CHAPTER I. 



SELECTION OF SIRE. 



It would seem from the practice of the infinite majority 

 of breeders that they, in the beginning, accepted as a fixed 

 fact that " like produces like " with positive certainty, and 

 satisfied that in this familiar aphorism was comprised the 

 one and only essential principle, in the application of 

 which none could stray, they were quite content and had 

 no desire to go farther into the subject. It is not surpris- 

 ing, therefore, that but few have succeeded while many 

 have failed, and that a large proportion of the best dogs 

 have been what might without impropriety be called acci- 

 dental creations. 



Some breeders consider pedigree of first importance 

 and mate accordingly, practically ignoring the question 

 of suitability, also the fact that with good pedigrees on 

 both sides the puppies are often very poor specimens. 

 And these rely mainly on reversion ; or in other words 

 they confidently expect that even if the dogs chosen are 

 not themselves all that is desirable they will yet be sure 

 to "throw back," and that their offspring will resemble 

 ancestors, more or less remote, which were good. 



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