Frank Townend Barton

“ I know no dog that more repays the trouble of breaking yourself (that is, if you have the requisite knowledge and patience) than the Spaniel, who, from natural love and affection he has for his master more than any other dog, should be more ready to work for him than anyone else. ”

“ Opinions vary as to the weight a night-dog should attain, but a small dog, however persevering he may be, cannot be so effective as one which has the qualities of being large, game, and active. Suppose a dog, of 50 or 60 lbs. weight only, were to jump at a man, the latter could not be knocked down. A clever poacher would wait his opportunity, catch the animal in his arms, and throw him over an adjacent wall or fence, well aware that the dog could not jump back. A night-dog should not be less than 80 lbs., and if he is 100 lbs., strong and active, so much the better. ”

“ Spaniel must look proportionate all over, be active, have a tight curly coat and a good top-knot, carry the head well up, be keen in facial expression, have a cat-like tail, and look as though he would be ready to dive at the word of command—in fact a workman from top-knot to tail. ”

“ Many capital working Retrievers carry their tails very badly, indicative of inferior breeding. What is equally important—no matter whether it be the Flat-, or Curly-coated variety—in a Retriever, is that of being good-tempered, obedient, persevering, quick to find, to remain at heel until given the word of command, and to have a very tender mouth.
If a dog is too headstrong, he will never make a good Retriever, running out directly a shot is fired. ”

“ When the dog is ten months old and quite used to wearing its muzzle, he should be taken muzzled to a quiet place where you have previously arranged for a perfect stranger to be. This man should have a bag rolled up and strapped to one hand, and a glove on the other, and should be in hiding at the appointed spot; when the dog and his master get within a hundred yards or so, the stranger should 'break covert' and run out across the field. The dog must at once be released and encouraged to attack the man, his owner running with him the while. ”

“ The Western Highlands of Scotland are not overrun with railways and other means of rapid communication, so showing is both difficult and extra expensive, and the possessors of good dogs of the breed have not hitherto come forward in numbers to show what they have. And this is a breed which must be carefully handled by bench judges, for they are actual working dogs, and it will be a thousand pities if they get spoiled, or, in Mr G. T. Teasdale-Buckell's words, become defiled by scales of points, or degraded by the hunting of the tin-pot at dog shows. ”

“ A well-broken Gordon is a most useful dog in the field, though certainly his luck at field trials has not been anything like that of the Englishman.
In colour he should be a glossy raven black, with rich mahogany tan markings, pencilling of the toes being allowable.
On the inside of the fore-limbs, tan ought to show nearly up to the elbows, and up to the hocks, on the inner sides of the hind ones.
There should be tan on the lips, cheeks, undersides of the ears; spots over eyes, on front of the chest, on the vent, and at the root of tail or flag. ”

“ White on the body is objectionable, less so on the feet.
The so-called "Tiger Dachs," or steel-blue and tan-colour is uncommon, though it gives the animal a very handsome appearance. At the London Kennel Club shows there is a class for dappled dogs and bitches. As a rule, the crossing of a black-and-tan Dachs with a red one, produces puppies true to type, i.e., some are black and tan, others red, and not a mixture of these two colours. A red dog and bitch, will, however, sometimes throw a black-and-tan puppy; or a black-and-tan sire and dam produce a whole-red puppy. ”

“ Most people are contented if a dog will work within gunshot and push out the game for him to kill. Almost any mongrel with the necessary practice and experience will do this, but I assume that the sportsman takes a pride in his dogs, likes to have good-looking and well-bred ones, and if he wishes to shoot in comfort and in good form when he uses Spaniels, it is quite as necessary to have them well-trained as any other breed of sporting dog. ”

“ The sportsman's Spaniel—which is not commonly the show-bench animal—is of hardy constitution, taking the water in the coldest of weather, doing his [68] eight or ten hours' work in a day, and roughing it in the matter of food and kennelling.
The progeny of the working dog are not any more trouble to rear than those of a rough-and-tumble Terrier.
The "soft" constitution of so many black and Sussex Spaniels is due to that foolish system (in breeding) having been carried beyond all sense of reason.
All are water-loving dogs, and, when properly trained, retrieve their game tenderly. ”

“ It is very necessary that a dog should learn to recognise when the battle is over, and that having duly fulfilled his part he must be quiet, for it would be awkward, to say the least, if a keeper has to struggle with the animal to take him off a captured poacher, and then the rascal takes advantage of the exhaustion of both keeper and dog to escape. ”

“ Chest, narrow and deep, with great depth of rib behind the elbows, one of the most striking features of the breed.
Neck, very muscular, rather long and deep where it joins the shoulders, and these ought to be fairly oblique, but well clothed with muscles.
A long, straight back and broad loins, with powerful quarters, long thighs and low-placed, strong hocks are counted points for the show bench. The hind limbs, in relation to the body, are placed very far back, only just appearing to be under it at the lower part of the extremities when the dog is standing still. ”

“ In no case should a dog be trained and tried on a lead or chain, or the result will be that he will not chase a man. Instead, he will only go for a poacher at close quarters, and then will continue to look round for his owner. Teach the dog to rely on himself. Some gamekeepers use their dogs on a long rope and religiously keep hold of the end thereof, but the reason for this I never could determine, unless it is to retain the animal for their own bodily protection. If so, the dog is not being put to its proper duty. ”

“ The proprietor of a Lurcher has always been regarded as one who will, when the opportunity offers, take his dog "up the back stairs," and gamekeepers generally look upon the owner of a Lurcher as one worthy of a little extra vigilance. ”

“ Such being the case, it makes one wonder why night-dogs are not more frequently used by gamekeepers in rough localities, and I am afraid the animals have come into disrepute, owing to the manner in which their employment has been abused by careless watchers.
"It must not be supposed that a night-dog simply requires rearing, and that when old enough a muzzle has only to be put on and he will face anything he is encouraged to attack. The dog must be trained to his duty as a retriever is taught to bring in game, or he will never prove a satisfactory companion when poachers are about. ”

“ The Society shall consist of an unlimited number of members, whose names and addresses shall be kept by the Secretary in a book, which book shall be kept open to the inspection of members at reasonable times. Any respectable person favourable to the objects of the Society is eligible for admission [95] as a member. Each candidate for admission must be proposed by one member and seconded by another member. The election of members shall be vested solely in the Committee and shall be by ballot, three members to form a quorum, and two black balls to exclude. ”

“ He must be taught to listen for the coming of poachers, as it is only natural that he should detect their approach by both sound and smell long before their advent on the scene is palpable to human senses. Some dogs do this naturally, and the remainder only need encouragement to render them proficient watchers. If a young dog displays a tendency to fall asleep when out, arrange for a man to come on the scene just about the time the animal will be settled down. This individual should move as cautiously as he can, go straight to the dog, and have a good rough round or two with him. ”

“ In the case of a Mustard dog the hair should be mustard in colour, a shade darker than the body, but not black. All should have a thin feather of light hair starting about 2 inches from the tip, and of nearly the same colour and texture as the top-knot, which gives the ear the appearance of a distinct point. The animal is often one and two years old before the feather is shown. The cartilage and skin of the ear should not be thick, but rather thin. ”

“ Rough Fox Terrier This variety of the breed should resemble the Smooth sort in every respect except the coat, which should be broken. The harder and more wiry the texture of the coat is the better. On no account should the dog look or feel woolly, and there should be no silky hair about the poll or elsewhere. The coat should not be too long, so as to give a dog a shaggy appearance, but at the same time it should show a marked and distinct difference all over from the Smooth species. ”