July 20, 1895.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



iB laid for many unpleasant and unmanageable com- 

 plaints. If she is suffered to bring up one litter after an- 

 other she will have better health than those that are de- 

 barred from intercourse with the male." 



In "The Dog in Health and Disease," the author, Dr. 

 Wesley Mills, treats the subject as follows: 



"It is impossible to predict what effect on the physical 

 and psychic nature of the dog these operations may have. 

 Af ter either, the subject may be little more than a useless, 

 animated mass of flesh, unworthy the name of 'dog.' 

 The author would not allow any dog he owned to be thus 

 operated on, nor could he be induced to perform it except 

 when the parts are diseased; and he hopes the time is not 

 far distant when every reputable veterinary surgeon will 

 take the same view of the case, and absolutely refuse to 

 thus run the risk of destroying the dog merely to gratify 

 the whim of some owner who wishes to shirk his respon- 

 sibility. Every owner should either not keep a dog at all 

 or treat the animal as a dog. A spayed or castrated dog 

 cannot win a prize on the bench." 



There is good sound sense in the foregoing paragraph. 

 ^ The following is the dicta of Edward Mayhew, M. R. C. 



"Castration in the dog is not of itself dangerous, but 

 it renders the animal disposed to accumulate fat, and de- 

 stroys many of those qualities for which it is esteemed. 

 The creature afterward becomes lethargic and its spirits 

 never are recovered." 



SETTER TYPE AND OTHER MATTERS. 



TtiCKAHOE, N. Y. — Editor Forest and Stream: Al- 

 though fully in accord with your Bridgeport correspondent 

 in regard to the shameful way that noble animal, the 

 English setter, is usually mal-judged at our shows, I do 

 not see that he is very much better than those he justly 

 accuses of not knowing what they attempt to judge, and, 

 worse still, he does know and disregards the standard be- 

 cause he wants the English setters judged as Laverack 

 setters. I think the proper English setter standard is good 

 enough for them all. 



"Albert" certainly is right to call the present system 

 ruinous to the breed, but what he suggests about hav- 

 ing the standard defined and enforced by the A. K. C. 

 would be moreso. "Albert" has, like most dogmen, no idea 

 of the scope and composition of the A. K. C. and its dele- 

 gates. The A. K. C. has more than enough at hand if it 

 looks after the correcting and enforcing of its rules, so as 

 to have them fair and just to each aud every party alike, 

 but certainly not to cope with standards and other matters 

 not in his scope. 



Has "Albert" ever thought a moment about the com- 

 position of the A. K. 0. delegates? Does he think each 

 and every delegate must perforce as a delegate be a per- 

 fect all-round judge, also (the rara'avis) to demand from 

 them the fixing of standards? 



Most of the delegates are not out-and-out dogmen 

 (thank the Lord), only gentlemen with good, sound judg- 

 ment as a rule, and the majority has to rely in cases of 

 particulars in regard to the different breeds mostly on 

 those present who have, or are thought to have, a thor- 

 ough knowledge of the respective points and rely 

 mostly on their judgment; and for this very reason, for 

 this composition of its body, the A. K. C.'s scope is only 

 to make necessary rules fairjand just to all, and to enforce 

 them, which is quite wide enough a field to attend to 

 properly without a suggestion to look after standards. 



Just for the curiosity let us consider that the A. K. C. 

 would take the English setter standard up. The majority 

 would as a matter of course listen to the ideas and testi- 

 mony of those of its members who are considered experts 

 in the breed, and as the majority rules, how easily might 

 it happen that the Tennessee type of setters would get the 

 majority, and where would you be? And you having de- 

 sired that the A. K. C. should settle this matter, of course 

 will have to abide by its decision, it acting, as its position 

 properly requires, as a "superior court" in all doggy mat- 

 ters. 



