THE FLAT-COATED RETRIEVER 
and the pretty stories told about her have made her a very popular cham- 
pion worker of the season. On the bench we have Mr Cooke’s two beautiful 
specimens, Jimmy and Blight of Riverside, in my opinion the best dog 
and bitch in England at the present time. Both were bred by Mr Cooke, and 
own High Legh Blarney as their sire. They are indeed a pair to be proud 
of, as was the team of eight flat -coated retrievers which Mr Cooke took 
into the ring at the Crystal Palace Show last year. 
In both appearance and temperament breeders of the flat -coated retriever 
have achieved a remarkable success, and it is difficult to imagine a more 
beautiful and lovable dog. Fashion is constantly changing, but public 
opinion is now steadily favouring a medium -sized or small retriever, and 
for obvious reasons. Occasionally fences are met with which are un- 
jumpable, and there may be possibly only one or two places through which 
only a small and active dog can make its way. The advantage possessed 
by this type of dog over the heavier and bigger kind need hardly be demon- 
strated, especially when the dog is after a strong runner; moreover, 
small and medium -sized dogs usually jump well, are more easily stowed 
away than their bigger brethren, and are less inclined to tire during a long 
and hot September day. Size, then, is a matter of great importance, and 
so is a long neck and good shoulder, for the former enables its owner to 
get its nose well down and travel fast on a line, and the latter is essential 
in hilly countries. A nicely bent hock is a sine qua non, with strong loins 
and a short back, as without these valuable points no dog can jump well; 
the body should be well coupled, with the chest deep, but not too broad, 
as one always finds a broad-chested dog going wide in front. The legs 
should be straight and just long enough to enable the animal to travel easily 
in heather; the feet round like those of a cat, and not placed too flat on the 
ground. The breed should have plenty of bone, with pasterns sufficiently 
bent to relieve the dog from excessive jar when jumping into a roadway 
when carrying a heavy hare. The head should be fairly long, with a jaw 
powerful and lengthy enough to enable the animal to carry all kinds of 
game; the muzzle square cut, and the reverse of snipey, the nostrils open, 
the crown nearly flat and with no very pronounced stop, and there must 
be a reasonable amount of room for the brains, but no thickness about the 
cheek. The eyes should be dark hazel, and not too near together, while 
the ears should be small and not set too high on the head. Fashion has 
gone most steadily against light -coloured eyes, many good judges assert- 
ing that dogs with such a blemish are bad-tempered and shifty. I cannot 
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