458 
very greatly in size, sometimes, as in the 
case of Copthorne Squirrel, weighing 
under 3 lb., or as much as 9 lb., which is 
the approximate weight of Ch. Copthorne 
Sieglinde. 
A mistake often made by novices is the 
CEE 
A MORNING WALK. 
MRS. HANDLEY SPICER’S GRIFFONS AT EXERCISE. 
BESIOES SEVERAL BROOD 
©. BETTY, C. JOSEPHINE, THE VETERAN C. PASHA, G. WIZARD, AND CH. G. TREASURE. 
attempt to breed from small bitches; not 
only is the result of such experiments, when 
successful, a lack of type and quality, but 
it is, in the present stage of the breed’s 
advancement, very dangerous. With Toy 
Pomeranians or Japanese or Miniature 
Black-and-tan Terriers, small size has pre- 
vailed very much longer than with Griffons, 
and the dangers of a throw-back are not 
so great. Asa rule, the minimum weight 
at which a Griffon bitch should be allowed 
to breed is 6 lb., and 7 lb. is safer still. 
It is, I think, the invariable experience of 
breeders that small bitches have small 
litters of large puppies, while large bitches 
BITCHES, THE GROUP INCLUDES CH. COPTHORNE WISEACRE, 
THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 
more often have larger litters which contain 
at any rate one or more small ones. In 
this connection it may be pointed out that 
weight is a particularly deceptive gauge 
with regard to Griffons, for the ideal 
Griffon is of the cobby, cart-horse build, 
and should therefore be 
compact, with plenty of 
bone and muscle (at the 
same time without being 
coarse). I have many 
times seen two dogs 
weighing 4 and 5% lb. 
respectively, and the dog 
of the latter weight was 
undoubtedly the smaller 
and better. The reason 
for this is, of course, 
that a dog of 4 lb. weight 
may be lanky, leggy, 
and lacking in bone and 
substance, whereas a dog. 
of the higher weight may 
look smaller by being 
more compact and 
**conkier ”? in every way. 
Purchasers of Griffons 
should remember this 
fact when buying a dog 
by correspondence. 
Another thing experi- 
ence teaches one in con- 
nection with the size of 
one’s stock is this—the 
smaall stud-dogs do not, 
as a rule, possess the 
same power of stamping 
their likeness on their progeny as the larger 
ones. The day of the small Griffon may 
come, as it has with the Pomeranian, but it 
will probably bring with it a similar loss of 
character. In the meantime the ideal weight 
for a show Griffon of either sex is from 5 to 
6 lb., and I prefer a stud-dog to be nearer 
the latter weight than the former. 
Griffons are hardy little dogs, though, 
like most others, they are more susceptible 
to damp than to cold. While not greedy, 
like the Terrier tribe, they are usually 
good feeders and good doers, and not 
tiresomely dainty with regard to food, as 
is so often the case with Toy Spaniels. 
CH. C. 
LOBSTER 
