The First Dog Show. 209 



when in a meditative mood, one is inclined to wonder why 

 English sportsmen were so long in discovering him. 

 Indeed, since the first dog show which took place at 

 Newcastle-upon-Tyne in June, 1859, exhibitions have 

 advanced as quickly as the railways did, and now over 

 a hundred and fifty of one kind or another are Jield during 

 each year, some of which are confined entirely to that 

 variety of dog to whose merits I have endeavoured to do 

 justice. Canine exhibitions have naturally their defects, 

 but, so long as honourably conducted, they must continue 

 to possess an improving influence on " dogdom " generally. 

 There was a time w r hen many of our best dogs were in 

 the hands of those who kept them solely for the purposes 

 of profit, and whether that profit was obtained by sale, rat- 

 killing, or fighting, made little matter, so long as the money 

 came to hand. The only shows were those held in public- 

 house parlours ; and to be known as the owner of half 

 a dozen terriers was tantamount to being: considered 



O 



" fast," and as having a liking for low company. Thus, 

 no doubt, was derived the expression " going to the 

 dogs." All this is altered now. 



Well-bred terriers and other varieties have become 

 fashionable, and it is almost as difficult to find a house 

 without a dog as guard and companion as it is to find one 

 without a cat to kill the mice. Dog shows have provided 

 pure-bred animals, and the fox terrier has proved himself 

 the most popular of all. His colour is white, so easily can 

 the careful housewife see when her pet requires tubbing, 

 and his short coat carries less filth than that of the Skye 

 terrier or any of his Scottish, Welsh, or Irish cousins. I do 

 not know where we should have been with our dogs had 

 not the shows been introduced when they were. Mongrels 



