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CHAPTER V. 



How to Prepare for the 

 Show Bench. 



The previous chapter will have initiated the beginner 

 into the mysteries of how puppies should be taught " to 

 ask for the money." The future aspirant for bench 

 honours should now be taken seriously in hand in order 

 to get him into what is known as show form. It is fairly 

 obvious that a young dog who has had almost perfect 

 liberty will hardly appreciate the restraint imposed upon 

 him by collar and lead. This, however, he will, with a 

 little kindness, soon get used to, for a puppy for whom i 

 undertaken the arduous labours of showing in his best 

 bib and tucker from puppy class, with perhaps five or six 

 intervening classes, before he reaches the real battle, the 

 open class, it will be readily conceded that his training 

 should be very thorough. Three hours' walking exer- 

 cise on the lead is not too much, and if the person who 

 has charge of the puppy while out takes with him a fair 

 quantity of baked or boiled liver, and brings his charge 

 to attention now and again, with the reward of a piece of 

 the above delicacy, the champion in embryo will never 

 forget it, and will in all probability while in the ring 

 carry himself with the same dash as when on the road 

 asking for his favourite l>onnt houche. 



All wire-haired breeds require a certain amount of 

 attention paid to coats, generally known as trimming. 

 I am myself dead against any unfair means by which an 

 expert exhibitor can defeat the novice, but there cannot be 

 anything unsportsmanlike in showing one's favourite at 

 its very best so long as fair means only are employed. I 

 have often thought that the most extremely simple thing 



