be far fetched, perhaps, but if these retrievers of England owe much of their blood to the Labrador line, and we are to accept the accredited story of the Chesapeake Bay dog as originating from the Newfoundland dogs that came from the wrecked vessel which, according to one account, was abandoned at sea, and by another, ran ashore near the residence of a Mr. Law on the Chesapeake, then the colour was not entirely owing to their being crossed on the native tan-coloured hounds, which is ex- Mayor Latrobe's claim. The Englishmen have not used the common "yellow-and-tan" hound to get the colour they occasionally come across, with the objectionable light eye we also find in so many Chesapeakes. The retriever not being a dog used or likely to be used in this country to any great extent, it is not necessary to dwell upon his description, that being given in detail in the standards of the two varieties. That of the curly coated was adopted by the English club which was formed in 1890, and the latter is from Lee's "Modern Dogs," based upon Stonehenge's description. 322 The Dog Book Curly Coated Retriever — Descriptive Particulars Head. — Long and narrow for the length. Ears. — Rather small, set on low, lying close to the head and covered with short curls. Jaws. — Long and strong, free from lippiness, with good, sound teeth. Nose. — Wide, open nostrils, moist and black. Eyes. — Dark, cannot be too dark, rather large, showing great intelli- gence and splendid temper; a full pug eye an objection. Coat. — Should be one mass of short, crisp curls from the occiput to the point of the tail ; a saddleback of uncurled hair behind shoulders and white patch on chest should be penalised; but few white hairs allowed on an otherwise good dog. Colour black and liver. Neck. — Long, graceful, but muscular and well placed; free from throatiness, such as a bloodhound. Shoulders. — Very deep, muscular, and obliquely placed. Chest. — Not too wide but decidedly deep. Body. — Rather short, muscular and well ribbed up. Legs. — Fore legs straight, with plenty of bone, not too long, and set well under body. Feet. — Round and compact, with toes well arched. Loin. — Powerful, deep, and firm to the grasp. » Tail. — Should be carried pretty straight and covered with short curls, tapering toward tip. General Appearance. — A strong, smart dog, moderately low on leg, active, lively, beaming with intelligence and expression. Scale of Points VALUE value Head 10 Nose 5 Jaws 5 Coat 15 Eyes 5 Shoulders 5 Neck 5 Body 5 Chest 5 Feet 5 Legs 5 Tail 5 Loins 10 General Appearance 10 Ears 5 Total 100 BRUSH, A CELEBRATED RKIKIEVKK Frnm a painting by A. Cooper. R, A. i;oNNACORD DARKIE Owned by Mr. K. T. Baines, Urmston, Manchester. England The Retriever 323 Flat or Wavy Coated Retriever — Descriptive Particulars Nose and Jaws are to be considered from two points of view — first, as to the powers of scent; and second, as to the capacity for carrying a hare or pheasant without risk of damage. For both purposes the jaws should be long, and for the development of scenting powers the nose should be wide, the nostrils open and tip of nose moist and cool, teeth level, and neither overshot nor undershot. Skull, Ears and Eyes. — Skull bone wide and flat at the top, with slight furrow down the middle. Brow by no means pronounced, but the skull is not absolutely in a straight line with the nose. The ears must be small, lie close to the head and set on low, but not hanging down in hound fashion. With regard to the hair on them, it must be short. The eyes should be of medium size, dark in colour, bright, intelligent looking and mild in ex- pression, indicating a good temper. Neck, Back and Loins. — The neck should be long enough to allow the dog to stoop in seeking for the trail. A chumpy neck is especially bad; for while a little dog may get along on a foot scent with a short neck, a comparatively large and unwieldy dog tires himself terribly by the necessity for crouching in his fast pace. Loins and back wide, deep and strong. Quarters and Stifles. — Must be muscular and so formed as to enable the retriever to do his work fast enough for the modern sportsman, with ease to himself. The stifles should be nicely turned. Shoulders. — Should be long and sloping; otherwise, even with a proper length of neck, the dog cannot stoop to a foot scent without fatigue. Chest. — Should be broad as well as deep, with well-developed and well-sprung ribs. Legs, Knees and Hocks. — The legs must not only be strong, but they must be clean and free from lumber. The knees should be broad, and the hocks well developed and clean. Feet. — The feet are rather larger proportionately than in the setter, but they should be compact and the toes well arched. Soles thick and strong. Tail. — Should be bushy in proportion to the dog, but not feathered. It should be carried gaily, but not curled over the back. Coat. — Short, but not so short as in the pointer or hound; it should be close and thick and as straight as possible; a thin, open coat, with the skin easily found, is bad, however straight it may be. 324 The Dog Book Colour. — In blacks the colour should be a rich black, free from rustiness and from white. Symmetry and Temperament. — ^The symmetry and elegance of this dog are considerable and should be valued 'highly. The evidences of good temper must be regarded with great care, since his utility mainly depends on his disposition. A sour-headed brute with a vicious look about the eyes should be disqualified. Weight. — From 50 pounds to 68 pounds for dogs; bitches rather smaller. Scale of Points Nose and jaws 5 Feet 10 Skull, ears and eyes 10 Tail 5 Neck, loins and back. ..... 10 Coat 10 Quarters and stifles 5 Symmetry and tempera- Shoulders and chest 13 ment 20 Legs' knees and hocks 12 . Total 100 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER AND HIS DOGS DANEHURST NELLIE DANEHURST DICK A winning retriever A show anJ field trials winning spaniel DANEHURST PRINCE Winning blue roan field spaniel DANEHURST POLLY DANEHURST DIAMOND Retriever, winner of more than ninety firsts CHAMPION IILACK QUILT Owned by Mr. H. Reginald Cooke, of Nantwich, Eng. CHAPTER XX The Chesapeake Bay Dog NE of the few dogs developed in this country is the Chesa- peake Bay dog, its name being taken, obviously, from that great ducking resort on the Atlantic coast. The dog was developed for retrieving ducks, and naturally we have a dog well fitted for the work. There are three stories regarding the origin of this dog, one of which has to be put down as an impossibility, and from the other two the reader can take his choice or dismiss them both and conclude that a gradual process of selection of a dog fitted for the work developed the variety. The impossible story is that a retrieving bitch, in order to be kept away from the dogs, was tied up in a marsh near an otter den and subsequently had puppies which were supposed to own an otter as their sire, and from him came what is still called the otter coat. Another ** tradition," as these stories were called by the late James F. Pearson, of Baltimore, is that given upon the authority of George W. Kierstead, who was also one of the acknowledged experts of twenty years ago. Mr. Kierstead claimed that the breed originated in the place of its name, and "from the best authorities obtainable, we learn that about the year 1807 the ship Canton^ of Baltimore, Md., fell in at sea with an English brig, in a sinking condition, bound from Newfoundland to England. The crew were taken aboard the Canton, also two puppies, a dog and a bitch. The English crew were landed on their native soil, and the two puppies purchased from the captain for a guinea apiece and taken to Baltimore. The dog puppy, a dingy red in colour, was called Sailor, and was given to Mr. John Mercer, of West River. The bitch was black, was called Canton, and was given to Dr. James Stewart, of Sparrow Point. These dogs were compactly built — not so large as the Newfoundland; hair not long, but thick and wavy. They individually attained great reputation as duck retrievers, and it is said of them that they would follow a crippled duck for miles through ice and heavy sea, and if successful in a capture would always bring it back 325 326 The Dog Book to their owner. The dog Sailor became the property of a gentleman of wealth, and was taken to his estate on the east shore of Maryland, where his progeny is still known as the Sailor breed. "There is no positive proof that there were ever any dogs produced from the union of these two, Sailor and Canton, neither is there anything to show that there was no production from them. The natural supposition is that there was, and it is to these two dogs that we feel we can give credit for the now famous breed of Chesapeake Bay duck dog." Another "tradition" is that given by Mr. Joseph A. Graham in "The Sporting Dog," in the form of a communication from General Ferdinand C. Latrobe, who has long had personal supervision of the dogs of the Carroll Island Club: "Many years ago a vessel from Newfoundland ran aground near an estate called Walnut Grove, on the shores of the Chesa- peake. This estate belonged to Mr. George Law, a member of a well- known Maryland family. On board the ship were two Newfoundland dogs, which were given by the captain to Mr. Law in return for kindness and hospitality shown to himself and his crew. The beginning of the Chesapeake dog was from a cross between these Newfoundlands and the common yellow and tan coloured hound or coon dog of that part of the country. "At the Carroll Island Club, of which the writer has been a member for over thirty years, and the records of which go back for over a century, this strain of dogs has been carefully bred, and for many years the pedigrees have been kept. The same care in breeding the Chesapeake has been followed at some of the other clubs." General Latrobe says that the combination of the yellow and tan hound, the Newfoundland and some spaniel introductions, produced the "liver colour of the true Chesapeake Bay dog," thus placing himself apart from the other writers quoted, who all preferred the sedge colour. As might be expected from the facts or traditions thus set forth and the mixed character of the breeding, with only the one definite aim of having the best possible retrievers, we have in the Chesapeake a dog not over burdened with good looks or quality. It will be readily seen that the standard is not an attempt to elevate or improve the breed by setting an ideal to be bred up to. What the standard describes is a plain every- day dog, with faults that would not pass muster in hardly any other breed set forth as requirements. The wedgy type of head, with the wide skull ^ The Chesapeake Bay Dog 327 and tapering fore face, the high-set-on ears and the short neck, the yellow eye and the long tail are not quality characteristics at all, and the gentlemen who framed the standard missed an opportunity to set a far higher mark for the dog. If we had the making of a standard we should frame it more on the model of the description of the English retriever: The head of moderate width and good length, with a strong, well-carried-out jaw and sound teeth, evenly meeting. Eye dark hazel, and we should specify that the yellow eye is a great detraction and must be got rid of. Ears to be neat in size, set on low, and without fold. Neck of good length, and, in place of the upright shoulders which invariably accompany the short neck, we should particularly specify the sloping position of the shoulders, without which a dog cannot reach out with his feet when swimming. Then the legs should not be short for a swimming dog, and to state that the feet have to be webbed means only that they have to be ordinary feet, for all dogs' feet are webbed. It is right that they should be large. The tail or stern for such a dog should be only long enough not to look short, carried gaily in a curve, but not over the back. It should be bushy, thicker in the middle, and show no feather. With regard to the coat, our belief is in the kind that has a crisp wave in it, as it is almost sure to be dense and close, and that is what is wanted. But whether with this kink or not, the coat must be so dense that, owing to the undercoat, it cannot be parted down to the skin. The desirable colour is a yellow liver, which goes by the name of sedge. Liver is too dark for the correct thing, though there are doubtless many good dogs nearly approaching that colour, and we do not think colour should overrule everything. We also know very well that this shade as well as the liver becomes weather bleached as it ages, and when ready to shed it is many shades lighter than the incoming coat. Sedge is most decidedly preferable, but not to the extent of knocking out a far better dog of a darker shade. We mean that we could not put an open-coated, badly made sedge dog over one good in these respects but dark in colour. The late Mr. Pearson was a recognised authority on the breed, and in 1882 wrote to the American Field supporting a previous communication from a gentleman who roundly criticised the Baltimore show committee for making two classes, one being for long, curly coated dogs. That writer held that the Chesapeake was not a long-haired or curly dog, but should have a short, close coat, "without a wrinkle in it." As usual with 328 The Dog Book most writers upon a breed but little known, or not scientifically established — and by that we mean bred with judgment and a type in view — he said that the breed was almost entirely lost at that time. Mr. Pearson fully endorsed the first part of the letter, and on his own account wrote as follows: "I wish clearly to lay down the rule that, according to my judgment, none other than dogs known as the otter breed or close-hair dogs should be taken as the Simon Pure of this strain. The Chesapeake Bay dog^ otter breed, should be a strong, well-built animal, weighing about sixty pounds; colour much resembling wet sedge grass, though toward spring it becomes lighter from exposure to the weather. A small white spot or frill on breast is entirely admissible; a large patch of same very objectionable. Coat short and thick, with tendency to wave over shoulders, back and loins, where it is longest. Should judge hair to be nowhere more than one and a quarter inches long, and probably not over half that on flanks and legs. Head broad, nose a trifle pointed but not at all sharp, neck only moderately long; eyes of yellow colour; ears small and placed well up on the head; face covered with very short hair, and mild and intelligent in expression. Legs of moderate length, ending with feet of good size. Tail stout, somewhat long, with barely a suspicion of feather, and the straighter the better. This dog is sprightly, active, an admirable watch dog, abundantly able to take care of himself, and an admirable retriever. Females are usually smaller than the males, but not necessarily so. "There is another style of so-called Chesapeake Bay dogs that may be mentioned; short hair, entirely straight, much darker in colour — in fact liver colour — more heavily built in every way; many of them of a surly disposition, and having a tendency to shirk their work whenever they feel so disposed, particularly in cold weather and high-running waves. I have a suspicion that they may have a touch of bloodhound through 'them, and from my experience do not care for anything less than a stout club when it is necessary to correct them." Mr. Pearson then briefly refers to the traditions, all of which came "through the medium of the 'oldest inhabitant,' so whatever credence is attached thereto I leave to the judgment of each reader." Doctor Millbank, of New York, was an enthusiastic supporter of the breed up to the time of his death a few months ago, and from a communication of his in the American Field, of April 2, 1898, it is evident that Mr. Pearson was his mentor and guide. ■ Acting upon the advice thus received. Doctor A. M. COGHLIN S CLAIRVINE THK LATE DR. MILBANKS PRIDE THE LATE DR. MILBANK'S BUSH THE I.AIE MR. .MALLORV S MARY CHIEF PEGGIE MAGUIRE Owned by J. G. McPhee, Seattle Owned by McFee & Gilbert, Seattle CHESAPEAKE BAY DOGS OF MARYLAND. OHIO AND THE PACIFIC COAST The Chesapeake Bay Dog 329 Millbank bred several generations of Chesapeakes, and was for several years the most successful exhibitor of these dogs at the New York show. We have not much knowledge of Chesapeakes in Maryland, other than having seen such dogs as were shown at the various Baltimore shows. Some years ago there was far less uniformity in the benched specimens than has been the case of late, and we remember our old friend, Mr. Mallory, showing two dogs at a Philadelphia show which were of very different type. One was of the short, close-coated sort and the other decidedly curly. We told him we could not stand the curly as the proper type, and he fully agreed with us and said he only entered the latter to help fill the class. When at Seattle and Portland shows in the spring of 1904 we were agreeably surprised at the number of good Chesapeakes in that section of the country. Well grown dogs with excellent coats were at both shows and the winners at Seattle were as good if not better than any dog or bitch we have seen in the East. There is a mistaken idea that dogs such as the Chesapeake Bay dog call for expert knowledge of the breed in order to judge them. Such a claim is only true of dogs that have been specialised and improved to a high state of perfection, which is not the case with the Chesapeake, and we venture to state that those who are best acquainted with them as working dogs are not so competent to judge symmetry and an approach to quality as is an all-round judge of dogs. Give a man who is accustomed to ring work a class of Chesapeakes to judge, and all he needs to be told is what they are used for and the preferred colour. From him you will probably get far better selections than from those who may have had plenty of experience with the breed as workers but have little knowledge of dogs in general and do not possess the judging eye. We have stated what in our opinion should be the guide for judging this breed, and it will be seen by what we give below that it differs in several essentials from what was presented to the American Kennel Club, as the work of a committee appointed in 1885 to submit a standard. The club did not adopt any of the standards so submitted, and this one remains but the expression of the opinion of Messrs. Pearson, Norris and Malcolm, who formed the committee. We believe there was a Chesapeake Bay Dog Club before that, and that this was the standard of that club, with the exception that in the scale of points each of the four properties for which a value of 330 The Dog Book fifteen is given the original club figures were fourteen for each, and the four points of difference were added to colour, which made that property twelve in place of eight, as given below. Descriptive Particulars Head. — Broad, running to nose only a trifle pointed, but not sharp; eyes of yellow colour; ears small, placed well up on head; face covered with very short hair. Neck. — Should be only moderately long, and with a firm, strong appear- ance. Shoulders and Chest. — Shoulders should have full liberty, with plenty of show for power and no tendency to restriction of movement; chest strong and deep. Back, Quarters and Stifles. — Should show fully as much if not more power than fore quarters and be capable of standing prolonged strain. Any tendency of weakness must be avoided. Ducking on the broad waters of Chesapeake Bay involves, at times, facing a tide and sea, and in cases of following wounded fowl a dog is frequently subjected to a long swim. Legs, Elbows, Hocks and Feet. — Legs should be short, showing both bone and muscle, and with well-webbed feet of good size; fore legs rather straight and symmetrical. It is to be understood that short legs do not convey the idea of a dumpy formation. Elbows well let down and set straight, for development of easy movement. Stern. — Should be stout, somewhat long — the straighter the better — and showing only moderate feather. Symmetry and Quality. — The Chesapeake Bay dog should show a bright, lively, intelligent expression, with general outlines good at all points; in fact a dog worthy of notice in any company. Coat and Texture. — Short and thick, somewhat coarse, with tendency to wave over shoulders, back and loins, where it is longest; nowhere over one and a quarter to one and a half inches long; that on the flanks, legs and belly shorter, tapering to quite short near the feet. Under all this a short, woolly fur which should well cover the skin and can be readily observed by pressing aside the outer coat. This coat preserves the dog from the eff^ects of the wet and cold, and enables him to stand severe exposure. A shake or two throws oflF all the water, and is conducive to speed in swimming. A bird down. The " Bay dug" startinj; out to retrieve Turning back to shore in good form id the decoys— all in one pi' ture Bringing in the bird p mm j^Ti-t.