Dogs and All about Them Part 23

Whereas the Scottish Club limits the approved length of coat to 5-1/2 inches, the English Club gives a maximum of 9 inches. This is a fairly good allowance, but many of the breed carry a much longer coat than this. It is not uncommon, indeed, to find a Skye with a covering of 12 inches in length, which, even allowing for the round of the body, causes the hair to reach and often to trail upon the ground.

The Clydesdale may be described as an anomaly. He stands as it were upon a pedestal of his own; and unlike other Scotch terriers he is cla.s.sified as non-sporting. Perhaps his marvellously fine and silky coat precludes him from the rough work of hunting after vermin, though it is certain his game-like instincts would naturally lead him to do so. Of all the Scottish dogs he is perhaps the smallest; his weight seldom exceeding 18 lb. He is thus described by the Skye Terrier Club of Scotland:--

GENERAL APPEARANCE--A long, low, level dog, with heavily fringed erect ears, and a long coat like the finest silk or spun gla.s.s, which hangs quite straight and evenly down each side, from a parting extending from the nose to the root of the tail. HEAD--Fairly long, skull flat and very narrow between the ears, gradually widening towards the eyes and tapering very slightly to the nose, which must be black. The jaws strong and the teeth level. EYES--Medium in size, dark in colour, not prominent, but having a sharp, terrier-like expression, eyelids black.

EARS--Small, set very high on the top of the head, carried perfectly erect, and covered with long silky hair, hanging in a heavy fringe down the sides of the head. BODY--Long, deep in chest, well ribbed up, the back being perfectly level. TAIL--Perfectly straight, carried almost level with the back, and heavily feathered. LEGS--As short and straight as possible, well set under the body, and entirely covered with silky hair. Feet round and cat-like. COAT--As long and straight as possible, free from all trace of curl or waviness, very glossy and silky in texture, with an entire absence of undercoat. COLOUR--A level, bright steel blue, extending from the back of the head to the root of the tail, and on no account intermingled with any fawn, light or dark hairs. The head, legs, and feet should be a clear, bright, golden tan, free from grey, sooty, or dark hairs. The tail should be very dark blue or black.

The Clydesdale Terrier is rare, at any rate as regards the show bench; there are never more than two or three at most exhibited south of the Tweed, even when cla.s.ses are provided at the big shows and champions.h.i.+ps offered, thus indicating that the breed is not a popular one; and amongst those kennels who do show there exists at the present time but one dog who can lay claim to the t.i.tle of champion; this unique specimen is the property of Sir Claud Alexander, Bart., of Ballochmyle, and is known under the name of Wee Wattie. There are of course several fanciers in Scotland, among whom may be mentioned Mr.

G. Shaw, of Glasgow, who is the owner of several fine examples of the breed, including beautiful San Toy and the equally beautiful Mozart.

As with the Skye Terrier, it seems a matter of difficulty to produce a perfect Clydesdale, and until the breed is taken up with more energy it is improbable that first cla.s.s dogs will make an appearance in the show ring. A perfect Clydesdale should figure as one of the most elegant of the terrier breed; his lovely silken coat, the golden brown hue of his face fringe, paws and legs, his well p.r.i.c.ked and feathery ear, and his generally smart appearance should combine to form a picture exciting general admiration.

CHAPTER XLII

THE YORKs.h.i.+RE TERRIER

The most devout lover of this charming and beautiful terrier would fail if he were to attempt to claim for him the distinction of descent from antiquity. Bradford, and not Babylon, was his earliest home, and he must be candidly acknowledged to be a very modern manufactured variety of the dog. Yet it is important to remember that it was in Yorks.h.i.+re that he was made--Yorks.h.i.+re, where live the cleverest breeders of dogs that the world has known.

