DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS

December 1914
DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS
December 1914

DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS

Winners at Recent Shows—A Word About Russian Shepherd Dogs, and the Return of the Bloodhound

AN interesting outturning of dogs of the miniature breeds was that in connection with the recent Dogs of Toyland show held here under the auspices of the Woodmere Kennel Club. One hundred and thirty dogs were entered and nothing bigger than a Boston terrier was made welcome. This was the seventh match of the Club and received much personal attention from its president, James E. Meade. A Pekingese dog carried off the honors for the best animal in the show. This was Fairfax Chin of Arden, the property of Mrs. Hunter of Pelham Manor, while reserve went to Mrs. George H. Pell's Boston terrier Wampage Toney's Beauty. In English toy spaniels, Mrs. H. Stockert scored a win with Lord Reggie. Earl of Carrington, shown by Richard W. Block, took the first in King Charles spaniels and Rosemary Sampawani, shown by Mrs. Mary C. Cook, first in Blenheims. The black Pomeranian honors were captured by the Swiss Mountain Kennel's Banner Flyaway Pan, who also took first in the winners' class.

Sidelights of the effect of the war on dogdom continue to break through the fog of uncertainty which overhangs the European situation. George S. Thomas of Boston, who recently returned from Europe with some ninety dogs of many breeds, chiefly terriers, says that he was offered two packs of fox hounds in England as a gift. All the horses of the various English hunts, according to Mr. Thomas, have been taken by the War Office and the mounts which are left are not fit to carry riders to fast hounds. For this reason many of the packs have been given away or killed.

the dispatches from the front filter in, the use of dogs in the war stricken countries as real aids in these troubled times becomes more and more apparent. The camera has made lasting record of Belgian dog teams used not only to draw up reserve supplies of ammunition but even to pull light guns right up to the firing line itself. In the huge evacuation of Belgium which followed the inrush of the Germans, especially in the region of Antwerp, dog teams played an important part not only in assisting the stricken populace to escape into neutral Holland or to transport such of their goods and chattels as they could hastily gather to gether to places of comparative safety, but in connection with ambulance work.

THE participation of Russia in the great conflict has called attention to a Russian breed little known in this country as yet. This is the Owtchar or shepherd dog of Russia, which in England has sometimes erroneously been called the Russian retriever or Russian poodle. The Owtchar is the largest of all shepherd dogs if one excepts the Pyraneau, a breed of which Mrs. Payne Whitney owns some examples, which is really rather a large watch dog than a true sheep herder. Several years ago some specimens of the Owtchar, purchased in Russia by Joseph B. Thomas, were benched here but there are few specimens of the breed here now. The breed is a very old one with long traditions of tending flock behind it. The dogs are big and roughly attractive, of strong constitution and possessing a loud voice. Powerfully built and very muscular, the Owtchar is prepared to withstand both the attacks of the fierce game animals which arc plentiful in his habitat in European Russia and the exceedingly rigorous climate. His coat is among the densest of dogdom, reaching enormous growth at full development, and shaggy and curly to the last degree. It affords him ample protection in the terrible cold and wind to which he was born. In disposition the breed is ideally suited to the guardianship of stock, for although the dogs are kindly and loyal to those they know they are ever ready to resent attack either of man or beast. The points of the dog are those of the rough and sturdy watchman. His head should be round and massive, more softly coated than the body, with a muzzle of medium length but not ferrety. The large eyes, dark brown in color, are often hidden by the coat. The nose is black and t he teeth strong and meeting evenly. The ears are round and hanging and provided with thick hair. The legs are straight and well muscled and the feet firm. The coat, dense and woolly, may be either slate colored, of a rusty white, or nearly black. The dog should stand from twenty-six to thirty-one inches at the shoulder and weigh about one hundred pounds. Dogs of this breed are to be seen here in connection with the Panama Pacific exhibition where a special effort is to be made to assemble the cattle and sheep dogs of all nations. This should be an exhibit of great interest to landowners and all those engaged in a pastoral life.

