210 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM 



shelters such grand terriers as Doncaster, Dominie, Dodger, 

 Dauphine, and many others well known to fame. Mrs. J. H. 

 Brown, too, as the owner of Captain Double, a terrier which 

 has won, and deservedly, more prizes than any Fox-terrier 

 now or in the past, must not be omitted. 



Whether the present Fox-terrier is as good, both on the score 

 of utility and appearance, as his predecessors is a question 

 which has many times been asked, and as many times decided 

 in the negative as well as in the affirmative. It would be 

 idle to pretend that a great many of the dogs now seen on the 

 show bench are fitted to do the work Nature intended them 

 for, as irrespective of their make and shape they are so over- 

 sized as to preclude the possibility of going to ground in any 

 average sized earth. 



This question of size is one that must sooner or later be 

 tackled in some practical way by the Fox-terrier Club, unless 

 we are to see a race of giants in the next few generations. 

 Their own standard gives 20 Ib. a very liberal maximum ; 

 but there are dogs several pounds heavier constantly winning 

 prizes at shows, and consequently being bred from, with the 

 result which we see. There are many little dogs, and good 

 ones, to be seen, but as long as the judges favour the big ones 

 these hold no chance, and as it is far easier to produce a good 

 big one than a good little one, breeders are encouraged to use 

 sires who would not be looked at if a hard-and-fast line were 

 drawn over which no dogs should win a prize. There are 

 hundreds of Fox-terriers about quite as capable of doing 

 their work as their ancestors ever were, and there is hardly a 

 large kennel which has not from time to time furnished our 

 leading packs with one or more dogs, and with gratifying 

 results. It is, therefore, a great pity that our leading ex- 

 hibitors should often be the greatest delinquents in showing 

 dogs which they know in their hearts should be kept at home 

 or drafted altogether, and it is deplorable that some of our 

 oldest judges should by their awards encourage them. 



Before concluding this chapter it may not be out of place to 



