" B70 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[JUTIB 29, 1898. 



The Type of Great Danes. 



BY A. H. HEPPKEB. 



Your request to bring forward a full description of the 

 characteristics a,nd points of the great Dane at hand. 



I do not believe that a simple and plain description, e., a 

 coDTins of the points as laid down in various countries, will 

 answer your purpose. We American fanciers of great Danes 

 should be able to determine a standard of our own, either by 

 blending the other standards after thoroughly reviewing 

 their respective merits, or adopting the best pf the foreign 

 standards, which I consider is the German. First, however, 

 permit me to re\aew the situation in America to-day with as 

 little preiudice as one deeply interested in the hre^d can 

 have. There seem to be two factions, and outside of these 

 two factious a body of men who know nothing about the 

 breed and who wiirhowl in favor of either of the above fac- 

 tions lust as their personal interest may dictate. It is a pe- 

 culiar and deplorable fact that most of our great Danes are 

 in the hands of Germans. I, as a German, wish to declare 

 here, that that is one of the greatest handicaps to the breed. 

 Even the most gentlemanly Teuton, • with the best ot 

 abilities otherwise, seems to be unable to dismiss all 

 jealousy, personal antagoni-sm and selflshness irom 

 a discussion of this kind. I think this explams the 

 fact that judges are run down by the owners ot dogs on the 

 sole fact and claim that their dog only received a vhc. in- 

 stead of a first prize. As evidence of the judge's error, such 

 writers submit but one fact— the ownership of the dog. It 

 you, Mr. Editor, will sift everything that has appeared m 

 sporting papers you will find that all the discns.sions durmg 

 the last three years have been nothing more nor less than 

 advertisements for kennels of great Danes, the owners of 

 which have demonstrated their knack to advertise without 

 paying regular advertising rates. It seems, in. order to be- 

 come a great Dane judge and critic in this country, all you 

 have got to do is to buy a dog called a great Dane, show him, 

 fail to get a prize with him and then hire a secretary and 

 write columns about the slaughter the judge has committed 

 on a great dog. Such men will write mostly about things 

 that are least known, for in.9tance, where and when the 

 breed originated, what its proper name should .be, and how 

 the judging should be conducted. 



Tfiis is one side— now comes the other. A specialty judge 

 of this breed, in order to become famous, makes a supreme 

 effort to demonstrate by his judgment that he has borrowed 

 no ideas from anybody else, and judges to his hea.rt's content 

 by a standard peculiarly his own. Such judges are making 

 it a point not to write anything explanatory on their de- 

 cisions. When interviewed they put themselves on the high 

 horse instead of coming out and giving their reasons or their 

 opinions. Anybody can decide satisfactorily to himself that 

 one dog is better than the other and give him a first and sec- 

 ond respectively. But to tell us the reason why, so that we 

 may derive the benefit from the well posted gentleman's 

 labor, and be enabled to gain a knowledge of the respective 

 value or faults, seems to me to be the most essential work of 

 a judge in a class where type, general appearance and pur- 

 pose are so universally misrepresented and misunderstood as 

 m great Danes. 



Any man can keep on buying and selling great Danes until 

 he strikes one that comes nearest to the idea of our leading 

 all-around judges. In this way it would be an easy task, 

 even in our chaotic situation, to become the proud possessor 

 of a champion par excellence, but my idea of the main pur- 

 pose of dog shows is this: We, breeders, should be educated 

 up to breed correctly and systematically; we should get an 

 opportimity to mate our dogs judiciously and learn by virtue 

 of the critical description of the dogs in a show what speci- 

 mens should be bred for the best result, in the judge's 

 opinion, so that we may breed to suit his ideas. 



Before we go into the history of great Danes, let me say 

 that our doggy journals, as a general rule, do not scrutinize 

 carefully enough the letters submitted to them for publica- 

 tion, and thus to-day we can read in a journal over the sig- 

 nature of a great Dane man, that a great Dane should be 

 black, with wall-eyes, and to-morrowthatheshould be white, 

 with a red nose. If our editors were good all-around judges 

 themselves, the present statu quo in great Danes would be 

 impossible. The man who happens to have a big dog of no 

 merit calls for a certain judge, and the xiossessor of a snipy, 

 weedy specimen, which is really lacking type because it lacks 

 size, wants another certain judge. Now, there is no question 

 at all about the fact that we have more coarse, big, half-breed 

 great Danes in this country to-day than typical specimens of 

 the right kind, and naturally when we allow exhibitors to 

 choose judges by \'ote, or when our show committees allow a 

 single individual who is known to exhibit a string to name a 

 judge whose ideas on great Danes tolerate such inferior 

 strains, a strict judge, who knows the breed, will not be 

 selected, and if he be, will be downed by the great majority 

 of kickers. 