Speaking of rules, there is one in the bench show rules 

 which states that all prizes must be as represented in the 

 premium lists, and another says that bench show com- 

 mittees can change any prizes before the closing of 

 entries, provided they publish said change in a sporting 

 paper, which abolishes the first rule, and is in fact quite 

 unfair, as it compels every exhibitor to keep and read 

 each line in all the sporting papers or get left; but it 

 would not permit you or me to withdraw the entry 

 money should I have entered under the first offered con- 

 ditions of the directly sent premium list. A simplifying 

 of this rule should certainly be brought about, as showing 

 dogs is very rarely a paying fun; and if I pay my entry to 

 compete for an offered prize, I think I am entitled to hold 

 the offering party (the bench show) to its contract, as it will 

 me by keeping my money. Such rules and their proper en- 

 forcement are the proper sphere of the A. K, C, and I 

 think it absolutely dangerous for it to meddle with any 

 particulars in regard to the different breeds, as "Albert" de- 

 sires it to do. Lately something in that strain has been 

 introduced to be acted on at its next meeting, that is, 

 "the cropping prohibition," and I say very emphatically, 

 this is no question for the A. K, C. to decide. It is plainly 

 and simply a business for those clubs interested' in the 

 respective breeds, and the above-mentioned composition 

 of its body makes it absolutely unfair to act on such vital 

 questions to the breeds interested in the contemplated 

 prohibition, and any filibuster could work up those dele- 

 gates who are not interested in the cropped breeds (and 

 they are naturally the majority), and by judicial applica- 

 tion of sentimentalism have them adjudicate on breeds 

 they do not know anything about. Do not think I am 

 for "cropping." No, in the principle I am against it, but 

 I do think this is such a vital question to those breeds that 

 no body but those clubs interested in such breeds should 

 have anything to say, and only use the A. K. C. as a last 

 resort, to decide, if necessary, but not to take the matter 

 up and decide off-hand, when the majority doesn't know 

 anything of it. 



Let us see how the abolishing of cropping works in 

 England, then we have time enough to follow suit. But 

 as we are not the original breeders of most of the cropped 

 breeds, our abolishing rule would mean absolute prohibi- 

 tion to some breeds and would plainly kill them here. I 

 hardly think that is for what the A. K, C. was created. 



But I started in on English setters and land by object- 

 ing to interference with cropping. By the way, if the prin- 

 ciple of prohibiting cruelty is to be the point, then th e 

 principle should be carried out entirely and the dockin^ 



of tails stopped also, as a tail is as good as an ear. I 

 know well enough that a puppy hardly feels any pain 

 when his tail is snipped off; but it is a nice thing to follow 

 out a principle to its whole length, and as the modern 

 way of cropping, with cocaine and pasteboard and stick- 

 ing plaster, has taken much of the most objectionable 

 part away, there being no pulling necessary now. The 

 pulling is the real cruel part of it. 



But to hark back to English setters. Your correspond- 

 ent hits the nail when he repeats the answer— that it is so 

 much easier to breed poor ones than good ones; but he 

 should go further, for it is a lack of real knowledge of 

 breeders and judges of what really an English setter 

 should be, and partially a lack of real sportsmanship, and 

 our American trait "to get there" no matter how. 



What has made the English setter such a conglomerate 

 mass of just long-coated dogs with some setter appear- 

 ance? It takes a real sportsman to discard everything not 

 up to highest form so as to keep up the standard. It is so 

 much easier to raise fifty or one hundred puppies down 

 South, bred on paper and great reputation, without the 

 least regard for individual fitness to keep up the standard, 

 if one has the money to pay for it. Of course, under any 

 kind of luck there should be five or six good field dogs 

 among that number of puppies. The blood lines no doubt 

 are in the purple, on paper, and the puppies raised among 

 game, as I agree all hunting dogs should be. It would be 

 funny if they wouldn't get a good dog now and then. 

 But I contend that it is impossible to breed the most cele- 

 brated specimens together and add each new crack to this 

 breeding and get an average up to the standard, if not 

 carefully and constantly selected and mated to their in- 

 dividual peculiarities, so as to strengthen weak points and 

 confirm the good ones. That is what I understand in 

 breeding to a standard means, it being so dead easy the 

 other way, and that easy way has brought to us dogs which 

 make it difficult for one to define their origin at the first 

 look. 



Although the Tennessee setter started out with a good 

 specimen— Roderigo — who was an English setter, this 

 pernicious disregard of type and fostering only the "get- 

 there" kind have brought out a dog which is only a set- 

 ter in his royal blood lines on paper, but very little in ex- 

 teriors; and as to your judges, well, they either have not 

 learned the breed or have succumbed to the above-men- 

 tioned "get-there kind" craze; and "Albert" names the 

 only remedy — stay away from such men, and also from 

 those who sit on the fence, till the tide will turn again, 

 when we will have dogs as good, looking as there are in 

 the field. That is my sportsman's ideal and can be at- 

 tained with very little more trouble, as the bench show 

 duffer, the pointer — formerly a laughing stock for field 

 trial setter cranks — has proven by the persistency of a 

 real sportsman breeder like Mr. Dexter. 



G. Muss-Arnolt. 



DOG TRAINING VS. BREEDING. 



