Mr. Raper's Opinion. 201 



" I dare say to a certain degree this may tend to soften 

 the jacket, but what you lose in that respect you gain in 

 appearances, for a well washed and groomed dog looks ten 

 per cent, better than the one that has been cleaned by 

 other methods. 



" There is much in the general treatment of coats ; a dog 

 can be presented in sound coat if due attention be paid to 

 it. There is no occasion for the coat to be so rough or 

 ragged as to give the dog an unpleasant appearance. 



" Suppose, for instance, I purchased a " shaggy" coated 

 dog whose coat was full of dirt, matted, &c, and the least 

 combing would almost bring it all away. I should at once 

 remove all the old coat ; in fact, clear all the coat away 

 that was not in a healthy condition. When this was done 

 the dog would appear more like a smooth-coated dog than 

 a wire-haired one, but if his coat naturally were of iair 

 texture he would in the course of a month be fit to exhibit, 

 and his jacket, if it had had regular and proper grooming, 

 would look spic and span. 



" Carelessness and neglect are in many instances account- 

 able for the unsightly manner in which dogs are presented 

 before the judge. They may be natural, but for a dog 

 to be allowed perfect freedom, say, on a farm, to rind 

 his own bed, sleep in any dirty place, never to be washed 

 or groomed, to anyone that cares the least for his dog's 

 comfort such procedure would scarcely be considered 

 according to " Cocker," however it might be to the rules 

 of nature. You might say of yourself that you are in 

 the most natural condition — if you never wash, comb your 

 hair, or take any means whereby you can smarten your 

 appearance — and so you are. 



" If the coat of a rough-haired fox terrier is sound, all that 