^gK^^iyr^r'iT''" i 1 p ,' ■*c:;> 1 1 The dog's share of the sport Delivering the bird THE CHESAPEAKE BAY DOG AT WORK The Chesapeake Bay Dog 331 Colour. — Nearly resembling wet sedge grass, though toward spring it becomes lighter by exposure to the weather. A small spot or frill on breast is admissible. Colour is important, as the dog in most cases is apt to be outside the blind, consequently too dark is objectionable; the deep liver of the spaniel, making much deeper contrast, is to be avoided. Weight. — Should be about 60 pounds, too large a dog being unwieldy and lacking quickness of movement. Bitches are usually smaller than the sdogs, but not necessarily so. Scale of Points Head, including ears, lips Stern 4 and eyes 15 Symmetry and quality 6 Neck 6 Coat and texture 16 Shoulders 15 Colour 8 Back, quarters and stifles. . . 15 Legs, elbows, hocks and feet 15 Total 100 CHAPTER XXI The Dalmatian T is passing strange how such a man as BufFon came to name the Dalmatian the Bengal Harrier, and Youatt was as bad when he lumped him in with the Great Dane — the Danish dog, as he was called at that time — as only differing in size. The Dalmatian is a dog of ancient lineage and with as straight a record as almost any dog. He was the hound that came from Dalmatia, and there is little reason to doubt that he was of the same class of hound that the pointer emanated from. Even to this day they have very much in common, in appearance, habits and disposition, and the Dalmatian is by no means a bad shooting dog, when any attention is paid to his training. Spotted dogs were known in Egypt. The illustration of dogs in the frontispiece of Part I., showing a number of dogs which were received as tribute, should have shown the fore leg of the farther dog in the front row as spotted, but the spots were omitted by the artist who copied the group in line drawing only. Stonehenge points out that quite a good many black- and-white pointers, while not marked so symmetrically as are Dalmatians, could doubtless be much improved in that respect if attention was paid to marking. All ticked dogs are usually heavily marked about the head, and one of the difficulties with the Dalmatian is to avoid heavily marked ears, which are nowadays objected to. In descriptions published earlier in the nineteenth century tan cheeks were spoken of, and within the past thirty years one of the recognised colours, the one placed second in point of merit by Stonehenge and considered very desirable by Dalziel, was the black- spotted dog with liver ticks on the legs. These were by no means uncom- mon thirty years ago, and were thought equally good if not better than the entirely black spotted. Why the Dalmation Clubs of England should have barred this liver spotting on the legs is not quite plain, for the new fanciers certainly do not know any more about the breed than those who knew them at that period. We remember buying a Dalmatian some 333 334 The Dog Book twenty-five years ago mainly because she was particularly well spotted on the legs and on the side of the cheeks with a nice liver colour. We may be wrong in our recollection, but we think the Dalmatian up to that time was a somewhat larger and stronger dog than we have seen of late. They were used far more to accompany carriages in London than can be seen now; and going back thirty-five years still more were to be seen, many cropped closely, not like the bull terrier or Great Dane, but as the pug was, the entire ear being cut off. This practice was not entirely discontinued as late as i860, though it was going out of fashion rapidly then. Thirty years before that it was spoken of as being discon- tinued, but we can very well remember seeing many Dalmatians and pugs mutilated in this fashion, and they were by no means so exceptional as to excite comment. At that time a common name for the Dalmatian was Talbot, but we do not find it in any of the books of that period, nor indeed in any book we have except the lately issued "Twentieth-Century Dog," to which Mrs. Bedwell contributes some remarks, and says: "The 'Talbot' is no pumped-up modern breed." The Talbot we know was a hound, one of the tracking kind, and of the white varieties known in England the all white was considered excellent; so were the all black. "But if white hounds are spotted with black, experience tells us they are never the best hare hunters. White, and black and white, and grey streaked white are also the most beautiful." That was what was written several hundred years ago. It is easy to say now that the Dalmatians are not hounds. True, they are not what we know as hounds, but what did they mean to include or exclude when they said hounds in these bygone days. We know what we mean by a mastiff, but who can say what mastiff meant, even in 1700. For instance, in an old sportsman's dictionary the description of "Wolf" begins with "a kind of wild mastiff." At the end of "Bandog" it says, "See Shepherd's mastiff." There is neither mastiff nor shepherd's mastiff in the book, but we know that what we call the smooth collie was then the shepherd's mastiff. So instead of Talbot being quite out of place as a name for the Dalmatian, it is more than likely that it was the lingering survival of what the dog originally was among persons who did not keep up to date in changes of nomenclature, just as one hears some old timer speak of a "rare bull and terrier." THE DALMATIAN From •• Bewick's Quadrupeds." THE DALMATIAN From a painting by Reinagle The Dalmatian 335 That we do not see the Dalmatian figured in old paintings does not imply that he was not an English dog at the time we speak of, for we know that the small beagles were court dogs in Queen Elizabeth's time, but we have not yet seen a picture of any of them, nor any reference to any such picture. Beagles were playthings, we fancy, and not taken seriously; and these particular spotted hounds were probably looked upon in much the same way, as not of the genuine hunting class, and so bred about the place for their fancy markings, and, having no particular vocation, were taken with carriage parties when that manner of conveyance became more common. Coaches were not in anything like common use in Eng- land, even among the wealthy, until well into the seventeenth century. Who first mentioned the Dalmatian we have not yet found out. Buf- fon, possibly, about the middle of the eighteenth century. Up to that time English writers on dogs had little to say about any animal not used in sport, and in that case colour was not an essential, though sportsmen and sporting writers had fancies regarding certain colours. Bewick, at the close of the century, included the Dalmatian, or coach dog, in his "History 'of Quadrupeds," and, as might be expected, gives an excellent illustration, even to the padlocked brass collar which was always the correct thing for the coach dog. The ears are cropped closely, as was the custom, but Bewick wrote: "We do not admire the cruel practice of depriving the poor animal of its ears, in order to increase its beauty; a practice so general that we do not remember ever to have seen one of these dogs unmu- tilated in that way." Bewick's Dalmatian has a small black patch at the ear and a much larger but lighter one around the eye. The Dalmatian of Reinagle in the "Sportsman's Repository" is a more racing-built dog than Bewick's, and was most likely a portrait dog, as the spots run some- what in colour. It has a china eye and is dark around the eyes, and has its ears cropped, as was the custom. Captain's Brown's Dalmatian like all his illustrations, is stiff and wooden, but it has natural ears, and he wrote that the barbarous practice of cropping was then (1829) quickly dying out. The whole ear is black, and there is a mark around the eyes as in the other drawings just named. The description is that he is something between the foxhound and pointer. "His head is more acute than that of the latter, and his ears fully longer; his general colour is white, and his whole body and legs are covered with small, irregular-sized black or reddish-brown spots. The pure breed has tanned cheeks and black 336 The Dog Book ears." As each of these independent delineators of the Dalmatian shows this tanned eye mark, and two of them the black ear — Reinagle shows a dark rim to the outer edge of the ear and a largish splash close behind, so that the ear was undoubtedly black in its entirety — it is simply one of the oddities of "fancy" for present-day exhibitors to say the Dalmatian must not have black ears, and must have no liver or tan if black spotted. Fully half of the show Dalmatians, notwithstanding the efforts of thirty years' breeding to get rid of the black ears, still, have them, and when you do get a dog with spotted ears he is usually lightly spotted over the body. A very good spotted dog in body is seldom near right in ear, and, if we must speak our mind, we see no objection to a black ear. It is as old as the hills with the breed, and why now assert that it is wrong ? We really must say that we have very little patience with some of these modern im- provements, and when we see dogs that would tire at the end of a mile or two, owing to their faulty conformation, getting places over true-made dogs because of a little advantage in spotting, we get very tired of the fads of fancy. The Dalmatian is primarily a dog that should be able to run all day long, and that not over springy pasture land but on hard roads and paved thoroughfares; therefore he should be as nearly perfect in legs, feet, shoulders and running symmetry as possible. Then, when you have got a dog that can run, the spots should count, but not the spotting first. Take that dog of Reinagle's; how many of our present-day winners could he not beat, "one down, t'other come on," following a coach on an all-day run .? Spot- ting is all well enough if we are merely to consider the Dalmatian as a dog about the premises, as we do a mastiff or St. Bernard, but the moment we undertake to judge him as a coach dog then the principal requirement is the conformation that will enable him to run as a coach dog is supposed to do. Really it is a very difficult thing to do justice in a Dalmatian class, or at least to give satisfaction, for if it is a judge who goes for spotting because it is easier than conformation plus spotting, the owner of a well- made dog feels aggrieved, and, vice versa, the man who must have a dog that can run has a disgruntled exhibitor in the owner of the bad-shouldered, nicely marked dog who has won a whole lot of prizes elsewhere. It is really one of those breeds where the judge should practice the art of self- defence and resort to point judging; then if he does not put the dog satis- factorily it is the dog's fault and not his. KING COLE Owned by Mr. F. Fred Willis, Columbus, O. WINDYV ALLEY ROADSTER and BENRINO Owned by the Windy Valley Kennels JEAN Owned by Mrs. Edward Atkins, Germantown, Pa. The Dalmatian 337 The life of the Dalmatian in this country as a show dog has been brief. We have always had the Dalmatian, one may say, but only occasionally was one to be seen about New York, almost invariably about some stable. This was only what might be expected, for, whoever brought them from abroad, it is fair to assume that they were mainly coachmen or grooms, and the dogs went with them to the stables. In the early seventies we remember a Dalmatian kept at a livery stable in Charles Street, New York, and this was the first dog we ever saw running between the horses when out with a carriage and pair. The English style, when the dog was not running in advance, was for it to run underneath the carriage and close behind the horses. Bewick, in one of his quaint little tailpieces, shows a coach drawn by a pair, one horse ridden by a postilion, with the dog running by the roadside. Perhaps the most thoughtless statement regarding the development of the Dalmatian, and repeated up to the latest English dog book, is that he is a production of a cross with the bull terrier, or that the bull terrier has been used to improve the Dalmatian. How a dog that was so thoroughly established in 1800 could be improved by a dog not known at all until 1825 or thereabouts is somewhat beyond our comprehension. By a vivid stretch of the imagination one might hold that the mottling sometimes seen on the skin of the bull terrier was caused by a cross with the Dalmatian, but the bull terrier to help in building up the Dalmatian is ridiculous. To be quite up to date they ought to say it was the Boston terrier, and that with just as much foundation in fact. In looking up the career of the Dalmatian as a show dog in this country it is somewhat surprising to find New York without classes for the breed for many years after they were provided at many other shows. As far as San Francisco and Los Angeles we have records of winning Dalmatians when New York provided nothing for the breed, and it was not until 1896 that the premier show of the country opened classes for Dalmatians. There was not much support, however, until Doctor Lougest added them to his mastiff and bloodhound kennels, and, with a few passably good dogs, had matters his own way for a year or two. Mr. Martin and Mr. Sergeant Price, of Philadelphia, then took up the breed, and just before the first shows of the present year Mr. j. B. Thomas, Jr., of Simsbury, and Mr. H. T. Peters, of Islip, L. I., decided to add Dalmatians to those they were individually connected with — Russian wolf hounds and beagles — and formed a partner- 338 The Dog Book ship known as the Windy Valley Kennels. They started in with the greatest enthusiasm, and getting together as many of the fanciers of Dalmatians as possible, a club was organised to foster the breed. This was followed by application for a good classification at the New York Show, and, Mr. Peters being on the show committee of the Westminster Kennel Club, the response was the opening of five classes, for which a surprisingly good entry resulted : eight in puppies, ten in novice, thirteen in limit, eleven in open dogs and nine in open bitches. The successful dogs were for the most part from England, and were beyond question an improvement on what we had been in the habit of seeing at American shows. The American Dalmatian Club is in good hands, and all that is necessary for its continued success is a continuation of the same spirit of enterprise which has characterised its management during its first year. It has not the easy path to success that so many clubs have had, with a membership ready to hand without the asking, for the admirers and supporters of this breed are by no means numerous and will require to be largely recruited before it is likely to be put on a secure footing, for in all clubs there are always some members who are like the seed that fell on stony ground, and they form a percentage that has to be overcome by hard work on the part of those who can get in new additions. The impetus given the breed by the club is an excellent illustration of what can be accomplished by a specialty club, which goes to work in a sportsmanlike manner. The standard which we give is that of the English Dalmatian Club, but it is not one to our liking, and not at all suitable for the purpose of letting a novice know what is really wanted. To assist in that piece of education, we will say that in our opinion the Dalmatian thould be built very much upon the lines of a good pointer, but with no more substance than gives the idea that the dog is a strongly built one and capable of travelling easily at a moderately fast pace for a distance. The standard says "heavy in bone," as if one wanted a mastiff. You do not say heavy in bone in regard to a pointer, but good in bone, meaning that the dog must not look light in that respect; and so with this dog. The head is rather difficult to describe, but the idea can be best conveyed by saying that it must not be that of a good pointer, but more akin to what might be called weak in head in a pointer, with a little less squareness and lip. The eye should be smarter and the expression brighter than that of the pointer, with the ears higher on the head. The standard calls for spotted ears, but we think we have CHAMPION FAUNTLEROV— Liver Spotted DENBIGH DUKE Owned by Mr. W. B. Herman, Newbury, Eng. BISMARK Owned by Mr. F. Fred Willis, Columbus, O. The Dalmatian 339 proved our case that the ears are more properly black. Of course they should be of a size to suit the dog and not appear large or heavy. The carriage of the tail is best illustrated in the Reinagle dog, that of Bewick being far too much curled and his dog rather too mastiff-like in its substance. With regard to colour, unless called upon to judge under a particular standard, we should not penalise a dog for black ears, nor for tan spots on the legs or cheeks, for these we know to have been proper Dalmatian colourings from the very first of our information regarding the breed up to the time these English clubs were started, and there is no reason why the change should have been made. Number of spots on a dog has nothing to do with the case; what counts is sharpness of outline, the evenness with which they are distributed and their regularity as to size. We have never seen any Dalmatian, to our mind, the equal of the renowned Captain in the matter of distinctness and regularity of spotting. He was unbeatable in his day, and had tan spots on his legs, which were thought most attractive too. Both Stonehenge and Vero Shaw took Captain as illustrating what a Dalmatian should be. What his weight was we do not know, but his measurements were as follows: nose to stop, 3^ inches; stop to occiput, 5 inches; length of back, 21 inches; girth of forearm, 7 inches; girth of knee, 5 inches; girth of pastern, 4^ inches; height at shoulders, 22 inches; height at elbow, 12 inches; height at loins, 20 inches; height at hock, 5I inches; length of tail, 12^ inches. Descriptive Particulars The Dalmatian in many particulars much resembles the pointer, more especially in size, build and outline, though the markings peculiar to this breed are a very important feature and highly valued. General Appearance. — ^The Dalmatian should represent a strong, muscular and active dog, symmetrical in outline and free from coarseness and lumber; capable of great endurance, combined with a fair amount of speed. Head. — Should be of fair length, the skull flat, rather broad between the ears, and moderately well defined at the temples, i. e., exhibiting a moderate amount of stop and not in one straight line from the nose to the occiput bone, as required in a bull terrier. It should be entirely free from wrinkle. 