THE TRUFFLE-DOG. 197 



exhibited at the Brighton dog show in 1879, but his peculiar markings apparently did not 

 find favour with the judges, for he failed to secure a prize. 



Tail, generally docked. 



General Appearance. An active and highly-intelligent dog, capable of great speed and 

 exertion on land or in water. 



N.B. It is customary to shave curly-coated Poodles, at all events in the summer months, 

 in a rather peculiar and quaint manner. The muzzle is shaven with the exception of a good- 

 sized tuft of hair on either side of the nose, which corresponds with the moustache of a human 

 being. The rest of the head, the neck, chest, fore-quarters, and fore-legs, are often left intact, 

 the shaving commencing again two or three inches behind the fore-legs. This is not akvays 

 the case, as it gives a heavy appearance to the dog, and many only clip to just above the 

 elbow, with a bracelet of hair left on the pastern. This results in all the body being bare 

 with the exception of a patch on the outside of each thigh, a little above and behind the 

 stifle joint. The hind-legs arc usually shaven down to an inch or two above the hocks, and 

 a tuft is left on the end of the tail. All the feet are shaven. Of course corded Poodles are 

 not subjected to this ordeal, their personal attractions being considered sufficiently powerful not 

 to necessitate the assistance of art. 



The following are the measurements of Mr. T. H. Joyce's Russian Poodle Posen. This dog 

 is a male, weighing 31 Ibs., and aged 3^ years. He measures from nose to stop, 3J inches; 

 stop to top of head, 4 inches; length of back, 17 inches; girth of muzzle, 9| inches; girth 

 of skull, 14 inches; girth of neck, 12^ inches; girth of brisket, 17 inches; girth of shoulders, 

 21 inches; girth of loins, 14 inches; girth of fore-arm, 5 inches; girth of pastern, 3^ inches 

 height at shoulders, 20} inches; height at elbows, lojj- inches; height at loins, 2o inches; 

 height at hock, 5^ inches. 



STANDARD OF POINTS FOR JUDGING POODLES. 



Valut. 



Skull 5 



Ears and eyes ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 



Neck and body ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 



Legs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 



Coat ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 



Colour ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 



General appearance ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 



5 

 THE TRUFFLE-DOG. 



The Truffle-dog is nothing more or less than a bad small-sized Poodle, and is never, or very 

 rarely, met with under the designation Truffle-dog. Its cultivation is due to the existence of 

 truffles, which it is employed to discover when they are lying in the ground by the help of its 

 acute nose. Any credit, therefore, attained by the Truffle-dog is certainly due to his better- 

 bred relative the Poodle, as the main distinction between the two lies in the former being 

 the leggier dog of the two, and therefore further remarks on the points of the Truffle-dog 

 would be superfluous. 



