CLASSIFICATION OP DOGS. 21 



the canine race into much discredit with those who did 

 not reflect that man is himself wholly responsible for it. 



Standards. Before proceeding to give the points, etc., 

 of the various breeds of dogs coming under the subdivis- 

 ions of the preceding classification still to be treated, it 

 will be profitable to consider the subject of a " standard," 

 or the description of the characteristics of any variety 

 of the canine species. In this case again reference to the 

 origin of standards may not be without interest. Long 

 ago a large number of standards were printed in Stone- 

 henge's admirable work on the dog, and these are to the 

 present time the basis on which others have been con- 

 structed. The standard actually used, or supposed to be 

 used, in the judging of any breed at a public exhibition of 

 dogs is usually that adopted by the specialty club that con- 

 cerns itself with the breed in question. The standards of 

 all the leading breeds are now to be obtained in compact 

 and cheap form in one volume, indispensable to the judge, 

 the critic, the breeder, the exhibitor, and others. As to 

 how far they conform to the requirements of the perfect 

 standard may be better determined presently. 



A standard of any breed should express in words the 

 ideally perfect dog ; and it would be of the highest serv- 

 ice to have the verbal description accompanied by an 

 ideal illustration, for there are no perfect dogs; and if 

 to these two were added a commentary of such a char- 

 acter as would render the meaning more clear and at the 

 same time give the reasons for the various requirements 

 of the standard, we feel certain that greater progress 

 would be made by all concerned. While some few 

 writers have commented on the standards of some of the 



