254 BEST AGE IN THE SIRE AND DAM. 



This result of statistical inquiry is in entire opposition to Mr. 

 Thacker's theory, which was that the great proportion of good 

 dogs were begotten by old sires, and out of old dams ; and it 

 shows the folly of jumping to conclusions, and of suiting your 

 facts to preconceived theories, as we most of us are too apt 

 to do. 



But there is another reason for the preference of young sires and 

 dams, namely, that their employment will hasten the maturity of 

 the young animal, so that the puppy of eighteen months old, if 

 begotten by a young sire, will be better furnished and developed 

 than the son of an older dog. This is now well established, and 

 from a knowledge of the fact, breeders of sheep have succeeded in 

 producing mutton at twelve or fourteen months old, of as good size 

 and fatness as used formerly to take double or treble the time, 

 and though, perhaps, not quite of equal flavour, as compared 

 with an old wether, yet superior by far to mutton of the same age 

 as formerly bred. As a proof of this fact in the greyhound, may 

 be cited the cases of ' Kizzie ' and ( Hughie Graham,' which are 

 the only puppies that have won any of the great all aged stakes 

 of late years, and they were both got by their sires at four years of 

 age, and out of young dams. ( Locomotive,' also, is an extra- 

 ordinary instance of a very large puppy (said to be 75 Ibs. running 

 weight) winning good puppy stakes early in the season, and his 

 sire was only one year old when he got him. But I am bound to 

 admit that there is also another reason for this early maturity, 

 namely that our puppies are better reared, and more carefully 



