THE IRISH TERRIER 235 



that has yet been achieved by scientific breeding in Irish 

 Terrier type. 



Breeding up to the standard of excellence necessary in 

 competition in dog shows has doubtless been the agent which 

 has brought the Irish Terrier to its present condition of per- 

 fection, and it is the means by which the general dog owning 

 public is most surely educated to a practical knowledge of 

 what is a desirable and what an undesirable dog to possess. 

 But, after all, success in the show ring is not the one and only 

 thing to be aimed at, and the Irish Terrier is not to be regarded 

 merely as the possible winner of prizes. He is above all things 

 a dog for man's companionship, and in this capacity he takes 

 a favoured place. He has the great advantage of being equally 

 suitable for town and country life. In the home he requires 

 no pampering ; he has a good, hardy constitution, and when 

 once he has got over the ills incidental to puppyhood 

 worms and distemper he needs only to be judiciously fed, 

 kept reasonably clean, and to have his fill of active exercise. 

 If he is taught to be obedient and of gentlemanly habit, there 

 is no better house dog. He is naturally intelligent and easily 

 trained. Although he is always ready to take his own part, 

 he is not quarrelsome, but remarkably good-tempered and a 

 safe associate of children. Perhaps with his boisterous spirits 

 he is prone sometimes to be over-zealous in the pursuit 

 of trespassing tabbies and in assailing the ankles of intruding 

 butcher boys and officious postmen. These characteristics 

 come from his sense of duty, which is strongly developed, 

 and careful training will make him discriminative in his 

 assaults. 



Very justly is he classed among the sporting dogs. He is a 

 born sportsman, and of his pluck it were superfluous to speak. 

 Fear is unknown to him. In this characteristic as in all others,, 

 he is truly a son of Erin. 



