The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-02

Copyright. 1895. by John Gimler SPEEDY
Bench shows for dogs are strongly in
trenched in the favor OF the American
people and the attendance at them each
year is larger than the year preceding.
The dog is unquestionably most popular
animal and undeserVing Of the reproach
implied when mean man is contemptu-
ously called dog" on the contrary, he
merits what the great naturalist Cuvier
said Of him when he declared that the
domestic dog was the ''completest. the
most singular and the most useful con-
quest ever made by man" 1t would be
& pleasant and q grateful past to relate
well authenticated instances OF canine in
telligence, loyalty and affection in illus
trauon Of the truth of the great natural
isis sweeping assertion, but that WoLii
be foreign 10 the purpose Of this article,
which viii attempt TO show how the
judges an the dog elbows determine the
winners in the various classes. The
novice looking at a ring full OF splendid
dogs all of the same class, if he thinks
OF ii, Will surely be puzzled TO know how
in The course OF an hour or so a jTige can
examine forty or ntly dogs ana determine
which is the nrst, which the second and
so on OF the whole lot, and mol offend
every exhibitor save the one to whom Is
given the first prize.
1t cannot be SAID that the Judges do es-
cape criticism, but the special cubs have
SO defined and given numerical value 10
the various points of different classes of
dogs that prizes are awarded now with
something approXlmating mathematical
accuracy. This is proved by the fact that
prize winners in the bench shows are
usually also the best performers in the
special field Of work for which each is
bred and trained. Sometimes there is a
dog in the ring at a bench show that is
Sc manifeSLy superior 10 all competitors
that ne is ''nrSt and the others nowhere"
At such times this dog gets the blue
ribbon, but the judges task is not simpli-
fed, Tor he must select second and third
prize winners quite as carefully as
though there We're no such a star" in the
ring as the one that outclasses his rivals.
To be second in the mastiff class to Beau
forts Black Prince, to be second to the
late Sir BedeVere in the St Bernard
class were honors that were sought after
as keenly as though these two great
dogs were not on exhibition. This year
neither will compete, as Sir Bedevere is
chased for exhibition in England. In
these classes therefore there viii be a new
JUDGING THE MAsTIFF.
The owners and breeders Of dogs have
formed special clubs, such as the Collie
club, the Fox Terrier club, the Mastiff
club, the Pointer clue and so on. Now
these clubs make rules determining the
standard By which the dogs Shall be
judged in the ring and each club def
nitely says no Rthe judge shall be guided
In apporUoning the value Of the points OF
the dog. For instance, the points of the
mastin are apportioned as follows:
General character and symmetry, 10
skull z points
Face or muzzle is points.
Ears 4 points.
Eyes points.
Height and substance of body 10 points.
Chest and ribs points.
Forelegs and feet points.
Hind legs and feet points.
Back, loins and flank 10 points
Tail points.
Coat and color points
Total 100 points.
The judge with this standard before him
looks over each dog and scores his points
somewhat as they are marked In the dia-
grams printed with this article. The dog
with the largest score gets first prize, and
SO on. The club also describes the perfect
mastif by way OF explaining why such
mum erical value should be given to the
various points. The mastif. the club
rules say, should be Large, massive and
powerful, symmetrical ana Of well-knit
frame" a combination of grandeur and
good nature, Of courage and dociiity His
head in general outline should have a
square appearance, while breadth is
rule says 1t should be broad between
The eyes, forehead fat, but wrinkled
when attention Is excited; brows (Super-
cillary ridges) slightly raised; muscles
Of The temples and cheeks temporal and
rnasseter) well developed: arch across the
skull Of q rounded, fatteneo curve, with a
depression UP the center Of the forehead
from the medium line between the eyes
to half way Up to the sagittal suture''
To the foregoing two points the value Of
twenty-five is given, while to the face or
Inuzzle is accorded eighteen points and
the latter is described with great fitness
as follows: Short, broad under the eyes
and keeping nearly parallel in width to
the end of the nose; tTuncated; that is
blunt and cut off square, thus forming
a right angle with the upper line of the
face. Of great depth from the point of the
nose 70 under jaw. Under jaw broad to
the end; canine teeth healthy, powerful
and wide apart; incisors level, or the
lower projecting beyond the upper, but
never sufficiently so as to become visible
when the mouth is closed. Nose broad
with widely spread nostrils, when view
ed from the front; nat mot pointed nor
turned up) In profile Lips diversing at
obtuse angles with the septurn, and Slight
" penculous so as TO show q square pro-
file. Length Of u1uzzle TO whole head and
face as I to g. Circumference OF muzzle