The whole controversy regarding the extremist who is re- 

 ported to have been selected to judge at the World's Pair is 

 simply the movement set afoot by parties possessing dogs 

 which have been "andervalued," as these parties put it, by 

 him during his d6but as a judge in New York or Baltimore. 

 Suppose now that the other faction had been slighted by a 

 judge in sympathy with the opposite side, would we not have 

 the same result only differing in the person of the judge? 

 Yet I hardly think so because no sensible exhibitor is so sure 

 of being justified in condemning a judge jibecause the latter 

 happened to have a different idea as to the makeup of a great 

 Dane. The object of these writings is now to compare the 

 respective merits of these extremists, and I beg of you, Mr. 

 Editor, your assistance in my endeavor to be unprejudiced, 

 by publishing only such parts of my news that seem to you 

 logical and well established. 



As I take it, a sporting dog is a dog for a practical pur- 

 pose. Therefore judges and breeders must endeavor to 

 shape their dogs so as to be jjrimarily a handsome dog. The 

 great Dane is a fancy dog. bhould you want him for a prac- 

 tical purpose, such as hunting large game, you would have 

 to breed him still more in a shape adapted to speed; but as I 

 say, he is a dog mainly intended to satisfy our conception 

 of beauty, the question remains, what is beauty in a great 

 Dane? No doubt the St. Bernard is to the eye of many a 

 grand looldng dog. So is the mastiff. Now, do yon mean 

 to tell me that we should breed the great Dane to come near 

 a mastiff when we have a real grand old mastiff at hand, 

 thoroughly established and wanting in nothing but constitu- 

 tion which has been destroyed in a measure by breeding him 

 too highly. I for one am willing to rather have a mastiff than 

 a mastift'y great Dane. Or do we want a greyhound, a dog 

 which is bred for speed only, regardless of beauty? He, too, 

 is a sporting dog and bred more in the direction of usefulness 

 than toward a point of exterior beauty. Hence there is no 

 • room for a great Dane in the doggy world if he were too near 

 a greyhound type, because we have the grand greyhound. 

 There is no room for him, as said before, too near a mastiff 

 type because we have the grand old mastiff, and as I believe 

 m laboring for a purpose, I would abandon great Danes if 

 convmced that either of these extremes will prevail. There 

 are no better extremes to be named than the mastiff- 

 headed champion Melac and the pseudo greyhound Wen- 

 zel. But we will speak of them later. 



You will observe that every man who argues on great 

 Dane pomts wiU answer your question as to "Which is your 

 Ideal great Dane?" by saying: "Hannibal." Is it because 

 they do not have to fear any competition from Hannibal, he 

 bemg dead— or is it that they acknowledge Hannibal's great- 

 ness because everybody else does so? The vital question in 

 my opinion is: "Should we prefer to breed Hannibal's type 

 • lighter or heavier?" I cannot acknowledge a great Dane 



typical unless he has substance. I cannot acknowledge a 

 mass of bone and muscle under a short coat to be a great 

 Dane, and if I had to choose between a 2001b, dog, good 

 on his Ipfis, but without great Da,ne character, and another 

 one of 1301 bs., with an abundance of type and character a,nd 

 fair on his legs, I would prefer the latter decidedly. This 

 question of size and substance versus beauty of shape and 

 movement has been fuUy discussed and decided, in years 

 gone by, in Germany. 



[to be continued.] 

 Bound Brook, N. J., May 20. 



The World's Fair Show. 



One would think that Mr. Buchanan or Mr. Thacher or 

 whoever has the arrangement of the list of judges for the 

 World's Fair, would have gained some wholesome experience 

 from the protests of the dogmen at large and the vast 

 amount of criticism that their actions have evoked during 

 the past three months. A steam drill cannot, however, bore 

 common sense into some people's heads. The World's Fair 

 management has now brought itself into even a worse snarl 

 than before. The Rhode Island State Fair Association, a 

 member of the A. K. G., claimed the dates Sept. 19 to 22 

 prior to the June postponement of the World's Fair show. 

