The Poodle. 173 



training presented before the public in olden times. 

 Only the other day I saw two little poodles on 

 the stage at Westminster Aquarium that gave 

 an excellent bout at boxing, standing on their hind 

 legs, the gloves being placed on their fore paws, 

 and sparring and striking each other in the face 

 and neck with as much pugnacity as two bipeds 

 might display. As I write, I should say there are 

 now in 1893, at least half-a-dozen troupes of per- 

 forming dogs in the metropolis, and each contains 

 several poodles. 



The writer of " Stonehenge's " article lamented the 

 fact that so few poodles were kept in this country 

 at that time, although they had long been 

 fairly established as a British dog. The Kennel 

 Club Stud Book was first published in 1874, and 

 the following year poodles were included in its 

 pages, but there were only half-a-dozen entries. 

 Later, the variety became more popular, and now 

 each year's registration contains on an average 

 between thirty and forty poodles. This increase is, 

 no doubt, owing to the establishment of a Poodle 

 Club, which was done in 1886. It contains a fair 

 number of subscribers, whose object is, like that of 

 other members of specialist clubs, to improve the 

 dog and to encourage his exhibition at shows, where 

 they provide special prizes for him. 



