THE IRISH TERRIER 473 



never get enough, and are consequently no good for exhibition. 

 Although coat is not everything, even on the back of an Irish 

 Terrier, it is a big item in the programme of his success or otherwise, 

 and therefore a thing to be carefully studied. He would be a 

 foolish man who would select a pony from a Welsh drove and send 

 him to a show ungroomed and unkempt ; and precisely the same 

 remarks apply not only to Irish Terriers, but to any other dog kept 

 for exhibition. Any attempt at clipping or singeing a dog's coat 

 is termed " faking." It is a useless and a foolish practice, and 

 renders the operator liable to be suspended from exhibiting for a 

 year or more, if detected by the judge or by the critical public. 



Only fair and legitimate dressing is permissible, and as this 

 is not always an easy matter to determine, beginners who aspire 

 to dog showing should attend shows where the particular breed 

 in which they are interested is well represented and carefully note 

 the condition of body and coat of the best dogs. By this means 

 they will learn a good deal from the older hands, and gradually get 

 to know how to complete the toilet. A little practice is worth a 

 lot of theory, and a few lessons by way of ocular demonstration 

 will teach those who are desirous of learning more than any amount 

 of reading upon the subject. In fact, it is practically impossible 

 to teach any one from books how to put down an Irish Terrier or, 

 indeed, any other Terrier in first-class form. Experience is the great 

 teacher, and it must be bought. 



To select puppies from the nest is by no means the easy matter 

 that a novice might suppose, and so great is the change in colour 

 and general appearance of puppies of this breed that more than 

 once the writer has known a good judge quite at sea with regard 

 to this choice. It is far wiser to leave the selection, if possible, until 

 after the puppies have shed their milk teeth and are approaching 

 six months old ; at that time one has a much better chance of 

 forming an opinion as to whether the dog is likely to turn out a 

 good one or otherwise. In the event of having to make a choice 

 from a nest of Irish Terrier puppies at, say, a month or five weeks 

 old, always pick those with small eyes, a good big head, flat skull, 

 plenty of bone, and front legs that have the appearance of being 

 enlarged at the joints. The colour at this age should be as follows : 

 head and legs a nice yellow-red ; the chest, neck, and under-part 

 of the body lighter, almost fawn-colour, and black hair nearly the 

 whole width and the entire length of back from shoulder to tail. 

 This gradually comes out, and puppies of this breed may be 

 expected to present a somewhat ragged appearance until they are 

 six or seven months old, and often do not get a correct colour 

 until a year old. The writer will not readily forget the look of 

 disappointment on the face of a friend who once asked him to 

 have a look at a litter. They were the first he had bred, and were 



