Exhibition Dogs Ite 
Go over the dog carefully and get rid of any old coat that may be still 
on him. An Irish water-spaniel, for instance, carries a lot of dead, faded 
coat, and this should be removed by combing and with the fingers. It is 
not intended in any way to advocate the plucking of a bad-coated dog and 
the imposing of a naturally woolly-coated dog by getting him in right shape 
just once a year. Some bring into the ring a dog so manifestly barbered 
as to not deceive a blind man, though the judges too frequently fail to see 
the plain marks of the clipper and singeing. It is, however, perfectly 
legitimate to remove the old coat in early preparation, as an assistance to 
nature. In the case of terriers which have a rough coat, and yet should 
not be shown shaggy, the coat may be at its full, but would not naturally be 
cast for some weeks. To take that already loose coat off two months before 
a show is perfectly legitimate. If it is not done, the dog will not get rid of it 
for several weeks, and the new coat will be too short at the time of the show. 
In the East, if we have a wire-haired terrier shedding in November, he may 
be allowed to do it naturally, aided only by the daily grooming with the 
brush. Thus he will be ready for the spring shows of February and last 
till April, when, unless he is a very good-coated dog, he will go off and call 
for a good deal of attention. 
A collie is a dog that very little can be done for, as his coat cannot be 
forced to any appreciable extent. In the East he is too long at low-water- 
mark in coat, and if he is casting his coat might as well be given up for a 
show that is not-in the near future. That is one great difficulty connected 
with the showing of long-coated dogs. With smooth terriers, pointers, and 
Great Danes this difficulty does not exist, and it is simply a question of put- 
ting them into bodily condition. 
The matter of the first preparation of the coat having been attended 
to, it is a good plan to give the candidate an aperient. It will do no harm 
if this takes the shape of a vermifuge, serving the double purpose of 
clearing the system together with getting rid of internal parasites, which are 
a fruitful source of annoyance in conditioning dogs. After that comes the 
daily work*of grooming, giving plenty of brisk exercise and feeding well. 
The exercise will give a good appetite, and it is more advisable to respond 
to this by a more liberal allowance of meat than to give more food in the 
dish. Dogs that are supposed to work or to be fit to race have to be shown 
with good, hard muscle, hence we have more faith in the playful half- 
hour of sharp running when liberated from the shut-up kennel than in the 
