406 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



to procure now in America, and fair specimens may be 

 obtained at modest prices. Selection in mating should be 

 on the general principle of a sum of excellences in the two 

 parents a defect in one counterbalanced by a correspond- 

 ing excellence in the other; that is, two animals, both of 

 which are bad in head, or body, or legs, or coat, should not 

 be bred together. The tendency in such a case is to an 

 exaggeration of the fault, whereby symmetry is destroyed 

 and failure becomes sure. The more good qualities each 

 parent possesses the better, and the descent being from 

 equally good ancestors, the greater the chance of successful 

 results. This principle being so well known, it will be nec- 

 essary to speak of but one point more which is especially to 

 be noticed about this breed. The coat should be bred hard. 

 It may be fine, but not soft or silky, except the top-knot 

 and ear-fringes. Neither should it be coarse or stiff, which 

 indicates other than pure Bedlington breeding. When 

 there is too great a tendency to softness of coat, a "liver " 

 cross is recommended, and this is one reason why that col- 

 ored dog should not be neglected. 



The first Bedlington I ever owned was bought by me in 

 London, of a man who kept this breed for hunting rabbits, 

 and who cared only for working qualities, making no note 

 of colors or pedigrees. One day he appeared at my lodg- 

 ings on his bicycle, followed by three of these Terriers, one 

 of which he had caused to be sent from Yorkshire for me. 

 The dog had been taken care of by a gamekeeper, and when 

 I took him to Regent's Park he ran to right and to left 

 ahead of me, and frequently looking back, would be guided 

 by the direction in which I waved my hand. When so 

 commanded he came in to heel, which showed me that he 

 could have been useful with a gun. He afterward, in New 

 York, learned to retrieve; knd if a lady dropped her hand- 

 kerchief, would, at a sign from me, pick it up and offer it to 

 her. Once I remember a little girl was so surprised by this 

 apparent attention on his part that she said "Thank you, 

 sir," which made the dog appear very human. 



However, dogs that are sharp at vermin generally do not 



