144 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



Aug. 18, 1892.) 



POINTS AND FLUSHES. 



Chicago, Aue:, 13.— I had recently the pleasure of reading 

 a few p4xa^rHphs in "The Practical Kennel Guide," by 

 Gordon Stables, M D., CM-, R.N., the first time I had seen 

 the work for many years. It served to impress me very 

 positively that doprgy literature in all its branches has ad- 

 vanced and imprriYed to a really wonderful degree in the 

 last few years. The conclusions deduced from the imagin- 

 ation are much more rare at present, exposure and ridicule 

 following any attempt at spurious instruction. Not that 

 there is at present a uniform agreement on all sxxbjects or 

 that the knowledge of every individual is of the first quality, 

 but there is greater precision in all knowledge. The ad- 

 vancement has been great. The literature abounds in facts, 

 and it has a greater elegance and finish. I felt this forcibly 

 on reading the following in the work mentioned, the sub.iect 

 being "grass." The learned author, whose name is adorned 

 with many letters, says: "If dogs are permitted, they gener- 

 ally, doctor themselves; and what they consider an infallible 

 remfdyand x>anacea for all the ills that can befall canine 

 flesh in the shape of disease, is scrass." 



Here is some information of inestimable value. First, 

 dogs will doctor themselves if permitted to do so. Observe 

 what a saving would be made and what sufJering avoided 

 were this valuable fact known. Learned works on diseases 

 and thpir treatment would be unnecessary, dog doctors and 

 medicines would be useless, and nurses would have no occu- 

 pation. Give the dogs a chance. The remedy is grass, free, 

 green grass, winter and summer. I have seen dogs which 

 were apparently in good health eat grass, and 1 have seen 

 some sick ones which would not, but I believe that the dogs 

 were in the wrong in the matter in the light of the knowl- 

 edge quoted. It is good "for all the ills that can befall 

 canine flesh in the shape of disease." It will be observed 

 that diseases have "shape." "But," continues the erudite 

 author, "dogs ought always to have free access to grass, and 

 be allowed to help themselves. Grass has no doubt tonic 

 and anti-scorbutic properties. It leaves the bowels in a half- 

 digested condition, and mechanically not only increases the 

 flow of mucus in its passage through the intestines, but also 

 increases the peristaltic motion of the bowels, thus acting 

 as an aperient Grass is sometimes used by dogs as an 

 emetic, when they swallow anythingthat disagrees and does 

 n"bt easily leave the stomach." 



To sum up, grass is an "infallible remedy and panacea," 

 has "both tonic and anti-scorbutic properties," "increases 

 the flow of mucus and peristaltic motion of the bowels," 

 "acts as an aperient," and is used "as an emetic." What I 

 object to, or rather would like to have seen more precisely 

 explained, is that "it leaves the bowels in a half-digested 

 condition." Dogs with half-digested bowels Avoukl suffer 

 discomfort or possibly inconvenience, according to modern 

 beliefs. 



There is one paragraph which impressed me very forcibly 

 for the tone of liberality and justice in it, and which we of 

 this land sho:jld specially consider, for the sentiment among 

 a certain class of shoxv-goers is very exacting in regard to 

 hedging a judge up with every safeguard against possible 

 favoritism. Following is the paragraph referred to: 



"At a little sonth-country show— Selkirk, I think — was 

 first inaugurated the custom of giving the judges open 

 catalogues to judge from. Several other shows followed 

 suit, such as Maidstone, Jersey and Cork, and I hope to see 

 the day when such will be the general custom. It is, at all 

 events, treating judges as gentlemen, which most of them 

 are, and all ought to be." 



I never could understand the objection to the use of a 

 catalogue by a judge. In the first place, it casts an imputa- 

 tion o£ unreliability on the jadge from the beginning. 

 Second, it accomplishes nothing in the way intended, since 

 the judges know the ownership of the greater part of the 

 dogs, and know the ownership of all the winning ones. 

 - Even if the judge does know the ownership of every dog, 

 there is no inference from it that he would be guilty of 

 favoritism. Of course there would then be no possibility of 

 the judge reversing his decisions of the open class, when he 

 judged the same dogs again in the noxdce class, if he was 

 turnished with a catalogue. But the difference between a 

 dog which gets c. or he. in any class is very small, and gen- 

 erally could be reversed or withheld without doing any in- 

 justice to any dog or owner. 



