26 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



January, 19 13 



A group of Pekingese, the little spaniels originating in China 



The House Dog 



By T. C. Turner 

 Photographs by the Author 



T would be a fair estimate to say that seven 

 out of every ten persons are fond of dogs. 

 They are the playmates of the children, pets 

 of the mistress and friends of the master of 

 the house. Not every one has the good for- 

 tune to be so situated that the premises he 

 occupies enables him to have about him the larger dogs of 

 those breeds that require, of necessity, the freedom of a 

 country home. Nevertheless, no one need deprive himself 

 of the pleasure of keeping at least one dog on account of this 

 lack of space, for so wide a range of breeds of these animals 

 offers itself to the one making a selection that small indeed 

 would have to be the place that could not permit the housing 

 of one of the various sorts of dogs. With proper care and 

 attention a dog can be domiciled successfully in any ordinary 

 household from the time of its puppyhood to its old age. 

 Such dogs as are commonly termed 

 house dogs, range in size from 

 Poodles and Chows down to Poms 

 and Toy Spaniels. 



For generations the various terri- 

 ers have been favorite house dogs in 

 all countries. As far back as the 

 reign of Charles II. the Toy Spaniel 

 can lay claim to popularity, and in 

 that reign its aristocracy was estab- 

 lished in the canine world. With 

 reference to dogs, as with all things 

 else, the popular fancy changes from 

 time to time. Now one rarely finds 

 a good Skye Terrier, although the 

 Dandy Dinmont Terrier (Sir Wal- 

 ter Scott's favorite) is coming back 

 into favor. Forty years ago both 



the Skye and the Dandy Dinmont Terriers were popular 

 house pets. The Pekingese Spaniel, one of the most popular 

 "Toys" ever bred and one whose pedigree dates back the 

 furthest, is again in great favor, bringing prices ranging from 

 $500 to $1,000 where the dogs are especially fine and well- 

 known prize-winners; yet twenty years ago the Pekingese 

 was little known outside of his native land. 



China has given us another dog which has won for itself 

 during the past fifteen years a warm place in the hearts of 

 those who fancy unusual breeds, yet dogs that are somewhat 

 larger than the Toy varieties — there being a marked differ- 

 ence in size between him and his little brother from the 

 East. Japan has given her quota to the pet dog world with 

 the pretty, dignified little Japanese Spaniel, alert, sprightly, 

 "picturesque." 



To those who have never yet enjoyed the pleasure of 

 keeping a dog but who contemplate 

 buying one, the writer strongly ad- 

 vises the purchase of a house dog. 

 One gets a better acquaintance with 

 the dog and his habits through hav- 

 ing one that is constantly around. 

 The fancier-to-be will find inside of 

 six months that there are many little 

 things to be learned before one is 

 thoroughly initiated into the art of 

 becoming a true fancier. Having 

 settled upon a house dog the next 

 thing is to determine the breed to 

 select. If this is not an easy task, a 

 visit to a dog show or to any ex- 

 tensive sales of kennels will enable 

 one after a few hours' study of the 

 The Pomeranian modern varieties to come to a con- 



