4i8 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



being gradually bred out of him and that 

 the perkiness, the exuberance and game- 

 ness which once distingiiished him as the 

 companion of the Yorkshire operative was 

 in danger of being sacrificed to the desire 

 for diminutive size and inordinate length of 

 coat. One occasionally meets with an old- 

 fasliioned Yorkshire Terrier who retains the 

 earth-dog's instinct for ratting and can do 

 good service in this direction. He may 

 be over 15 lb. in weiglit, and his coat, 

 although of the right colour and texture, 

 is hardly longer than that of a Dandie 

 Dinmont. The casual observer would not 

 recognise him as belonging to the same 

 breed as such highly cultured members as 

 Westbrook Fred or Sneinton Amethyst. 

 Nevertheless he is a genuine Yorkshire 

 Terrier, and one is glad to think that 

 there is no immediate danger of his be- 

 coming extinct. But for the existence of 

 such active representatives of the race this 

 chapter concerning the breed would have 

 been more appropriately placed in the 

 section relating to lap dogs and toys. 



Perhaps it would be an error to blame 

 the breeders of Yorkshire Terriers for this 

 departure from the original type as it 

 appeared, say, about 1870. It is necessary 

 to take into consideration the probability 

 that what is now called the old-fashioned 

 working variety was never regarded by the 

 Yorkshiremen who made him as a complete 

 and finished achievement. It was possibly 

 their idea at the very beginning to produce 

 just such a diminutive dog as is now to be 

 seen in its perfection at exhibitions, glorying 

 in its flowing tresses of steel blue silk and 

 ruddy gold ; and one must give them full 

 credit for the patience and care with which 

 during the past forty years they have been 

 steadily working to the fixed design of 

 producing a dwarfed breed which should 

 excel all other breeds in the length and 

 silkiness of its robe. The extreme of culti- 

 vation in this particular quality was reached 

 some years ago by Mrs. Troughear, whose 

 little dog Conqueror, weighing 5I lb., had a 

 beautiful enveloping mantle of the uniform 

 length of four-and-twenty inches. 



Usually when the cultivation of particular 



points in dogs has reached an extreme the 

 tendency is wisely checked, and in the case 

 of the Yorkshire Terrier's mantle it is now 

 deemed sufficiently long if it simply touches 

 the ground instead of abnormally trailing 

 like a ladj^'s court train and impeding the 

 wearer's natural action. It is recognised at 

 the same time that the dogs with extremely 

 long coats are always the best specimens in 

 other respects also ; which is as much as to 

 say that length of hair is dependent upon 

 a sound and healthy constitution. Indeed, 

 no dog that is not kept in the best of physical 

 condition can ever be expected to grow a 

 good coat. Immunity from skin disease and 

 parasites is necessary, and this immunity 

 can only be attained by scrupulous atten- 

 tion to cleanliness, exercise, and judicious 

 housing and feeding. 



Doubtless all successful breeders and ex- 

 hibitors of the Yorkshire Terrier have their 

 little secrets and their peculiar methods of 

 inducing the growth of hair. They regulate 

 the diet with extreme particularity, keeping 

 the dog lean rather than fat, and giving 

 him nothing that they would not themselves 

 eat. Bread, mixed with green vegetables, 

 a little meat and gravy, or fresh fish, varied 

 with milk puddings and Spratt's " Toy Pet " 

 biscuits, should be the staple food. Bones 

 ought not to be given, as the act of gnawing 

 them is apt to mar the beard and moustache. 

 For the same reason it is well when possible 

 to serve the food from the fingers. But 

 many owners use a sort of mask or hood of 

 elastic material which they tie over the 

 dog's head at meal-times to hold back the 

 long face-fall and whiskers, that would 

 otherwise be smeared and sullied. Simi- 

 larly as a protection for the coat, when 

 there is any skin irritation and an inclin- 

 ation to scratch, linen or cotton stockings 

 are worn upon the hind feet. 



Many exhibitors pretend that they use 

 no dressing, or very little, and this only 

 occasionally, for the jackets of their York- 

 shire Terriers ; but it is quite certain that 

 continuous use of grease of some sort is not 

 only advisable but even necessary. Opinions 

 differ as to which is the best cosmetic, but 

 the special pomade prepared for the purpose 