Withholding a catalogue fi"om a judge directly intimates 

 that the judge is unreliable. True, no club, so far as I 

 know, embodies such r^'striction in its rules; but there is a 

 law of custom and public sentiment which governs the 

 matter. Some judge, of courage sufficient for the occasion, 

 should break away from the time-honored fallacy and un- 

 just restriction and dare the issue. The judge is always 

 open to fair, honest criticism in the event that there be any 

 imperfection or errors in his work, which is safeguard 

 enough. No one, gentleman or man, will do his work up to 

 his best ability, conjointly with good, cheerful feeling, if 

 he rests under suspicion of trickery. While judging is done 

 openly before the public as it is done in this country, petty 

 restrictions are as unnecessary as they are useless. It is 

 hardly to be supposed that any bench show management 

 would employ a judge if he was supposed to be untrust- 

 worthy. 



On the subject of judging by points, scoring each dog and 

 then comparing the scores, he mildly disapproves of it by 

 saying that "the very best judges of the day admit that 

 judging by points is not at all practical in the show ring." 

 The Beagle Club, I believe, .s tne chief supporter of judg- 

 ing by points in this country. It has brought out some 

 most ridiculous inciaents, such as a dog being scored twice 

 with widely varying resulcs, the second scoring being due 

 to the act of some mischievous exhibitor presenting his dog 

 twice for judgment; and the judge, failing to recognize the 

 dog. scored him again. Nothing shows the fallacy and in- 

 sufficiency of such a system more than an incident like 

 this. That a judge should vary ten or fifteen points on one 

 dog in scoring him twice is the bpst proof against its util- 

 ity which could be offered. In addition to its inaccuracy, 

 the scoring consumes an unreasonable amount of time, so 

 much so that it becomes wearisome. No judge alive can 

 put the relative value of a number of dogs in figures. There 

 is a certain harmonv or its absence in the relation of parts 

 and expression which he cannot put in figures. If he could, 

 no one could follow the mental processes by which he 

 reached his conchisions, therefore the figures would be val- 

 uable to himself alone. The column of figures, which is 

 supposed to score a dog's value, represents no idea to the 

 reader who is not acquainted with the dog represented. He 

 can form no idea whauever of the dog's form, color, disposi- 

 tion, action, etc. Yet this venerable fallacy still finds its 

 supporters and advocates. 



In conversation with a doggy friend a day or two ago, 

 among other matters the powers of dogs' eyesight were dis- 

 cussed. He held the view, which I believe is the popular 

 one, that dogs possessed extremely limited powers of vision 

 and placed but small reliance on that sense, trusting more 

 to the sense of smell to determine any doubts in respect to 

 the identity of a person. He cited the many instances, which 

 are a matter of common knowledge, of the house dog bark- 

 ing at his master- as he returns to his door, the dog not 

 recognizing him by sight; but the dog's hostile demonstra- 

 tion is Chang d to joyous and welcome antics when he recog- 

 nizes his master by the sense of smell. 



I believe that the dog has the keenest of eyesight. The 

 peculiarities mentioned axe probably the result of careless- 

 ness, or from a habit of using the nose so much that dogs 

 trust to it constantly. 



But, on the other hand, there are the many well-known 

 ngtanees witnessed toy. all jfl-uek and upland shooters of <logs 



sighting ducks at great distances, even when they were 

 mere specks in the horizon, and marking wounded birds ac- 

 curatelsr at great distances. The comparatively low height 

 of dogs is a great disadvantage in distinguishing objects at 

 any great distance on the same level as that on which they 

 stand. Squirrel dogs when hunting will watch squirrels in 

 the highest trees and note their eveiy movement, a most dif- 

 ficult feat to perform. ' B. Waters. 



BEAGLES ON THE TRAIL. 



The following correspondence will no doubt prove inter- 

 esting to breeders of beaeles who may in their experiences 

 meet with similar instances: 

 H. L. Kreuder, Esq.: 



The delay in my writing you has been owing to the fact of 

 our having had lately such poor weather for hunting. The 

 first day I took Rabbi nut he had to work on quite a 

 stiff crust, strong enough in places to b^ar the rabbit but not 

 strong enough for his own weight. With the work he did 

 under these circumstances 1 was well satisfied; he picked up 

 a track, none too fresh, and worked it long and patiently. 

