438 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



stairs, and so took a survey of the table 

 through the open doorway. 



Mr. J. W. Berrie, writing of the modem 

 Blenheim, says that it "possesses pro- 

 perties and organs more nearly resembling 

 those of the human head than any other 

 kind of dog, having Individuality, Eventu- 

 ality, Comparison, and Causality very largely 

 developed." 



In going back to a period long before 

 the last century was half-way through, 

 we find that a great number of these orna- 

 mental pets were in the hands of working 

 men living in the East-End of London, 

 and the competition among them to own 

 the best was very keen. They held minia- 

 ture dog shows at small taverns, and paraded 

 their dogs on the sanded floor of tap-rooms, 

 their owners sitting around smoking long 

 churchwarden pipes. The value of good 

 specimens in those early days appears to 

 have been from £$ to £250, which latter 

 sum is said to have been refused by a com- 

 paratively poor man for a small black and 

 tan with very long ears, and a nose much 

 too long for our present-day fancy. Among 

 the names of some old prominent breeders 

 and exhibitors may be mentioned those of 

 C. Aistrop, J. Garwood, J. A. Buggs, and 

 Mrs. Forder. 



The writer well remembers a visit to 

 J. Garwood, who lived up a mews off Gray's 

 Inn Road, some thirty years ago. This old 

 man lived quite alone except for the com- 

 panionship of some twenty little Spaniels, 

 who shared equally with him, and who, 

 at his bidding, came out of mysterious 

 corners and hiding-places. To J. Garwood 

 must be given credit for the foundation 

 of the pedigree of many of our present 

 champions. J. A. Buggs was the owner 

 and breeder of the grand King Charles 

 Spaniels Alexander the Great and Bend d'Or. 

 Mrs. Forder made her name famous with a 

 beautiful King Charles by name Young 

 Jumbo, and a small Blenheim, Duke of Bow, 

 who was the possessor of a perfect spot, 

 very profuse coat, and long ears. In Tri- 

 colours F. Keener was prominent with a 

 very fine specimen called Napoleon, and to 

 the credit of Ned Short must be placed the 



ancestors of the best Tricolours of the 

 present daj% as descending from two ex- 

 cellent dogs he bred and owned in Block 

 and Block II. It is not in the memory of 

 the \\Titer that these two dogs were ever 

 on the show bench, but their names figure 

 in the pedigrees of prominent winners, one 

 in particular being Ch. Prince of Tedding- 

 ton, probably one of the finest specimens 

 of the breed on record. Among other 

 successful breeders and exhibitors about 

 this period were George Coren, Mrs. Bevan, 

 H. Arnold, Mrs. Bagnall, and S. A. Julius. 

 In Blenheims the well-known Champions 

 Flossie and Bowsie took the lead, and 

 to the credit of the latter may be placed 

 the foundation of many winners of the 

 present da}'. 



It is interesting to note, on looking over a 

 catalogue of the Kennel Club Show, that in 

 1884 the classes for Toy Spaniels numbered 

 five, with two championship prizes, one 

 each for Blenheims and Black and Tins, 

 and the total entries were 19. At this 

 date neither Tricolours nor Rubies were 

 recognised as a separate variety by the 

 Kennel Club, and they had no place in the 

 register of breeds until the year igo2. 

 At the Kennel Club show in 1904 thirty- 

 one classes were provided and eight chal- 

 lenge certificate prizes were given, the 

 entries numbering 109. 



The formation of the Toy Spaniel Club 

 in 1885, and the impetus given to breeders 

 and exhibitors by the numerous shows 

 with good classification, have caused this 

 beautiful breed to become more popular 

 year by year. Fifty years ago the owners 

 might be almost counted on the fingers 

 of one's hands ; now probably the days 

 of the year would hardly cover them. 



Among the most successful exhibitors 

 of late years have been the Hon. Mrs. 

 McLaren Morrison, the Hon. Mrs. Lytton, 

 Mrs. Graves, Mrs. L. H. Thompson, Miss 

 Young, Mrs. H. B. Looker, Mrs. Privette, Miss 

 Hall, the Misses Clarkson and Grantham, 

 Mrs. Dean, Mr. H. Taylor, Mrs. Bright, 

 Mrs. Adamson, Miss Spofforth, Mrs. Hope 

 Paterson, and Miss E. Taylor. 



The novice fancier, desirous of breeding 



