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CHAPTER XVIil. 



THE SKYE TERRIER. 



THE Skye Terrier has certainly not improved its position in the canine world from the writings 

 of its supporters : on the contrary, like its relative the Dandie Dinmont, it has suffered greatly 

 from the intervention of fond though misguided friends. Many who have taken part from time 

 to time in the various controversies which have arisen concerning the breed have certainly 

 proved themselves masters of the subject upon which they wrote ; but the majority unfortunately 

 appear to have devoted more energy to personal recrimination than to the Skye Terrier on whose 

 behalf they rushed into print. However, all parties seem to agree upon two important points 

 viz., the antiquity and the utility of the breed ; and the real point at issue appears to be the 

 distinction admirers of this game little dog have drawn between the type usually most successful 

 at our shows, and the type met with in various parts of Scotland. 



Before committing ourselves to any opinion on this important subject of dispute, it is 

 desirable that our readers should be clearly informed what the duties of a Skye Terrier really 

 are. It has been argued that he is par excellence the vermin dog of his country ; but this is 

 naturally enough distasteful to, and contradicted by, the lovers of the Dandie Dinmont. Enough 

 has, however, been proved by his supporters to convince all who are interested in but do not 

 know the Skye that he is certainly a game, hardy little dog, sagacious in hunting, and death 

 on all vermin. His suitability for going to earth, too, is beyond all question, and his constitution 

 and formation must specially adapt him for the climate of his native country. A dog possessing 

 so many recommendations must naturally be popular in the localities where he is mostly found ; 

 and therefore it is a matter of small surprise that he is so largely patronised by keepers and 

 sportsmen in a small way who reside in the northern portion of our island. 



All being therefore agreed upon his duties, it is only natural that there should exist many 

 differences of opinion on matters of detail one party contending for one type of dog, and others 

 for an animal different in many important points. The greatest diversity of opinion, however, 

 appears to exist between those called upon to officiate as judges on the one hand, and the 

 owners of types which as a rule are unsuccessful competitors at our shows, on the other. The 

 former as a rule award their substantial support to long low dogs, with plenty of good long 

 harsh coat, who are admittedly handsome specimens of the breed to which they claim to belong. 

 Owners of what they are pleased to style the "genuine Skye Terrier," on the contrary, 

 often object in no measured terms to the prizes being awarded such dogs, and with some 

 show of reason point exultingly to the class of dogs commonly met with in Scotland, whose 

 jackets, though certainly harsh and weather-resisting, do not approach in length and beauty 

 those of their more favoured rivals. Here we confess we are unable to follow the latter's reasoning, 

 and we cannot bring ourselves to believe that the promoters of such a theory have given due 

 consideration to the facts of the case as it stands before them. They appear to us to have 

 quite lost sight of the natural improvement which care and attention, combined with superior 

 diet and warm housing, is likely to bring about in the coats of the show dogs they are wont 

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