30 The Fox Terrier. 



they were too plebeian by half. Then the Dandie Dinmont 

 and hard-haired Scotch terriers were scarcely known out of 

 the land on the other side of the border, and the Skye 

 terrier with his long jacket carried too much dirt into the 

 house. The white English terrier might have become 

 popular had he not been so subject to chronic deafness, and 

 no doubt the bull terrier and the black and tan terrier lost 

 their chance of becoming public idols by reason that a 

 barbarous custom had decided that their ears were to be in 

 part amputated. The latter could only be done at con- 

 siderable trouble and expense, and with inordinate suffering 

 to the poor creatures themselves. 



So here was the chance for the fox terrier ; he availed 

 himself of the opportunity, and the public gladly accepted 

 his enterprise. The visitors to the dog shows in 1862-3 

 noticed and made much of him. Mr. Wootton loved his 

 handsome and sprightly dogs, knew how to advertise and 

 so make the most of them, and he kept them clean and glossy 

 in their coats ; whilst Jock and others had that merry twinkle 

 in their dark brown eyes indicative of intelligence and 

 gameness. Moreover, there was no superfluous jacket and 

 hair hanging about their legs to carry dirt into the parlour 

 and drawing-room, and when Lady So-and-So wished for 

 a nice dog to take out for a walk in the country or a 

 drive in the park, Lord So-and-So purchased a fox terrier 

 puppy for her ladyship. The fox terrier has never socially 

 looked behind him since. His position in society was 

 attained as quickly, and perhaps with less difficulty, than is 

 that of the millionaire railway king or successful speculator. 

 The quadruped had but looks and manners to recommend 

 him; possibly the biped had neither, and was entirely 

 dependent for his entree to his sovereigns and bank notes. 



