The English Setter 129 



narrow and tucked up, should show strength, not only in width but in depth. 

 The vertebrae instead of protruding so as to leave a line down the back like 

 the edge of a saw, should be well clothed on both sides with hard muscle. 

 Quarters very light, and showing defects such as we have never seen over- 

 looked by a judge of the breed. Thighs resembling those of a cat, being 

 narrow and flat, and from a back view showing none of the beautiful lines 

 which always portray speed and power, and which are indispensable in dogs 

 which must go and stay. Hocks straight and light; they should be well bent, 

 strong and clean. Forelegs not quite straight. Shoulders moderate. 

 Feet fairly good. Tail long and curled over the back. Stands low at the 

 shoulder in proportion to height at quarters. A small, weedy-looking dog, 

 having body and limbs for which there is no standard and probably never 

 will be." 



The second to this dog was summarised as follows: "An undersized, 

 slab-sided, light-quartered, ring-tailed and bad-headed specimen, having 

 few if any show points. After having examined very carefully this and 

 other dogs at this show, we can readily understand why a new standard was 

 contemplated.'* 



The cause of this perversion of the English setter type is to be traced 

 to the introduction of the Llewellyns, not that the imported dogs were such 

 weeds, but that the incompetence of breeders and the complete ignoring of 

 anything like advisability in breeding let loose a flood of wretchedly built 

 dogs, and judges who had knowledge of field trials did not seem able to 

 properly place dogs descended from racing progenitors competing with 

 true-built dogs of type, when it came to judging points in the show ring. 

 With them the fact that a dog was descended from parents of excellent field 

 qualifications was evidently ample reason for placing that dog high in the 

 prize list. Their judging was very much on the order of the old game- 

 keeper's who, having been persuaded to don the ermine, took a glance over 

 the candidates till his eye lighted on one that made him at once decide the 

 placing by saying, "That looks like our old Bill, give him first." 



What these "Llewellyns" were has never been lucidly determined, and 

 later-day writers and supporters of the title acknowledge that no rule can be 

 framed to interpret the name clearly. We all know what a Laverack was 

 a dog from Mr. Laverack's kennels, or descended from such, without any 

 outside blood; but Mr. Llewellyn had no strain at all in his kennel. He had 

 dabbled in Irish setters, bought "cracks" of full Laverack blood, such as 



