CHAPTER III 

 DOG-BREEDING 



A~> was natural in an agricultural people, dog-breeding 

 found early encouragement among the Chinese, and 

 no doubt the three heads, house, hunting and 

 edible, into which the "Book of Rites " classified the canine race, 

 owned several subdivisions, especially as regards the sporting 

 dogs. The early Chinese emperors went to excess in their 

 love of the chase, and the numerous embassies exchanged 

 with foreign rulers gave them every opportunity of intro- 

 ducing at early periods rare dogs from neighbouring states, 

 including perhaps even such breeds as the greyhound, the 

 bulldog, the terrier and the slow-hound, which existed in 

 England at the time of the Roman occupation, and were of 

 such quality as to add zest to the gladiatorial sports and 

 gave to England not a little of its fame among the Romans, a 

 fame destined to be increased by descendants of those breeds. 

 During the Tudor and Stuart periods the renown of British 

 dogs, especially mastiffs, was such that they were used as 

 political presents to many European countries, as well as to 

 the Near and Far East. In 1517 King Henry VIII thanked 

 the Marquis of Mantua for the horses which were being got 

 ready for him, and promised to recompense the Marquis 

 " with English horses and dogs." Nine years later Henry 

 sent to Francis of France " eight very handsome sporting 

 dogs." In 1522 the Duke of Urbino's envoy at Henry's 

 Court wrote that he had not forgotten the " little dog ' 



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