 This claim gives them the advantage, and the A, K. C. can- 

 not now consistently withhold its support from the former 

 a-ssociation. . , „ , •■ 



The World's Fair show wins, by special legislation of the 

 A.K.C., were admitted to recognition. Further than this 

 they have no claim on the A. K. C. The question now arises 

 can the World's Fair awards be recognized if they persist in 

 clashing with the Rhode Island fixture? One naturally asks 

 what are oflicials put at the head of departments for unless 

 they are already acquainted or willing to acquaint them- 

 selves with their duties. If Mr, Buchanan would take the 

 trouble to read the kennel journals he would soon see how 

 matters stand and inform himself of the peculiarities of the 

 dog show world and how it is run. We understand that no 

 judge on the list given out has been approached to learn 

 whether he would serve or not, nor yet has any arrangement 

 been made for theii- compensation or reimbursement for ex- 

 penses that would be incurred in going to Chicago to judge. 

 As a well known exhibitor and judge expressed himself yes- 

 terday, "The swelled-headed lot think that all they have to 

 do is to make dates regardless of anybody else and the whole 

 kennel world of exhibitors will flock to their call like a brood 

 of chickens when the old hen clucks to them. They publish 

 a list of judges without even writing to find out whether the 

 persons whose names they ha,ve published are willing to 

 undertake the job and without a .syllable as to what remun- 

 eration or anything in the way of defraying of expenses is to 

 be met. All they think they have to do is to press the button 

 and judges will dance, sing or do anything else that may be 

 wanted "to do. Now, I am not built that way, nor are many 

 others, either." 



The time for action is short, the premium list is not yet 

 out; let us advise a remedy. The A, K, C. does not meet till 

 Sept. 18, so no action can be taken in the matter by the ex- 

 ecutive committee. The A. K. C. is the only body that the 

 World's Fair people seem inclined to listen to; then let Pres- 

 ident Belmont call a special meeting of the advisory com- 

 mittee to consider the case and draw up resolutions advising 

 the postponement of the World's Fair show till October. 

 This would be better in every way. Many unpleasant issues 

 would be avoided; the weather would be cooler; dogs' coats 

 would be in better condition; the fall shows in the States 

 and Canada would be over; judges who are on theW. F.'s 

 list would be at liberty, and as far as we can see at present 

 everything would be plain sailing. Something of this sort 

 must be done or the World's Fair show Avill simply be a 

 gathering of a few Western dogs a.nd not the representative 

 and international affair it was intended to be. Action must 

 be taken quickly or we cannot expect the English exhibitors 

 to come over when there is so much uncertainty. Once post- 

 pone the show until October and the kennel journals will 

 lend their aid, and a good show and a representative show 

 wiU be the result^ 



Benching in Rotation. 



The English Stock^Keeper has this to say in commenting 

 on our remarks regarding the irregular benching of dogs at 

 our shows: "American exhibitors are crying out, and very 

 properly so, against the practice of benching dogs at shows 

 in stalls to which they have no claim, and our contemporary, 

 Forest akd Stream, has very properly taken the matter up 

 editorally. It is quite intolerable that an owner, to gratify 

 his own" selfishness, should be permitted to bench his dogs, 

 entered in different classes, and possibly of various distinct 

 breeds, alongside each other, to the confusion of the public 

 and disarrangement of the show. Reporters are misled by 

 these practices likewise, and consequently errors which would 

 otherwise have been avoided creep into the notices of a show, 

 the result being that injustice is frequently done, and the 

 readers of the fancy papers are seriously misled. Having 

 only recently had occasion to protest against the methods of 

 some lady exhibitors in this country who are in the habit ot 

 removing their pets froru their proper places in the show, we 

 need scarcely assure our'contemporary of our sympathy with 

 him in the attitude he has adopted with reference to a grow- 

 ing and most objectionable evil." 