 But I have been puzzled and disappointed by his work 

 yesterday and a day or two ago, the only other occasions on 

 which I have had "him out. We have had a fresh fall of 

 snow, a trifle deep, but not too deep for Rabbi to work in, 

 nor deep enough to prevent a friend of mine from shooting 

 yesterday morning four rabbits ahead of a small native-bred 

 dog. I had Rabbi out alone, he worked indefatigably. I 

 found a fresh track and was waiting for an opportunity to 

 put him on, when out he comes from the swamp on this very 

 track, giving good tongue. He works in hearing for a few 

 minutes, then his voice grows fainter in the distance, once 

 or twice at intervals I hear a distant note. Then in about 

 twenty minutes I am exceedingly surprised to have him come 

 running along silent on his back track. This is a fair 

 sample of the work he has done for me. He hunts well and 

 intelligently and has no difficulty in getting his rabbit up, 

 but he won't stick to him. Granted the fact of his having 

 legitimately lost his track on a road or something of the 

 kind, nevertheless he should not give it up .so willingly and 

 quickly, he should show more stick-to it quality. It is 

 natural that the dog should at first be puzzled and thrown 

 out in this doubtless new Kind of work, but I hate to seetbis 

 lack of perseverance, I know very little about the hunting 

 powers of beagles, but certainly without perseverance they 

 will never do for this country. I am disappointed so far, 

 and would like the benefit of your opinion and advice. My 

 having kept Rabbi so long makes me his owner, at the same 

 time if you have a dog you think would be better for my 

 work I should like to hear on what terms you would make 

 the trade. 



I am very anxious to introduce, if possible, beagles to this 

 country; for the hunting of rabbits and deer, for my own 

 use and for the general improvement of the stock. The 

 native-bred dogs are of a most nondescript nature, now and 

 then you will find a rattling good huntei*, but breeding from 

 mongrels is, as you know, absolutely uncertain and very un- 

 satisfactory. Mr. Randolph has had an experience very 

 much like mine. O. H, Palmer. 



Saranac Lakb, N. Y. 



0. iT. Palmer, Esq.: 



Your esteemed favor of the 2M inst. at hand. Y^our ac- 

 count of the doings of Rabbi I find highly interesting and 

 instructive. You ask my advice and opinion on the short- 

 comings of the dog. 



In the first place new owner and surroundings must be 

 considered. Secondly, the dog has been accustomed to run- 

 ning in a pack and in a measure dependent upon a pack 

 support. Working up on an old trail, making the start and 

 trailing first heat are strong and essentially good qualities 

 for an individual dog to do with satisfaction. After the 

 game has the trail and angles at will, then the most diffi- 

 cult work of accurate trailing begins, and at this point the 

 individual dog misses the pack support. I deem it quite 

 natural that a single dog at this point becomes disheartened 

 after many efforts to recover the trail and finally becoming 

 fearful of having strayed too far from the gun, returns. In 

 a strange locality the surer course for returning is on his 

 own track. 



Under such circumstances the d"g shoiild be taken back 

 and every possible support should be given him for a fresh 

 start and so on until the game is bagged. Due allowance 

 should be made for nature and condition of ground where 

 the game is lost. If hard and flinty, possibly a windy knoll 

 where scent is rapidly removed, then a dog as well as the 

 gun should range wide, and if persevered in the game is 

 usually found with head and ears pressed low. During our 

 recent field trials 1 have seen good dogs run over an angling 

 point and then range wide. A dozen and more, however, 

 would scatter about and game finally start in the very center 

 of the group. 



When I sent you Rabbi I never was more earnest in send- 

 ing out a thoroughly good dog, and I still remain in the 

 belief that I fulfilled my puipose. Do not consider though 

 that in your expressions of disappointment, etc., that I mis- 

 construe your meaning, as on the" whole I feel rather pleased 

 with the result of Rabbi'.s doings, for I otherwise construe 

 what you now deem essential defects. Let the dog become 

 thoroughly familiar with owner, ground and game, and give 

 him the assurance that he works the game for your gun and 

 not for pastime, and if after a fair trial under such condi- 

 tions you still consider him not the dog for your purpose, I 

 will cheerfully accept his return and pay expenses for his 

 homeward trip. 



Kindly keep me advised from time to time and greatly 

 oblige. Yours very truly, H. L. Kbeuder, 



Nanuet, N. Y, 



NOTES AND NOTIONS. 



There are few greater annoyances to a conscientious dog 

 owner than his dog being a "roamer;" the dog is not at 

 home when wanted there, generally being at some place 

 where he is not wanted. 



