BRUSHING — BULLDOG 



Brushing. — It is always better to brush a dog's coat 

 than to comb it, as if the hair is matted the comb is Hable 

 to pull it out in tufts, and its teeth sometimes irritate a 

 delicate skin. Brushing, moreover, if thorough, will im- 

 prove the appearance and condition of the coat, and 

 generally conduces to the comfort of the animal. (See 

 BrusheSy Combings Grooming^ Preparing for Shows.) 



Bucket Muzzle consists of a leather tube, with holes 

 pierced in it to enable its wearer to breathe, which fits over 

 the muzzle. It is chiefly worn by whippets in training, as 

 it provides an absolute prevention against their picking up 

 any undesirable food. (See Muzzling, Tape Muzzle^ 



Bull-baiting is a form of sport in which our ancestors 

 ind'^lged, but is now unknown, though the stakes to which 

 the bulls were fastened are still to be seen in some parts of 

 the country. Contrary to general belief, the bull was not 

 loose when the dogs were slipped at him, but fastened to a 

 post by a strong line. The dogs were then encouraged to 

 go for him and pin him by the nose, their object being 

 to bring him on to his knees. (See Bulldog.) 



Bulldog. — The so-called national dog of England is a 

 very different sort of animal to what he was in the old bull- 

 baiting days, or even forty years ago, as he has lost much 

 of his old activity, though happily his courage has not been 

 generally or materially affected by the changes which have 

 been effected in him. There is no reasonable ground for 

 doubting that he and the mastiff are both descendants of 

 the ancient mastiff or bandogge which was bred by our 

 ancestors, and highly prized by them on account of its 

 courage and ferocity. The bulldog of a hundred years ago 

 was, moreover, a leggier and longer-faced dog than those 

 which are now to be seen. He also weighed a good deal 

 heavier, and was a far more active, able-bodied animal than 

 many of the modern cracks, some of which have such mal- 



36 