In almost every report during the past circuit we drew 

 attention to. the practice of exhibitors in the toy classes in 

 putting three or four of their entries into one cage. These 

 exhibitors, as if intent on making matters worse, generally 

 take the collars off and so leave the reporters and public, 

 unless the dogs are well known, positively without means of 

 identifying them, and a half hour is often wasted in hunting 

 up owners to get particulars. The pet dog people have 

 grumbled repeatedly that their dogs did not receive sufficient 

 attention from the press, that these classes seemed to be 

 hurried over in the reports. No doubt that the state of 

 affairs spoken of above is in many cases the cause of neglect, 

 if neglect there be. We feel sure that we have only to call 

 the attention of our show managers to these abuses, and 

 they will in future endeavor to remedy the evil. The Pet 

 Dog show was an exception in this respect, only in the cocker 

 classes were dogs jumbled up a bit. Mr. Mortimer is inclined 

 to take exception at our remarking that the W. K. C. started 

 the backsliding this last spring. He says that if dogs were 

 benched irregularly it was contrary to his orders and knowl- 

 edge. This we will admit, and we can imagine that it is no 

 small matter to keep track of something like 1,300 dogs, 

 when owners get on reciprocal terms and change places for 

 the sake of convenience in the friendly manner dogmen are 

 noted for. 



United States Field Trials Club. 



Indianapolis, Ind., June 25— Editor Forest and St/ream: 1 

 have secured Dr. N. Howe and W. W, Titus as judges for 

 this club's trials at Grand Junction, Term. The third judge 

 has not yet been selected. I will, however, if possible, secure 

 another gentleman of equal experience. 



P. T. Madison, Sec'y-Treas. 



Spaniel Pictures. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As one of many greatly interested in the correspondence 

 now passing through the columns of FoKEST AND STREAM, 

 relative to the merits of ancient and modem cockers, would 

 like to know where prints or photos of good specimens of 

 both kinds may be procm-ed. JAPA>f. 



DOG CHAT. 



California Notes. 



The Californians, and even the exhibitors up Seattle way, 

 are fast becoming versed in the ways of exhibitors, but have 

 not as yet mastered the temptation to have a little fun with 

 the judge. Eastern exhibitors have in most part become ac- 

 customed to take their medicine in the shape of an adverse 

 decision without flinching, but some of our far Western 

 friends still swallow their dose with a wry face. There has 

 been considerable correspondence in the press out there, over 

 Mr, Raper's decision in the English setter awards a,t San 

 Francisco, and the placing of the St, Bernards at Seattle. It 

 would scarcely be interesting here to go into the particulars 

 of the "kicks," and we only mention the facts in order to 

 show that the lot of a judge out there is not altogether a 

 happy one, when self-asserted knowledge, which must 

 necessarily arise from ignorance, plays a conspicuous part. 



At Seattle one exhibitor of a St. Bernard removed his dog 

 from the show because he did not get first prize, and remarks 

 in his letter afterward that he knew he would be "snowed" 

 under. Of course, this is an appropriate way of putting it, 

 where St. Bernards are concerned, but none the less a,n insult 

 to the judge. It is probable that the owner of this dog 

 knows little about St. Bernards, especially when he twits 

 ]\Ir. Raper with having remarked when he showed him a 

 certain dog, just to try him, that it was a very fair St. 

 Bernard, and then goes on to say that said dog was not a 

 pure St. Bernard at all, as it was by a Newfoundland dog 

 out of a St. Bernard bitch. This is no refiection on Mr. 

 Raper, as we may be pretty sure that that well-known dog- 

 man would not give such an opinion unless the animal 

 possessed the St. Bernard characteristics, and even Mr. 

 Raper is not clever enough to know what the sire and dam 

 of a dog are like by merely glancing at the offspring. He, 

 like the rest of us, must judge by the result. We have seen 

 capital English setters that were sired by a pointer. It 

 would seem as if the Seattle Kennel Club would be doing 

 good work if it brought this plain speaking exhibitor to a 

 sense of his position by calling the attention of the A. K. C. 

 to his conduct in thus making reflections on the judge's 

 honesty, and also for removing his dog from the show build- 

 ing without permission. A. K. C. rules should be observed 

 by its members even in far off Seattle, especially as this 

 individual threatens to show his St. Bernard-Newfoundland 

 cross, with the aid of a little dye, as a Newfoundland at the 

 next show, if Mi\ Raper dons the ermine. To allow such 

 letters to appear in the press will do more harm to the bud- 

 ding fancy in the far West than half a dozen bench shows can 

 correct. 



Canada Waking Up. 