An excellent cure for this habit is to induce persons on 

 whom the dog may trespass, to tie a tin pan to his tail and 

 turn him toward home ; the experience is so terrifying to 

 the dog, and is so directly connected with absence from 

 home, that it almost invai-iably effects a cure. 



Sentimentalists among dogmeti, the variety who rant at 

 any punishment being inflicted on their dogs, may exclaim at 

 encouraging such cruelty as attaching a tin pan to a dog's 

 tail, but no force is to be found in any such contention. 

 Whether anything is ciiiel, depends on the purpose in view; 

 tying a tin pan to a dog's tail for amusement, is as vile a 

 piece of cruelty as can be named, but if done as a remedy, 

 it is perfectly proper. 



Most dogs can be frightened out of trespassing on any 

 particular premises by shooting them, carefully gauging 

 the powder, shot and distance so that the dog will only be 

 stung, not "shot," and The Onlooker has known of dogs be- 

 ing thus kept away, when the ground was covered with 

 snow, and no trace of blood could be foixnd in the path of 

 the fleeing dog. A persistent ravager may be struck with 

 stones, clubs, etc., and only learn caution and cunning there- 

 by, but the shot rarely fails as a remedy. The Onlooker's 

 theory for this is, that it is the sting of the shot, accom- 

 panying the report of the gun, that terrifies the dog. 



The Onlooker. 



DOG CHAT. 



Shipping Dogs. 



In Pacific Field Sports this last week the editor speaks 

 very severely as to the state that the Sfc, Bernard Lady Hi- 

 bernia was in when she arrived in San Francisco, and it will 

 be a lesson to Calif ornians not to import dogs, etc., etc. We 

 sent Mr. Booth the paper and asked for an explanation. He 

 writes us that he can bring witnesses who saw Lady H. be- 

 fore .she was shipped and will secure their affidavits. Mr. 

 Booth .says: "The bitch was all right on shipment. She 

 never had a .skin disease, and as to being in whelp, if a 

 swollen udder and the other indications — tired J?nd lazy — are 

 not sufficient to justify my thinking her in whelp, what is? 

 Another thing, she was not guaranteed in whelp. I merely 

 told him (Mr. Heffernan) there was every indication of it. 

 The price was not $300 or near it— it was S2;i5, I had a special 

 desire of her arriving in good condition and sold her at so 

 low a price because I thought there being no good St, Bernard 

 on the other coast it would lead to a good deal of business. 

 That was my only object in sending her that distance. I 

 never really wanted to part with her. The only .spot shehad 

 on her was a sore on her ear about the size of a bean and she 

 was also casting her coat. The only way I can account for 

 the humor on arrival must be the close confinement for 

 six days and a seizure of acclimation fever which all St. 

 Bernards are liable to." It would be well to think a little 

 before condemning a shijjper. Six days in a crate, with the 

 attention does are likely to receive on Western roads, and 

 in such torrid weather as we have bad lately, would not be 

 conducive to the good health of any dog, and it is entirely 

 problematical if the dog was fed or watered during the jour- 

 ney. 



Mr. Mortimer Returns. 



Mr. James Mortimer returned from his European trip on 

 Sunday last on the s.s. Alaska. Mr. Mortimer must hav^e 

 had his hands full during the voyage over, as he brought 

 quite a big list af dogs, and good ones, too. Additional in- 

 terest was lent to the voyage by the race between the 

 Aurania and Alaska, the former arriving two minutes 

 ahead of the other. The dogs came over in good shape and 

 were taken from the ship Sunday afternoon. Among the 

 dogs Mr. Mortimer had with him were thexjoiuter Glenbeigh 

 for Mr. Huber, of San Francisco, Gal., and from Mr. Nor- 

 rish's kennel the very promising young dog Sandford Druid, 

 that is both a show dog and a fielder. Besides these a num- 

 ber of collies were brought chiefly from Rev, Hans F. Hamil- 

 ton's kennels. The be.«t is Conrad II., by Charlemagne out 

 of Grace III. This dog has won a number of prizes. Then 

 there are two bitches Wood mansterne Trefoil and Deborah 

 from the same kennel. From Mr. Thos, H. Stretch, the 

 noted collie breeder, Mr. Mortimer bought Ormskirk Susie, 

 who won three firsts at Belfast just lately, and Julia, second 

 novice and Derby at the late K. C. show in London. Two 

 bulldogs by cb. Harper now owned by Mr. Mariner were 

 alsoincluded in the team. Their names are The Heathen 

 and Wat Hampson. The Irish terrier Fenian Boy, second 

 at the Liverpool show just held, completed the list. Ac- 

 cording to the British Fancier Mr. Mortimer has made 

 many friends and he looks as if he had had a good time. 



