On the Bench. 211 



the tempers and dispositions of our terriers. That may 

 be the case or not (most likely not), for I have not yet 

 come across a fox terrier with a kindly, pleasant dispo- 

 sition, whose finest traits had become mythical after 

 competition in the show ring. As a rule, a dog takes very 

 kindly to the " bench," where he is comfortably bedded 

 up with clean straw, and is seldom (nowadays at any 

 rate) rendered cantankerous by continual poking with 

 the umbrella or walking-stick of some mischievous and 

 semi-civilised visitor. No dog, however docile and well- 

 behaved, will stand such treatment, and when it occurs 

 the offending visitor should be removed from the proximity 

 of the animal which he desires to torture. In cases where 

 a terrier does actually sulk, and seems to have a dis- 

 inclination to make himself comfortable and contented 

 when on exhibition, it is best to withdraw him entirely 

 from the public gaze, as, in the end, he may turn unplea- 

 sant, and require either a muzzle or special contrivance 

 to prevent his teeth making an acquaintance with a ten- 

 der portion of some too curious and closely approaching 

 spectator. 



Having dealt with the fox terrier, both as a worker and 

 as a show dog, little more need be said about him. Whether 

 you require him for the one purpose or the other, treat him 

 as kindly as you would your best friend, and under ordinary 

 circumstances he will reward you accordingly. Make him 

 a companion, to live in the house or in the stable, and on 

 no account relegate him to a wooden kennel in the corner 

 of the back yard. The fox terrier was no more made to 

 reside in such an abode than was my lord brought up to 

 inhabit a common lodging-house. The more you see of 

 your dog the more he loves you, and greater is the likeli- 



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