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CHAPTER XXII. 

 THE TOY TERRIER. 



THE origin of the Toy Terrier is not hard to discover when the existence of such a variety as 

 the English Black-and-tan Terrier is an acknowledged fact. In-breeding is certain, if carried 

 too far, to stunt the growth of any animal, and this is, without any doubt, the means by 

 which the modern Toy Terrier was first originated. In the rage for Lilliputian dimensions, 

 however, many of those engaged in the production of the pigmy Terrier lost sight of the fact 

 that in breeding from dogs of the same blood it was very desirable that healthy specimers 

 should be selected to found the new race. There was quite sufficient probability of the 

 offspring being delicate and sickly as it was, but the increased risk of producing delicate 

 constitutions was unheeded by the earlier breeders, and no doubt accounts for many of the 

 miserably wretched little dogs that are so often shown. A Toy Terrier is naturally a fragile 

 little creature, and peculiarly susceptible of cold and chills. It should therefore be kept con- 

 stantly clothed in winter, and an ornamental kennel or basket should be provided for it close 

 to the fire. The shivering which is so perceptible in many Toys is due, we believe, to the 

 Italian Greyhound cross which has been at one time or another introduced into their strain, 

 and is not in itself a positive sign that the animal is suffering seriously from cold. This taint, 

 however, as in the case of Bull-terriers or White English Terriers, is generally most noticeable 

 in the action of the fore-legs the peculiar "dancing," as it is termed in canine phraseology, 

 being usually traceable for many generations. 



Another unsightly disfigurement to which the vast majority of the breed is liable is the 

 possession of a prominent forehead, or " apple head," which gives the dog the appearance of 

 suffering from water on the brain. We believe we are correct in saying that many of the 

 dogs so formed are sprung from parents and ancestors of about their own size, whilst the 

 greater number of the flat, terrier-headed show specimens have been the result of the union 

 of dogs superior in stature to themselves. This is the experience of more than one successful 

 breeder ; but, in the absence of any one person who has laid himself out to produce show 

 specimens, a large number of trustworthy statistics are naturally not easy to be procured. 



London deserves considerable credit for the production of these interesting little dogs, 

 though what becomes of the vast majority of those which are annually disposed of by the 

 Whitechapcl and Clerkenwell breeders it is very difficult to tell. It may, however, be surmised 

 that as the creatures are of so delicate a constitution, the absence of consideration and 

 attention on the part of their owners is responsible for many an untimely end. In draughty 

 rooms an excellent accommodation for a Toy Terrier is the glass-fronted show-box which 

 we see at dog-shows, which has a wooden slide to slip down in front of the glass and protect 

 it if taken out of doors. In the case of such boxes being used, it is imperative that 

 due attention should be paid to their satisfactory ventilation. This can be secured by the 

 presence of air-holes bored high up in the wooden back. The latter may or may not, as 

 depends on their size, be protected by perforated zinc fastened over them. Special care 