Mastiffs. 



Mr. James W. Whitney, the mastiff' man. was at last ac- 

 counts in Paris. Mr. Hughes tells us that he has now got 

 the dogs and the kennels into good .shape, but the strange 

 puppy fatality in this kennel still seems to hang on. This 

 is a sample of it: "I lost every puppy but one, which I now 

 have, and that one is Caution's Own Daughter's baby. 

 Lady Coleus had one dead pup that had been dead in her 

 about ten days. Lady Pamelia had nine, seven of them died 

 a few minutes after birth, one lived nine hours, and the last 

 one eleven hours. Black Sal had four— one dead at birth, 

 one died in a day or two and another 1 kept alive for eight 

 weeks, and it died of worms in the stomach. Exeter Dirce 

 had nine, and they all died within a few days of birth ex- 

 cept one I took up to the house and kept him alive for a 

 few weeks, and then it died of worms, too." Then comes a 

 tale of sleepless nights that makes one yawn for very sym- 

 pathy. The pups, he says seemed to lack vitality. Why is 

 this thus? There nuxst be something wrong. Perhaps a 

 change of kennel quarters would alter this, and a liberal use 

 of charcoal to bitches in whelp and to pups. 



English Shows. 



The I'itock-Kefper this week has reports of no less than 

 twenty shows, some of them K. C. shows and with large en- 

 tries; Darlington, for instance, with 860, This gives some 

 idea of the state dog showing has reached in the past few 

 years. The Darlington one-day show was certainly the most 

 interesting, and as usual, well managed. Beagles were very 

 good, and so were St. Bernards. Keeper and Lola IV. were 

 the challenge winners, the latter beating champion Peggoty, 

 Kingstonian Beauty, that won in novice bitches, is very well 

 spoken of as a bitch with a future. This bitch is by Lord 

 Bute out of Altonetta, a sister to Altonette, and owned by 

 Mr. A. H. Moore. Kingstonian Hero is another one that 

 Mr. Booth, of Hull, bred from bitches now in America. This 

 one is by Scottish Prince out of Miss Hannah, and won third 

 in the dog novice class at the same show. 



Canada Represented at Darlington. 



Our Canadian readers, of whom we have so many, will be 

 pleased to see the following from ,Stocli-Keeper: "At Dar- 

 lington we met Dr. Griffin, of Hamilton, Canada, a great 

 friend of Mr. A. D. Stewart, president of the Canadian 

 Kennel Club. A good and cheery sort, too, is the doctor, 

 who is over for a holiday, at the same time that he is on the 

 lookout for something good (canine) to take back. Dogs are 

 booming in Canada just now, and with such men as Vlr. 

 Stewart and Dr Griffin behind them, up they will continue 

 to go. One thing we continue to note— our foreign friends 

 will have none but the best; and they know when they see 

 them, too: So in a short time we may expect canine visitors 

 from their shores, and when they come they will have to be 

 reckoned with. 



It Would Cost but a Cent. 



A correspondent who wrote a letter to the advertiser of a 

 dog in our Kennel Special columns, complains that he 

 has received no reply, presum-tbly for the reason that the 

 dog had already been sold, and he submits that even if the 

 dog had been sold the advertiser should have had tne 

 courtesy to advise him of that fact in reply. We have 

 repeatedly been assured that advertisers receiA^ed more 

 applications than they had dogs to sell; and it certainly 

 would be a courteous thing to postalcardiae those who come 

 too late, explaining that the dogs have been sold. T^s 

 would make better feeling all around. 



Death of Champion George. 



Old show goers who were around in the early 8O3 will re- 

 member the pug champion George, and especially his charm- 

 ing mistress, and how she fought for what she thought were 

 the dog's just dues. This was in the Rhoderick and Joe and 

 George days. Old champion George is dead. This may 

 surprise many people, as his long retirement led one to 

 believe that his course had been run long since, George 

 died about Aug, 10, having been overcome by the heat. He 

 was nominally owned by Mr. Edvidn A- Pue, of the Comp- 