The following from the New York Sun will be interest- 

 ing reading to trainers and breeders, particularly to the 

 latter, as a consequence of the heresies of breeding which 

 it contains. Breeders will be slow in admitting that mon- 

 grels are more intelligent than well-bred dogs. Prof. 

 Richards, the trainer of the troupe of dogs referred to, 

 has wonderful skill as a trainer. One scene in particular 

 always wins enthusiastic applause: 



"A little street is shown on the stage. The night is 

 dark and the lamps are all lighted. A firebug, of course 

 a canine firebug, sneaks along the wall, approaches one 

 of the houses, and sets it on fire by throwing a match in- 

 side. . In a moment or two the house is in flames. The 

 audience hears the cries of alarm, while in the distance 

 the horn of the firemen can also be heard. The firemen, 

 dogs of course, in their regular uniforms, arrive with 

 their engines and life-saving apparatus. They attack the 

 fire with energy, handling the hose like veterans, but it 

 is already too late. The roof of the house falls in, and at 

 the top story a mother in her night dress appears, holding 

 a child in her arms. One brave fireman, a sort of white 

 mongrel with a good deal of the bulldog in him, ap- 

 proaches the ladder, which the others place against the 

 wall. He climbs up the ladder rapidly, grabs his pre- 

 cious burden and brings it down to the street {in safety. 

 But his courage is fatal to him. Wounded in his perilous 

 enterprise, he falls down and dies almost immediately 

 afterward. His comrades stretch him out upon a bier 

 and send for the ambulance, which arrives upon the spot. 

 Just then his widow comes, dressed from head to foot in 

 mourning. She flings herself upon the body of her dead 

 husband and goes through all the motions of the most 

 violent despair. Three times the "firemen" drag her 

 away, but she returns again with gestures of terrible 

 grief. At last the body is put into the ambulance, and 

 the procession moves away. 



"All this is done, each dog performing his part without 

 any visible command, and the Parisians are perfectly 

 astounded at the intelligence displayed by these wonder- 

 ful dogs. Some dogs also perform phenomenal acrobatic 

 feats; others mimic the danseuses, and one of them goes 

 through the skirt dance, or serpentine dance, without 

 being any more troubled with his robe than the celebrated 

 Loie Fuller herself. 



"A well-known Parisian newspaper man, M. Guy- 

 Tomel, has just interviewed Prof. Richards, the owner of 

 the dogs, in regard to his methods of training. 



" 'The education of intelligent dogs,' he said, 'is an easier 

 thing than people generally suppose it to be. It requires 

 great patience and absolute kindness. Kindness is the 

 key of success. If an animal is beaten or hurts himself in 

 going through his exercises he gets a horror of them, and 

 it is impossible, at least for a long time, to coax him up to 

 the mark again. One of my most brilliant acrobats hurt 

 his nose last year in one of his jumps. It was impossible 

 to get him to recommence the next day, and, what is 

 stranger still, he refused to perform three other feats that 

 he knew perfectly well and which were not attended with 

 danger. It is only quite recently that he has gone to work 

 again. 



" 'The great error of amateurs in dog training lies in 

 the notion that every dog can be made a learned dog. 

 Now, as a matter of fact, there is not more than one per 

 cent, of the whole dog population that is susceptible of 

 thorough training. This is a pretty good proportion, 

 after all; probably more than the human race can boast 

 of. 



" 'But you ask me how we are to distinguish the one 

 smart dog from the ninety-nine stupid dogs. Well, in 



the first place, you must avoid aristocrats. There is no 

 use in looking for a wise dog among them. Dogs with 

 long pedigrees are, almost without exception, idiots. You 

 have remarked, perhaps, that my troupe is composed ex- 

 clusively of horrible mongrels, without any distinction 

 whatever as to breed. Possibly nature, knowing that 

 these disinherited ones will have more trouble than the 

 others in the struggle for existence, endows them with 

 more intelligence. But to be a mongrel alone is not suffi- 

 cient to possess genius. Here again among the mongrels 

 a careful selection must be made. Now, this is the way 

 that I operate: I go among a pack of dogs, having first 

 learned all their names. I call out a name, and if the 

 animal comes t6 me wagging his tail I say to myself, 

 "Hello, my old friend, you at least know your name, and 

 that is something." Then I put him through a thorough 

 examination. Of course the animal must conform to cer- 

 tain physical conditions, according to the employment 

 which I have in reserve for him. If he passes this civil 

 service examination I get on more intimate terms with 

 him. I caress him, observe his motions, watch his eyes 

 and the way he carries his tail. As a general rule the 

 cocked tail is a good indication. At the close of the ex- 

 amination I bring away my pet and advance him to the 

 rank of a pupil. 



