MR. LOADER BROWNE ON BREEDING. 67 



companion, and a more powerful and efficient guard, whilst as a show dog he is certainly 

 grander and more imposing on the bench. I know some judges do not insist on extraordinary 

 size, and support their opinion by stating that he is not found so in his native country ; but this 

 appears of little weight, as it merely arises from careless breeding ; and granting he is more useful 

 for being large, there is no reason why he should not be increased in size, just as other prize stock 

 has been improved within the last half-century. As to colour, the rusty-dun shade is very 

 objectionable, and detracts much from the beauty of the dog ; and without going so far as some in 

 saying it arises from a cross with the St. Bernard, I cannot agree with those who maintain it is a 

 sign of pure breeding. No doubt there are many dogs of this colour in Newfoundland, but there 

 are also others of a glossy black. I have reason to believe there is no great care shown in 

 breeding them, but that they vary a great deal in size, colour, and coat ; so that every imported 

 dog must not be considered to represent the true breed, which could only be the case if the 

 islanders made a speciality of their dogs, as the Jersey men do of their cows, not allowing any 

 other breed to be imported into the island not of course that this would be worth the trouble of 

 doing. I think the coat should be of a glossy jet-black colour, and composed of rather coarse, 

 not silky hair, long, straight, shaggy, and dense, but without much under-coat. It is astonishing 

 how quickly this description of coat will dry, as compared with one that is curly ; on account of 

 the oily, glossy nature of the hair, very little water can remain in the coat, and that on the 

 surface drips off and nearly disappears with the usual shake. 



" The following are some of the defects frequently met with in breeding, but which certainly 

 may be lessened and nearly eradicated by careful mating of the parents, of course never selecting 

 both where the same defect exists, or it will undoubtedly appear in an exaggerated form in 

 their progeny. Where there is a weak point in one of the parents, choose the other where this 

 point is exceptionally strong : 



" Weakness of loin and shortness of the back ribs, both highly objectionable, and generally 

 acknowledged to be a failing of this breed. 



" The muzzle being too short, giving the dog a pug-faced appearance ; in other cases too long 

 and snipy. It should be a happy medium, with the mouth large and capacious, and teeth level, 

 giving him facility to lay hold of and retain anything floating. 



" Neck too short. It should be a fair length, with immense development of muscle ; this is 

 required to enable him to keep the object he is bringing to shore well out of the water. 



" The ears too large. They should be rather small and lie close to the head, acting as 

 valves to keep the water out of the orifices; 



" The eye showing the haw, or under eyelid, leading in some cases to a suspicion of a 

 St. Bernard cross. The eye should be deeply set, and not too large. I prefer colour to be 

 dark hazel, but many good dogs have them rather a lighter shade. 



" The tail with a twist or curl occurring in the last joints of the vertebrae, also carried 

 generally too high ; it should be gently curved and carried low. 



" White colour in patches. A very small spot may be passed over on the chest, and some 

 celebrated dogs have had more than a splash on the foot ; but it should not be, and the 

 less there is the better. 



" Crooked legs and out at elbows I have found, even when breeding from parents 

 perfect in these points ; caused, I believe, by mating a very young bitch with an old dog. 

 If possible, never breed from a bitch under two years, or, better, two and a half years old, 

 the dog to be not more than five, or six at most. If the bitch be five, let the dog be two 

 or three years old. 