Mr. Davey is unhappy. He has thought all along that he 

 had the winners at the "coming Northern trials and thinks it 

 strange that any of his friends should presume to imagine any 

 of their dogs had a chance. He has girded up his loins, 

 however, or in modern parlance, given a "hitch to his trouser 

 breech," and sent his trainer, Thomas Hallam, to Manitoba 

 with thirteen dogs, twelve of his own and one of Mr. Eddy's, 

 of Detroit. Several of them are blue ribbon dogs and are 

 expected to put their talents to more practical purpose in 

 the coming trials. He has entered three "Derbies" in the 

 Manitoba trials, and the same number in the U. S. and 

 American field and Ohio trials. He will also run one or two 

 braces in each All-Age Stake as they come along and still 

 has retained enough canine material to keep things warm" 

 for the boys at the Chatham, Out., trials, and after doing 

 all this has still ten brace to sell. He remarks: "Some or 

 the boys may fliink Canada out of the swim, those are the 

 kind of people we want to bring along their best dogs. I 

 can assure you all that you will see a field trial and the best 

 dog will win; and one thing you can always depend upon, 

 you wUl one and all get a sportsman's welcome." There is 

 only one thing wanting in Mr. Davey's letter, he forgets to 

 say that Foeest and Stream is the cleanest paper m the 

 country. Again verb sap. 



Northwestern Beagle Club of America. 



Those beagle men who have been instrumental in forward- 

 ing the interests of beagles in the field wiU be pleased to hear 

 that on June 14, the Northwestern Beagle Club of America 

 was organized at the Wisconsin Building, World's Fair 

 groimds. The object of the club is to improve the beagle in 

 the field and on the bench. The club wUl hold its first field 

 trials on Nov. 1-3 in southern Wisconsin, and the exact loca- 

 tion of the grounds wUl be selected before long. 



The National Beagle Club's constitution and by-laws, also 

 field trial rules, were adoped with slight modification. The 

 officers of the club are: G. A. Buckstaft', O.shkosh, Wis., 

 Pres.; C. Niss, Jr., Milwaukee, first Vice-Pres. ; H. A. Dil 

 lingham, vSheboygan, Wis., second Vice-Pres.; Louis Steft'en, 

 Sec'y-Treas. Executive Committee, Dr. T. S. Maxwell, 

 Columbus, Wis.; E. Bardoe Elliott, May wood, lU.; C. Spel- 

 lerberg, Milwaukee, Wis. All those interested in beagles 

 that wish to join the club can do so by addressing Louis 

 Steffien, Secretary, 781 Third street, Milwaukee, Wis. 



The N. J. K. L. 



The New Jersey Kennel League held another executive 

 committee meeting last Friday night at Newark. The com- 

 mittee on bench show dates reported that an effort was being 

 made to hold the show during Thanksgiving week. It is 

 stated that subscriptions amounting to $1,400 have already 

 been secured toward the bench show expenses. Somebody 

 has remarked that the N, J. K, L. is a "meeting club," 

 whatever that may mean. It strikes us that continual meet- 

 ings, which are excuses for the club members to get together 

 and discuss subjects connected with their dogs, is one of the 

 very best methods of advancing the interests of the dog. It 

 is much better than to allow a club to fall into "innocuous 

 desuetude," because a meeting is not called. Verh sa/p. 



John Davidson. 



It seems peculiarly appropiate that Chicago should be the 

 venue for a World's Fair show, when we remember that the 

 first gathering of dogs that could be construed as a dog 

 show was held in Chicago nineteen years ago. StiU more 

 appropriate is the fact that in the list of World's Fair show 

 judges, pubUshed last week in Forest and Stream, the 

 name of one, John Davidson, should appear as the judge of 

 English setters, when it is remembered that this veteran 

 judge and sportsman was one of the three judges at the show 

 in 1874. What an experience some men are fortunate enough 

 to crowd into a lifetime! 



The Rhode Island Show. 



There is little doubt that many prominent exhibitors will 

 support this fixture, even if the World's Pair persists in hold- 

 ing its show the same date. Two prominent "World's Fair 

 elect" judges, Messrs. Davidson and Mortimer, have already 

 promised to judge at this show, and cannot well back out 

 now, nor do they wish to do so. Mr. John Read has also 

 been secured as s"uperintendent. The premium list will be 

 issued this week. The entry fee is $1. 



During the Wissahickon show it was our pleasure to stroll 

 through the well-kept yards of the Swiss Mountain Kennels. 

 Some people spend money without end and never succeed in 

 filling their kennels with young stock of their own breeding, 



