144 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOY DOGS. 



some writers have taken their description from this clog rat'.ci 

 than from the pure bulldog, which has been at all times 

 rather a scarce animal. If once the pure breed is allowed to 

 drop, the best means of infusing fresh courage into degenerate 

 breeds will be finally lost, except with the addition of extraneous 

 blood, which may not suit them ; for it is believed that every kind 

 of dog possessed of very high courage owes it to a cross with the 

 bulldog, and thus the most plucky greyhounds, foxhounds, mas- 

 tiffs, pointers, etc., may all bo traced to this source. Though bull 

 and badger baiting may not be capable of extenuation, to them we 

 owe the keeping up of this breed in all its purity ; and though we 

 may agree to discontinue these old-fashioned sports, yet sports- 

 men will see the bad taste of running down a dog who, with all 

 his faults, is not only the most courageous dog, but the most cour- 

 ageous animal in the world. 



The points of a well-bred bulldog are as follows : The head 

 should be round, the skull high, the eye of moderate size, and the 

 forehead well sunk between the eyes, the ears semi-erect and 

 small, well placed on the top of the head, rather close together 

 than otherwise, the muzzle short, truncate, and well furnished 

 .Tith chop ; his back should be short, well arched towards the 

 stern, which should be fine, and of moderate length. Many bull- 

 dogs have what is called a crooked stem, as though the vertebrae 

 of the tail were dislocated or broken. Some authorities attribute 

 this to in-breeding. The coat should be fine, though many supe- 

 rior strains are very woolly coated; the chest should be deep and 

 broad, the legs strong and muscular, and the foot narrow and well 

 split up, like a hare's. 



Many of the old well-known breeders of the bulldog have dis- 

 appeared from the prize list. In the present day, Mr. G. A. 

 Dawes, of Leamington ; Mr. G. Raper, of Stockton-on-Tees ; Mr. 

 James Taylor of- Rochdale ; Mr. Harding Cox; Mr, Adcock, of 

 Wigan ; Mr. James Berrie (now one of the oldest and most enthusi 

 astic fancier?\ Mr. Lay ton, Mr. T. H. Joyce, and Mr. Vero Shaw, 

 of London, have many good specimens of the type I have en- 

 deavored to describe in the foregoing notes. 



