TRIMMING ARTIFICES, 31 



further observations here, beyond drawing the attention of our seaders to the great necessity of 

 always now getting the dog perfectly dry before letting him go back to his kennel. The best time 

 to wash a dog for a show is the evening before he leaves home, and he can be then secured for the 

 night without much chance of his soiling his jacket ; but be sure to have abundance of fresh and 

 clean straw for him to roll himself on, or he will be sure to stain himself, and all the labour of 

 washing has to be gone through again, possibly under difficulties as regards time and place. Hand 

 rubbing is most efficacious as a means of both drying and flattening down the coat ; and after the 

 process of drying is partially accomplished with a sponge and towel, we strongly recommend, in 

 the case of smooth-haired dogs, that the operation be completed by rubbing the hands over the 

 coat in the direction the hair runs. This may seem, and is, a tedious operation ; but the dog's 

 appearance is wonderfully improved by it. A little blue is often added to the water in which white 

 dogs are washed, but it must be very little ; and for our own part we rarely went beyond the use 

 of the ordinary blue-mottled white soap, as, if good of its sort, this contains quite enough blue for 

 all practical purposes. Loaf sugar is supposed by some to add brilliancy to the coat if put in the 

 tub ; but though we tried it, there were no adequate results to be perceived. In the case of 

 the hard or wire-haired breeds, where a stiff, harsh coat is wanted, the addition of a little alum 



FIG. 12. DOUBLE-SWIVEL DOG-CHAIN. 



in the water has a beneficial effect, and this should not be lost sight of by exhibitors of these 

 varieties. 



The delicate subject of trimming must be approached with caution, as any unwary expression 

 regarding the various processes may be taken far more seriously than is desired. That many in 

 fact most breeds of dogs can be vastly improved by various minor operations is admitted 

 universally, and it is well known to most -exhibitors that artifices are continually being resorted to 

 which might, if detected, lead to the disqualification of the dog if he were awarded a prize. Long- 

 haired dogs are plucked i.e. bad or superfluous hair removed. Terriers are stained, shaved, and 

 singed. Tails are shaved and resined. Curly coats which should be flat are ironed out ; flat 

 coats which should be curly have the tongs applied. White noses sometimes have lunar caustic 

 (nitrate of silver) applied to them ; and it may be well to remark that this can be easily detected 

 by applying cyanide of potassium : care must, however, be taken with this drug, as it is a most 

 deadly poison, and a very little allowed to get inside the mouth would kill the dog. Unsightly 

 patches are dyed, and drooping ears gummed. All these and other artifices have been resorted to, 

 and are often passed over by judges, who either do not possess the perception to detect the 

 fault, or lack the moral courage to face the uproar a disqualification would bring about. How far 

 the more trifling of such practices are recognised or permitted it is hard to say ; but, trimming, or 

 "faking," as it is popularly termed, is always a risky as well as an undesirable operation, and 

 should be suppressed. In certain breeds mutilation is universal : such as docking the tail of a fox- 

 terrier or spaniel, rounding the ears of a hound, or cropping those of a bull or English terrier. There 

 are, however, operations performed on dogs, the only motive for which is the remedy of some fault 

 which it possesses. For instance, a badly-carried ear is often " improved " by the application of 



