374 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



The characteristics of the Terrier, whether of one species 

 or another, were in the main the same as they are to-day, 

 viz.: a natural inclination to hunt and destroy vermin of 

 any kind, pursuing it to its refuge wherever it be within 

 the Terrier's power to reach it; this trait b % eing accompanied 

 by a sprightly and tense nervous nature, keen sense of 

 hearing, quick vision, a most unerring nose, and an indom- 

 itable gameness. The last quality must not be misunder- 

 stood, as it often is when applied to this breed. Bull-dog 

 tenacity is not wanted in a dog bred and used for the pur- 

 poses for which the Fox Terrier is most popular, and there- 

 fore should not be an attribute. 



Being intended, to hunt with and for his master, he 

 should be ready and eager to attack the object of the hunt, 

 entering into its hiding-place and indicating the locality by 

 giving tongue or drawing out the game in the open. It is 

 not desirable that he should close with and kill the game, 

 as a Bull Terrier would do. Of course, the Fox Terrier 

 will do this eventually, as he should as a last resort, 

 or if urged to it by his master. This style of hunting 

 and fighting requires great dash, courage, and dexterity. 

 In trying to succeed in this method of helping to secure 

 the animal hunted, he is often compelled to receive more 

 punishment than if his tactics were purely a light to 

 kill. 



His nose is keener for general game than that of any 

 other breed of Terrier. He was often used by gamekeep- 

 ers in by-gone days, and even by some of them in modern 

 times, to do the work of a Spaniel. 



It is clearly established that in accordance with the spe- 

 cial preferences of individual sportsmen, in early times, for 

 hunting certain animals, so they unquestionably selected, 

 bred, and used, in accordance with their size and make-up, 

 the Terriers best suited to each animal hunted, from the 

 fox and the otter down to the common rat. For the fox, 

 therefore, a dog of about the size and general conformation 

 of the Fox Terrier of to-day, weighing from sixteen to 

 eighteen pounds, was undoubtedly employed; and old 



