CHAPTER XXVII 



The Smooth Fox Terrier 



Y REASON of popularity and early recognition as a breed, 

 both here and in England, the smooth fox terrier is given 

 the right of way. As we have demonstrated in the preceding 

 chapter, neither in colour nor in coat is he the oldest of the 

 terrier family. No reference to any such terrier can be 

 found until close to 1800, and then to but one dog and one breeder. As near 

 as we can get .at the date. Colonel Thornton owned his dog Pitch about 

 1785-90, and this is the only terrier of his that we have any definite knowl- 

 edge of. In the sketch of Colonel Thornton's life, published a hundred 

 years ago — it is copied into a book of sporting anecdotes issued as a second 

 edition in 1807 — ^we have in the list of the many horses and dogs owned by 

 that sportsman this paragraph regarding his terriers : " It would be necessary 

 to notice Colonel Thornton's terriers, if it were only on account of his justly 

 celebrated Pitch, from whom are descended most of the white terriers in 

 this kingdom. This dog was in the Colonel's possession about twenty years 

 ago, since which epoch he has assidiously attended to this breed of sporting 

 dogs." The picture of " Pitch, a Terrier" is by Colonel Thornton's favourite 

 artist, Gilpin, and is dated 1790. The engraving is by Scott, so that we 

 know it was a faithful reproduction of the artist's work and of the dog. 

 The ears do not seem to be cut, but are pricked and very small and neat. 

 The expression is very keen, but as the head is slightly turned away it makes 

 the dog look as if he was small and weak in head. Certainly he was not a 

 coarse dog, and was decidedly high and "whippetty" all over. The mark- 

 ings are tan on the head, a black spot at the root of the tail, with tan showing 

 along the upper edge. Pitch was bred by Colonel Thornton, according to 

 the statement on the engraving, but how he was bred is another thing. We 

 know that the Colonel was a good deal of an experimenter and bred fox- 

 hounds and pointers together, and we should say that this dog was the result 

 of a very close-up cross of the greyhound. If we take Bewick and Howitt as 

 showing what the general run of terriers were from 1790 to 1800, with Rein- 



41S 