One can roughly reconst.i.tute the process. What the Yorks.h.i.+remen desired to make for themselves was a pigmy, p.r.i.c.k-eared terrier with a long, silky, silvery grey and tan coat. They already possessed the foundation in the old English Black and Tan wire-haired Terrier. To lengthen the coat of this working breed they might very well have had recourse to a cross with the p.r.i.c.k-eared Skye, and to eliminate the wiry texture of the hair a further cross with the Maltese dog would impart softness and silkiness without reducing the length. Again, a cross with the Clydesdale, which was then a.s.suming a fixed type, would bring the variety yet nearer to the ideal, and a return to the black and tan would tend to conserve the desired colour. In all probability the Dandie Dinmont had some share in the process. Evidence of origin is often to be found more distinctly in puppies than in the mature dog, and it is to be noted that the puppies of both the Dandie and the Yorks.h.i.+re are born with decided black and tan colouring.

The original broken-haired Yorks.h.i.+re Terrier of thirty years ago was often called a Scottish Terrier, or even a Skye, and there are many persons who still confound him with the Clydesdale, whom he somewhat closely resembles. At the present time he is cla.s.sified as a toy dog and exhibited almost solely as such. It is to be regretted that until very lately the terrier character was being gradually bred out of him, and that the perkiness, the exuberance and gameness which once distinguished him as the companion of the Yorks.h.i.+re operative, was in danger of being sacrificed to the desire for diminutive size and inordinate length of coat.

Perhaps it would be an error to blame the breeders of Yorks.h.i.+re Terriers for this departure from the original type as it appeared, say, about 1870. It is necessary to take into consideration the probability that what is now called the old-fas.h.i.+oned working variety was never regarded by the Yorks.h.i.+remen who made him as a complete and finished achievement. It was possibly their idea at the very beginning to produce just such a diminutive dog as is now to be seen in its perfection at exhibitions, glorying in its flowing tresses of steel blue silk and ruddy gold; and one must give them full credit for the patience and care with which during the past forty years they have been steadily working to the fixed design of producing a dwarfed breed which should excel all other breeds in the length and silkiness of its robe. The extreme of cultivation in this particular quality was reached some years ago by Mrs. Troughear, whose little dog Conqueror, weighing 5-1/2 lb., had a beautiful enveloping mantle of the uniform length of four-and-twenty inches.

Doubtless all successful breeders and exhibitors of the Yorks.h.i.+re Terrier have their little secrets and their peculiar methods of inducing the growth of hair. They regulate the diet with extreme particularity, keeping the dog lean rather than fat, and giving him nothing that they would not themselves eat. Bread, mixed with green vegetables, a little meat and gravy, or fresh fish, varied with milk puddings and Spratt's "Toy Pet" biscuits, should be the staple food.

Bones ought not to be given, as the act of gnawing them is apt to mar the beard and moustache. For the same reason it is well when possible to serve the food from the fingers. But many owners use a sort of mask or hood of elastic material which they tie over the dog's head at meal-times to hold back the long face-fall and whiskers, that would otherwise be smeared and sullied. Similarly as a protection for the coat, when there is any skin irritation and an inclination to scratch, linen or cotton stockings are worn upon the hind feet.

Many exhibitors pretend that they use no dressing, or very little, and this only occasionally, for the jackets of their Yorks.h.i.+re Terriers; but it is quite certain that continuous use of grease of some sort is not only advisable but even necessary. Opinions differ as to which is the best cosmetic, but Hairmero, the dressing prepared for the purpose by Miss D. Wilmer, of Yoxford, Suffolk, could not easily be improved upon for this or any other long-coated breed.

For the full display of their beauty, Yorks.h.i.+re Terriers depend very much upon careful grooming. It is only by grooming that the silvery cascade of hair down the dog's sides and the beautiful tan face-fall that flows like a rain of gold from his head can be kept perfectly straight and free from curl or wrinkle; and no grease or pomade, even if their use were officially permitted, could impart to the coat the glistening sheen that is given by the dexterous application of the brush. The gentle art of grooming is not to be taught by theory.

Practice is the best teacher. But the novice may learn much by observing the deft methods employed by an expert exhibitor.

