THE DOG 



31 



German Hound with hi-:k Vocng and a Dutch Shkep Dot;, hi:k Kennel Comhamox 



a sad disposition, when nature has given his 

 tail an upward turn. 



Dogs ivitk pointed muzzles. The dogs with 

 pointed muzzles formed for centuries a race 

 apart in the north of Europe ; and, strange to 

 say, they have undergone but little change 

 to this day. The Eskimo, Lapp, Finnish, 

 and Iceland dogs, together with the Pom- 

 eranians, all have the same protecting long 

 hair and pointed nose. The Pomeranians, 

 which may be white, black, or iron-gray, 

 and which vary considerably in size here 

 and there, far e.xcel all the other breeds of 

 their race by their vigilance and their sharp 

 barking. Very intelligent, quite inquisitive, 

 and rather distrustful, they utter a cry of 

 alarm on the slightest occasion. Dogs com- 

 peting at bench shows must have their ears 

 erect, their color clear and decided, their 

 tails laid up over their backs, and their legs 

 straight. The hair should be long, straight, 

 and silky, and form a mane around the 

 neck. The animal should not weigh more 

 than twenty-two pounds. 



The Belgian schipperke, which belongs to 

 this race, is very small and is much in demand 

 for its typical exterior. The brave little fellow, 

 who is all black and yaps more than he barks, 



has some talent for sport and is a great lover 

 of horses. He attracts attention by his very 

 pointed head and sharp nose, his thick black 

 hair with its ruff, and the total absence of any- 

 thing resembling a tail. Our space does not 



permit us to inquire if that absence is the result 

 of artificial breeding, or is a transmission of 

 inheritance. A good schipperke ought not to 