340 The Dog Book Muzzle. — Should be long and powerful; the lips clean, fitting the jaw moderately close. Eyes. — Should be set moderately well apart and of medium size, round, bright and sparkling, with an intelligent expression, their colour greatly depending on the markings of the dog. In the black-spotted variety the eyes should be dark (black or dark brown); in the liver-spotted variety they should be light (yellow or light brown). Rim round the Eyes. — In the black-spotted variety should be black, in the liver-spotted variety, brown — never flesh coloured in either. Ears. — Should be set on rather high, of moderate size, rather wide at the base and gradually tapering to a rounded point. They should be carried close to the head, be thin and fine in texture, and always spotted, the more profusely the better. Nose. — In the black-spotted variety should always be black, in the liver- spotted variety, always brown. Neck and Shoulders. — The neck should be fairly long, nicely arched, light and tapering, and entirely free from throatiness. The shoulders should be moderately oblique, clean and muscular, denoting speed. Body, Back, Chest and Loins. — The chest should not be too wide but very deep and capacious, ribs moderately well sprung, never rounded like barrel hoops (which would indicate want of speed), the back powerful; loin strong, muscular and slightly arched. Legs and Feet. — Are of great importance. The fore legs should be perfectly straight, strong and heavy in bone; elbows close to the body. Fore feet round, compact, with well-arched toes (cat foot), and round, tough, elastic pads. In the hind legs the muscles should be clean though well defined; hocks well let down. Nails. — In the black-spotted variety, black and white. Tail. — Should not be too long, strong at the insertion and gradually tapering toward the end, free from coarseness. It should not be inserted too low down, but carried with a slight curve upward, and never curled. It should be spotted, the more profusely the better. Coat. — Should be short, hard, dense and fine, sleek and glossy in appearance, but neither woolly nor silky. Colour and Markings. — ^These are most important points. The ground colour in both varieties should be pure white, very decided and not intermixed. The colour of the spots in the black-spotted variety should POLKA DOT Owned by Mr. H. Fred Lauer, of Ashland, Pa. QUEtN bPUl Owned by Mr. H. Fred Lauer, of Ashbnd, Pa. The Dalmatian 341 be black, the deeper and richer the black the better; in the liver-spotted variety they should be brown. The spots should not intermingle but be as round and v^ell defined as possible, the more distinct the better; in size they should be from that of a sixpence to a florin [a cent to a little larger than a quarter-dollar]. The spots on head, face, ears, legs, tail and ex- tremities to be smaller than those on the body. Weight. — Dogs, 55 pounds; bitches, 50 pounds. Scale of Points Head and eyes 10 Coat 5 Ears 5 Colour and markings ... 30 Neck and shoulders 10 Tail 5 Body, back, chest and loins . 10 Size, symmetry, etc 10 Legs and feet 15 Total icx) I -^■"'.5 THE CUR DOG By Bewick THE SHEPHERD'S DOG By Bewick THE SHEPHtkD S DuG ^^„u^■; By Howitt TntL BaisuuG By Bewick CHAMPION SQUIRE OF TYTTON A CENTURY OF IMPROVEMENT, 1805-1905 CHAPTER XXII Rough-Coated Collie HEN BufFon stated that the shepherd dog was the original dog from which all others had descended, he was a good deal nearer the truth than in a number of his theoretical assertions, many of which have been proved erroneous. One of the earliest dogs man must have had was that which took care of his property and protected his flocks from wild animals. The mistake all are likely to make in considering this claim of Buffon's is to assume that the particular sheep dog with which each one is most familiar was the one Buffon meant, whereas every nation has its sheep dog, England alone having three, and by England we mean, of course, the British King- dom, BufFon could have known little or nothing about the sheep dogs of England, and much less of that of Scotland, hence neither of the three is a competitor for the right to be considered the most ancient of all breeds of dogs. But no matter what the age of the breed may be, there is no question as to the high rank in popularity enjoyed by the rough or Scotch collie at the present day. If we are to take the records of the American Kennel Club as an in- fallible guide, he is beyond question the dog of the day. Volume XX, of the "Stud Book" showing that 267 pages were required for the record of collies, while 140 pages sufficed for setters, 172 for Boston terriers and 106 for pointers. The whole of the spaniels were put on seventy-two pages, and the one-time leader in popularity, the fox terrier, filled the same number of pages as the spaniels. While not absolutely correct as a guide to the number of setters, so many being bred for use only and never registered, yet there is no throwing out the evidence of the great popularity of the Scotch collie in this country as well as in England. Where the collie came from is and always will be a mystery. He could not have gone north from England without also having gone into Wales or Ireland, and every vestige of the breed could hardly have dis- appeared from England had it once been in use there. They ask us to 343 344 The Dog Book believe that the name is from the old English word "coll," meaning black or dark, and that as the collies were mainly black it just meant the black dog, and then came into use for the sheep dog. The objections to that are many, but here are two: the word collie, or colley, or, still older, coally, came south, and there were plenty of black dogs in England to which the word collie or any of its equivalents was never applied; and secondly, there is a Gaelic or Celtic word for the dog, which is phonetically spelled collie, and with the broad "o" of the Northerner could very well be Bewick's "coally." Lee holds to the opinion that it came from black-faced sheep being called by that name, and thus the dog that looked after the colleys was the colley dog. To accept this we must assume that this name for the variety of sheep was universal, and that is not in evidence. Lee quotes the "Dic- tionary of Husbandry," 1743, which gives the word colley as being "such sheep as have black faces and legs. The wool of these sheep is very harsh with hairs, and not so white as other sheep." It seems somewhat strange that this name for certain sheep should have died out so quickly, for it is found nowhere else that we are aware of, and surely persons who wrote of collies a century ago had pretty good knowledge of what was common fifty years before. Of course if there was not a more evident origin than the Highland word — which is akin to the Irish word for colleen — the black- faced-sheep suggestion would be a little better than any other, but it is not worth considering in the face of the very plain fact that the word is Gaelic or Celtic. It is probable that the word travelled south with more freedom in some directions. Our knowledge of Scotland is of the east side, Edinburgh to Dunbar, and later at school at Jedburgh; good old Jethart, with its relics of the oldest of English in its "yow" and "mie" for you and me, and its historical Jethart justice. We do not recall when we did not know the dog as the collie, pronounced as Bewick spelled it. Undoubtedly we heard it called shepherd's dog, and probably collie dog, but as long as we have known the dog we seem to have known him as the collie, and that of course from what our elders called the variety. At the same time we have no recollection of the name as applied to sheep of any kind. From the first drawings of the rough collie, which are those of Bewick and Howitt, we find him practically the same dog that he is to-day, and ^ totally different from any other dog in the British Isles, hence he is a good CH. CHAKLKMAGNE NESTA CHAMPION COCKSIE This remnrkable illustration is from a photograph from life Rough-Coated Collie , 345 deal of an enigma. It is all very well to point to the similarity of the smooth sheep dog and the rough collies of the present, and decide off-hand that it is only a question of coat. With that we do not agree at all. As we shall show when it comes to discussing the smooth dog, the latter was developed from the common English dog of the farm, the small mastiff that went by the name of bandog because he was the dog that was kept on a band or collar and chain — a watch dog, in fact. Why we hold that need not be gone into here, for it is the rough collie that is now in the ring. No other dog exactly resembles the rough dog, the product of the Highlands; still he must have come from somewhere, for he was not a locally developed animal confined to one or two glens, but was as wide- spread as the flocks he had to guard, and of commanding blood when bred to outside breeds. We might surmise that he was akin to some of the dogs of northern Europe, but there are only the Pomeranian, the elk hound of Norway, and the Eskimo that bear even the faintest resemblance. All of these have some likeness, but the collie has always been different in ear and tail carriage. There is much less difference between the rough collie and the dingo than anything else of dog-like resemblance, but relationship between them is of course out of the question. There is one thing with regard to the Highland collie that we might better mention here, and that is as to the coat. In looking through some Landseer portfolios and repro- ductions we were not a little surprised to note the number of collies with decidedly medium-length coats, very closely approaching to that of the smooth sheep dog. Landseer undoubtedly copied every dog most faith- fully in his drawings; that is, he made likenesses and did not make them all "Landseer collies" of equal beauty and differing only in colour. If he painted a short-coated collie that dog was so in the flesh. Hence, seeing several of these dogs, it led us to question whether the generally accepted supposition that the collies from the Highlands were all heavily coated is correct. We must recognise the fact that these were working dogs, not bred for coat but for work, and the best worker was used for breeding, not only by his owner but by his friends, and they probably varied in coat as in other properties, and, of course, were not always in their full winter coat. There is one characteristic we find in all the old-time drawings of collies that must then have been part and parcel of the breed, but is now seldom seen. It has been bred out, as a disfigurement or as a fault of conformation. That is the twist at the end of the tail, which every artist 34^ The Dog Book gave to the collie. We find it in Bewick's "Shepherd's Dog;" in Howitt's beautiful etching in Bingley's Quadrupeds, which was entitled "The Shepherd's Dog," with the sub title of "Curr"; in "Brown's Anecdotes,'* published in 1829; and in an illustration of the collies, both rough and smooth, of 1843, given in "The Twentieth Century Dog." All show the same upward curl and twist to one side of the end of the tail. Nowadays it is described as a wry tail, and is as much condemned as if it was the twisted tail of some cockerel at a poultry show. We have seen it in a good many dogs, and, all standards to the contrary, we like it and look upon it as thor- oughly characteristic. Quite a number of writers on the collie have quoted from Caius's description of the "shepherd's dogge" in treating of the rough collie, but he did not write of that dog at all, but the light mastiff or bandog, which was used as a sheep dog. If we recognise that mastiff meant simply mongrel or common dog, and that it included pretty nearly everything outside of hounds, spaniels and terriers, and not a specified breed such as we know mastiffs, we will the more readily understand what produced the English sheep dog, and that, as we have already said, he is not a collie proper, though now known in England as the smooth collie. As Caius wrote only of the smooth dog, he will be quoted in the chapter on that breed. We have already mentioned that it was probable the term collie was confined to parts' of Scotland, and that it found headway down the east coast as far as Northumberland, where Bewick gives it as applied to both rough and smooth, and also gives the first representation of the rough dog as early as 1790. This was along the main highway from Edinburgh to England. That it was by no means universal even as late as 1825 "^^7 be proved by reference to Captain Brown's "Anecdotes," 1829, ^^ which there are fifty pages of quoted stories about these dogs. We have gone through these anecdotes and found that in the first twenty pages the collie is either shepherd dog or merely dog. The first use of "colley" is in a quotation from Blackwood' s Magazine^ from a communication by Hogg, "The Ettrick Shepherd." As it is a very good illustration of the several names applied to the rough dog at that time in his section of South Scotland, we will quote two full paragraphs: " It is a curious fact in the history of these animals that the most useless of the breed have often the greatest degree of sagacity in trifling and useless matters. An exceedingly good sheep dog attends to nothing else but that CH. ORMSKIRK AMAZEMENT CH. RUlFoRD ORMONDE CH. CHRISTOPHER CH, SOUTHPORT PERFECTION CH. METCHLEY WONDER CH. ORMSKIRK EMERALD "PILLARS OF THE STUD BOOK" Rough-Coated Collie 347 particular branch of business to which he is bred. His whole capacity is exerted and exhausted on it, and he is of little value in miscellaneous matters, whereas a very different cur, bred about the house and accustomed to assist in everything, will often put the noble breed to disgrace in these paltry services. If one calls out, for instance, that the cows are in the corn or the hens in the garden, the house colley needs no other hint, but runs and turns them out. "The shepherd's dog knows not what is astir, and if he is called out in a hurry for such work, all that he will do is to break to the hill and rear himself up on end to see if no sheep are running away. A bred sheep dog, if coming hungry from the hills and getting into the milk house, would most likely think of nothing else than filling his belly with cream. Not so his initiated brother; he is bred at home to far higher principles of honour. I have known such to lie night and day among from ten to twenty pails full of milk and never once break the cream of one of them with the tip of his tongue, nor would he suffer rat, cat or any other creature to touch it. The latter sort are far more acute at taking up what is said in a family." Hogg then went on to tell of some incidents, and in the first two the animal is mentioned merely by the sex name; the third is of a "dog" until the final sentence, which is this: "I appeal to every unprejudiced person if this was not as like one of the deil's tricks as an honest colley's." The fourth "dog" is described ?s "a female, a jet-black one, with a coat of soft hair, but smooth headed and very handsome in her make." The fifth is about a "dog," though with an editorial heading of "The Ashie- steel Collie." Six named contributors are then credited with anecdotes, and in three the word colley is given. In the matter of the colour of these dogs, Hogg had two that were "not far from the colour of a fox"; these were father and son, and the grand- sire was "almost all black, and had a grim face, striped with dark brown." Black is the only other colour mentioned, and that in only a few instances. One of his red dogs Hogg calls a colley, and as he was a sheep farmer in a very large way — one anecdote relating to the straying of seven hundred lambs, and another to the purchase of a lot of wild black-faced sheep — it is worth noting that he gives no evidence in any way that the word had the slightest connection with, or that there was any such name as, colley for sheep. The introduction of the rough collie into England, outside of those owned ^^«i»sA»Xt«., 