The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-07
81 sy Rigid Rales are Followed In the Award,
Il b Ing of Bench Show Prizes.
0aLY EXPERTS ARE WANTED AS JUDGES
the Definite stand
s sSssss ards That Have neen FIXED, II Is
ME. ssss$ Not Always Easy 30 Decide which
Ssss 10 Hest ar the Canine famiIy-The
ssSs Point System Adopted.


stNpeople and the attendance at theI' e ~,
@syear Is larger than the year procedins'
THE dog Is Internationally most Popu-
ocular animal anu undeScrvtnS CT tile re
~ proach implied when mean man
3& contemptuously called dog; on .ne
VI contrary, he merits what the great ha.-
Cuvier said of him when ne ue-
81 clared that the domestic dog was the
i "completest, the most singular anu the
IA most useful conquest ever maae DS
q man. 1t would be pleasant ana a
X grateful past to relate well authehtl-
~ Gated instances Of canine lnteiilgehce,
4 loyalty and affection in Illustration oi
y the truth OF the great naturalist
Z sweeping assertion, but that would De
N foreign to the purpose of this article
which will attempt TO show now the
Judges at the dog shnws determine the
4 winners In the various classes. me
a novice looking at Il ring full OF splendid
u dogs all of the same class, II he THINKS
y Of It, will surely be puzzled 10 know
I how In the course of an hour CT so
judge can examine forty or fifty dogs
X snd determine which is the hrst, which
& the second and SO on of the whole lot.
Y and not offend every exhibitor save the
@one to whom Is given the first prize.
tg It cannot be said that the judges do
escape criticism, but the special clubs
3 have so defined and given numerical
value to the dlffent>t points of different
4 classes of dogs thRs prizes are awarded
s now with somethh.g approximating
4 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 ana trained.
Sometimes there is dog In the ring
at q bench show that is so manifestly
y superior to all competitors that he is
$S"hrst and the Others nowhere" a.
{ such times this dog gets the blue rib
/: bon. but the judges task is not sinpli-
+ fled, for he must select second and third
a. prize winners quite as carefully as
q though there were no such a star" In
I. the ring as the one that outoasses his
4. rivals. To be second in the mastim
b class to Beaufort's Black Prince, to be
second to the late Sir Bedevere In the
s st. Bernard class were honors that were |
q sought after as keenly as though these |
q two great dogs We're not on exhibition. |
This year neither will compete as Sir |
Bedevere Is dead and Black Prince has |
d been purchased for exhibition in Eng |
y land In these classes therefore there |
S4will be new deal.
JUDGING THE MASTIFF.
The owners and breeders of dogs have
Z formed special clubs, such as the Collie |
81 CLUB, the Fox Terrier Club, the Mastiff |
4
afhese clubs make rules determining the
X standard by which the dogs shall be |
judged in the ring and each club def
&nltely says how the Judge shall, be |
guided In apportioning the value of the
points of the dog. For instance, the |
points of the mastiff are apportioned |
as follows:
}s General character and symmetry IN
points.
Skull, - points.
race or muzzle. is points
Ears, points.
Eyes. points.
Height and substance Of body, 10
points.
Chest and ribs, points.
s Forelegs and feet points
Hind legs and feet, points.
& Back loins and flank, 10 points.
Tail, 8 points.
y Goat and color, points.
VS. Total, 100 points
The judge with this standard before
MIN looks over each dog and scores his
points somewhat as they are marked |
"a ~ the ,,, Diagrams printed with this arti-
Sie. me dog with the largest score
gets first prize, and so on. The club
also describes the perfect mastiCf NV
way or explaining why such numerical |
value should be given to the various |
points. The mastiff, the club rules saw |
shouiu pe large. massive and power |
!ui, symmetrical and of well!knit
frame a combination of grandeur and
sood nature, of courage and docilitv.
his mead In general outline should have
square appearance, while breadth is |
( greatly to be desired. OF the skull the |
rule says 1t should be broad betwe,e,
the ears, forehead fat. but wrinkle;, |
kwnen attention is excited; brows (suner- |
ciiiary ridges Slightly raised: muscles
OF the temples and cheeks Uemnoral |
ana masseter) well developed: arch
across the skull of rounded flattened |
& curve, with depression up the centre
OF the forehead from the medium line
s between the eyes to half way IN To the
7 sagittal statue"
b Io the foregoing two points the vaIue
OF twenty-five is given, while TO The
5 lace or muzzle is accorded eighteen
q points and the latter is described w,th
s great fullness as follows: Short broad
g nder the eyes. and keeping nearly mar.
n aiiel In width to the end Of tho nnsa.
= truncated; that Is, blunt and CIT off
I square, thus forming a right angle viii
I the upper line of the face. of great dentb
y rom the point of the nose to un1nr
Jaw. Under jaw broad TO the end. "a
Il nine teeth healthy, powerful and wide
= apart; incisors level, or the lower nro-
3f3ecaing beyond the upper but never
I .ssutllclently so as to become visible when
tne mouth is closed Nose broad with
/. Wloely-spreading nostrils, when yiewed
from rom the front; fiat (not pointed nor
q turned up) in profile. Lips diverping
Z AT obtuse angles with the septum and
8 si,gntIy pendulons SO as to show