2o8 



WATCHDOGS AND HOUSE-DOGS. 



neck very loose ; colour red, with very black muzzle. He was a most savage 

 animal ; was fought several times with other animals, and was invariably 

 victorious. The second was a tailless brindled bitch, bought by Mr. Lukey 

 from George White of Knightsbridge. She was a very large, massively-built 

 animal, standing 30 inches at the shoulder. .Her produce with ' Couchez ' were 

 remarkably fine. 'Long-bodied, big-limbed, heavy-headed bitches. They 

 were mastiffs Mr. Lukey had in those days ! ' is Bill George's eulogium of 

 them. This bitch was bred by the Duke of Devonshire, and must therefore 

 have been one of the Chatsworth breed. The third animal, ' L'Ami,' was a 

 brindled dog of such vast size and weight that he was taken about and shown 

 in England in the year 1829, the price of admission being one shilling. Of 

 the head of this dog also I have a drawing, and it shows him to be very full 

 and round above the eyes, with a broad, heavy muzzle and remarkably deep 

 flews, the ears being cropped close. This dog, with the exception of rather 

 heavier flews, answered exactly to the type of Vandyke's mastiff." 



The mastiff has been crossed with the bulldog in many cases, 

 some modern strains being largely imbued with that blood, which 

 is shown in the small semi-erect ear, in the turned-up nose, and 

 in general shape. There is no objection to a slight infusion of 

 this blood, which amalgamates remarkably well with that of the 

 mastiff, but a bloodhound cross is to be strongly deprecated on 

 account of the savage temper transmitted with it. Hence a Ion"-, 

 narrow, domed head, with a large ear and a red " haw," which are 

 all bloodhound points, are to be carefully eschewed. As I shall 

 presently state, the Cuban mastiff, being crossed, with the blood- 

 hound, is for that reason to be avoided in breeding English 

 mastiffs. 



The points of the English mastiff are : — 



Size, . 

 Colour, 

 Coat, . 

 Tail, . 

 Symmetry, 

 Temperament, 





VALUE 



Head, .... 



. 20 



Eyes, .... 



• 5 



Ears, . 



5 



Muzzle 



5 



Neck, .... 



5 



Shoulders and chest, . 



. 10 



Legs and feet, 



. 10 



Loins, .... 



. 10 



Total, 



