Dogs and All about Them Part 15

A. Phillips, whose two b.i.t.c.hes from Mr. James Freme, of Wepre Hall, Flints.h.i.+re, succeeded in breeding from one of them, whom he named Rivington Sloe, the celebrated dog Rivington Signal, who, mated with Rivington Blossom, produced Rivington Bloom, who was in turn the dam of Rivington Redcoat. These dogs proved almost, if not quite, as valuable to the coloured variety as Obo did to the blacks, and formed the foundation of Mr. J. M. Porter's celebrated Braeside strain which afterwards became so famous.

During the last few years Mr. R. de Courcy Peele's kennel has easily held the pride of place in this variety. Most readers are no doubt familiar with the many beautiful c.o.c.kers which have appeared in the show ring and carried off so many prizes under the distinguis.h.i.+ng affix Bowdler. His kennel was built up on a Braeside foundation, and has contained at one time or other such flyers as Ben Bowdler, Bob Bowdler, Rufus Bowdler, Dixon Bowdler, Eva Bowdler, Mary Bowdler, Blue-coat Bowdler, Susan Bowdler, and others, and Ben and Bob have also been, as sires, responsible for the success of a good many dogs hailing from other kennels. He has also been fairly successful with blacks, which, however, have usually been purchased and not bred by him, the two best being Master Reuben, bred by Miss Joan G.o.dfrey, and Jetsam Bowdler, a b.i.t.c.h who has distinguished herself both in the ring and in the field.

Coloured c.o.c.kers are certainly "booming" just now, and as a consequence the blacks, who are equally worthy of support, are being rather neglected. Certainly it is the case that whereas one sees at most shows big cla.s.ses of the former filled with a good level lot with hardly a bad specimen amongst them, the cla.s.ses devoted to the latter, besides not being so well filled, are much more uneven, and always contain a large proportion of weeds and toys. A few years ago the black cla.s.ses were immeasurably superior to the coloured, and it is to be hoped that in the near future they will regain at least a position of equality with them.

At the last few Field Trial meetings the Spaniel Club has provided cla.s.ses confined to c.o.c.kers, which have filled fairly well, and enabled the small breed to demonstrate that it can in its way be quite as useful as its larger cousins. A c.o.c.ker can very often go and work as well where a larger Spaniel cannot even creep, and for working really thick hedgerows or gorse has no superior. There seems to be every prospect of a brilliant future, and increased popularity for this charming breed.

Its interests are looked after both by the Spaniel Club and the comparatively newly formed c.o.c.ker Spaniel Club, and it is also quite as much in favour on the other side of the Atlantic as it is in the United Kingdom. Indeed, the cla.s.ses in America and Canada compare very favourably with our own.

The descriptive particulars of the breed are:--

HEAD--Not so heavy in proportion and not so high in occiput as in the modern Field Spaniel, with a nicely developed muzzle or jaw; lean, but not snipy, and yet not so square as in the Clumber or Suss.e.x varieties, but always exhibiting a sufficiently wide and well-developed nose. Forehead perfectly smooth, rising without a too decided stop from muzzle into a comparatively wide and rounded, well-developed skull, with plenty of room for brain power. EYES--Full, but not prominent, hazel or brown coloured, with a general expression of intelligence and gentleness, though decidedly wideawake, bright and merry, never goggled nor weak as in the King Charles and Blenheim kinds. EARS--Lobular, set on low, leather fine and not exceeding beyond the nose, well clothed with long silky hair, which must be straight or wavy--no positive curls or ringlets. NECK--Strong and muscular, and neatly set on to fine sloping shoulders. BODY (INCLUDING SIZE AND SYMMETRY)--Not quite so long and low as in the other breeds of Spaniels, more compact and firmly knit together, giving the impression of a concentration of power and untiring activity.

WEIGHT--The weight of a c.o.c.ker Spaniel of either s.e.x should not exceed 25 lb., or be less than 20 lb. Any variation either way should be penalised. NOSE--Sufficiently wide and well developed to ensure the exquisite scenting powers of this breed. SHOULDERS AND CHEST--The former sloping and fine, chest deep and well developed, but not too wide and round to interfere with the free action of the fore-legs.

BACK AND LOIN--Immensely strong and compact in proportion to the size and weight of the dog; slightly sloping towards the tail.

