CHAPTER XXXIII 

 THE WIRE-HAIR FOX-TERRIER 



THE wire-hair Fox-terrier is, with the exception of its coat, 

 identical with the smooth Fox-terrier full brother in fact to 

 him. The two varieties are much interbred, and several 

 litters in consequence include representatives of both ; and 

 not only this, but it is quite a frequent occurrence to get a 

 smooth puppy from wire-hair parents, although for some 

 generations neither of the parents may have had any smooth 

 cross in their pedigrees. 



The North of England and South Wales (to a lesser extent) 

 have ever been the home of the wire-hair, and nearly all the 

 best specimens have come originally from one or the other of 

 those districts. There is no doubt that there was excellent 

 stock in both places, and there is also no doubt that though 

 at times this was used to the best advantage, there was a good 

 deal of carelessness in mating, and a certain amount in re- 

 cording the parentage of some of the terriers. With regard 

 to this latter point it is said that one gentleman who had quite 

 a large kennel and several stud dogs, but who kept no books, 

 used never to bother about remembering which particular 

 dog he had put to a certain bitch, but generally satisfied himself 

 as to the sire of a puppy when it came in from " walk " by 

 just examining it and saying " Oh, that pup must be by 

 owd Jock or Jim," as the case might be, " 'cos he's so loike 

 'im," and down he would go on the entry form accordingly. 

 However this may be, there is no doubt that the sire would 

 be a wire-hair Fox-terrier, and, although the pedigree there- 

 fore may not have been quite right, the terrier was invariably 

 pure bred. 



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