348 The Dog Book by farmers in the Border counties, followed the development of railroad traffic; and, as much of the northern trade made Birmingham a centre for sale purposes, it early became the best-known district for dogs from the north country as far as the Highlands. London was a market for sheep for slaughter, Birmingham more of a farmers' market, and dogs brought down by the shepherds found a sale among the shepherds and farmers of the midland counties. We can say that the collie was practically unknown in London as late as i860. The sheep dogs seen there were mostly the tucked-up-loin smooths with no tails, as shown by Bewick, with an occasional wretched, mud-and-rain-soaked, bob-tailed sheep dog, and still more infrequently a rough collie, usually undersized and a sorry looking object. These all went under the name of drover's dogs, being used for either sheep or cattle. The first volume of the English stud book fully bears out our own early knowledge of the conditions prevailing up to 1868. In this book there are seventy-eight "sheep dogs and Scotch collies" registered up to 1874, and but two of these were owned as far south as London. The majority were the property of owners living in Lancashire, Warwickshire, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. Fifteen of them had pedigrees, only three extending beyond sire and dam. Mr. H. Lacy, one of the best known and most respected of the past generation of Manchester dog fanciers, and father of the equally well-known and respected Mr. H. W. Lacy, of Boston, was then the leading exhibitor of collies, and his Champion Mec was one of the most typical collies of his time. He was a black and tan, as were most of the dogs of that day. One of his rivals was the dog Cockie, a red- coated one; and Mr. Charles H. Wheeler, the "father of the Birmingham fancy," is our authority for saying that Cockie was the dog from which we got the sable in the show dogs. Mr. Wheeler most kindly consented, when asked a year ago to con- tribute from his store of knowledge of the old-time dogs, and on being reminded more recently of his promise, replied that he was writing exactly what we had asked for the Illustrated Kennel News, and the one contribution should do for both. To Mr. Wheeler we are also indebted for most of the photographs of olden-time collies, including that remarkable one of Cocksie, another dog from Cockie, which in the printed description of dog and owner is specifically stated to be a photograph of the dog himself. It has never been hitherto published, neither has that of Nesta, which we owned. Rough-Coated Collie 349 as we also did her sicter, Floss, who died within a few days of her arrival in New York, when heavy in whelp to Mr. Boddington's Rob Roy Mc- Gregor. The article on old-time collies is as follows: Mr. Wheeler on the History of the Collie "That the strains of the majority of the early progenitors of our collies, whose pedigrees are in obscurity, emanated from Scotland, and that their blood is traceable to the pure working sheep dog, there is no reason to doubt. When the breed became fashionable as household pets, and classes were provided for them in dog shows, undoubtedly many of the most handsome specimens were obtained from the north region, and so supplied the material that founded the Warwickshire strain, which, in a great measure, forms the basis of the pedigrees of all collies that have any pretensions to prize-winning qualifications. "About the year i860 classes were first provided for sheep dogs at the Birmingham Show, and at the show 'in 1863 the entries numbered six only. However, the entries steadily increased until they reached as many as forty-five at the show held in Birmingham in 1874, and it was about this era that breeding for show points started in earnest, more especially as applied to Birmingham and the surrounding district, the principal breeders being Mr. M. C. Ashwin, Mr. J. Bissell, Mr. W. A. Walker, Mr. D. Tomlin- son, Messrs. W. H. and J. Charles, and the writer. "At this period collies were to be seen of almost every imaginable colour — buff, red, mottle of various shades, not many sables; but the commonest of all colours were black, tan and white, black and white (without tan), and what are now called blue merle but were then known as tortoise- shell. "Of the names of the old progenitors, the first to claim attention is Old Cockie, a grand dog, who in his day had no compeer, although occasion- ally in the show ring he had to give way to his inferiors. Besides being a handsome show dog, he had the reputation of being a capital worker with sheep. "Old Cockie was born in the year 1867, and was the winner of upward of forty prizes, including firsts and cups at Birmingham and Nottmgham two years In succession, the Border Counties* Champion Cup at Carlisle, 350 The Dog Book and the Mayor of Maidstone's Cup at the Southern Counties' Show. On August 19, 1875, he was sold by auction at the Midland Counties' Reposi- tory, Birmingham, the hammer falling to the bid of Mr. D. Tomlinson, who in a short time afterward sold him to Mr. J. Bissell, the age of the dog being then nine years or thereabouts, and the first litter begot by him for this owner marked the commencement of the show success of the Great Barr Kennels. "Old Cockie was a medium-sized dog, as compared with some of the giants of the present day, very compactly built, and sound in legs and feet. His head was consistent in length, and certainly true collie in type, ears semi-erect, coat on body not extra long but very dense, being well supplied with a wet-resisting undercoat, and the habit of his coat was such that it formed a distinct mane on the neck and a cape on the shoulders. In colour he was rich sable, with white markings, and it is an absolute fact that, at the present time, every collie of the sable colour dates back to Old Cockie as the introducer of the colour. "Carlyle, who was bred from an old Scotch strain of working collies, came from Denbigh, in North Wales, and was first exhibited by Mr. Skid- more by the name of Garryowen. He was very good in type of head, placement of eye, and collie character; was likewise good in coat and ears. In colour he was black-and-tan, but, being heavily marked with tan similar to a bloodhound, was often called sable colour. His greatest sin, however, was an overshot mouth. "Mr. W. W. Thomson introduced Marcus, a black-and-white dog (without tan), bred in Scotland. A nice-headed dog this, with good ears and the right sort of coat. Old Mec and Old Hero, both black-tan-and- white, were good-coated dogs. The former had the better-shaped head of the two, but, being very dark in eye, just lacked the pleasing collie expression, whilst the latter's head was wanting in character, being too square in muzzle. "Mr. S. E. Shirley brought out several black-tan-and-whites, which were bred on his estate in Ireland, and they met with success on the show bench. These were Tricolour, Trefoil, Hornpipe, Hualakin and Tartan, and, although they were long-coated animals, there was a distinct taint of the setter about them, more especially the latter, who favoured the setter type more than that of the collie. Nevertheless, the crossing of this strain with those of Old Cockie and Old Mec proved successful, as evidenced by the production of the illustrious Charlemagne. VERONA SELECTION OLD HALL ADMIRAL HEATHER MINT SOME AMERICAN WINNERS-ALL IMPORTED EXCEPTING ROSLYN WILKES Rough-Coated Collie 351 "Tramp, bred in Ireland, was a good-coated dog of a red colour, a bit sour in expression and weak in front pins; he was shown at the Alexandra Palace Show in 1879 by Mr. Richardson Carr. "At the Bristol Show held in October, 1879, the Rev. Hans F. Hamilton put in competition a strong team, which consisted of Angus, Captain, Jock, Tricolour H., Eva, Ruby HI., and a litter from the latter by Marcus, which contained Donald, Zulu Princess and Madge I. " Lufra, who was bred from a celebrated working strain indigenous to the district of Blair Athol, mated with an unshown son of Old Cockie, produced Duncan, a dappled sable in colour, and the remainder of the litter were blue merles. Old Bess, black-tan-and-white, was true collie in type, very intel- ligent, and a clever worker with sheep. From the union of her with Duncan the issue was Lorna Doon, Nesta, Floss, Varna, Bonnie Laddie, Druce, and Malcolm I., and thus the Duncan-Bess quality strain was founded. "The starting-point of Mr. Bissell's show success was a litter by Old Cockie ex Mr. Ashwin's Lassie, which produced Clydesdale and Cocksie, both winners of many prizes. Meg, by Old Mec, ex Clyde, visited Old Cockie, from which union came Maude, a short-legged sable bitch, rather short in head, yet nice in expression. This bitch was bred to Tartan, and produced Lorna, who was put to her grandsire. Old Cockie, and produced Wolf. The next litter from Maude was by Trefoil, and contained six, which were remarkable for their dissimilitude one to the other. The star of the litter was Charlemagne, a beautifully shaded sable with showy white markings, whose immense coat helped to give him a very attractive appear- ance, but he was built on cloddy lines. He, however, had a decent head, and although his ears were not absolutely pricked there was only a slight suggestion of a bend at the extreme tips. Trevor, another sable-and-white, was a dog of distinctly different type and conformation; head a fair length, but deep in muzzle and lippy; ears big, and carried low, was well furnished with coat, and built on racing lines; his very gay tail carriage, however, was an abomination. Topper, another dog with heavy ears, in colour black with rich tan markings, had a long coat, but in head and general appearance too much of the setter type. Bell, a black-tan-and-white bitch with one prick ear, had a good coat and not a bad type of head. Effie and Flirt, two red sable bitches, whose superiority lay in their typical heads, were cloddy in build. They, however, had good coats, and both gained distinctions in the show ring. 352 The Dog Book "Following Charlemagne, the next sensational dog to be produced was Rutland, a black-and-tan, bred by the Rev. Hans F. Hamilton. He had a very good coat, but was a bit on the small side, and his head was not long, but nice in shape and correct in expression, and his ears were small and carried in perfect manner. "Being by Wolf ex Madge I., Rutland was a combination of the blood of Old Mec, Trefoil, Old Cockie and Marcus. "The next important dog to make history was Metchley Wonder, a nicely marked sable-and-white. Just a nice-sized dog, not too big nor yet a little one, excelling in body, legs and feet, he possessed a beautiful coat and frill, and a typical head, set off with good ears. He was born in March, 1886, and was without doubt the best all-round show collie produced up to the date of his initiation to the show ring. In analysing his pedigree, it will suffice to say of his sire, Sefton, that he was by Charle- magne, out of Madge I., whilst on his dam's side, at the starting point, is Lassie, by Bailey's Jack, the latter a winner of second prize at Birmingham Show in 1872. Lassie was a very nice blue merle, and a real good worker with sheep. She, mated with Druce, produced Bonnie Greta, who, mated with Bonnie Laddie, produced Catrine, sable-and-white (the remainder of the litter blue merles), who was mated with Loafer, and Minnie was the result. Bonnie Laddie and Druce, being both by Duncan ex Bess, and Loafer's granddam being Hasty, by Carlyle ex Glen, fresh blood enters into the combination at this point, with specimens of the blue merle colour in the families of Duncan and Lassie. "Metchley Wonder's son, Christopher, was the next sire of notoriety, but it cannot be said that a change of blood was added till the phenomenal sire Edgbaston Marvel made his effort. He was by Christopher ex Sweet Marie, the latter conveying the blood of Tramp, through Smuggler, likewise the blood of Old Hero, whilst Yarrow and Comet appear in the pedigree of Edgbaston Marvel's son, Southport Perfection. At the starting point of the pedigree of Mr. Agnew's strain is to be found Scot, who belonged to Mr. Wright, of Birmingham. Scot was never shown, albeit a truly characteristic medium-sized collie, with a profuse coat and a most typical head, and he was a good a worker with sheep as he was handsome. Being the sire of Quicksilver, he was, of course, grandsire of Molly Swan. Besides the aforementioned, Mr. Arkwright's blue merle strain, as well as a host of bitches of unknown pedigrees, mostly obtained from shepherds, enter CHAMPION MAKCI S r.LUE PRIN'CKSS ALKK CH, ANFIELD MODEL CH. WELLESBOURNE CHARLIE PORTINGTON BAR NONE DONOVAN II. A STUDY IN HEADS, FROM MARCUS TO MODEL Rough-Coated Collie 353 into the composition, so, after all that may be said about collies being in- bred, it is a question whether or not they suffer as much from the probable effects of in-breeding as show specimens of other breeds. "Now, with regard to the special features of the different strains, undoubtedly in head and expression claims of superiority were due to Old Cockie, Duncan, Bess, and Madge L, whilst for coat the strains of Charle- magne and Smuggler were conspicuous. "Comparing the exhibition collies of to-day with those of twenty-five years ago, a distinct improvement is manifest, and a smaller percentage of worthless mongrels appear on the show bench. "The great improvement so apparent in legs and feet is really remark- able, as years ago weak ankles and cowhocks were common faults, whereas to-day they are rarely in evidence, and to Metchley Wonder is no doubt due the advancement in that direction. "Taking the general average of specimens, there is a noticeable im- provement in coat, but still there is a tendency to the lack of those dis- tinguishing features — mane, frill and cape — which embellished some of the old favourites, and which affords an admirable background to set off the head and ears of a collie. But how many exhibits are to be seen nowadays with the hair plucked from round the base of the ears, evidently done with the idea of helping the animal's appearance, instead of which the opposite effect is produced, and the ears have an unnatural appearance, suggestive of a dog recovering from skin disease. "The greatest disparity observable is in type of head, and, to a great extent, no doubt the responsibility is traceable to Charlemagne; for although his own head was tolerable in shape, other members of his family were very faulty in head properties. Charlemagne's stock was very unreliable in type and colour, some coming with short heads and big eyes, and others dished-faced and Hppy, most erratic as regards ears, and in colour many white with dark markings on face and ears, and some liver and white, similar to some varieties of spaniels. "Years ago, many collies had objectionable light eyes, and their introduction came through Carlyle with specimens of the mouse colour, but such have been bred out, and now it is seldom one sees a collie with eyes approaching lemon colour. The colour of eye that most suits the expression of a collie is a deep shade of hazel, a very dark eye better suiting the expression of a terrier. 354 The Dog Book "Texture of coat is often mentioned, and may be misunderstood by novices. Therefore it should be worthy of note that where the undercoat is plentiful the outercoat is prevented from feeling harsh to the touch. "Then there is the question of size, and the reason why the craze for extra big dogs should exist can only be attributed to the fact that the inestim- able value of the work this breed of dog should be capable of performing on the hills is being lost sight of. Collies are not naturally such big, heavy dogs as one sometimes reads about, or they would be too cumbersome to encounter rough mountain work. "There is not the slightest reason why collies should not be judged on the exact lines that serve to suit them for the work they have to fulfil, because general appearance need not be sacrificed thereby. Therefore in giving due consideration to the important working qualities of this, the most useful of all breeds of dogs, an additional advantage should not be given to exaggeration in size (other points equal) over a competitor whose size fits him for the work of a sheep dog. "It is often said that a good big one can beat a good little one, but it does not apply in the case of a sheep dog's work on the mountain. As for instance, with the sheep trial dog, Ormskirk Charlie, by Christopher, no dog could display a better exhibition of work when on the lowland, but he very often had to give way to smaller dogs when the run out was up a mountain, his extra size and weight proving a disadvantage. "The weights given below of some of the dogs that took part in laying the foundation of our present strain of collies will serve to convey an idea of the natural size of a sheep dog, but it is necessary to point out that the animals of the lighter weights were in working condition: Lufra, 30 pounds; Old Bess, 28 pounds; Lorna Doon, 28 pounds; Nesta, 28 pounds; Bonnie Laddie, 44 pounds; Druce, 44 pounds; Malcom I., 49 pounds, and Loafer, 49 pounds. "The prevailing characteristic that most strongly denotes the breed of any dog is the head and expression, and in the typical collie these features are most pronounced, the formation of head and placement of eye rendering an expression peculiar to the race which is not easy to describe. Upward of twenty years ago, Mr. J. A. Doyle described the true expression of a collie as being a mixture of "kindliness and craft," which seems as near correct as possible. Of late years there has been too much discussion in favour of abnormal length of head, which seemed likely to have the per- O O Q >« < Q I H Ui w Cm ;?; Rough-Coated Collie 355 nicious effect of forcing some foreign concoction to displace the true char- acteristic colHe, but quite recently has been most gratifying to observe that some of our oldest and most experienced judges have awakened to the fact, and their adjudications have pointed conclusively to their tenaciously keeping to the correct type, to the exclusion of the long, untypical-headed brigade. "Some difference of opinion exists as to the capabilities of our show breed of collies for the work of a sheep dog, but doubt need not intrude on this point, for it is a safe affirmation that hundreds of them are engaged in that occupation all over the country, and many of them very clever per- formers. One in particular, by Edgbaston Royal ex a Tottington Pilot bitch, is a winner on the