CHAPTER LVII 

 THE JAPANESE SPANIEL 



UNTIL comparatively recent years these beautiful little dogs were 

 too difficult and expensive to procure and in too few hands for them 

 to be anything like common or often seen. Indeed, for a long 

 time they used oftenest to make their appearance in classes for the 

 small varieties of foreign dogs. Added to this, those imported 

 were very delicate and difficult to rear, and the mortality amongst 

 them was considerable. This mortality was also increased by the 

 amount of inbreeding that was resorted to, and by the craze that 

 for a while seemed likely to end disastrously for the breed namely, 

 the fashion for the infinitely small. Dr. Grindrod at the time wrote 

 deprecatingly of the practice, and though it still continues, the 

 constitution has been improved somewhat. It would have been a 

 fatal mistake to sacrifice everything to diminutiveness, which at one 

 time was threatened. That the dogs as met with in their native 

 countries were very small admits of no doubt, as it was the custom 

 in both China and Japan to carry one of them in the capacious 

 sleeves ; hence the name of " Sleeve Dogs." The tendency once 

 was to go for the very small dog qua small, and the result not in- 

 frequently was the production of " weeds." 



The colour of the Japanese Spaniel is usually white with more 

 or less black markings ; but there are sometimes seen specimens 

 with yellow or pale tan markings. The black-marked ones are, 

 however, generally preferred. They are broad in head and muzzle, 

 with good-sized black nose, and very short face. The large, dark, 

 lustrous eyes, set wide apart, are full and round in shape. There is a 

 profuseness of silky coat on neck, chest, body, and hindquarters. 

 The straight fore legs are set rather wide, and, like the thighs and 

 hind legs, well feathered. The ears are not so long in leather as 

 they appear to be, on account of the long feathering on them ; they 

 are set rather high on the head and hang gracefully down. The 

 tail should be covered with long hair of the body colours, and be 

 carried jauntily over the back resting, in fact, upon it. 



Japanese Spaniels (Figs. 124 and 125) have a most fascinating 

 general appearance of quaintness, perkiness, and dignity, and are 



