196 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM 



Like the White English Terriers the Black and Tan has fallen 

 on evil days. It is not a popular dog among fanciers, and 

 although many good ones may be seen occasionally about the 

 streets the breed suffers from want of the care and attention 

 that are incidental to the breeding and rearing of dogs intended 

 for competition at shows. 



There are many who hold the opinion that one of the chief 

 reasons for the decadence in the popularity of the Black and 

 Tan Terrier, notwithstanding its many claims to favour, is to 

 be found in the loss of that very alert appearance which was 

 a general characteristic before the Kennel Club made it illegal 

 to crop the ears of such as were intended for exhibition. It 

 must be admitted that until very recently there was a con- 

 siderable amount of truth in the prevalent opinion, inasmuch 

 as a rather heavy ear, if carried erect, was the best material 

 to work upon, and from which to produce the long, fine, and 

 upright, or " pricked " effect which was looked upon as being 

 the correct thing in a cropped dog ; hence it followed that no 

 care was taken to select breeding stock likely to produce the 

 small, semi-erect, well-carried, and thin ears required to-day, 

 consequently when the edict forbidding the use of scissors 

 came into force there were very few small-eared dogs to be 

 found. It has taken at least ten or a dozen years to eradicate 

 the mischief, and even yet the cure is not complete. 



Another factor which has had a bad effect is the belief, 

 which has become much too prevalent, that a great deal of 

 " faking " has been practised in the past, and that it has been 

 so cleverly performed as to deceive the most observant judge, 

 whereby a very artificial standard of quality has been obtained. 



The standard of points by which the breed should be 

 judged is as follows : 



General Appearance A terrier calculated to take his own part in the 

 rat pit, and not of the Whippet type. Head The head should be long, 

 flat, and narrow, level and wedge-shaped, without showing cheek 

 muscles ; well filled up under the eyes, with tapering, tightly-lipped 

 jaws and level teeth. Eyes The eyes should be very small, sparkling, 

 and bright, set fairly close together and oblong in shape. Nose Black. 