show bench and a wonderfully good worker." We can fully support what Mr. Wheeler says as to the working capa- bilities of show collies. When we were breeding from the Nesta strain at Philadelphia, Charley Raftery, a well-known stockyards drover, always had one or more of our dogs at work, and these included our best prize winners. More recently we let Mr. W. S. McClintock, of Galva, 111., have Cavehill Cardinal, a son of Parkhill Pinnacle, which was a winner at the Collie Club and New York shows of two years ago. When we wanted him East six months later, the manager at Mr. McClintock's farm told him the dog did two men's work on the place and positively refused to let him go, so Mr. McClintock bought him. Then we sent him an old Parkhill Squire bitch that did not know anything about sheep, and Cardinal taught her in a few weeks nearly all he knew. Finally we left Lady Pink with Mr. McClintock when we took her to the Chicago Show, and it is only a few days ago that we got a letter from Galva in which Pink is mentioned as being in good health and proving herself a first-class stock dog. Although collies were shown at the Centennial Show and at those held in New York, Boston and elsewhere prior to 1880, they were a very ordinary lot of dogs, and with strange descriptions as to ancestry, when they had any at all. One shown at New York in 1878 laid claim to the proud distinction of having been "imported from Arabia," and another was stated to have come from Queen Victoria's kennels, Balmoral. They had very little pedigree, but some made up for that by considerable weight, for weights were given on the entry forms in those days. One dog named Rover was given as ninety-five pounds and thirty-eight months of age. Another was seventy-four pounds, and from that they ran down to forty 356 The Dog Book pounds. Twelve of the nineteen entered at New York in 1878 were black- and-tan, four were tricolours, one black and white and one described as brown and white. Mr. Jenkins Van Schaick, who was the Collie Club's only president up to the time of his death, was an exhibitor, as were Doctor Downey and Mr. Lindsay, names well known in later years. Mr. Allen S. Apgar, who joined the list of exhibitors in 1879, was the first to take a decided lead, and he imported quite a number of dogs that were very successful; indeed it is to Mr. Apgar we owe the first impetus given to collie importing and showing in this country. It was owing to his winning in 1879 that Mr. Lindsay decided to import a dog for New York in 1880, and as we were returning to this country in the spring of 1880 Doctor James, a noted collie man of Kirkby-Lonsdale, upon hearing of this, asked us to take out a collie. This proved to be Mr. Lindsay's purchase, which he named Rex. We received the dog at Liverpool, and even now we recall our surprise that any person should take the trouble of importing such an insignificant-looking dog. He was a black and tan like his sire, Carlyle, and was anything but an impressive dog, and none too good in ears or tail carriage. The description we are now giving is our impression at the time, after having been pretty well conversant with the run of dogs at the English shows, and for the purpose of giving some idea as to the strength of the classes here. Rex won at the New York Show a few weeks after his arrival, and was very much the best dog in the show, so that Mr. Lindsay's investment of five pounds turned out a very profitable one. Mr. Apgar had also imported a few dogs for the show, and so had Doctor Downey, but Rex beat them fairly, and he seemed to improve after that, for he was able to do quite a little winning for several years. Sable dogs began to be imported, and they were variously described, some as tortoise-shell, and one a lemon and white, according to the cata- logues. Among the first was Lass o' Gowrie, owned by Doctor Downey, who was much the best of her sex at that time. Her kennel mate, Tweed H., a big, coarse dog, defeated Rex at New York in 1881, but Mr. Lindsay still had the best dog of the show in his newly imported Ayreshire Laddie, a grandson of Lacy's Old Mec. This was a larger dog than Rex and more of a collie. Mr. Apgar had also got a new one in Nelson, but he was not so good as Ayreshire Laddie, and Mr. Apgar tried again and got Marcus, a big winner in England. We have seen it stated that Mr. W. W. Thompson, who showed Marcus in England, is still, or was up to a few years ago, of Rough-Coated Collie 357 the opinion that Marcus was the best collie he ever saw. We do not believe he ever said any such thing, for Marcus was nothing so very wonderful. We judged him at Pittsburg in 1882 and gave him first, but he had nothing to beat, and at New York he had no opposition in the champion class. There was a good sable at this show, the best collie in the country up to that time — Mr. Van Schaick's Guido. He was a little timid about throwing his ears forward, but he would do so now and again. Guido was the first dog in this country that showed quality. Mr. John W. Burgess, who was for a year or two very prominent at New York shows, bought Guido a year later for the very moderate sum of ;^ 150, after he had defeated Marcus at the Washington Show of 1883. Guido sired very few puppies, but Marcus left quite a number, and almost every one of them was lop eared. You could pick out the Marcus puppies as soon as you saw those ears. There was one good one, however, and that was Zulu Princess, a bitch bred in England by the Rev. Hans F. Hamilton out of that grand bitch Ruby HI., to whom she undoubtedly owed her good looks, as she was the only good one by Marcus ever in this country. Mr. Thomas H. Terry owned her, and he had also bought the best of Mr. Apgar's and Doctor Downey's kennels, to which he also added Robin Adair and a beautiful-headed sister to the great Charlemagne, named Effie. We judged at New York when Effie was first shown, but she was shown outrageously fat, otherwise she could not have been beaten. Robin Adair won many prizes, but he was far from being a good dog, and after he had been shown at Washington he cast his coat and never got a top coat again. He should not have beaten Guido or Rex as he did that year at New York. He was largely bred to, but got nothing of any merit, and to most of them he gave his yellow eye. Mr. Van Schaick, through his son-in-law, Mr. Dockrill, of London, continued to get well-bred dogs from time to time, but not quite good enough to win. They were therefore neglected by breeders, though such dogs as Darnley, a dog close up to the prepotent Duncan-Bess cross, and Sable by Charle- magne out of Minx, ought to have produced far better collies than Robin Adair, Rex or the pedigreeless Marcus. It is easier, however, to look back and say what might and should have been done than it was to decide at the time. It was at this period that Charlemagne's great son, Eclipse, was having such a successful career in England and siring so many good puppies, and of course our importers followed along the winnmg Ime. The first to arrive 358 The Dog Book was the bitch Meta, in whelp to Eclipse, and she was followed by Nesta, in a similar condition. From Meta came Ben Nevis, bought as a puppy by Mr. Shotwell, and Lady of the Lake. Ben Nevis was a large, sable dog, rather smutty in colour, and in that respect Lady of the Lake was much better. Nesta came to our kennels, and in this litter there was one beautiful bitch, Clipsetta, for which we refused the high offer, for those days, of ;^200, only to have her killed when a year old by two bob-tails who, starting a fight between themselves, turned on Clipsetta and never left her till she was lifeless. Thinking to show our confidence in the man at whose kennels this happened, we sent him Nesta, and one of the bob-tails broke out of her own kennel of inch boards, got into Nesta's, and killed her. The bob-tails cost ^25 for the two. A sister to Clipsetta, named Mavis, was the dam of a very fine young dog named Glenlivat, which also met with misfortune, being run over by a train, so that bad luck did not run singly in our effort to perpetuate this line of collies. There were two Eclipse-Nesta litters, as she was sent back to England after her first litter and bred to Eclipse again and from the second litter came the champions CHpper and Glengarry. Mr. Van Schaick also got a son of Eclipse and old Flurry, named Strephon, and to this dog Mavis threw Glenlivat, which Mr. Mason criticised as "undoubtedly one of the grandest young dogs we have seen." All of these that were by Eclipse or his descendants were sable-and- white dogs, and they completely settled the pretensions of all the black and tans. At the Newark, N. J., show of 1886 the Meta and Nesta litters accounted for most of the prizes, and they did well at New York also, where the Hempstead farm dogs won many prizes; it being this kennel's last big winning, for Mr. Harrison then took up the breed and swept all before him. At this time we had a few of the get of Rutland, who was Eclipse's great rival in England, but this strain did not last with us. They were very heavily coated dogs, but spongy, and in place of repelling the rain they became water soaked, the coat separating along the back as in a Yorkshire terrier. There was also a lack of size in many of them, and Rutland himself was not a large dog, though our opportunity for seeing him was too brief and unsatisfactory as to surroundings to warrant any definite description beyond saying that he was fine in head and gave that property to some of his puppies shown in this country, but they did not compare favourably with the Eclipse collies; and it PARK HIT, I, PERFECTION KING EDWARD VII. RIPPOWAM BO PEEP F,AI, MORAL DUCHESS WINNETKA BALLYARNETT ECLIPSE HEACHAM GALOPIN AN INTERNATIONAL PAGE— ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, CANADA, UNITED STATES Rough-Coated Collie 359 is singular to say, but nevertheless a fact, that, notwithstanding the ex- ceedingly large number of puppies by these two dogs, that were not only bred but were exhibited and won many prizes, they produced no dog to carry on the family in the male line. We will refer to this subject later, and now return to the record of the collie in America, which we had carried up to the appearance of Mr. Mitchell Harrison as a competitor in 1886. Mr. Harrison originated the Chestnut Hill Kennel, which was sub- sequently transferred to Mr. Jarrett, who still uses the building, which was the first erected in this country with any pretensions to being any more than a place for dogs to sleep in. After dabbling in a few purchases of some rather common American-bred stock, Mr. Harrison purchased, when in England in the winter of 1885-6, a dog called Nullamore, a brother to Dublin Scot, and a few bitches. The dog was sent to the New York Show, but not exhibited, and as this purchase was not satisfactory he then got Dublin Scot and that good bitch Flurry H., and expected to sweep the decks, only to find, just before the important show at Newark, N. J., in 1887, that Mr. Van Schaick had imported two sons of the Chestnut Hill importations, which were named Scotilla and Scotson, and the latter could beat Dublin Scot. To win it was necessary to buy them, and the two new dogs changed owners before the show opened. It was a very strong class of collies at that show. Scot was not shown in the class competitions, and in open dogs Scotilla won from his brother; we came third with Clipper, of the second Eclipse-Nesta litter; Nullamore was fourth; Glenlivat, reserve; and Glengarry, reserve. The latter had won the special for the best in the show at New York the previous year, and was a litter brother to Clipper. The reason Glenlivat got so low down was owing to an accident two days before the show opened, the dog being run over and badly cut below one of his hocks. At the show we were kept so busy fighting off accusations of fraudulent pedigree, and attending meetings, that we had no opportunity to massage the dog's leg, and on being ordered into the ring he walked lame. There were two judges, and they began with a consultation as to what to do with the lame dog, finally deciding to give him the reserve card and let him go back to his bench, the judging then proceeding without him. It was a costly accident to us, for he was in the sweepstakes, the first prize of which amounted to $250, and we had to be content with ^50, even although by the time that prize was judged the dog showed not the slightest lameness. 360 The Dog Book He was certainly a wonderful puppy, and as a collie was far ahead of any dog at the show. This we say with the full knowledge that Scotilla won many prizes, but we never considered him a good, true-type collie. Dublin Scot was a large, strong dog, also deficient in character and lacking in the attractiveness seen in Scotilla, who was undoubtedly a very taking dog, but he was not collie in expression, was light in bone and not right behind. To show our opinion on Scotilla's rank as a collie, we will repeat a story we have previously put in print. On one occasion, being asked to attend to a service by Dublin Scot, or failing that to make our own selection of a dog at the kennels, we went up from Germantown to Chestnut Hill, and, there being a failure to get Scot, we had to choose. Mr. Jarrett said that he supposed we would take Scotilla, but we asked to have Charleroi H. brought out as well, and we selected the latter. To prove that our opinion was not out of the way at all we can add that when Mr. Harrison purchased Christopher in England he sent Dublin Scot and Charleroi over to Mr. Stretch, that being part of the deal. Mr. Stretch at once got rid of Scot and kept Charleroi, eventually selling him to Mr. J. A. Long, of St. Louis. His fault was slovenly ear carriage, but outside of that he was a good collie and the best in the Chestnut Hill Kennels till Christopher was imported. It has been customary to accord to Charlemagne every honour that can be given a dog for individuality and for power to improve his breed, but it is to Christopher that collies owe their great improvement when one resorts to pedigrees as proof. Professor Bohannan two years ago made a most thorough investigation into the subject of collie breeding, and the results he arrived at were that with the exception of the dogs of twenty-five years ago, which figured in his tables of great sires, these great sires were the produce of dogs averaging two years and two months of age, and that a very large number were from sires under eighteen months of age. To more thoroughly understand the dge table, that of the ancestral tree of the leading collie strains must be studied, and it is even more remarkable in what it sets forth than the age table. This table was made two years ago, and the only alteration that Professor Bohannan would be likely to make would be the lopping off of the Donovan H. line coming through Balgreggie Hope, and we doubt if he could name any standard successor of Ellwyn Astrologer, so that if these two were eliminated we would be reduced to the lines tracing to Christopher. Rough-Coated Collie 361 These tables are as follows: The Great Collie Sires and the Ages of Sires when these Sons were Gotten AGE YRS. MOS. SIRE SON 5 8 Trefoil General Trefoil 5 7 Trefoil Charlemagne 5 7 Charlemagne Sefton 5 3 General Trefoil Sir James 3 II Sefton Hero Guy Mannering 3 g Wellesbourne Conqueror Parbold Piccolo 3 8 Metchley Wonder Donovan II 3 4 Sir James Gladdie 3 3 Edgbaston Marvel Southport Perfection 3 2 Heather Ralph " Ormskirk Emerald 2 10 Christopher Ormskirk Chriss 2 6 Stracathro Ralph Heather Ralph 2 6 Guy Mannering Ellwyn Astrologer 2 3 Old Hall Blucher Balgreggie Hope 2 3 Gladdie ' Sefton Hero 2 2 Finsbury Pilot Rightaway 2 o Rufford Ormonde Finsbury Pilot 2 o Rightaway Woodmansterne Tartan 2 o Bay Regent Old Hall Blucher 2 Southport Perfection Wellesbourne Councillor I II Donovan II Bay Regent I 5 Ormskirk Emerald Ormskirk Galopin I 3 Sefton Metchley Wonder I 3 Heacham Galopin Wishaw Clinker I 2 Christopher Stracathro Ralph I 2 Christopher Edgbaston Marvel I I Ormskirk Galopin Heacham Galopin I o Ormskirk Chriss RufFord Ormonde I o Rightaway Barwell Masterpiece O II Metchley Wonder Christopher o 10 Wellesbourne Councillor Wellesbourne Conqueror 362 The Dog Book Average for all sires, 2 years 7 months. Omitting the old-timers, Trefoil, Charlemagne and General Trefoil, on whom stud service was comparatively light, we have as the average age for modern sires, 2 years, 2 months. THE ANCESTRAL TREE OF THE LEADING COLLIE STRAINS. TREFOIL (March 19, 1873) I Charlemagne (Jan. 4, 1879) Sefton (Oct. 10, 1884) Metchley Wonder (Mar. 2, 1886) Christopher (April 16, 1887) Stracathro Ralph (Sept. I, 1888) Heather Ralph (April 19, 1891) Ormskirk Emerald (Sept. 3, 1894) Ormskirk Galopin (April I, 1896) Heacham Galopin (July 5, 1897) Wishaw Clinker (Dec. 6, 1898) Edgbaston Marvel (Sept. I, 1888) Southport Perfec- tion (Feb. 19, 1892) I Wellesbourne Councillor (April II, 1894) Wellesbourne Conqueror (April 16, 1895) Parbold Piccolo (April 3, 1899) Ormskirk Chriss (April 4, 1890) I Rufford Ormonde (June 2, I 891) Finsbury Pilot (Aug. 8, 1893) I Rightaway (Nov. 27, 1895) Donovan II (Jan. 12, 1890) I Bay Regent (March i, 1892) Old Hall Blucher (May IS, 1894) I Balgreggie Hope (Oct. 19, 1896) General Trefoil (Dec. 21, 1878) I Sir James (May IS, 1884) Gladdie (Nov. 19, 1887) Sefton Hero (April 7, 1890) I Guy Mannering (May 12, 1894) Ellwyn Astrologer (Jan. 26, 1897) Barwell Masterpiece (Feb. 7, 1897) Woodmansterne Tartan (Feb. 14, 1898) The deduction which the compiler of these statistics reached was that the same law which governs in thoroughbred horses and in the trotting family ruled in dogs: that there is one supreme sire-power source, and but a few dam-power sources, the proof of the latter conclusion being that of the thirty dogs named in these tables nineteen trace back to six bitches — Merry Fan, Old Hall Vera, Pepita, Parbold Dolly, Sweet Lassie, and Ruby III. Astrologer traces to the dam of Charlemagne, and Wellesbourne Councillor to a sister to General Trefoil. GETTING READY FOR IHE SHOW RING Rough-Coated Collie 363 Unfortunately the information obtained from these tables is of no use to the collie breeder, for it is not till many years after the work has been done that it is possible to trace back through the many lines that which is the governing one. This is what we meant when, in speaking of the large number of puppies sired by Eclipse and Rutland, we said they pro- duced nothing in the male line that continued to produce. Even more remarkable