THE WELSH TERRIER. 
the type required, they often occupied 
prominent positions in the prize lists, to the 
detriment of the pure bred article. The 
great danger was in their being used to 
any large extent at the stud, and of the 
breed being thereby contaminated. 
The steps, therefore, of the well-wisher 
of the pure article seemed always to be 
dogged by the mongrel, so-called, Old 
English Terrier ; wherever he went he could 
not get away from him. If he exhibited 
at a show where the classes were given for 
the two breeds jointly, his enemy being, in 
most cases as aforesaid, the better-looking 
terrier, beat his head off; if he showed in 
classes given only for his own breed, there 
again did he find the spurious article, coolly 
calling itself by the name of his own breed, 
again getting the best of him; if he did not 
show at all—well, it meant a_ bloodless 
victory for his rival, and that his breed 
as a show animal would assuredly die out 
altogether. 
The Press, the judge, the dog world 
generally, ‘went for’ the Welsh Terrier ex- 
hibitor hot and strong; they ridiculed his 
dog, laughed at him, gave him all sorts of 
gratuitous advice. A dog with a head like 
that would never do any good. Why not 
introduce foreign blood to improve his 
points ? All other breeds had been bene- 
fited in like manner—why not him ? 
Looking back on these years, one can 
readily recognise what a crisis the breed 
was, at that time, passing through—a crisis, 
indeed, rendered none the less serious from 
the fact that some of the old owners were 
inclined to—and did, in fact—desert the 
colours and become proselytes of the mon- 
grel. It was just at this time that the 
Welsh Terrier Club rose to the occasion, 
and in doing so unquestionably saved the 
breed from utter annihilation. A rule was 
passed that in future no dog which could 
not be proved to be a pure Welsh Terrier 
should be eligible to compete for any of 
the club’s prizes. This rule was the sub- 
ject of much adverse comment from the 
self-believed wiseacres of the day, but it 
had a most salutary effect, and after events 
proved its existence to be fully justified. 
48 
Si7 
The Old English Terrier prospered for a 
while longer, but gradually died out, and 
has been heard of no more. The extra- 
ordinary thing about him was that, although 
several beautiful specimens were shown at 
different times, one never saw on the bench 
an Old English Terrier which was by one 
of his own breed out of one of his own 
breed ; they could not, in fact, be begotten 
MR. WALTER S. GLYNN'S CH. BRYNHIR BURGLAR 
BY BRYNHIR BOXER——BRYNHIR BAGGAGE. 
Photograph 
by Pictorial Agency. 
in any way but by a fluke, and so they died 
a natural death. 
It must ever be to the credit of the Welsh 
Terrier that he refused to be drawn into 
any alliance with such an unwholesome 
specimen. Had he allowed himself to be 
cajoled into any such thing, it is clear 
that death must have awaited him, and 
as a show dog he would long ago have 
met his fate. 
The Welsh Terrier to-day is very much 
improved beyond what he was when first 
put on the bench. This improvement has 
been brought about by careful and judicious 
breeding from nothing but pure bred speci- 
mens. No outside aid has been invoked— 
at any rate in the production of any of the 
best terriers—and none has been required. 
It is a matter for great congratulation that 
the breed has been kept pure despite all 
temptation and exhortation. 
The Welsh Terrier breeds as true as steel ; 
you know what you are going to get. Had 
