86 THE BOOK OF THE DOG. 



from the introduction of the blood of a Spanish Bull-dog we are at a loss to conjecture, as 

 the animal selected for resuscitating our national dog was the notorious Toro, a red- 

 brindled dog, with cropped ears, weighing some 90 Ibs., and displaying many indications 

 of a Mastiff cross. From what we have heard from various sources it appears that Toro, in 

 spite of the assertion in the Kennel Club Stud Book to the effect that both his parents were 

 pure-bred Spanish Bull-dogs, is supposed by many of his admirers to be descended from some 

 English Bull-dogs which were exported from this country to Spain several years ago. Now, 

 assuming for the sake of argument that both these theories can be correct, we still fail 

 to discover from the appearance of Toro how he could possibly be of service in improving 

 the Bull-dog as it now exists in this country, the main object of successful exhibitors being 

 to eliminate all traces of the Mastiff in their dogs, as such would tend to place great obstacles 

 in their success under a competent judge. That Toro may possibly be a perfect specimen 

 of the Spanish Bull-dog we will not attempt to deny, for we consider the breed apocryphal, 

 but we unhesitatingly assert that the introduction of his blood into our English kennels must 

 inevitably be attended by the most pernicious consequences, and it is to be hoped that breeders 

 will adhere to the blood that our ancestors possessed, without being led astray by the wiles of the 

 charmers, charm they never so wisely. 



In the year 1874 Mr. Theodore Bassett, the well-known Fox-terrier judge, astonished the 

 Bull-dog world by importing an "African" Bull-dog, and exhibiting him at our shows. This dog, 

 Leon by name, had, like Toro, been deprived of his ears, and though superior to the latter in every 

 Bull-dog characteristic, was very soon after his first appearance relegated, by the good sense of his 

 master, to the foreign dog class, where his fine proportions have been fully recognised, as his many 

 successes testify. 



Having thus warned our readers against attempting to improve the Bull-dog by a foreign 

 cross, it behoves us to likewise put them on their guard against the great, coarse, lumbering- 

 looking dogs sometimes met with at shows. These animals, though possibly in themselves showing 

 little trace of Mastiff blood to the uninitiated, cannot deceive a practical breeder, and the result of 

 an alliance between one of them and a young inexperienced admirer's brood bitch will almost 

 invariably be years of disappointment on the show bench, coupled with vain endeavours at home 

 to rid the strain of the noxious taint brought in by the injudicious selection of the founder of the 

 stud. 



The Bull-dog has undoubtedly suffered considerably from his association with the lower classes 

 of the community; and amongst other undesirable practices which have crept in in connection with 

 the breed is the abominable mutilation resorted to by some breeders in order to shorten the length 

 of the upper jaw, and turn the nose well up. In their endeavours to attain the above object the 

 operators in the first instance sever the middle and two side lip-strings which connect the upper 

 lip of the dog with the gum ; when this is satisfactorily accomplished, a sort of small wooden 

 block, hollowed so as to fit the face, is applied to the outside of the upper jaw in front, and 

 being smartly hit with a mallet, has the effect of compressing the bone and cartilage of the nose 

 as desired. Naturally the operation has to be performed when the unfortunate puppies are of an 

 early age, and the bones and muscles of their faces are soft and susceptible of compression. 

 An instrument technically termed the "Jacks" is then applied, and has the effect of causing 

 the mutilated parts to remain in their new and abnormal position. No words can express 

 our repugnance at the horrible cruelty thus inflicted upon the unhappy puppies by the 

 wretches who wantonly inflict such torture upon them, and no judge should award either 

 prizes or commendations to a Bull-dog until he has perfectly satisfied himself that the dog has 