HIND-QUARTERS--Wide, well rounded, and very muscular, so as to ensure untiring action and propelling power under the most trying circ.u.mstances of a long day, bad weather, rough ground, and dense covert. STERN--That most characteristic of blue blood in all the Spaniel family may, in the lighter and more active c.o.c.ker, although set low down, be allowed a slightly higher carriage than in the other breeds, but never c.o.c.ked up over, but rather in a line with the back, though the lower its carriage and action the better, and when at work its action should be incessant in this, the brightest and merriest of the whole Spaniel family. FEET AND LEGS--The legs should be well boned, feathered and straight, for the tremendous exertions expected from this grand little sporting dog, and should be sufficiently short for concentrated power, but not too short as to interfere with its full activity. Feet firm, round, and cat-like, not too large, spreading, and loose jointed. This distinct breed of Spaniel does not follow exactly on the lines of the larger Field Spaniel, either in lengthiness, lowness, or otherwise, but is shorter in the back, and rather higher on the legs. COAT--Flat or waved, and silky in texture, never wiry, woolly, or curly, with sufficient feather of the right sort, viz., waved or Setter-like, but not too profuse and never curly. GENERAL APPEARANCE--Confirmatory of all indicated above, viz., a concentration of pure blood and type, sagacity, docility, good temper, affection, and activity.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE Ba.s.sET-HOUND

The Ba.s.set was not familiarly known to British sportsmen before 1863, in which year specimens of the breed were seen at the first exhibition of dogs held in Paris, and caused general curiosity and admiration among English visitors. In France, however, this hound has been used for generations, much as we use our Spaniel, as a finder of game in covert, and it has long been a popular sporting dog in Russia and Germany. In early times it was chiefly to be found in Artois and Flanders, where it is supposed to have had its origin; but the home of the better type of Ba.s.set is now chiefly in La Vendee, in which department some remarkably fine strains have been produced.

There are three main strains of the French Ba.s.set--the Lane, the Couteulx, and the Griffon. The Griffon Ba.s.set is a hound with a hard bristly coat, and short, crooked legs. It has never found great favour here. The Lane hounds are derived from the kennels of M. Lane, of Franqueville, Baos, Seine-Inferieure, and are also very little appreciated in this country. They are a lemon and white variety, with _torse_ or bent legs. The Couteulx hounds were a type bred up into a strain by Comte le Couteulx de Canteleu. They were tricolour, with straight, short legs, of sounder const.i.tution than other strains, with the make generally of a more agile hound, and in the pedigree of the best Ba.s.sets owned in this country fifteen years ago, when the breed was in considerable demand, Comte de Couteulx's strain was prominent and always sought for.

With careful selection and judicious breeding we have now produced a beautiful hound of fine smooth coat, and a rich admixture of markings, with a head of n.o.ble character and the best of legs and feet. Their short, twinkling legs make our Ba.s.sets more suitable for covert hunting than for hunting hares in the open, to which latter purpose they have frequently been adapted with some success. Their note is resonant, with wonderful power for so small a dog, and in tone it resembles the voice of the Bloodhound.

The Ba.s.set-hound is usually very good tempered and not inclined to be quarrelsome with his kennel mates; but he is wilful, and loves to roam apart in search of game, and is not very amenable to discipline when alone. On the other hand, he works admirably with his companions in the pack, when he is most painstaking and indefatigable. Endowed with remarkable powers of scent, he will hunt a drag with keen intelligence.

There are now several packs of Ba.s.sets kept in England, and they show very fair sport after the hares; but it is not their natural vocation, and their ma.s.sive build is against the possibility of their becoming popular as harriers. The general custom is to follow them on foot, although occasionally some sportsmen use ponies. Their pace, however, hardly warrants the latter expedient. On the Continent, where big game is more common than with us, the employment of the Ba.s.set is varied. He is a valuable help in the tracking of boar, wolf, and deer, and he is also frequently engaged in the lighter pastimes of pheasant and partridge shooting.

The Earl of Onslow and the late Sir John Everett Millais were among the earliest importers of the breed into England. They both had recourse to the kennels of Count Couteulx. Sir John Millais' Model was the first Ba.s.set-hound exhibited at an English dog show, at Wolverhampton in 1875. Later owners and breeders of prominence were Mr. G. Krehl, Mrs. Stokes, Mrs. C. C. Ellis and Mrs. Mabel Tottie.

As with most imported breeds, the Ba.s.set-hound when first exhibited was required to undergo a probationary period as a foreign dog in the variety cla.s.s at the princ.i.p.al shows. It was not until 1880 that a cla.s.s was provided for it by the Kennel Club.

It is to be regretted that owners of this beautiful hound are not more numerous. Admirable specimens are still to be seen at the leading exhibitions, but the breed is greatly in need of encouragement. At the present time the smooth dog hound taking the foremost place in the estimate of our most capable judges is Mr. W. W. M. White's Ch.

Loo-Loo-Loo, bred by Mrs. Tottie, by Ch. Louis Le Beau out of Sibella.

Mr. Croxton Smith's Waverer is also a dog of remarkably fine type.