Mr. Peter Eden, of Manchester, is generally credited with being the actual inventor of the Yorks.h.i.+re Terrier. He was certainly one of the earliest breeders and owners, and his celebrated Albert was only one of the many admirable specimens with which he convinced the public of the charms of this variety of dog. He may have given the breed its first impulse, but Mrs. M. A. Foster, of Bradford, was for many years the head and centre of all that pertained to the Yorks.h.i.+re Terrier, and it was undoubtedly she who raised the variety to its highest point of perfection. Her dogs were invariably good in type. She never exhibited a bad one, and her Huddersfield Ben, Toy Smart, Bright, Sandy, Ted, Bradford Hero, Bradford Marie, and Bradford Queen--the last being a b.i.t.c.h weighing only 24 oz.--are remembered for their uniform excellence. Of more recent examples that have approached perfection may be mentioned Mrs. Walton's Ashton King, Queen, and Bright, and her Mont Thabor d.u.c.h.ess. Mr. Mitch.e.l.l's Westbrook Fred has deservedly won many honours, and Mr. Firmstone's Grand Duke and Mynd Damaris, and Mrs. Sinclair's Mascus Superbus, stand high in the estimation of expert judges of the breed. Perhaps the most beautiful b.i.t.c.h ever shown was Waveless, the property of Mrs. R. Marshall, the owner of another admirable b.i.t.c.h in Little Picture. Mrs. W. Shaw's Ch.

Sneinton Amethyst is also an admirable specimen.

The standard of points laid down by the Yorks.h.i.+re Terrier Club is as follows:--

GENERAL APPEARANCE--That of a long-coated pet dog, the coat hanging quite straight and evenly down each side, a parting extending from the nose to the end of the tail. The animal should be very compact and neat, his carriage being very sprightly; bearing an air of importance.

Although the frame is hidden beneath a mantle of hair, the general outline should be such as to suggest the existence of a vigorous and well-proportioned body. HEAD--Should be rather small and flat, not too prominent or round in the skull; rather broad at the muzzle, with a perfectly black nose; the hair on the muzzle very long, which should be a rich, deep tan, not sooty or grey. Under the chin, long hair, about the same colour as on the crown of the head, which should be a bright, golden tan, and not on any account intermingled with dark or sooty hairs. Hairs on the sides of the head should be very long, of a few shades deeper tan than that on the top of the head, especially about the ear-roots. EYES--Medium in size, dark in colour, having a sharp, intelligent expression, and placed so as to look directly forward. They should not be prominent. The edges of the eyelids should be dark. EARS--Small, V-shaped, and carried semi-erect, covered with short hair; colour to be a deep rich tan. MOUTH--Good even mouth; teeth as sound as possible. A dog having lost a tooth or two, through accident or otherwise, is not to disqualify, providing the jaws are even. BODY--Very compact, with a good loin, and level on the top of the back. COAT--The hair, as long and as straight as possible (not wavy), should be glossy, like silk (not woolly), extending from the back of the head to the root of the tail; colour, a bright steel blue, and on no account intermingled with fawn, light or dark hairs. All tan should be darker at the roots than at the middle of the hairs, shading off to a still lighter tan at the tips. LEGS--Quite straight, should be of a bright golden tan, well covered with hair, a few shades lighter at the end than at the roots. FEET--As round as possible; toe-nails black. TAIL--Cut to medium length; with plenty of hair, darker blue than the rest of the body, especially at the end of the tail, which is carried slightly higher than the level of the back.

WEIGHT--Divided into two cla.s.ses; under 5 lb. and over 5 lb. to 12 lb.

CHAPTER XLIII

THE POMERANIAN

Long before the Pomeranian dog was common in Great Britain, this breed was to be met with in many parts of Europe, especially in Germany; and he was known under different names, according to his size and the locality in which he flourished. The t.i.tle of Pomeranian is not admitted by the Germans at all, who claim this as one of their national breeds, and give it the general name of the German Spitz.