than the failure of these two in this respect are Mr. Megson's great dogs Ormskirk Emerald and Southport Perfection. They sired thousands of puppies, yet we only reach each one of them through one son when it comes to the highest-quality dogs. All we can hope to do is to breed good-looking dogs, but which one of the many crack dogs of the day will eventually be entitled to be incorporated in the line of producing sires we will not know for ten or maybe twenty years, and it need not worry us at the present time. As it is not the intention to go into the question of breeding, the tables are introduced at this point to illustrate what a wonderful dog Christopher was. He was sired by Metchley Wonder when the latter was eleven months old, and in turn got his two great sons when he was fourteen months old; both of these sons, out of different dams, being born on the same day. Christopher's influence in America was nil, but in extenuation of his leaving no worthy posterity here it should be stated that he had no brood bitches worth the name as producers, and it is only in quite recent years that we have gradually worked up to the position of having soundly bred bitches; with most gratifying results in the way of vastly improved puppy classes. Another good dog imported by Mr. Harrison was The Squire, a very shapely dog, with a good head, but as he never had enough coat when in England he naturally failed to improve in that essential when here. The one dog that might be cited in opposition to our statement that Scotilla sired nothing wonderful was Roslyn Wilkes, who came out in 1890 and was very successful for some time. He was bred by Mr. Pierpont Morgan out of Bertha, the dam of Bendigo, but was shown by Mr. Harrison and was decidedly the best American bred of his day, but his head did not last. Other good dogs owned at Chestnut Hill were Maney Trefoil and Welles- bourne Charlie, which with Christopher and a number of bitches passed into the possession of Mr. Jarrett when Mr. Harrison retired. Maney Trefoil was sold to a Denver lady, and The Squire and a few others were 364 The Dog Book bought by Mr. Sauveur, of Chestnut Hill, who exhibited in the name of Seminole Kennels. Mr. Pierpont Morgan now became more prominently connected with the breed, and Mr. Terry also started in again, so that Mr. Harrison's withdrawal was not noticeable in the matter of support at shows. Some importations were going on all the time, but it was not until Mr. Morgan got Sefton Hero that we had one of high rank. Taking this dog for all- round qualities, it is doubtful if there has been a better one at Cragston. The English judge, Mr. Taylor, put RufFord Ormonde over him at New York in 1895, with RufFord Ormonde lame from an accident, but he also put Christopher back to third in the veteran's class, so we did not rank him high as a collie judge. Sefton Hero was full of character and ex- pression, while his coat was of the very best texture, and he lasted till grey with age. Mr. Morgan also got some good bitches, and his Chorlton Phyllis won many prizes, besides rendering herself famous as the dam of the remarkable "Ornament litter," so named because of the great success of Ornament. There were four winners in this litter, if we remember correctly, including that grand dog, Masterpiece, that died of distemper contracted at the New York Show, where Mr. Astley gave him four firsts. A number of new exhibitors took hold of collies at this time, and in 1898 the Verona Kennels, of California, had much success with Old Hall Admiral, Heather Mint and others. Messrs. Black and Hunter, of Harrisburg, also made a suc- cessful start, and did much good m the way of getting a great many Western persons interested in the breed. Indeed, a few years later, during the time Mr. Morgan was not exhibiting, it may be said that Chicago became the centre of the American collie world, and important purchases followed each other with startling rapidity, so that, with three champions, Rightaway, Wellesbourne Conqueror and Parbold Piccolo and Heacham Galopin in Chicago and Milwaukee, the star of the collie empire was certainly travelling westward. Mr. Behling, of Milwaukee, bought Conqueror, Piccolo and a large number of high-class bitches. Doctor McNab bought Rightaway and had also Alton Monty, a dog imported and exhibited successfully by Black and Hunter. The Winnetka Kennels also got Ballyarnett Eclipse, an exceedingly good dog which had a winning career in the East the year he came out. Other good buyers in the West were Mr. Lepman, Mr. Brown and Mr. Gardner, all of Chicago, who are still very prominent in the breed. Mr. Gardner imported some of the first of the Piccolo line, and Rough-Coated Collie 365 also got over Heacham Galopin, the sire of Wishaw Clinker. The good done for collies in this country through the enterprise and rivalry of these Western exhibitors cannot be fully estimated, but we had a foretaste of what it may amount to through the successes of a few Western-bred collies in very strong competition this year, a young bitch bred by Mr. Lepman and shown by Mr. Trench as Thorndale Baroness being a deservedly large winner. In the East we have had the return of Mr. Morgan as an exhibitor, an event he signalised by purchasing the great English winner, Wishaw Clinker, from Mr. Tait, of Scotland, and Ormskirk Olympian from Mr. Stretch, Mr. Raper judged them at New York in 1904 and placed them in the order named, but the opinion of our leading authorities on collies was that Ormskirk Olympian should have won; that is how we would have placed them, and considered it a somewhat easy win. It was a great day for the Clinkers at that show, as his daughters, Brandane Ethel and Rippowam Revelation, were the leading winners throughout the bitch classes, after Moreton Hebe. Mr. Morgan's rival is now Mr. Samuel Untermeyer, and not content with some very nice American-bred collies, with Breadalbane and Faugh a Ballagh as leaders, he has also made some important purchases abroad and has in Southport Sculptor an extra high-class dog. Other exhibitors in the metropolitan district are Mr. M. Mowbray Palmer, the president of the Collie Club, whose prefix of Rippowam is well known; Mr. Preston, Mr. Lindsay, of the Lindsays whose names go back to the early show days; Mr. Buckle, Mr. Hall, Mr. Mayhew and Mr. Geraghty. Philadelphia has also a strong collie clan and a club of its own, and, although Doctor Jarrett seems to have retired from exhibiting, there are many good fanciers, such as Messrs. Kain, Fernandez, Heuer, Romig & Flint, Henshall, Lightfoot, Doctor Konover and others. Boston has also been for many years a good collie town, and the Copeland, Middle- brooke, Murray and Westridge kennels are always factors at the Massachu- setts shows; while Mr. Bascom, of Providence, is seldom without an entry and has done much to keep interest alive in Rhode Island. The Canadian section of colliedom has never until late years been of a dangerous character. Mr. McEwen has been for long a supporter of the breed, but his entries have hardly been of the class of those that we have received at our shows from Montreal or Ottawa. Mr. Joseph Reid, of 366 The Dog Book Montreal, and the Coila Kennels have turned out the best native-bred Canadian dogs that we have seen, while the Balmoral Kennels, formerly of Ottawa but now of Montreal, have taken high rank with some good imported dogs; the names of such dogs as Balmoral Baron, Balmoral Rex, Balmoral Duchess and Balmoral Primrose being familiar to all versed in collie history. It will be seen therefore that collies in this country are thoroughly well established, and although we may for some years yet continue to have importations, they will have to be of the very highest class to prove winners, for we are beginning to produce home breds of better quality all the time, and just as we have ceased to make any importa- tions of consequence in pointers, cockers, St. Bernards, bull terriers and a few other breeds, so also will we be able to rely more and more upon what we breed in this country. Descriptive Particulars Head. — Skull flat, moderately wide between the ears and gradually tapering to the eyes. There should be but a very slight prominence of the eyebrov/s and a very slight depression at the stop. The proper width of skull necessarily depends upon the combined length of skull and muzzle, for what would be a thick or too broad skull in one dog is not necessarily so in another of the same actual girth but better supported by length of muzzle. It must also be considered in conjunction with the size of the dog, and should incline to lightness, ac- companied by cleanness of outline of cheeks and jaws. A heavy-headed dog lacks the bright, alert and full-of-sense look so much to be desired. On the other hand, the attenuated head is most frequently seen with small Terrier eyes, which show no character. Muzzle should be of fair length and tapering to the nose, which should be black; it must not show weakness or appear snipy. The teeth of good size and even. English standard says, "Mouth the least bit overshot," but this is by no means desirable, and if at all exaggerated should be treated as a malformation. Eyes. — There being no "brow" in which to set the eyes, they are necessarily placed obliquely, the upper portion of the muzzle being dropped or chiselled to give them the necessary forward lookout. They shouid be of medium size, never showing too light in comparison with the colour MAKING THE COLLIE USEFUL AS A GOAT TENDER i Rough-Coated Collie 367 of coat nor with a yellow ring. Expression full of intelligence, with a bright and "what-is-it" look when on the alert or listening to orders; this is, of course, largely contributed to by the throwing up of the ears which accompanies the "qui-vive" attitude. Ears. — The ears can hardly be too small if carried properly; if too small they are apt to be thrown quite erect or prick eared; and if large they either cannot be properly lifted off the head or, if lifted, they show out of proportion. When in repose the ears are folded lengthwise and thrown back into the frill; on the alert they are thrown up and drawn closer together on the top of the skull. They should be carried about three-quarters erect. A prick-eared dog should be penalised. So much attention having of late been given to securing very high carriage of ears, it has resulted in reaching the other extreme in some cases, and that is now necessary to guard against. Neck. — Should be muscular and of sufficient length to give the dog a fine upstanding appearance and show off the frill, which should be very full. Body. — Rather long, ribs well rounded, chest deep but of fair breadth behind the shoulders, which should have good slope. Loin slightly arched, showing power. Legs. — Fore legs straight and muscular, with a fair amount of bone, the fore arm moderately fleshy; pasterns showing flexibility without weakness; the hind legs less fleshy, very sinewy, and hocks and stifles well bent. Feet oval in shape, soles well padded, and the toes arched and close together. Tail. — Moderately long, carried low when the dog is quiet, the end having upward twist or "swirl," gayly when excited, but not carried over the back. Coat. — This is a very important point. The coat, except on the head and legs, should be abundant, the outer coat harsh to the touch, the inner coat soft and furry and very close — so close that it is difficult on parting the hair to see the skin. The mane and frill should be very abundant, the mask or face smooth, the fore legs slightly feathered, the hind legs below the hocks smooth. Hair on tail very profuse, and on hips long and bushy. Colour. — Immaterial, though a richly coloured or nicely marked dog has undoubtedly a considerable amount of weight with judges — the black-and-tan with white frill and collar or the still more shov^ sable with perfect white markings will generally win, other things being equal. 368 The Dog Book Size. — Dogs, 22 to 24 inches at the shoulder; bitches, 20 to 22 inches. Weight — dogs, 45 to 60 pounds; bitches, 40 to 50 pounds. Expression. — This is one of the most important points in considering the relative value of Collies. "Expression," like the term "character," is difficult to define in v^ords. It is not a fixed point as in colour, weight or height, and is something the uninitiated can only properly understand by optical illustration. It is the combined product of the shape of the skull and muzzle, the set, size, shape and colour of the eyes, and the position and carriage of the ears. General Character. — A lithe, active dog, with no useless timber about him, his deep chest showing strength, his sloping shoulders and well-bent hocks indicating speed and his face high intelligence. As a whole he should present an elegant and pleasing outline, quite distinct from any other breed, and show great strength and activity. Faults. — Domed skull, high-peaked occipital bone, heavy pendulous ears or the other extreme, prick ears, short tail, or tail curled over the back. The foregoing description is that of the Collie Club of America, which fixed no scale of points but added the following scale of points adopted by the Collie Clubs of England and Scotland, neither of which rec- ommends point judging, the figures merely showing on which "properties" the greater stress is laid: English Head and expression 15 Ears 10 Neck and shoulders 10 Legs and Feet 15 Hindquarters 10 Back and loins 10 Brush 5 Coat with frill 20 Size 5 Scale of Points Scottish Head 15 Eyes 5 Ears 10 Neck and shoulders 10 Body 10 Legs and feet 15 Brush or tail 5 Coat 20 Size and general appear- ance 10 Total 100 Total 100 CHAPTER XXIII n The Smooth Sheep Dog E cannot compliment a single one of our forerunners in their contributions to the history of sheep dogs in England. Yet there is not in the whole category of dogs of the British Isles a simpler record to unfold. The stumbling block to all has been the nomenclature erroneously attached to the varieties of sheep dogs. If by the word collie is meant a distinct breed of dog, then there is but one of that name, the Scotch rough-coated dog. On the other hand, if by collie we are to understand that it is merely a sheep dog, then there is the rough, the smooth and the bob-tail. Our vote is that the name is for a breed, hence we give the name of collie to the rough dog only, and call the other two sheep dogs, they being entirely distinct in ancestry from the Scotch dog. We must, in order to disentangle the muddle into which the breeds have got, touch upon the writings of recent dog-book editors in the chapters they have written upon the bob-tailed dog. The mistake all have made is in taking it for granted that because some enthusiasts who formed a club in 1888 for the bob-tailed dog gave it the name of the "Old English Sheep Dog," that it was the original sheep dog, whereas it is a comparatively modern variety. Had the supporters of the smooth sheep dog organised their club at that time and given that name to their variety, then all would have been plain sailing. Taking it for granted that the bob-tail was really the original sheep dog of England, writers on that variety copied from the oldest books that had references to sheep dogs and then complained that the descriptions must be wrong, so we must first unravel the lines. The bob-tail we "lay on the table " until the next chapter, and take up the history of the dog that is the old English sheep dog, commonly known as the smooth collie, but which we shall call the smooth sheep dog, as he has no traceable descent from the Scotch rough dog, universally known as the collie. The smooth sheep dog was a member of the rather large family which in olden days went under the general name of mastiff. Mastiff is now 369 370 The Dog Book accepted as nothing but an old English word for mongrel, and not in any way indicative of size, bulk or confined to the large dog we now call mastiff. This group included everything outside of spaniels, hounds, toys, and to some extent terriers. With regard to the latter, if this definition of mastiff is kept in mind it will help readers of old books to understand how some authors came to describe terriers as part mastiffs. With this kept in mind, we will take our first quotation from Caius's "Treatise of English Dogges,'* 1570. Dividing English dogs into five sections, he puts the shepherd's dog in the fourth section, and after having described all varieties of dogs at some length he condenses the information in what he calls a *' Supplement or addition, containing a demonstration of Dogges names how they had their Originall.'* In this condensed fourth section he writes: "Of dogs under the coarser kind we will deale first with the shepherde's dogge, whom some call the Bandogge, the Tydogge, or the Mastyne, the first name is imputed to him for service, Quoniam pastori famulator, because he is at the shepherds his masters commandment. The seconde a Ligamento of the band or chain wherewith he is tyed. The third a Sagina of the fatnesse of his body." Following closely upon Caius we have the "Foure Bookes of Husband- rie," 1586, to this effect: "The shepherd's Masty, that is for the folde must neither be so gaunt nor so swifte as the greyhound, nor so fatte nor so heavy as the Masty of the house; but verie strong, and able to fighte and follow the chase, that he may beat away the woolfe or other beasts, and to follow the theefe, and to recover the prey. And therfor his body should be rather long than short and thick; in all other points he must agree with the ban-dog." We will now take a jump of two hundred years, for we know of nothing more until we come to Bewick's "History of Quadrupeds," and from that we give his illustrations of the "Cur-dog" and the " Ban-dog.'