THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 4029, 2 June 1931, Page 30

THE KENNEL.

By Teuhob. Fanciers anj breeders of 'doge aro cordially invited to contribute to thia column. “Terror" will endeavour to make thia department as intercßting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this he must have the cooperation of his readers, hence ha trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to. " Bay.”—lf you groom the coat regularly and frequently with comb and brush your dog will not be much troubled with fleas. A good method of destroying them is to sponge the coat thoroughly with a strong solution of quassia. Comb the hair back so that the solution reaches the skin. “ Sport,” Queenstown. — Brown and black curly-coated retrievers should be the same —excepting only colour. The coat should be a mass of short, crisp curls from the occiput bone to the point of the tail. A saddle back or uncurled hair behind shoulders is not desirable, and is penalised in the show ring. Good black and brown retrievers arc very seldom seen on the show benches now. Mr Ward, of Invercargill, Mr Jowett, and Mr Barnard, of Dunedin, showed years ago tip-top specimens. Mr Barnard's imported C.B. Nell was specially admired. The Russian and golden retrievers arc one and the same dog. The coat must be flat or wavy. There are several of these dogs in the North Island. Mr B. Mason, Dunedin, has mated bis coloured cocker bitch to Mi- L. 11. Smyth’s imported Church Leigh Stormboy. Mrs W. Bain, South Dunedin, has mated her two pom bitches, Waitangi Desert Girl and Eberley Suble Midge, to her stud dog Waitangi Goldie. Mrs G. Allan’s pom bitch has visited Waitangi Goldie. The Royal Agricultural Show, Melbourne, has engaged Mr J. IV. Marples to judge the dog sections at this year’s show. Mr Marples is recognised as one of the best all-round judges in England, and showmen in Victoria will be pleased with the Victorian Poultry and Kennel Clubs for inducing the Royal Agricultural Show authorities to make this appointment. “ What sort of dog was it ? ” asked the magistrate of the county inspector in the' course of the prosecution at New Plymouth of a Native for failing to register a dog. “Well, I don’t know; I wouldn’t like to say what breed is was. I think it was just an ordinary mongrel. In fact, the owner said he was like me, because he. never did any work.” Terriers at the Joint Terrier Club’s last show were estimated to be worth a quarter of a million pounds. Such figures are out of the question in New Zealand, not because the animals are not of right quality, but because we have not the fanciers with the money.

Seventy-four breeds are now registered by the English Kennel Club, and a number are on the waiting list. The following extracts from a report by Our Dogs (England) of the proceedings of the English Kennel Club’s annual meeting in March last are of general interest:—ln 1923, and again in 1926, we published an article dealing with the question — frequently a controversial matter —as to who is entitled to be described. as the “ breeder ” when a dog is registered. Disputes on this point still crop up with regularity, and it would therefore seem time that the information was repeated. According to Kennel Club rules, the breeder is the owner of the dam at the time 'of whelping, unless a

registration varying this definition has been effected under the regulations for loan or use of bitch for breeding purposes. Unless, therefore, the loan of a bitch has been registered at the Kennel Club (when the two parties can agree mutually as to which of them is to be the breeder), it is of importance to be sure who is the “ owner.” On this point we published a paragraph drafted by our legal adviser in 1926, which included the following very important information:— “ The essential feature to be considered is that of the ‘ ownership of the property ’ —viz., the bitch. And the ownership of the bitch changes hands on completion of the contract to sell, or to give away, the bitch. This contract may be verbal, and may consist simply of Mr A verbally offering the bitch on certain terms, with Mr B verbally accepting the offer. But, whether verbal or in writing, when Mr A has offered to part with the bitch on certain terms, and Mr B has agreed to accept her on those terms, the bitch becomes the property of Mr B, even though it may be months before he completes payment. For dogs, like other goods, can change ownership on credit.” First and foremost, therefore, dogs should not be sold on credit unless the seller knows and has confidence in buyer. But if the seller does give credit, and does not get paid, the remedy is to sue for payment in the ordinary civil courts. Meantime, the buyer is legally the owner —even though he has not paid the bill—and therefore breeder of any puppies born. Respecting this question, “ Who is the breeder? ” the Rev. Rosslyn Bruce makes some very pertinent remarks. He says:— “ The official * breeder ’ is ‘ the owner of the dam at the time of whelping,’ except in cases of registered loans. Good enough! In that sense, every animal has a breeder, even the uncared-for mongrel, whose parents met by misadventure in some public place, when their actions, were completely uncontrolled by human interference. But. correctly speaking, such dogs are no more bred by anybody than the rabbits in the park, or the rooks in the rookery are bred by the owner of the land or of the trees. Now this is all palpablj - obvious; but a further truth on the same lines also needs stating, though it will not receive such unanimous agreement. From an exact point of view, more than half of our show terriers are not bred by anyone at all! For instance, it can hardly be called ‘ breeding ’ terriers, with any accuracy: (1) To put all available bitches to one’s own best dog, whatever happens; (2) to send tbe best bitch to the nearest available champion; (3) to send her to the best advertised local dog: (4) to use the cheapest available sire; (5) to see a winner at show, and to send her to him at all costs. By all these methods, good ones, even champions have probably been born, but for practical purposes no one can really be said to have bred them! Unless, with brain active and thinking cap adjusted, the bitch’s owner has adopted a method of mating after careful and thorough consideration, he is only a sort of ‘ official ’ breeder. To ‘ breed ’ a terrier it is really necessary to know both the parents, and to weigh their relative merits and shortcomings, to know something of their forbears, not the immediate ones only, but especially the sire’s sire, and his sire’s sire again; and the dam’s dam, and her dam’s dam again; for here you hav e the tails males and female. Now, only a very few breeders indeed can have the good fortune to see the originators of their stock even so far back as that; so that the majority, uness they have the advice of those whose judgment they can trust, have very largely to rely upon chance, and by chance therefore a large percentage of breeders proluce their terriers; and yet clearly the smaller the element of chance the greater he hope of success.