At Athens, in the Street of Tombs, there is a representation of a little Spitz leaping up to the daughter of a family as she is taking leave of them, which bears the date equivalent to 56 B.C., and in the British Museum there is an ancient bronze jar of Greek workmans.h.i.+p, upon which is engraved a group of winged horses at whose feet there is a small dog of undoubted Pomeranian type. The date is the second century, B.C.

It is now generally accepted that, wherever our Pomeranian originated, he is a Northern or Arctic breed. Evidence goes to show that his native land in prehistoric times was the land of the Samoyedes, in the north of Siberia, along the sh.o.r.es of the Arctic Ocean. The Samoyede dog is being gradually introduced into England, and good specimens can be frequently seen at the princ.i.p.al shows. The similarity between our large white Pomeranian and the Samoyede is too great to be accidental.

And we are drawn to the conclusion that in prehistoric times a migration of the Samoyedes was made from their native land into Pomerania, the most eastern province of Prussia bordering on the Baltic Sea, and that these people took with them their dogs, which were the progenitors of the present race of Pomeranian or Spitz.

But in any case the Pomeranian dog, so called, has been a native of various parts of Europe from very early times. His advent into England has been of comparatively recent date, at least in any great numbers, so far as can be ascertained, since no ancient records exist on this question. Gainsborough, however, painted the famous actress, Mrs.

Robinson, with a large white Pomeranian sitting by her side.

In Rees' _Encyclopedia_, published in 1816, a good picture of a white Pomeranian is given with a fairly truthful description. In this work he is said to be "larger than the common sheep dog." Rees gives his name as _Canis Pomeranius_, from Linnaeus, and _Chien Loup_, from Buffon. From these examples, therefore, we may infer that the large Pomeranian, or Wolf Spitz, was already known in England towards the end of the eighteenth century at least. There are, however, no systematic registers of Pomeranians prior to the year 1870.

Even ten years later than this last date, so little was the breed appreciated that a well-known writer on dogs began an article on the Pomeranian with the words "The Pomeranian is admittedly one of the least interesting dogs in existence, and consequently his supporters are few and far between."

The founders of the Kennel Club held their first dog show in 1870, and in that year only three Pomeranians were exhibited. For the next twenty years little or no permanent increase occurred in the numbers of Pomeranians entered at the chief dog show in England. The largest entry took place in 1881, when there were fifteen; but in 1890 there was not a single Pomeranian shown. From this time, however, the numbers rapidly increased. Commencing in 1891 with fourteen, increasing in 1901 to sixty, it culminated in 1905 with the record number of one hundred and twenty-five. Such a rapid advance between the years 1890 and 1905 is unprecedented in the history of dog shows, although it is right to add that this extraordinarily rapid rise into popularity has since been equalled in the case of the now fas.h.i.+onable Pekinese.

This tendency to advancement in public favour was contemporaneous with the formation of the Pomeranian Club of England, which was founded in 1891, and through its fostering care the Pomeranian has reached a height of popularity far in advance of that attained by any other breed of toy dog. One of the first acts of the club was to draw up a standard of points as follows:--

APPEARANCE--The Pomeranian should be a compact, short coupled dog, well knit in frame. He should exhibit great intelligence in his expression, and activity and buoyancy in his deportment. HEAD AND NOSE--Should be foxy in outline or wedge-shaped, the skull being slightly flat, large in proportion to the muzzle, which should finish rather fine and free from lippiness. The teeth should be level, and should on no account be undershot. The hair on the head and face should be smooth and short-coated. The nose should be black in white, orange and sable dogs; but in other colours may be self, but never parti-colour or white. EARS--Should be small, not set too far apart, nor too low down, but carried perfectly erect like those of a fox, and, like the head, should be covered with short, soft hair.

EYES--Should be medium in size, not full, nor set too wide apart, bright and dark in colour, showing great intelligence; in white, shaded sable, or orange dogs the rims round the eyes should be black.