* It is no stretch of the imagination for any person, if shown the bandog illustration, and without knowledge of what it is, to state that it is a smooth collie, as it is called nowadays; and that this bandog was a cattle dog is proved by Bewick's description, which is as follows: "The Ban-dog is a variety of this fierce tribe [the bulldog and mastiff], not often to be seen at present. It is lighter, smaller, more active and vigilant than the mastiff, but not so powerful; its nose is smaller [narrower] and possesses, in some degree, the scent of the hound. Its hair is rougher and generally of a yellowish grey, streaked with shades of a black or brown CLAYTON SURPRISE REDCAR LASSIE Shown by Mrs. J. L. Kernochan, at Atlantic City, April, 1903 CH. BARDON VENTURE CH. ELEAKOR DE MONTFORT Two leading Smooths in England at the present time The Smooth Sheep Dog 371 colour. It does not invariably, like the preceding kinds, attack its ad- versary in front, but frequently seizes cattle by the flank. It attacks with eagerness, and its bite is keen and dangerous." Of the cur dog he w^rites that it " is a trusty and useful servant to the farmer and grazier, and although it is not taken notice of by naturalists as a distinct race, yet it is now so generally used, especially in the north of England, and such great attention is paid in breeding it that we cannot help considering it a permanent kind. In the north of England this and the foregoing, the shepherd's dog or Scotch collie, are called Coally dogs. "They are chiefly employed in driving cattle, in which they are ex- tremely useful. They are larger, stronger and fiercer than the shepherd's dog and their hair is smoother and shorter. They are mostly of a black and white colour, their ears are half pricked, and many are whelped with short tails, which seem as if they had been cut; these are called self-tailed dogs. They bite very keenly, and as they always make their attack at the heels the cattle have no defence against them. In this way they are more than a match for a bull, which they quickly compel to run. "Similar to the cur, is that which is commonly used in driving cattle to the slaughter, and as these dogs have frequently to go long journeys, great strength as well as swiftness is required for that purpose. They are therefor generally of a mixed kind, and unite in them the several qualities of the shepherd's dog, the cur, the mastiff and the greyhound." The name of cur, curr, or curre, which was more frequently given to this dog, is generally attributed to the cutting or docking of the tail of the sheep dog, and as being a diminutive of curtail. Some even go the length of explaining that cut-tailed dogs were exempt from taxation, and that that was the origin of the custom. But these dogs had their tails cut long before dog taxes were imposed, and cur was a good old Middle English name for a dog, without restriction to breed or the possibility of the tail's being docked. We hazard as a speculative guess that as sheep were docked the shepherds took a fancy to cut their dogs' tails, and it is well known that it was a current belief among the lower classes of Englishmen up to a very recent date that cutting a dog's tail strengthened his back. The common use of the term cur about the time of Shakespeare is not so well known as it might be, for quotations from that dramatist are generally taken to cover the entire ground of his time. From the "Two Gentlemen of Verona" we have "Marry, she says, your dog was a cur; and tells you currish thanks 372 The Dog Book is good enough for such a present." A more frequent quotation is that from "Macbeth," iii., i: "As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs, shoughs, water-rugs and demi-wolves are clepped all by the name of dogs." In "King Lear," iii, 6, we have in another list of dogs "bobtail tyke," cur not being named. Another quotation from "King Lear" is: "Thou hast seen a farmer's dog bark at a beggar.?" "Ay, sir." "And the creature ran from the cur." There is also a very open use of the term in that passage wherein so many hounds are named: "Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds: Trash [take care of] Merriman, the poor cur is embossed" [tired out]. Then there is the application of the name to a bear dog: "Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening cur Run back and bite, because he was withheld; Who, being suffered with the bear's fell paw, Hath clapped his tail between his legs and cried." Other poets of the Shakespearian period gave even a wider meaning to the name than he did. Turberville, who died about 1594, wrote respecting hart hunting: "Ah, rueful remedy so that I (as it were) Even tear my life out of the teeths of hounds, which make me fear, And from those cruel curs and brain-sick bawling tykes, Which do foot out to follow me both over hedge and dykes." From Drayton, 1 563-1 631, we have in his "Dancing Dog": "Then Ball, my cut-tailed cur, and I begin to play. He o'er my sheep-hook leaps, now th'one, now th'other way, Then on his hinder feet he doth himself advance, I tune, and to my note my lively dog will dance." Cuttail is not infrequently used as the name of a dog. In the " Shep- herd's Sirena" it occurs thus: "Whistles Cuttail from his play." And Drayton affords another quotation in "The Mooncalf": "They bring Mastiffs and mongrels, all that in a string Could be got out, or could lug a hog. Ball, Eatall, Cuttail, Blackfoot — bitch and dog." In the " Farewell to Whitefoot," by Drayton, we again have the double mention of cur and cuttail : "He called his dog (that sometimes had the praise) Whitefoot, well known to all that keep the plain, That many a wolf had worried in his days, A better cur there never followed swain; Which, though as he his master's sorrows knew, Wagged his cut tail, his wretched plight to rue." S i « § W g 2 f o ►J o §• B §1 The Smooth Sheep Dog 373 In another poem of Drayton's on "Coursing" there is what seems to be some "printers' errors": "She riseth from her seat, as though on earth she flew, Forced by some yelping cute to give the greyhounds view, Which are at length let slip, when gunning out they go, As in respect of them the swiftest wind were slow." The word "cute" is meant for cur, or was probably written with the final "e," as was then customary. "Gunning" must surely be "running," for the word gun was then unknown, engine or fowling piece being the name for a gun in Drayton's day. A comma after "running out" makes sense of what is unintelligible. William Drummond, 1 585-1 649, wrote in "The Dog Star": "When her dear bosom clips That little cur, which fawns to touch her lips. Or when it is his hap To lie lapped in her lap." In a comedy by William Browne, 1 591- 1643, we have: "Philos of his dog doth brag For having many feats; The while the cur undoes his bag. And all his dinner eats." In the conversation to which those lines are the prelude we find: Willie. "Now Philos, see how mannerly your cur, Your well-taught dog, that hath so many tricks, Devours your dinner." Phtlos. "I wish t'were a bur To choke the mongrel!" As a companion piece to Drummond's lady's pet, which he calls a cur, there is this from Samuel Butler, 1612-1680: "Quoth Hudibras — Agrippa kept a Stygian pug, I'th'garb and habit of a dog, That was his tutor, and the cur Read to the occult philosopher." The word becomes of much less frequent use by poets after 1650, the meaning evidently changing. The contemporaneous poets, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) and Allan Ramsay (1686-1768), each supply a quota- tion. The former in his skit upon the Pretender plot of 1772 mentions two of the witnesses as "cur Plunkett, or whelp Skean," and Ramsay showed the northward progression of two good English words in his "Lover's Logic": 374 The Dog Book "My Bawty is a cur I dearly like, Till he yowled fair she strak the poor dumb tyke; If I had filled a nook within her breast, She wad have shawn mair kindness to my beast." These quotations demonstrate that cur was in common use as a synonym for dog, and was not confined to any one variety. It did not mean a dog with a short tail, hence it is not an abbreviation of curtail, to shorten. Another thing that must not be overlooked is that there is not a single reference to any of the peculiar characteristics of the bob-tailed sheep dog and a dog of such peculiarities would surely have attracted some special mention to his shaggy coat, rug as Shakespeare has it in "water-rug "-and again in his description of the unkempt shock-headed Irish soldiers in "Richard II.," ii, i: "Now for our Irish wars; We must supplant those rough rug-headed kerns," kerns being the lightly accoutred foot soldier of Ireland. We have suppressed nothing that we have any knowledge of, and have demonstrated that the English sheep dog of 1570 and the smooth sheep dog of 1800 were one and the same dog, a lightly built common farm dog, that had been developed from the guard and watch dog and gradually reduced in heaviness of frame as necessity for protection from attacks of wild animals ceased. There is not the slightest evidence that any rough-coated prede- cessor of the bob-tailed dog was then in existence. So this smooth dog is the genuine old English sheep dog, and w^e will later endeavor to prove him to be the original of the bob-tailed sheep dog. It is also clearly shown that so far as the smooth dog being a variety of the Scotch collie, the claim has no foundation whatever, for no person has ever advanced the suggestion that the Scotch dog was originally of mastiff stock. More interesting to the reader not concerned materially in tracing ancestry is the description that Caius gives of the sheep dog and how he was used. He is the first dog considered in the fourth section of the "dis- course" which treats of "Dogges of a Course [coarse] Kind serving for Many necessary uses, called in Latine Canes Rustici, and first of the shepherds dogge, called in Latine Cams Pastoralis. "The firste kinde, namely the shepherds hounde is very necessarye and profitable for avoyding of harmes and inconveniences which may come to men by means of beastes. Our shepherdes dogge is not huge, vaste and bigge, but of an indifferent stature and growth, because it hath The Smooth Sheep Dog 375 not to deale with the bloudthirsty wolf, sythence there be none in England." Here the author goes into an account of how wolves were killed off in the time of King Edgar, which is not material. "But to return to our shepherd dogge. This dogge either at the hearing of his masters voyce, or at the wagging and whisteling in his fist, or at his shrill and horse hissing bringeth the wandering weathers and straying sheepe, into the selfesame place where his masters will and wishe, is to have them, whereby the shepherd reapeth this benefite, namely, that with litle labour and no toyle or moving of his feete he may rule and guide his flocke, according to his own desire, either to have them go forward, or to stand still, or to drawe backward, or to turn this way, or to take that way. . . . Furthermore with this dogge doth the shepherd take sheep for the slaughter, and to be healed if they be sicke, no hurt or harme done in the world to the simple creatures." It does not look as if we had learned much more of sheep tending and driving than was known in that bygone time, and probably long before that. Our knowledge of dogs in England prior to 1868 did not include smooth sheep dogs, except what might have been seen in the drovers' dogs assortment, for no classes had at that time been provided at any shows. When we next had opportunity to learn something of them, that is from 1877 to 1880, we either must have failed to note the good ones or there were none to note at the shows we visited, for our impression of the smooth collie can be best illustrated by a remark made to Mr. Megson when we visited him at Sale in the winter of 1897. We had seen and admired Southport Perfection and Ormskirk Emerald, and were about returning to the Priory, when Mr. Megson said : " Don't you want to see the smooths .? " To which we answered that they always seemed a mongrelly dog to us. **Ah! then you have never seen a good one." We at once said we wanted to see a good one, so a visit was paid to the smooth dogs' kennels, where we opened our eyes when we saw the champion dog of his day. We cannot now recall his name, for Mr. Megson had more than one good smooth. Since then we have always had a decided liking for a good smooth, for while a bad one is anything but "fetching," there is no getting away from a high-class smooth, for he is all quality when he is a good one. Unfortunately the smooth sheep dog has to run counter to the far more popular rough collie, and it takes a thorough dog man to appreciate a smooth, just as is the case with the smooth St. Bernard when compared with the rough. The result is that only a few of those who are staunch 376 The Dog Book appreciators of quality in a dog have taken up the breed in this country. Mr. Jarrett, of Chestnut Hill, was the first to show them here, he being then one of the leading exhibitors in roughs. Probably he found little call for them, as in a short time he sold them out in block to Mr. Rutherford, of Allamuchy, N. J., who in addition to fox terriers is an extensive breeder of Dorset sheep, and we understand that among those who purchase sheep from the Tranquility Farm there is a good demand for smooth sheep dogs. The third to take up the breed was Mrs. J. L. Kernochan, and here again we have one who is an expert and has an eye for a symmetrical dog. Mrs. Kernochan had by far the best kennel of the breed we have had in this country, particularly bitches, till she sold them out to Mr. T. King, of Hempstead, L. I. There is a peculiarity in this breed which is noticeable in but few others, and that is that the bitches are apt to be much smaller than the dogs, the latter frequently adding coarseness to their size. This size peculiarity is also seen in Scotch deerhounds. The result is that many judges con- versant with rough collies, but not with this breed, have put back bitches that really ought to have won, placing dogs over them that were not entitled to that distinction, the decision being based on size. Far greater attention is paid to this variety in England than with us, and the classes given at various shows are much better filled, but even there they are not what can be called popular. Not only do they suffer in the matter of coat when compared with the roughs, but in colour also, there being none of the showy sables, the majority being black and tan. Occa- sionally there are merled, or mirled, dogs — a contraction of marbled. These are of various mixed colours, such as gray-blue or roan with darker blotches, or a reddish shade with brown and black blotches. In some of these merled dogs we have the white wall or "china" eye. We lately came across a rough collie bitch, sable with dark blotches in the colour, and in her litters there were always some blue merles with a wall eye. As near as we got at the pedigree of this collie, she had been obtained from Mr. Rocke- feller, of Greenwich, or from his manager, when a puppy, and her owner said that he understood the dam came from Mr. Pierpont Morgan's. As this gentleman had some blue merles at Cragston, she was undoubtedly of that strain. Why the china eye should be tolerated in this dog, when a light eye is considered a disfigurement in almost every dog, is hard to tell, but it is so. Undoubtedly it is very old, as it was rather conspicuous in The Smooth Sheep Dog 377 the old turnspit, a still smaller variety of the common house dog dating back to the time of Caius. We have noticed more tendency to erect ears in smooth sheep dogs than in the roughs; not the short, straight ear that the roughs are apt to develop, but one, w^hich from its size and shape should tip over, but gets away up till it is little but a fancy that it has any tip. Perhaps the slight extra fineness in the ear hair has something to do v^^ith it, for a very little lack of ear coating will sometimes affect the carriage of ear in the rough dog, so high are we getting them at the present time. We favour the opinion that the smooth sheep dog is much better adapted to our country than is the rough, and we believe it could be intro- duced with advantage in the West. Our climate is a great drawback to keeping the rough collie in good condition, for he loses his coat early in the summer, and not till late in the fall does it begin to grow for winter comfort. This drawback does not exist in the case of the smooth dog, whose short coat is always the same in appearance and must be far more comfortable during our prolonged hot weather. For many years now there has been practically little if any difference in the points aimed at in breeding the collie and the smooth sheep dog, so that they differ in little else than coat. However, as the Smooth Collie Club of England has adopted a description and standard for the breed, which is much simpler than that for the rough dog, it is well to give it. Descriptive Particulars Head. — Should be in proportion to the dog's size, skull moderately wide between the ears, and flat, tapering to the end of the muzzle, which ought to be of fair length but not too snipy, with only a little stop. Teeth. — Strong and white. The top jaw just fitting nicely over the lower, and where much over or under shot it should count against the dog. Eyes. — Of almond shape, set obhquely in the head, and the shade con- sistent with the colour of the dog. A full or staring eye is very objectionable. Ears. — Small, and when the dog*s attention is attracted, carried semi- erect, but when in repose it is natural for them to be laid back. Neck. — Long and well arched, and shoulders muscular and sloping. Back. — Rather long, strong and straight, the lorn slightly arched, and the chest fairly deep but not too wide. 378 The Dog Book Legs. — Fore legs straight and muscular, with a fair amount of bone. The hind legs should be rather wide apart, with stifles well bent, forcing sickle hocks. Feet. — Compact, knuckles well sprung, claws strong and close together; pads cannot be too hard. Coat. — Short, dense, flat coat, with good texture, with an abundance of undercoat. Symmetry. — The dog should be of fair length on the leg, and his movements active and graceful. Height. — Dogs, 22 to 24 inches; bitches, 20 to 22 inches. Tail. — Of medium length, and when the dog is standing quietly should be slightly raised, but more so when excited. Scale of Points Head 25 Coat 25 Ears 15 Tail 5 Body 15 Legs and Feet 15 Total 100 A BOB-TAILED SHEEP DOG From a painting by Edward Cooper, 1835 A ROUGH TERRIER, ALLEGED TO BE A BOB-TAILED SHEEP DOG From a painting by Gainsborongli of the Duke of Buccleugli, 1771 "SHEPHERD'S DOG" From a painting by Keinagle, ilio3 CHAPTER XXIV The Bob-Tailed Sheep Dog HERE is no evidence whatever that the bob-tailed sheep dog was known throughout England till quite a recent date, and we have shown in the preceding chapter that the old English sheep dog was the smooth, small mastiff or common dog of the farm. If there had been any knowledge regard- ing dogs of this shaggy kind the presumption is that in Mr. Aubrey Hop- wood's recent book on the breed it would have been forthcoming. That author begins with the statement that its origin lies buried in the mists of antiquity, whereas the