368 ALL ABOUT DOGS 



no sporting dogs, to speak of, though the number is in- 

 creasing year by year and not half a score of Bull Dogs. 

 Such as there are, a little aristocracy of bone and jowl 

 lie at rest in a distant corner of the tent not deigning to 

 notice the Poodles around. Near them are a few Aire- 

 dale Terriers. One of them, which would be in its ele- 

 ment in a rattling street fight, stretched to the top of its 

 pen, looked over at the ' curled darlings ' on the other 

 side, deliberately yawned and turned over again to sleep. 

 There is a whole tent full of Toy Spaniels and other 

 exquisites in upholstered pens. They have ribbons 

 round their necks, and bells and go about two to the 

 pound. The Poodles are curled and shaven and shorn, 

 and decked out with top-knots of coloured ribbons. 

 One which lay asleep was described as a ' Rag and a 

 Bone, and a Hank of Worsted/ Two Poodle puppies, 

 not yet shorn, looked refreshingly unkempt by the side 

 of these ultra-respectable Uncles and Aunts. A litter of 

 Dachshunds resembled lion cubs asleep. The foreign 

 class which is both strong and varied, provided an 

 amusing contrast. In one pen was a huge shaggy 

 ' Balu/ in the next a shivering little ' Mousie Chi- 

 huahua/ whatever that may be ! * Balu ' could have 

 taken ' Mousie ' among his hors d'oeuvres before din- 

 ner. Chows with big heads and wee twinkling eyes. 

 Borzois trying to twist their legs into geometrical fig- 

 ures; an Esquimo asleep; a vicious Dingo in a cage. 

 St. Bernards which made the tent quiver, when they 

 barked and Bloodhounds sleeping serenely, there being 

 no murderers about, these were the Giants of the show. 

 If not as numerous, certainly they were a more weighty 