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SOME of the winners at the very successful dog show at Danbury, Connecticut, are shown in this number. One of them is the bloodhound, Champion Kiralfy. This excellent dog gives one reason to hope that more attention may be paid to this worthy breed in future. Time was when the bloodhound was the king of dogdom, esteemed above all others by monarchs and men of all ranks in life. He had many claims to this distinction. In him the qualities of the tracker's nose were probably developed to a greater extent than in any other breed of the canine tribe. The huge muzzle and mask still bear witness to the purpose for which this dog was developed; the hunting of men. Of course, to a very limited extent he is still used for this purpose, notably in the South where no story of escaped criminal and sheriff's posse is complete without its complement of "bloodhounds." But it is safe to say that in few of these cases reported in the newspapers are the dogs of a kind that would be recognized by any of the

great builders of the breed. Usually the pack turned loose to track the fleeing murderer to his lair in the mountains or the forest is nondescript enough, made up of a jumble of coon dogs, hounds of uncertain lineage and just dogs. Of course it is not advocated here that the sport of man hunting with hounds should be allowed to have a renaissance as a corollary to the reawakening of interest in the bloodhound. But that breed has enough fine traits quite aside from its ability to follow human scent, to make it well worth cultivation once more. Nothing is further from the fact that the bloodhound as a breed is fierce or bloodthirsty. The breed, in common with many of the larger dogs, is distinguished for its loyalty and gentleness in ordinary circumstances.

ANOTHER of the pictures from the Danbury show in this issue shows Quintard with two of his very successful wire haired fox terriers. This breed Mr. Quintard has made his own and the record of his wins in all kinds of company is a long one. At the show in question, Raby Dazzler, one of the dogs in our illustration, had a great contest for supremacy in the championship class with the Scottish terrier Champion Bapton Beryl. It was nip and tuck between them, the two judges, Charles Hopton of New York and Charles Lyndon of Toronto, holding respectively the fox and the Scottish terrier the better. Finally the referee, Andrew Albright, Jr., was called in and after giving the two dogs some handling he decided in favor of Mr. Quintard's entry, largely, as he said afterward, on the. wonderful condition of the coat on Dazzler's head. There was indeed little to choose between the two and it was an amusing instance of two competent judges each, believing that his favorite typified the breed it represented best. In th.e same show a winner in the beagle class was Wheatley Fencer whose picture appears in this issue, the entry of Mr. Whitney. Drewstone Pike, many times a winner in the bulldog classes, again carried off honors, while the upstanding and impressive Great Dane Sando was also victorious.

THE annual show of the Pekingese Club of America is to be held this year on November 30, at the Plaza. The judge will be Miss Lydia Hopkins of Sherwood Hall, Menlo Park, California. Miss Plopkins is an enthusiastic dog breeder and is president of the Pacific Toy Dog Association. She owns about two hundred Pekingese, Pomeranians and griffons. The ballroom of the Plaza has been specially decorated for the event,

the keynote of the scheme being Chinese. The value of the prizes offered by this show far exceeds that of the awards at any other specialty show in the country. Huge silver vases have been presented as standing trophies by the late J. P. Morgan and by James Gordon Bennett. The Morgan cup has been nearly won outright by Mrs. M. Harby. Last year a number of the dogs at this show dc luxe were benched in miniature pagodas fitted with all sorts of delicate equipment for their comfort.

The special for the best animal benched at the Boston Terrier Club's annual show in Boston, went to Miss Punch II, who captured many ribbons on her way to the chief honor. Many well-known specimens of the breed were in competition.

Dogs make excellent Christmas presents. But they are tricky things to buy, for unless you are well informed regarding their fine points, you arc apt to be sold a mongrel at the price of a thoroughbred. It will save you a lot of time, trouble and expense if, before making your purchase, you will write to the Dog Mart of Vanity Fair, explaining your needs. The Dog Mart, which appears in this issue on pages i6d, 17, 18, 19 and 20, is in the hands of experts, who are not only capable of advising you, but who can buy a dog, or many dogs, for you. Consult them at your convenience. Their services are free of charge.