THE KING CHARLES SPANIELS. 



437 



— even so recent as those painted by Sir 

 Edwin Landseer — do we find an absence 

 of the long tail. 



If left intact, the tail would take two or 

 three j'ears to attain perfection, but the 

 same may be said of the dog generally, 

 which improves ven,- much \\ith age, and 

 is not at its best imtil it is three years old, 

 and even then continues to improve. 



Although the To\- Spaniels are unquestion- 

 ably true aristocrats by nature, birth, and 

 breeding, and are most at home in a draw- 



possess great powers of endurance. They 

 appreciate warmth and comfort, but do 

 not thrive so well in either extreme heat 

 or intense cold. One thing to be a%oided 

 is the wetting of their feathered feet, or, 

 should this happen, allowing them to 

 remain so ; and, as in the case of aU 

 dogs with long ears, the interior of the ears 

 should be carefully kept dr\- to avoid the 

 risk of canker. 



To\' Spaniels are commonly gifted with a 

 retentive memor)-, and thej- have been 



ing-room or on a well-kept lawn, they are 

 by no means deficient in sporting procli\ities, 

 and, in spite of their short noses, their scent 

 is ver\' keen. They thoroughly enjoy a 

 good scamper, and are all the better for 

 not being too much pampered. They are 

 very good house-dogs, intelligent and 

 affectionate, and have sympathetic, coaxing 

 little ways. One point in their favour is 

 the fact that they are not noisy, and do not 

 yap continually when strangers go into a 

 room where they are, or at other times, as 

 is the habit with some breeds of toy dogs. 

 Those who have once had King Charles 

 Spaniels as pets seldom care to replace 

 them by any other variety of dog, fearing 

 lest they might not find in another breed 

 5uch engaging little friends and companions, 

 ■ gentle " as of yore and also " comforters." 

 Although these dogs need care, they 



known to recall past circumstances after 

 the lapse of many years. 



A Blenheim of my acquaintance had a 

 ball with which she was ver\' fond of play- 

 ing. This had not been forthcoming for 

 some little time, and when her mistress 

 asked her where the ball was, she went at 

 once and sniffed under a large, heavy 

 bookcase that stood in the room. Later 

 on the family left the house, and when the 

 bookcase was remo\-ed the ball was found 

 to be underneath it as the dog had so clearly 

 intimated. 



Like manj- other dogs, the King Charles 

 Spaniel is particularly observant, and will 

 often exhibit remarkable powers of reasoning. 

 The Rev. J. G. Wood has told the story of 

 a Uttle King Charles who, after trying in 

 vain to see what was on a dining-room table, 

 went out of the room, then half-way up the 