NECK AND BODY--The neck should be rather short, well set in. The back must be short and the body compact, being well ribbed up and the barrel well rounded. The chest must be fairly deep and not too wide, but in proportion to the size of the dog. LEGS--The fore-legs must be well feathered, perfectly straight, of medium length, and not such as would be termed "leggy" or "low" on leg, but in due proportion in length and strength to a well-balanced frame. Must be fine in bone and free in action. The hind-legs and thighs must be well feathered, neither contracted nor wide behind; the feet small and compact in shape. Shoulders should be clean, and well laid back. TAIL--The tail is one of the characteristics of the breed, and should be turned over the back and carried flat and straight, being profusely covered with long, harsh, spreading hair. COAT--There should be two coats, an undercoat and an overcoat; the one a soft fluffy undercoat, the other a long, perfectly straight coat, harsh in texture, covering the whole of the body, being very abundant round the neck and fore part of the shoulders and chest where it should form a frill of profuse standing off straight hair, extending over the shoulders. The hind-quarters should be clad with long hair or feathering, from the top of the rump to the hock. COLOUR--All whole colours are admissible, but they should be free from white or shadings, and the whites must be quite free from lemon or any other colour. A few white hairs in any of the self colours shall not necessarily disqualify. At present the whole coloured dogs are:--White, black, brown (light or dark), blue (as pale as possible), orange (which should be as deep and even in colour as possible), beaver, or cream. Dogs, other than white, with white foot or feet, leg or legs, are decidedly objectionable and should be discouraged, and cannot compete as whole coloured specimens. In parti-coloured dogs the colours should be evenly distributed on the body in patches; a dog with white or tan feet or chest would not be a parti-colour. Shaded sables should be shaded throughout with three or more colours, the hairs to be as "uniformly shaded" as possible, with no patches of self colour. In mixed cla.s.ses where whole coloured and parti-coloured Pomeranians compete together, the preference should, if in other points they are equal, be given to the whole coloured specimens. Where cla.s.sification is not by colours the following is recommended for adoption by show committees:--1. Not exceeding 7 lb.

(Pomeranian Miniatures). 2. Exceeding 7 lb. (Pomeranians). 3.

Pomeranians and Pomeranian Miniatures mixed.

The early type of a Pomeranian was that of a dog varying from 10 lb.

or 12 lb. weight up to 20 lb. weight, or even more, and some few of about 12 lb. and over are still to be met with; but the tendency among present-day breeders is to get them as small as possible, so that diminutive specimens weighing less than 5 lb. are now quite common, and always fetch higher prices than the heavier ones. The dividing weight, as arranged some ten years ago by the Pomeranian Club, is 8 lb., and the Kennel Club has recently divided the breed into two cla.s.ses of Pomeranians and Pomeranians Miniature.

As a rule the white specimens adhere more nearly to the primitive type, and are generally over 8 lb. in weight, but through the exertions of many breeders, several are now to be seen under this limit.

The princ.i.p.al breeders of this colour in England to-day are Miss Hamilton of Rozelle, Miss Ch.e.l.l, Miss Lee-Roberts, Mrs. Pope, and Mrs.

Goodall-Copestake. The first two whites to become full champions under Kennel Club rules were Rob of Rozelle and Konig of Rozelle, both belonging to Miss Hamilton of Rozelle.

More black Pomeranians have been bred in England than of any other colour, and during the last fifteen years the number of good specimens that have appeared at our great exhibitions has been legion. There do not seem to be so many really good ones to-day as heretofore; this is explained, perhaps, by the fact that other colours are now receiving more and more attention from breeders. A typical small black of to-day is Billie Tee, the property of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Mappin. He scales only 5-1/2 lb., and is therefore, as to size and weight as well as shape, style, and smartness of action, a good type of a toy Pomeranian.

He was bred by Mrs. Cates, and is the winner of over fifty prizes and many specials. To enumerate all the first-cla.s.s blacks during the last thirty years would be impossible, but those which stand out first and foremost have been Black Boy, King Pippin, Kaffir Boy, Bayswater Swell, Kensington King, Marland King, Black Prince, Hatcham Nip, Walkley Queenie, Viva, Gateacre Zulu, Glympton King Edward, and Billie Tee.