dog has no antiquity. Not a single writer mentions it until we get to "Idstone" in 1872, and then as a dog found in a restricted part of England. He says he remembered it in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Hants, Dorset "and other counties." This is his description: "There is one class of sheep dog which I always regard as the typical English sheep dog. I mean the blue, grizzled, rough-haired, large-limbed, surly, small-eared, small-eyed, leggy, bob-tailed dog." Plenty of quotations can be made from old books in which the sheep dog is described, but the smooth dog's description is the only one that can be found. Mr. Hopwood twits Stonehenge for his description of the sheep dog, but if Mr. Hopwood had lived in Stonehenge's day he would have agreed with him, for that mongrel thing he described was all anyone knew of the breed about London. A wretched, miserable, bedraggled- coated dog, tagging after a drover armed with his gad. In the north of England he was absolutely unknown till quite recently. We were talking with Mr. Charles H. Mason a few days ago, and he asked us what we were going to say about the bob-tails. We frankly acknowledged that there was no finding any old history. "Well, I'll tell you something. I never see a bob-tail but what I think of a dog I saw about thirty to thirty-five years ago, that an old-timer had. Black and coated just like a bob-tail, had no tail at all, and moved exactly like 379 380 The Dog Book a bob-tail. That dog was claimed to be a Russian poodle." We asked if he had seen any bob-tails or knew them at that time, and he said that up Yorkshire way there was not such a thing, and it was not till some years after that he saw any at the shows. Mr. Hopwood in his history of the breed gives a reproduction of a Gainsborough portrait of the Duke of Buccleuch, 1771, and says the dog with the Duke is a bob-tail. Nothing of the kind; it is a large, rough Scotch terrier with all the look of a Dandie. The dog is no taller than an Irish terrier, for we put one alongside a tall man in just the pose in the picture, and the top of his clean head was as high as the head of the Duke's dog, shaggy coat and all. That throws us back on the hackneyed Reinagle picture of the "Shepherd's Dog," issued at the beginning of the last century. This was a portrait, and although the description is brief it is worth giving: "The soft, mild and inoffensive countenance, indicative of true breed in this species, together with the lopped ear, small nose, and prominent under jaw, are admirably portrayed." It is stated to be a portrait from the life, and the writer of the article quoted from says that he remembers seeing a valu- able sheep dog of Sir Lawrence Palk's at Haldon, Devon, which was similar in figure and countenance. Reinagle's picture was first published in 1803, but the article we quote from is in the "Sportsman's Repository" of 1831. Youatt some twenty years later represented the sheep dog as being a snipy- nosed, clean-headed but coarse-coated dog, most decidedly not undershot, and with a stump tail. The dog is running, and shows high hindquarters. There is one thing about the Reinagle picture which does not appear to have attracted attention, and that is the Scottish scenery. The man sitting in the middle distance may not have kilts, but he has a Scotch bonnet and a crook. Of course it may have been a mere fancy of the artist to put an English sheep dog in a Scotch or Highland scene, but it might have been one of the strain from which we have the bearded collie in Scotland. As to Mr. Hopwood's third illustration, that of the dog sitting with his back toward us, there can be no question as to that being the right article. This is from a painting by Sidney Cooper, about 1835, and there is no dispute as to the dog being known at that time. "Idstone" proves that beyond any question, amply supporting the quotations made from the "Sportsman's Repository," but the tenor of the evidence is that it was a South country dog confined mainly to the section running from Oxfordshire to Devonshire. The Bob-Tailed Sheep Dog 381 The evidence presented in this and the preceding chapter is sufficient to show that there is no trace of this variety of sheep dog much farther back than 1800. He was not known by Caius, or to the later author of the "Foure Bookes of Husbandry." We cannot say that we have a very pronounced opinion, but it is fully as strong as that of the New Yorker who seeks to evade jury duty and swears that he has an opinion requiring evidence to remove, and our opinion is this: The bob-tailed sheep dog such as was seen thirty years ago was by no means so large as the modern fancy developed dog, but was of a more useful size, akin to that of the smooth drover's dog, and the only known dog that he then resembled was the Russian setter, pointer or retriever, as he was variously called. Very few dog men of the present have any knowledge of that setter, but whenever we have been asked about their appearance we have always said that they looked more like a lightly built bob-tailed sheep dog reduced to the size of a large setter, than anything we have knowledge of. If the reader turns to the representation of "The Pointer," by Sydenham Edwards, in the chapter on the pointer. Part IV., he will there see what the head of the Russian dog looked like, and note for himself the strong resemblance to what the sheep dog must have been before being improved to his present standard. This Russian dog is not known now, but he was far from being un- common some time prior to 1800, and was well known for some time after that. In the chapter on the pointer we have quoted the Rev. Mr. Simons to the effect that the Earl of Powis had some which were said to have come from Lorraine, and describes them as being sullen in disposition. Colonel Hamilton we also quoted from as having owned some of them, and his shooting was in Oxfordshire. Another who tended to bring them into prominent notice was the late Joseph Lang, a well-known gun maker of London. A year ago we called at the present Lang establishment when visiting London, but there was nothing to be obtained in the way of pictures, the only record of the old gentleman's connection with the breed being his letter to "Craven" in the "Young Sportsman's Manual." In this letter Mr. Lang states that he visited an old friend in Somersetshire for a week's shooting and had his best setters "beaten hollow" by his friend's dogs, which were bred from pure Russian setters, crossed with an English setter which had once belonged to Joseph Manton. Determined to beat the Russians, Mr. Lang next season purchased two exceptionally fine setters in 382 The Dog Book Yorkshire, and again made the trip to Somersetshire, only to meet with a still more disastrous defeat. Mr. Lang then made an exchange and bred the Russians himself for his own use. He speaks of them as being dogs that were easily trained and never forgot their lessons from one season to another. There is no proof that these dogs produced the bob-tails, but there is no knowledge whatever of this peculiar sheep dog prior to the period that we know the Russians to have been in England and kept by gentlemen who shot in the south country. Our opinion is that from this dog the bob- tail got his coat and ears, that he was crossed on the smooth sheep dog, and from the latter got the tendency to breed without a tail, also the occasional wall eye. Where that wall eye originated lies buried in the mists of antiquity, to quote Mr. Hopwood, but it was in the bandog, in his lighter brother, the smooth sheep dog, and in the little mongrel turnspit. It seems to have been made in England. From the smooth sheep dog in all likelihood came the peculiar shuffling pace and the low withers, for that was characteristic of the old drover's dog. The argument and conclusions may not be convincing to many of our readers, but all will acknowledge that the dog could not just grow, like Topsy; it was produced in some manner from some progenitor which it still resembles, and what other dog was there in England to produce the coat peculiarities of the bob-tail except these Russian dogs, which were then known and used in England .? The bob-tail is now given an excellent character as to disposition and behaviour, and in that respect he resembles the Airedale terrier, which in a few years, from being a difficult dog to manage, blossomed into a ladies* companion. Our experience with the breed is limited to having two of the most valuable collies we ever owned chewed to death by a model bob- tail, and while Mr. Mason thinks of the old Russian poodle when he sees a bob-tail, our thought is of poor Clipsetta and her dam Nesta, and on that account we could never be induced to keep one of this breed. Bob-tails were taken hold of with a rush a few years ago, but the fancy seems to be cooling down again. There is the drawback of our climate to contend against, and they cannot be kept in coat to any advantage in prolonged hot weather. When out of coat it cannot be said that they are attractive dogs, and with the old exhibitors dropping out while few recruits are to be had, it looks as if the breed will not prove a success here. Merely n ■ i \ WILBERFORCE Owned by Mrs. G. S. Thomas, Hamilton, Mass. CHAMPION DOLLY GRAY Owned by Tilley Bros., Shepton Mallet. England The Bob-Tailed Sheep Dog 383 as companions, there are too many good-looking dogs of other breeds for an oddity, such as the bob-tail most undoubtedly is, to succeed with Amer- icans. Our opinion is that the English fancy is developing a dog too large for use. A small or medium-sized dog is far better for sheep work than one of the large, carthorse style, which will wear himself out through his own excessive weight. The late Doctor Edwardes-Ker, who was the recognised authority on the breed, was of the opinion that the dog was formerly much larger, and that the short back and thick-set body, making the dog "a little big 'un," showed this. In place of this being so, the size has increased astonishingly, through better rearing and feeding, and he has left his companion, the smooth dog, behind in the race for size. On this question of size we quote from a short contribution by the well-known English exhibitors, the Tilley Brothers, from whom so many good dogs have come to this country: "We are satisfied with the type of the breed in all features but two, which are size and lack of courage. Bob-tails are now too large (i. e., the winning dogs) to be of great value as workers. A large and heavy dog tires far more quickly than a cobby and more active one, such as the original sheep and cattle dogs were." Another quotation from Mr. Tilley may perhaps be considered as supporting our contention as to the origin of the breed: "They make splendid dogs for the gun, having a keen scent, are easily trained, will face any fence, most obedient to com- mand, and ready and natural retrievers." The exhibition bob-tail is a dog having no resemblance to any other member of the dog family. Naturally a short-coupled dog, he looks still shorter in body, owing to his coat giving him additional size or bulk of body. He stands slightly lower at the withers than at the loin, which gives him his bear-like appearance of body and movement, and this is added to by his gait being a pace, or perhaps it is more of racking than pacing, being an independent foot movement in all his slow paces. At his fast gait he gallops with great power and determination. As much difference in texture of coat is to be met with as in wire- haired terriers, but the right thing is a coat with a bit of a kink in it. Mrs. Fare Fosse got it about right when she wrote: "A hard, shaggy coat, not curly or straight (which is worse), but broken in disposition — that is, with just one twist in the hair, as two twists make a curl." It is a very difficult coat to describe, as there is nothing to compare it with in any 384 The Dog Book animal. It must have sufficient substance to prevent its lying flat like a setter's, and yet must not stand out like a collie's mane or frill. The head coat is softer and entirely covers the outline of skull and fore face, giving a bulky appearance to the head. The legs are also well coated all around, adding to their appearance of girth. There is a great desire for what bob-tail fanciers call pigeon blue, either as the main colour, with white about the face, legs and neck, or white with this blue in patches on the body. Pigeons vary too much in shades of blue for this name to be an unmistakable guide. All know what a grizzle is, and grizzle is one of the accepted colours. In place of black mixed with gray or white hairs, which makes the grizzle, the mixture is a shade of the blue of the Maltese cat shot with gray or white hairs, brighten- ing up the colour and at the same time preserving the blue tone. Black and white is an accepted colour; in fact the only objection is to brown or collie sable. The boom year in bob-tails was 1903, when seven classes were opened at the New York Show and fifty-six entries were received, among them being a number brought over by young Mr. Tilley, of Tilley Brothers. It was a field day for this kennel, every first prize but one, which Mr. Howard Gould won, going to the Tilley dogs. Their best dog was Merry Boy and the best bitch Bouncing Lass. Another good dog in this lot was Stylish Boy, which beat everything but Merry Boy and Mrs. G. S. Thomas's Wilberforce. He was not sold, although Mr. Harding Davis got so far as asking us to go and buy the dog, as Mrs. Davis wanted a good one. The lady heard the conversation, however, and vetoed the commission. The dog went back to England with other unsold ones, but was again imported before the next New York Show by Messrs. Frohman and Dilling- ham at a price very much in advance of what Mr. Davis could have got him for. In 1904 he was again defeated, but this year under Mr. Mayhew won in winners, defeating Bilton Bob, who was placed ahead of him in 1904. Bouncing Lass, the best bitch in the Tilley string of 1903, also returned with Stylish Boy, and she was again the winner in her winners' class last year at the New York Show. The number of entries have not been so large in 1904 and this year as in 1903, but in that respect the falling off has not shown lack of interest so much as in the smaller number of persons interested, the number of exhibitors being somewhat reduced. In addition to Messrs. Frohman and Dillingham the principal sup- The Bob-Tailed Sheep Dog 385 porters of the breed are Mr. and Mrs. Eustis, who showed four dogs at New York last year and again this year. Their best dog is still Bilton Bob, and they have a champion in Lady Stumpie. Another very good dog is Captain Roughweather, a son of the English champion Roughweather, but the best dog now before the public is Mrs. George S. Thomas's Wilberforce, who has been very successful, not only in his classes but in winning specials, and has been kept in excellent condition at all times, which cannot be said of a good many of his competitors. Thus far the American-bred dogs have not been a success, but we have not got the material yet to produce with certainty, for that takes time to evolve. At the New York Show this year three were entered, but of these we are inclined to think one was bred in England and another was entered as of unknown parentage, breeder and date of birth unknown, so it is an open question whether that one was a native. The future of the breed depends very much upon what those interested in it will do during the next year, for it wants pushing to keep it going and secure new supporters. Having already described the salient features of the bob-tail, we now give the description and scale of points adopted by the English Club. Descriptive Particulars Skull. — Capacious and rather squarely formed, giving plenty of room for brain power. The parts over the eyes should be well arched and the whole well covered with hair. Jaw. — Fairly long, strong, square and truncated; the stop should be defined to avoid a deerhound face. [The attention of judges is particularly called to the above properties, as a long, narrow head is a deformity.] Eyes. — Vary according to the colour of the dog, but in the glaucous or blue dogs a pearl, wall or china eye is considered typical. Nose. — Always black, large and capacious. Teeth.—Sitrong and large, evenly placed, and level in opposition. Ears. — Small and carried flat to the side of the head, coated moderately. Legs. — The fore legs should be dead straight, with plenty of bone, removing the body a medium height from the ground, without approaching legginess; well coated all round. 386 The Dog Book Pggt. — Small, round, toes well arched and pads thick and hard. Tail. — Puppies requiring docking must have an appendage left of from ij to 2 inches, and the operation performed when not older than four days. Neck and Shoulders. — The neck should be fairly long, arched grace- fully and well coated with hair; the shoulders sloping and narrow at the points, the dog standing lower at the shoulder than at the loin. Body. — Rather short and very compact, ribs well sprung and brisket deep and capacious. The loin should be very stout and gently arched, while the hindquarters should be round and muscular, with well let down hocks, and the hams densely coated with a long jacket in excess of any other part. Coflf.— Profuse and of good, hard texture; not straight, but shaggy and free from curl. The under coat should be a waterproof pile, when not removed by grooming or season. Colour. — Any shade of gray, grizzle, blue or blue merle, with or without white markings, or in reverse; any shade of brown or sable is considered distinctly objectionable and not to be encouraged. Height. — ^Twenty-two inches and upward for dogs, slightly less for bitches. General Appearance. — A strong, compact-looking dog of great sym- metry, absolutely free of legginess or weaselness, profusely coated all over; very elastic in his gallop, but in walking or trotting he has a characteristic ambling or pacing movement, and his bark should be loud, with a peculiar pot casse ring in it. Taking him all round, he is a thick-set, muscular, able-bodied dog, with a most intelligent expression, free of all poodle or deerhound character. Scale of Points Head 5 Neck and shoulders lO Jaw 10 Legs and feet lo Nose 5 Body, loin hindquarters . . 20 Teeth 5 Coat 15 Eye 5 Colour 10 Ears 5 ■ Total 100 Webster Family Library of Veterinary IVIedicine • CumminQs School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University 200 Westboro Road North Gr.ittnn, ^m