1 8 Dog Shows and Doggy* People 



His Majesty King Edward VII. 



and 



Her Majesty Queen Alexandra 



As I wish my sketches of Doggy People to be as widely repre- 

 sentative as possible, I do not think I should be justified in excluding 

 a short notice of the above-named merely on account of their 

 distinguished position. 



I believe I am right in saying that all the members of our Royal 

 Family have been lovers of animals in general, and dogs in particular, 

 from their childhood, in which they but follow in the footsteps of 

 their revered parents ; and there is not the least doubt that the active 

 and continuous patronage and support given by our late beloved 

 Queen has had a most beneficial effect on all kinds of exhibitions 

 of live stock throughout the British Empire, which certainly stands 

 at the head of all countries of the world in that respect. 



His Majesty has been no apathetic admirer of dogs, but for many 

 years an active breeder and occasional exhibitor in several varieties. 

 So long ago as the capital shows held in the ancient town of 

 Warwick, I remember His Majesty exhibiting Skye Terriers, Chows, 

 and Foreign Dogs, as several of th'em came before me to judge ; and 

 of late years we have seen Spaniels, Basset-hounds, and specimens 

 from the Arctic regions frequently appearing at our shows from the 

 Royal Kennels in open competition. 



Her Majesty Queen Alexandra has been mostly identified with 

 the Borzois (or Russian Wolf-hounds), Smooth Basset-hounds, Chows, 

 Skyes, Pugs, and Japanese Spaniels, all of which, I think, Her 

 Majesty has exhibited with success. All who have seen Their 

 Majesties at a dog show, as I have often had the pleasure of doing, 

 would not need to be told they were Doggy People, as theirs are 

 no formal visits, but evidently caused by a keen enjoyment of seeing 

 so many good and typical specimens on the benches, and often 

 stopping to admire and speak to those that took their fancy. Her 

 Majesty is accompanied in her portrait by her well-known Champion 



