THE DANDIE DINMONT TERRIER. 107 



temperament, I have no quarrel whatever with the dog of the 

 present day. But of this I certainly complain ; for I have found 

 the breed as utterly unmanageable as the dachshund when 

 once on the scent of fur. While residing in Worcestershire 

 in the year 1865, I reared "Ehoderick Dhu," given me when 

 a puppy by Mr. Macdona, and attempted to break him as 

 a rabbit dog, but could never get the slightest control over 

 him when on bunny's scent. Whether in covert or hedgerow, 

 he would persevere until actually restrained by force ; and if 

 he once got into a wood, it was hopeless to expect to recover him 

 until he was compelled by hunger and exhaustion to leave off. 

 No punishment had the slightest effect, and at length I gave up 

 the task of breaking him as hopeless, parting with him as a show 

 dog to Mr. Murchison, from whom I again obtained him in con- 

 sequence of his bandy fore-legs forbidding his reaching premier 

 honours. His end was that I lost him on Wimbledon Common, 

 where he got on a rabbit scent, and worked it out in the scrub, 

 regardless of voice, whistle, and every possible effort on my 

 part to recall him. He had a mortal enmity to foxes also, and 

 once killed five cubs in about as many minutes, to my great horror. 

 Now such a temperament, however " varmint " it may "be con- 

 sidered, is a bore and a nuisance, and for real use such a dog 

 as " Ehoderick Dhu " would be quite out of the question. Mr. 

 Bradshaw Smith's and Mr. Locke's pets are, however, not much 

 employed in this way, and, as companionable dogs, if kept away 

 from vermin, &c, they are unobjectionable in every way. It is, 

 therefore, in the latter capacity that they are judged in the 

 present day, and as such I shall consider them in the following 

 description, commencing with their scale of points as originally 

 "laid down by the Club specially organised for the improvement 

 of the breed. 