Among b.i.t.c.h hounds Sandringham Dido, the favourite of Her Majesty the Queen, ranks as the most perfect of her kind.

The rough or Griffon-Ba.s.set, introduced into England at a later date than the smooth, has failed for some reason to receive great attention. In type it resembles the s.h.a.ggy Otterhound, and as at present favoured it is larger and higher on the leg than the smooth variety. Their colouring is less distinct, and they seem generally to be lemon and white, grey and sandy red. Their note is not so rich as that of the smooth variety. In France the rough and the smooth Ba.s.sets are not regarded as of the same race, but here some breeders have crossed the two varieties, with indifferent consequences.

Some beautiful specimens of the rough Ba.s.set have from time to time been sent to exhibition from the Sandringham kennels. His Majesty the King has always given affectionate attention to this breed, and has taken several first prizes at the leading shows, latterly with Sandringham Bobs, bred in the home kennels by Sandringham Babil ex Saracenesca.

Perhaps the most explicit description of the perfect Ba.s.set-hound is still that compiled twenty-five years ago by Sir John Millais.

It is at least sufficiently comprehensive and exact to serve as a guide:--

"The Ba.s.set, for its size, has more bone, perhaps, than nearly any other dog.

"The skull should be peaked like that of the Bloodhound, with the same dignity and expression, the nose black (although some of my own have white about theirs), and well flewed. For the size of the hound I think the teeth are extremely small. However, as they are not intended to destroy life, this is probably the reason.

"The ears should hang like the Bloodhound's, and are like the softest velvet drapery.

"The eyes are a deep brown, and are brimful of affection and intelligence. They are pretty deeply set, and should show a considerable haw. A Ba.s.set is one of those hounds incapable of having a wicked eye.

"The neck is long, but of great power; and in the _Ba.s.set a jambes torses_ the flews extend very nearly down to the chest. The chest is more expansive than even in the Bulldog, and should in the _Ba.s.sets a jambes torses_ be not more than two inches from the ground. In the case of the _Ba.s.sets a jambes demi-torses_ and _jambes droites_, being generally lighter, their chests do not, of course, come so low.

"The shoulders are of great power, and terminate in the crooked feet of the Ba.s.set, which appear to be a ma.s.s of joints. The back and ribs are strong, and the former of great length.

"The stern is carried gaily, like that of hounds in general, and when the hound is on the scent of game this portion of his body gets extremely animated, and tells me, in my own hounds, when they have struck a fresh or a cold scent, and I even know when the foremost hound will give tongue.

"The hind-quarters are very strong and muscular, the muscles standing rigidly out down to the hocks.

"The skin is soft in the smooth haired dogs, and like that of any other hound, but in the rough variety it is like that of the Otterhound's.

"Colour, of course, is a matter of fancy, although I infinitely prefer the tricolour, which has a tan head and a black and white body."

CHAPTER XXVII

THE DACHSHUND

Persons unfamiliar with the sporting properties of this long-bodied breed are apt to refer smilingly to the Dachshund as "the dog that is sold by the yard," and few even of those who know him give credit to the debonair little fellow for the grim work which he is intended to perform in doing battle with the vicious badger in its lair.

Dachshund means "badger dog," and it is a t.i.tle fairly and squarely earned in his native Germany.

Given proper training, he will perform the duties of several sporting breeds rolled into one. Possessing a wonderful nose, combined with remarkable steadiness, his kind will work out the coldest scent, and once fairly on the line they will give plenty of music and get over the ground at a pace almost incredible. Dachshunds hunt well in a pack, and, though it is not their recognised vocation, they can be successfully used on hare, on fox, and any form of vermin that wears a furry coat. But his legitimate work is directed against the badger, in locating the brock under ground, worrying and driving him into his innermost earth, and there holding him until dug out. It is no part of his calling to come to close grips, though that often happens in the confined s.p.a.ce in which he has to work. In this position a badger with his powerful claws digs with such energy and skill as rapidly to bury himself, and the Dachshund needs to be provided with such apparatus as will permit him to clear his way and keep in touch with his formidable quarry. The badger is also hunted by Dachshunds above ground, usually in the mountainous parts of Germany, and in the growing crops of maize, on the lower slopes, where the vermin work terrible havoc in the evening. In this case the badger is rounded up and driven by the dogs up to the guns which are posted between the game and their earths. For this sport the dog used is heavier, coa.r.s.er, and of larger build, higher on the leg, and more generally houndy in appearance. Dachshunds are frequently used for deer driving, in which operation they are especially valuable, as they work slowly, and do not frighten or overrun their quarry, and can penetrate the densest undergrowth. Packs of Dachshunds may sometimes be engaged on wild boar, and, as they are web-footed and excellent swimmers, there is no doubt that their terrier qualities would make them useful a.s.sistants to the Otterhound. Apropos of their capabilities in the water it is the case that a year or two ago, at Offenbach-on-Main, at some trials arranged for life-saving by dogs, a Dachshund carried off the first prize against all comers.

