A Good Coat. 143 



and I have seen that good hound swim for two, or three, or 

 four hours maybe, come out on to the bank, shake himself, 

 so throw the water off, roll in the meadow, and in a minute 

 he would be as dry as the proverbial board. His coat 

 leaned towards curliness, and, this notwithstanding, his 

 was the description of jacket that ought to be found on all 

 wire-haired terriers. I know of not even one at the present 

 day that possesses so good a one. 



In judging this variety of terrier I should, without 

 hesitation, throw out or disqualify every dog with a soft 

 coat. In their group or classes they are called " wire- 

 haired " terriers, and anyone giving an award of any kind 

 to one that is not as described does a triple injustice, for he 

 dishonours the description, introduces a bad type, and 

 proves his own incompetence. I have dwelt thus long on 

 coat because therein lies the whole difference between the 

 two great modern types of fox terriers. 



From the time Dame Juliana Berners wrote of " teroures " 

 the varieties, rough and smooth, have grown up side by side, 

 one man preferring the one, another the other. The smooth 

 variety has always been the more numerous latterly the 

 more popular, because the smarter, the more thorough-bred 

 looking animal, and besides, on wet days he does not take 

 so much dirt into the house. As to gameness, Jack is as 

 good as his master, but by reason of the denser covering to 

 his skin, the wire-haired can stand the cold, inclement 

 weather of our north country climate better than his cousin ; 

 still, after all, a cross-bred dog is best for the really arduous 

 work required with fox-hounds hunting in a mountainous 

 district, and with otter hounds. 



Some old engravers and painters have given us portraits 

 of wire-haired terriers black and tan, blue grizzle and tan, 