No pleasure grows, where Is no trouble taken, _ _ In short, sir, study what you most affect.

" There is a succession of critical moments in the pre-natal and subsequent career of any puppy, and the true breeder is exercising his intellect at each point: the choice of a family, from which to breed; the choice of an individual dam of that family; the selection of a line, from which to choose her sire, the selection of the actual sire; the method of treatment of the dam before mating, her freedom from parasites, her proper proportion of flesh food; her care during gestation, adequate exercise, fresh air, shelter from sun, and a constant supply of fresh water; the care of the new-born babies in adequate warmth (for they come from a warm place), their wise weaning, and subsequent care in teething and other transition times: there are, indeed, great vistas of wisdom and intelligence between breeding a puppy officially and breeding him properly.” MAKING PUPPIES HEALTHY DOGS. By John England. In company with most young “ things,” the future wellbeing of a puppy is almost entirely dependent on the treatment and care given it in puppyhood days. Most puppies leave the “ cosiness ” of their mothers’ breasts at about six to eight weeks old. What a shock it must be for these little “ four-legged bundles of life ” suddenly to find themselves in unknown surroundings, and to be handled and petted by strange folk. More often than not, also, they have their delicate little “ insides ” stuffed with a heap of unknown foodstuffs,’which in due course they grow to love. Without doubt it is in the lastnamed direction that the seeds of numerous complaints and ailments are sown. Puppies are greedy little beggars, and will eat almost anything and enjoy it. That does not mean to say that everything thev enjoy is good for them! It is unwise, therefore, to pander to an appetite which is born merely for the sake of eating. The utmost care must be exercised in the feeding of both adult dogs and puppies. Where puppies are concerned, three or four regular feeds per diem are essential. The first and third should be “ dry,” and consist of puppy biscuit broken into tiny pieces; the second and fourth, an appetising “ mash ” made by thoroughly soaking broken biscuit in hot gravy or soup. As long as biscuit in one form or another is included in the dietary, the building of a puppy into a strong healthy dog need not be feared. When the puppy grows a little older and his teeth stronger, he may be given a whole puppy biscuit, so that he is com pelled to gnaw at it, thereby strengthening his teeth, jaws, and digestive organs. A large meaty bone now and then is likewise very beneficial, care being taken that small splintery bones are never given, the swallowing of which may easily be the cause of death.

Correct feeding is not everything, although important in tbe curriculum of a puppy’s daily life. He must be disciplined in habits of cleanliness and obedience. Don’t blame the “ youngster ” for unintentional misdeeds. Quite possibly it is your fault for not taking him outside now and then. Obedience is quickly forthcoming if kindly methods are adopted. Words of command should be standardised. Puppies are wonderfully intelligent, and in a week or so readily grasp what is expected of them, answering to their name and so on. Impatience is fatal if rapid brain development is to be strongly in evidence. Every dog and puppy should be provided with its own resting place—box, kennel, or basket, as the case may be, and let it- be spotlessly clean, roomy, and dry Brush and comb him daily. This will serve the effect of keeping the coat and skin both bright and clean, and making the growing puppy proud of its appearance Last, but not least, exercise. Puppies require plenty of sleep, but daily exercise in some shape or form is equally essential. A walk up and down the road on a lead, a run round the garden, or a gambol on the floor arc among many other ways of educating a puppy to use its legs and obey orders. A puppy is a great little fellow, and the greater the interest taken in its training the greater will be the reward.