136 



THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



indeed, it can scarcely be expected that he can keep up with foxhounds, particularly 

 in a long run ; and if he could, it would scarcely be fair to send him half exhausted 

 to hard work underground. In some countries they do run with the pack, but in 

 most cases they are either carried on horseback, or are taken in panniers, a boy 

 riding on a pony with them ; while sometimes a man is sent out with them, to follow 

 on foot, otherwise, in many instances, their presence when required could not be 

 depended on. A long-legged terrier cannot travel over all descriptions of ground 

 like a short-legged one, nor can he last out a long day so well. The smooth-coated 

 dog is generally preferred to the wire-coated fox terrier ; but he should be stout in 

 constitution, so as to withstand wet, cold, or fatigue ; and he must have courage 

 enough to face punishment, without showing unnecessary irritation. 



The greatest care should be taken in first entering terriers, as with hounds. If 

 a deerhound is not properly entered, he will seize the haunch of a stag, and there 

 hold him. A well-known keen sportsman tells me that he used to wound most 

 severely a deer, get up to him, and sit on the body if he could, and then enter the 

 hound at the neck only. The dog* would always afterwards seize that part. So 

 with fox terriers, if entered on large rats, or on a very savage dog fox, or on a vixen 

 with cubs, they never do well. The teaching should be gradual till the dog has 

 confidence in his own abilities. 



With the exception of some foxhounds and greyhounds, there is not a dog in 

 England with an authentic pedigree that will go back to the year 1800 ; but with 

 regard to fox terriers their pedigrees are specially obscure, and it is singular that 

 most of those which became noted at the commencement of the popularity of the 

 breed had no known reliable pedigrees, though they had specific parentage given 

 to them. The establishment of the " Kennel Club Stud Book " has to some extent 

 remedied this defect, but there are still grave doubts as to the lines in some of 

 the best dogs. 



The following are the points of the fox terrier, chiefly as settled by the club 

 specially formed for his improvement. I have not altered the numerical value, but 

 in the description of one or two points I have changed the wording without greatly 

 interfering with the sense. 



POINTS OF THE Fox TEEEIEB. 



Yalue. 



Head and ears 15 



Neck 5 



Shoulders and chest 15 



Back and loin 10 



45 



Yalue. 



Hind quarters 5 



Stern 5 



Legs 10 



Feet -. 10 



30 

 Grand Total 100. 



Value. 



Coat 5 



Colour 5 



Size and symmetry ... 15 



25 



1. Head and ears (value 15) : 



a. The skull should be flat and moderately narrow ; broader between the ears 

 and gradually decreasing in width to the eyes. Not much " stop " should be 



