THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 35

THE KENNEL.

Br Tebboe.

F»ncier§ anJ br«den of dogs sre.j»riSi»Ux, intlud to «on tribute items to tUis column. "Terror' will endeavour to malt bit department n. Interesting »nd up to date as possible, but )i order to do this lie must liaie the co-operation of hH reader! htnoe he trims thn inxtutiou Kill lie cbeerlulljr rc»|.onded to. — A famous pointer, Mr W. S. Wood ward's champion, Brummy Prince, diec lately at North Botany. This, dog won n< fewer than 22 championships, and he sirec many good ones. Among his descendant: may be mentioned Brummy Prinoe Bosker Lord Nelson, Speoial, Urlar Dow, Bush Prince, and Brummy Princess. Brammj Piunce was a son of Brush Champion and Lively Lady, both imported, and was bred by Mr C. H. Gorrick. — The first mastiff bitch. Junction Princess, bred in New South Wales, died recently. She was a daughter of Ohampiofl Hazeldene Noble, and in her time won many prizes. —Mv J. W. Thomson's smooth fox terrier Waingawa Wix ha-s whelped a fine litter of six pups, sexes equally divided. These are by the well-known stud dog Champion Glendon Major, so that from the breedinjr there should" be some coming champions. — The same owner's well-known bitch Wakari Pride has also whelped a great litter of seven pups to Double First (imp.). From the foregoing Mr Thomson evidently means to keep the fancy from the South well to the front. —Mr Webster's wire-haired fox terrier bitch Gartmoor Tatters has whelped a litter of pup-s — six dogs. This is a performance very seldom heard of. They are by Mr Thomson's smooth fox terrier Champion Glendon Major, and as Tatters is by Champion Northfield Tip-top, there should be something above the ordinary from the crossing of these two great strains. — The question has been asked : "Whaf is the ordinary distance a hare covers in her stride?" The answer cannot be given without a qualification ; so much depends on circumstances. When racing for her life she will often cover sft, or even more; but when jogging along without fear of being molested 3ft is nearer the mark. These estimates can easily be proved when the ground is covered with snow an inch or two deep. As to how far a hare can jump there can '»c no really safe statement, so variable are their antics, but those who, in their youthful days, thought nothing so enjoyable as tracking a hare to her lair through the snow, and 'had been taught how to do it without fear of failure, can vouch for the fact that puss invaribly takes an extremely long leap before settling down in her hiding--plaee — sometimes from 25ft to 28ft. , _ —Mr Gilbert Clark the American bulldog fancier, in toasting the "London Bulldog Society" recently, when 'on "a visit to England said : "The reason that I have come to England; is to learn about bulldogs and what is the correct type. In Am-erica we have great divergencies of opinion, and consequently dogs have very many ups and downs in the show ring. A dog high on the leg is low down one day and un oh the top another ; and so it is with other points. I ha.ye seen many bulldojs during my short stay, and I am jonvineed you have the finest dogs in England.—(Loud eheere.) The bu^dog world in America, hold the English nation as the best experts of the breed — (continued cheers) — and our hearts go out to you, for you are our own people. — {Prolonged cheers.) To-night I have seen the social side of your Bulldog Society, and the harmony and great feeling that exist among you. I shall not forget this happy evening, and on my return I shall narrate how things are done on this side, and try to introduce similar social gatherings." He also alluded to the generous and disinterested help he had received from all bulldog men he had come in. contact with in England, and took the opportunity of thanking them and drinking to the future prosperity of the society. ,—, — One of the secrets of success in the >reeding of dogs is to make sure of the I foundation of the kennel. Blue blood in brood bitches is of much more importance j for the stud than good looks or exhibition j merit. Some of the best specimens on the ' show bench, of several breeds, were bred j from the most indifferent-looking bitches, i who would not be worth a "highly com- ■ mended" in ordinary competition. In this way the ladder of fame in the show ring , is almost as easy of access to the working man and amateur of modest means as to ] the millionaire. The latter, of course, has j the advantage of being able to take the , shortest cut, by his long purse putting him in possession of the best right off the reel;, but the humble fancier, by care and per-* severance, will get there just the some, and at very little cost, if it takes him longer to. do it. There is, moreover, very -much honour and credit attaching to a fancier who breeds his winners than to the man who buys' them, and infinitely more pleasure and generally more profit in the process. Beginners in the fancy generally have jnai iced tastes ' for certain breeds, but they should, if they wish to be successful, either ' as breeders or exhibitors, endeavour to re- i gulate th«ir fancy, not only in arvordance j with their purse, but premises. Big dogs J to do well require a lot of room, are much < more costly to keep, and many of the i breeds not nearly so profitable as some of ' the smaller varieties. Some breeds aghin are hardier ihan others, and some much more popular, and therefore likely to be more rfmunerative to keep. These mone- > tary considerations do not always enter into thp calculations of a fancier of wealth, but it is an important matter to many, the costliness of keeping dogs having' oftan driven some o f the most promising recruits to the fancy right out of it. If a hobby can be , made to pay its way. it i*. much more likolv to bp enduring, ard there is not, ' perhaps, in thaso days any other live stock pursuit which offers to both seves tlio same prospects "of sucres? and remuneration as the breeding and exhibition of prize dogs, and few the same fascination and enjoyment. This !»_ because Great Britain< is the market of the world in the matter of most i li\e-stock, and this breeding and fancying | faculty a national instinct. j — Tho -wa-v to make a -dojf look his best is to aim at keeping him in good condition by careful rlieiina. and particularly by re- „ gular exercise. Do not let dogs get idle and Jazy, -but keen them w<4l amused, so that they are always on the a'ert, with good anpetites. always ready for their rneHl= TJndev these conditions their health ! should always be good. It is most impor- > tant that a do? which is about to be ex- j hibitecl should hs frer from worms. These pesfs ghould be sought after a month or j six weeks before the show comes on, because, of course, the drastic treatment that j

has to be resorted to, will tend to reduce the dog in condition. Let him have two or three good dosings, so thai it is perfectly obvious that he is entirely free from them, _ .and then all that is needed afterwards is . an occasional mild aperient pill, just to ° keep the peats from getting a lodgment a^ajn. There is always a vertain amount of risk in sending a dog to a show, for he so often brings home different contagious - diseases. Distemper is often inhoduced 1 ' into a kennel of dogs through this very ) , agency. There is really no way of making I. a dog "proof against distemper." If once » j he has had it, in all probability he will not , ' have it again, but it is not impossible for a i dog to suffer from distemper twice. All ' that can be done is to sce'that the dog is I m perfect health when sent away, for, as I is well known, all disease j^rms require suitable ground, as it were, in which to de- ■ velop, and they are not so likely to de- - velop with a healthy dog as with one that tj is ailing. Of course, very stringent rules i are laid down at shows, and all dogs arc, I or shoA^d be, examined before ther are admitted ; this has done a great deal to- •- wards lessening the risk of contracting disease, but it is almost impossible to do > away with it entirely. 1 i