386 Modern Dogs. 



race, some of them owning dogs and bitches in 

 sufficient numbers to perpetuate the breed should 

 any virulent disease attack and destroy all that 

 others own. 



At the present time there is a tendency to produce 

 the wavy-coated retrievers with an inclination to the 

 type and shape of head possessed by the setters. 

 This is, no doubt, due to the fallacy carried out in 

 breeding for straight coats, which are all very 

 well in their way, attractive enough in the show 

 ring, but thoroughly bad from a workman's point 

 of view. During my somewhat lengthened con- 

 nection with dog shows I have noticed that, as a 

 rule, the straightest and flattest coated dogs have 

 the greatest tendency to the longer setter-like heads. 

 If breeding for this coat in preference to that of 

 type of head and character is continued, mischief 

 will be done which may not be so easy to remedy 

 as the variety was to be produced in the first 

 instance. I would especially recommend the judges 

 in dealing with this retriever, to give more credit 

 for the correct type of head than for an actually 

 and perfectly flat coat, not forgetting that the dog 

 was originally " wavy-coated " quite as much as 

 his jacket was straight. 



About judging wavy-coated retrievers. At the last 

 Birmingham show Mr. Lloyd Price had an unusually 



