262 Modern Dogs. 



most wholesome in the world. Of course, these 

 remarks are not applicable to all owners of whippets 

 — many of whom are as straightforward and good 

 sportsmen as ever owned a dog — but there can 

 be no doubt that the popularity of the variety 

 has been kept back and will continue to be so 

 by those ^' black sheep " to whom allusion is made. 



As I have said, the whippet ought not to be a big 

 dog, weighing, from 1 2lb. to, say, about 251b. 

 when in training. However, some of them are 

 much heavier than this, and many of the so-called 

 champion rabbit coursers reach 4olb. in weight 

 or even more. I have known a thoroughbred 

 greyhound take part in one of the big handicaps that 

 are held during the season in the neighbourhood 

 of Manchester and elsewhere. It scarcely remains 

 for me to say that these bigger dogs are the direct 

 cross with the greyhound, and some of them are 

 built on such lines, and contain so much grey hound 

 blood, as to be scarcely distinguishable from the 

 real article. 



Such animals are fast, clever with their teeth, and 

 oftener than not run straight into their rabbit, 

 " holding " it without a turn, the one that does so 

 winning the trial, irrespective of the capacity it 

 shows for working, turning, or making the points as 

 in coursinor hares. The law allowed varies from 



