CHAPTER XXXVII 



The Welsh Terrier 



HE rough black and tan terrier which in the introduction to 

 the terrier family we have shown to have been the oldest 

 and best known of all the English terriers has most inap- 

 propriately received the name of Welsh terrier. When 

 the first effort was made to revive this terrier and save it 

 from oblivion it was called the Old English wire-haired black and tan 

 terrier, a most cumbrous title. Under that name classes were made at var- 

 ious English shows and very shortly claims were made on behalf of Wales 

 as the home of the variety, and at some shows the classification was made 

 for Welsh in place of using the longer title. It was several years before the 

 Kennel Club decided to admit the terrier to the stud book, and as there was 

 still this diversity of nomenclature the club in the stud book covering 1885 

 added Class LIII.,for "Welsh (or old English, wire-haired black and tan)" 

 terriers, and of the six terriers then admitted five were English owned and 

 one hailed from the Principality. In the following year the same title was 

 given, with the omission of the parentheses. In 1887 the title was changed 

 to Welsh terrier, and we find, by reference to the old classification for 

 " Broken-haired and Scottish terriers," that for a year or two such owners 

 as did not enter their dogs as Welsh had them put in that class. That 

 this was not altogether satisfactory is shown by the stud book for 1889, 

 in which there is an independant classification for old English terriers. 

 Finally that was given up and Welsh became the sole title. That a good 

 deal of diversity of opinion existed is further shown by there being twenty-one 

 entries of old English terriers in the 1889 volume. At the time that there 

 were classes for Old English and also for Welsh terriers one dog was 

 shown in both classes at a Darlington show and won first in each ! 



That Wales has no special claim to this variety is beyond question, 

 for there are far too many descriptions of the dog written between 1500 and 

 1800 by men who did not know anything about the dogs of Wales, but were 

 well acquainted with the dogs of the eastern part of England to admit of 



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