The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-20
SOME FASHIONS In DOGS
THE ANIMALS PARlI CULARLY POP
ULAR JUST NOW.

hound.
Though it seems but yesterday, thir-
teen years or more have elapsed since
in these columns we first drew atten-
ton to that which may be called fash
ion in dogs" BY this no intention is
meant to convey anything about the
fashions so far as regards the dress or
makeup of pet dogs, exaggerated
forms of which have appeared in Paris,
though happily an attempt to introduce
such yaearies into this country has
failed All around the dog is far more
fashionable now than he has been pre-
Yiously, and by dogs we do not here al
Jude to the sporting varieties-pointers,
settlers, retrievers, hounds and such
like, but such as are accepted by ladies
and by ourselves to train somewhat as
companions and as pets in the first
place, and as household protectors in
the second. We have been told that the
Partisan poodle is not up to date unless
he is clothed in velvet, with golden
collar around his neck and silver gar
tiers on his legs. Poor creature! to be
encountered by such adornments, the
troubles and griefs of which are great
as compared even with those OF our
common English muzzle, which all so
decry. Clip a poodle and shave him if
YOU like: make his curly coat of white,
black, blue or amber as quaint in APP
pearance as the old-fashioned trimmed
yews and boxwoods in our gardens;
even anoint him with sweet-smelling
preparations-but save, oh! save him
from the bangles and hideous coats and
frocks he is supposed to wear in the
French capital. We very much doubt
If sheets on a dog of any kind are in
the slightest degree beneficial, though it
is the custom, and therefore the fash
ion, to use them on greyhounds when
training, and on the more delicate and
diminutive toy dogs Many of our fair
Continental friends make their little
canine companions look foolish in their
Jackets and pantaloons, and the folly of
the thing will be much more in evil
dence when they deck out their Great
Danes and Russian wolf hounds in
fashionably cut outfit and put trousers
and gew-gaws on their st. Demands as
they do on their poodles The clown in
the circus or in the streets was at one
time the only parsonage who tied frills
round his dogs necks and placed conf
cal-leoking clothes on their legs and
bodies; but, what was once the sole
prerogative of "Mr. Merryman" has
been usurped by those who would be in
''the fashion," with the result that the
professional has to trust entirely to his
merry jests and curious contortions to
amuse his patrons. Perhaps the poodle
was happier as a sporting dog, when
bringing waterfowl to hand that had
fallen to the straight shot" of his mas
ters gun, than he is now, when his role
is either that of the fool or of the dan
dy.
Fifteen years have, in the matter of
dogs, brought many changes, and so
much has happened during the most re-
cent canine generation and half that
we wonder what the result will be dur
ing the forthcoming similar period. If
no absolutely new varieties Of the dog
have been manufactured, some that
had been quite in oblivion have been
Drought 10 Iue lEOul, NIltlS OlllSlS LII =
rnerly in fashion are removed from
their high estate. The Scottish collie is
one Of the few who sustain their posi-
ton in society, though socially he is not
quite so much the thing as he once was.
Had he not been extra well encouraged
by clubs and shows, and made valuable
by the extraordinary prizes he can win,
he would not have f1ourished so long,
and it is because he is marketable
commodity, and can earn his living and
much besides, that he is the most valu-
able dog Of the present day. A "cool
one thousand pounds seems to be lot
Of money to give for any dog, but as we
write there is collie living whose own
err has actually refused more than that
for him, and this because, in fees and
prizes, this dog has made over nine
hundred pounds in fifteen months; his
owner puts on him the modest value of
fifteen hundred pounds. AS a compan-
ion he is not worth more than ten
pound note at the most, and to the fox
terrier a similar application can be
made; neither is fashionable" for itself
alone, but because of the income it can
produce The st. Bernard is affected to
a smaller extent by a similar state of
affairs, and, although it may be said
that thirteen hundred pounds, the high
est price ever given for a purely fancy
dog, was attained by Sir Bedfvere, OF
this variety, he quite failed to prove q
remunerative investment, even in
America, where luxury and money are
In such plenty.
There are many persons who would
place the bulldog high on the pinnacle
of fashion, but he is low on the ladders
rungs now, and his admirers have done
their best to rob him of his position as
the national dog of Britain, and none
know this better than themselves
Once he was the model of bravery
strength, pluck and determination
with a certain amount of rough chival.
ry thrown in. But "the fancy" would
in their way, improve him. They sue.
ceeded in producing an animal with 6
huge, brainless head, protruding teeth
which usually drop out or break of
when the dog is matured-if they have
not done so beforehand abnormally
crooked legs, upon which the dog cal
hardly stand for five minutes at a time
Walking or galloping is another ques
ton altogether, and when a man has Z
bulldog which can follow a slow-trot
ting pony or walk mile in a quarter o