As a companion in the house the Dachshund has perhaps no compeer.

He is a perfect gentleman; cleanly in his habits, obedient, un.o.btrusive, incapable of smallness, affectionate, very sensitive to rebuke or to unkindness, and amusingly jealous. As a watch he is excellent, quick to detect a strange footstep, valiant to defend the threshold, and to challenge with deep voice any intruder, yet sensibly discerning his master's friends, and not annoying them with prolonged growling and grumbling as many terriers do when a stranger is admitted. Properly brought up, he is a perfectly safe and amusing companion for children, full of animal spirits, and ever ready to share in a romp, even though it be accompanied by rough and tumble play. In Germany, where he is the most popular of all dogs, large or small, he is to be found in every home, from the Emperor's palace downwards, and his quaint appearance, coupled with his entertaining personality, is daily seized upon by the comic papers to ill.u.s.trate countless jokes at his expense.

The origin of the Dachshund is not very clear. Some writers have professed to trace the breed or representations of it on the monuments of the Egyptians. Some aver that it is a direct descendant of the French Ba.s.set-hound, and others that he is related to the old Turnspits--the dogs so excellent in kitchen service, of whom Dr. Caius wrote that "when any meat is to be roasted they go into a wheel, where they, turning about with the weight of their bodies, so diligently look to their business that no drudge nor scullion can do the feat more cunningly, whom the popular sort hereupon term Turnspits."

Certainly the dog commonly used in this occupation was long of body and short of leg, very much resembling the Dachshund.

In all probability the Dachshund is a manufactured breed--a breed evolved from a large type of hound intermixed with a terrier to suit the special conditions involved in the pursuit and extermination of a quarry that, unchecked, was capable of seriously interfering with the cultivation of the land. He comprises in his small person the characteristics of both hound and terrier--his wonderful powers of scent, his long, pendulous ears, and, for his size, enormous bone, speak of his descent from the hound that hunts by scent. In many respects he favours the Bloodhound, and one may often see Dachshunds which, having been bred from parents carefully selected to accentuate some fancy point, have exhibited the very p.r.o.nounced "peak" (occipital bone), the protruding haw of the eye, the loose dewlap and the colour markings characteristic of the Bloodhound. His small stature, iron heart, and willingness to enter the earth bespeak the terrier cross.

The Dachshund was first introduced to this country in sufficient numbers to merit notice in the early 'sixties, and, speedily attracting notice by his quaint formation and undoubted sporting instincts, soon became a favourite. At first appearing at shows in the "Foreign Dog" cla.s.s, he quickly received a recognition of his claims to more favoured treatment, and was promoted by the Kennel Club to a special cla.s.sification as a sporting dog. Since then his rise has been rapid, and he now is reckoned as one of the numerically largest breeds exhibited. Unfortunately, however, he has been little, if ever, used for sport in the sense that applies in Germany, and this fact, coupled with years of breeding from too small a stock (or stock too nearly related) and the insane striving after the fanciful and exaggerated points demanded by judges at dog shows, many of whom never saw a Dachshund at his legitimate work, has seriously affected his usefulness. He has deteriorated in type, lost grit and sense, too, and is often a parody of the true type of Dachshund that is to be found in his native land.

To the reader who contemplates possessing one or more Dachshunds a word of advice may be offered. Whether you want a dog for sport, for show, or as a companion, endeavour to get a good one--a well-bred one. To arrive at this do not buy from an advertis.e.m.e.nt on your own knowledge of the breed, but seek out an expert amateur breeder and exhibitor, and get his advice and a.s.sistance. If you intend to start a kennel for show purposes, do not buy a high-priced dog at a show, but start with a well-bred b.i.t.c.h, and breed your own puppies, under the guidance of the aforementioned expert. In this way, and by rearing and keeping your puppies till they are of an age to be exhibited, and at the same time carefully noting the awards at the best shows, you will speedily learn which to retain and the right type of dog to keep and breed for, and in future operations you will be able to discard inferior puppies at an earlier age. But it is a great mistake, if you intend to form a kennel for show purposes, to sell or part with your puppies too early. It is notorious with all breeds that puppies change very much as they grow. The best looking in the nest often go wrong later, and the ugly duckling turns out the best of the litter. This is especially true of Dachshunds, and it requires an expert to pick the best puppy of a litter at a month or two old, and even he may be at fault unless the puppy is exceptionally well reared.