' "The firBt act in training a dog consists in utilizing 

 the instinct of the animal in fetching. When he knows 

 how to fetch perfectly, you can teach him quite a num- 

 ber of elementary exercises, such as walking on his hind- 

 legs, taking queer positions, jumping, etc. There.is one 

 important detail, however, which should not be omitted, 

 and that is to repeat always in a loud voice the command 

 corresponding to the act desired. Dogs understand per- 

 fectly the word, and can retain an almost indefinite 

 number of words representing an action. 



' "My advice is to feed learned dogs once a day only a 

 full dish made from biscuits containing one-quarter* of 

 powdered meat and three-quarters of flour. Bitches are 

 more easily trained than dogs, Their education should 

 commence when they are abont ten months old, after 

 they get their final teeth. 



' "It is by the application of these principles that I have 

 been able to bring out a troupe that is without a rival in 

 the entire world.' " 



Suicide and Dogs. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



During the past week there have been paragraphs in 

 various papers relating the curious case of a dog's suicide. 

 This one causing so much interest, was not the first case 

 of this kind that has come under my notice. 



Some friends of mine, ladies, had a large dog. On 

 leaving their country home in the autumn he was left 

 there in charge of the man who cared for the place. The 

 second season of their departure he appeared much 

 distressed when he saw the preparations being made. He 

 knew he was to be left without his mistress, and be kept 

 shut up much more than he was accustomed to. Under 

 these circumstances life was a- burden to him, so a few 

 days after they left he watched his chance to get off. He 

 went to the station, waited there until he saw a coming 

 train, when he walked on to the track, laid himself there, 

 and let the train go over him in the presence of the station 

 master and others who tried to call him away. 



It is most strange that a dog should know that a train 

 would kill him and water drown him, but I feel sure 

 Roslyn Wilkes felt that his life was not happy to him, and 

 could bear it no longer. 



Food, water, bathing and combing add materially to a 

 Jog's health, but not to his pleasure or contentment. 

 They are never happy unless they are following their 

 instincts. 



Roslyn Wilkes was kept shut up except just enough 

 to give him exercise. A collie dog's instincts are very 

 strong. He wants to be with horses, people, and to see 

 something go on. They feel the heat very much, and it 

 was, I think, misery to Roslyn Wilkes to be kept in an 

 inclosure, during those warm days especially. It was said 

 that he whined piteously when the keeper tried to coax 

 him out of the water. He was begging not to be taken 

 back to the kennels. 



This is not sentimentalism; it is simply a fact of the 

 nature of dogs learned from experience. The finer bred 

 they are, the longer the pedigree of race, the more need 

 it is to allow them to follow the instincts of their race. 

 If a pointer, setter or any bird dog, they must be allowed 

 to hunt. One which is never hunted with, and is persist- 

 ently deprived of having a few hours off among the woods 

 or hills, becomes spiritless, thin and old before his time. 



We put bits on the horses' mouths and turn them 

 wherever we will; but one could not put a race horse to 

 the plow, nor can a fine-bred dog be treated like a mon- 

 grel, who has in him the various races and no mind of his 

 own very especially; thus is very pliant to whatever kind 

 of life his master wishes him to lead. 



So people who have pedigree dogs should recognize 

 that good feeding and care are not enough, but keep 

 themselves in touch with their feelings to keep them 

 happy. 



One of my friends has a setter, come of the bestjstock in 

 the country. Its mistress pets and indulges it "in every 

 way, but cares for it so that it never is allowed a free run 

 for fear some accident might happen. It is really touch- 

 ing to see it looking out of the window for hours watching 

 every sign in the field that might be of rabbit or bird. 

 This setter, with all the care, is poor and dejected, an 

 object of compassion, while in the same house is another 

 dog who cares nothing for hunting, and is as happy and 

 free as a bird in a tree. G. L. 



[A. post mortem showed that Roslyn Wilkes died of or- 

 ganic disease of the heart.] 



United States Field Trial Club. 



Trenton, Tenn., July 13.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The judges for the United States Field Trials Club's winter 

 trial, at West Point, Miss., will be Messrs. John King and 

 A. Merriman, of Tennessee; Gen. F. F. Myles, of New 

 Orleans, and Dr. W. F. Grimstead, of Illinois. 



W. B. Stafford, Sec'y-Treas. 



New England Beagle Club. 



A meeting of the New England Beagle Club executive 

 committee will be held at Worcester, Mass., Friday, July 

 26. W. S. Clark, Sec'y. 



