Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-01-12

OF late years the King Charles and
Blenheim spaniels--in spite of their tear
full beseechlng eyes, their trailing ears.
their blunt black noses, their silky coats,
and the glories of their bushy tails and
feathered legs, have undergone unmerit-
ed neglect. Nor has the Italian gray
hound for all the grace and beauty OF its
slender folm, its taper, almost transpa-
rent limbs, and the elastic agility OF its
movements, been priced ms once 1t was.
Fashion has turned its approved ewes
rather upon the fluffy white Pomeranian.
with its fox-like pricked ears, and pointed
black nose; the Dnndic Dinmont, brought
into vogue by Sir Walter S,ott's 'Guy
Mannering : the Skye terrier, save the
turnspit the longest of all dogs in pro-
portion to its height, with its tlncculent
door-mat coat, its masked ewes, and OBJ
scured nose and the Maltese terrier, IL
duodecimo, edition of the SKYE, shorter
of back, however, and with Il winter and
silkier jacket. The pug, too, has recover
ed the favor it had lost so completely that
between 1896 and 1916 the breed was nj
most extinct i'll England; 1t has returned
to society III the retinuc uf Queen Anne,
as it were, one of the embcms and scenic
properties of her reign, its tastes, modes,
AMI foibles. Happily the cruel mutila-
ton of the ears of the animal which once
prevailed asa means OF wriuklng and
puckerins its forehead and mlzzle has
been abandoned. The poodle has never
been SO esteemed in England as in the
land of its nativity. OF the Dalmatian.
spotted or carriage dog -popuiurly known
as the plum pudding g'-!hcre has been
some vanishing of late. The creature.
perhaps, was always regarded as more or
namentnl than useful, and then, with the
circus horse, he became the object of sus-
plcion. Could he not, unlike the leopard,
change his spots upon occasion? We're
| they not sometimes duo rather 10 art tLuu
to nature? Stories were told of carriage
dogs that had gone ont spotted and had
returned home pure white. Heavy rain
had fallen, and the fOo.man had neglected
to hold the carriage umbrella over the
carriage dog.
The great popularity enjoyed at pres
ent by the Scotch collie or Highland
sheepdog has to be reckoued among the
striking events or "laulmlrk," of canine
history. To the collie have been sacri-
feed almost the entire spaniel family,
and even that foimcr favoritc of aquatic
romance, the Newfoundland dog 50 long
famous rs savior OF ciiidrcu from wa.
terry graves, and i'll such wisp as mem.
Der OF the Royal Humane Society. Collie
worship is, indeed, one of the popular de-
lusions of the time. There are .ymp-
toms, however, of the coming close OF his
reign. He has been rather too absolute II
monarch. And, after all, his origin is
humble enough--a mere sheepdog
Should he have been raised from the
senks, promoted 10 be exclusively do
nestle pet? The stately Mount ~. Ber-
nard is securing more and more admirers
and upholders. The British bulldog finds
interest in him reawakcning. The slim,
alert, "spry" for terrier hNs obtained
many friends OF late There is even talk
OF another restoration of King Charles.
And other spaniels are lifting their heads
reminding the world that, in addition to
their other merits, they own certain sport
ing gifts and qualities t0 which no soelie
dog can pretend.