New-York tribune., 1900-08-25
IN PRAISE OF DOGS.
A GOOD BOOK BY ONE WHO KNOWS.

ALL ABOUT DOGS A Book for Doggy People.
By Charles Henry Lane, Breeder Exhi6itor,
Most Celebrated Champions Of our Time Drawn
from Life by R. H. Moore. Octave, PIP XII Ss9.
John Lane.
Mr.. Lane thinks that the dog is the most
faithful devoted and reliable friend OF the
human race" This is the attitude of mind in
which the task Of writing what he quantity
terms a doggy book" should be approached.
When that attitude of mind is reinforced by so
wide and varied experience as Mr.. Lane has
had the result is pretty sure to be doggy" in
the highest degree. Mr.. Lanes book is the real
thing; he is author turned dog fancier, and
the taint of literature does cling about his
book 1t clearly has come direct from the
sources in fact and fancy Of a breeder, eXhib-
itor, judge" as Mr. Lane styles himself on his
title page For this reason it has a special in
terest of it's own; and if many Of its sentences
are indefensible from the mere grammarian's
point of view, they all sound from that of
the lover OF dogs and carry instant conviction
to such Whether Mr.. Lane is discoursing upon
the points" the requirements and the history
of various breeds Of dogs with critical discrim-
ination of detail. or whether he is indugng in
reminiscence and anecdote drawn from mis- ripe
experience in the kennel and before the bench
he never lowers the note Of enthusiasm. of ad-
nniration and of love that the subject of dogs
d
warmer place in his heart than another, but all
are good all are worthy of the devoted study
and attention OF human kind and he passes
by without its fitting tribute.
The greater part Of Mr.. Lanes book, and the
most valuable part, is that which he devotes to
q detailed description Of the various breeds
recognized in the dog world. There are no fewer
than eighty-six of these enumerated, and the
treatment Of them is such as to do full justice to
the merits Of each. and to elucidate the points
and characteristics by which pure blood and
good breeding are TO be determined. Mr. Lane
is not one who can be content with perfunctory
recognition Of merit when dogs are in question
when he observes about the black and tan ter
rier that ''he adapt himself to the cottage or
the palace, and look well in either" or that IT
contend that thoroughbred white English ter
rier is quite superior dog and it company for
any one? And is II not suggestive to hear of
the Newfoundland that his tail should be car
ried gayly." and that his general appearance is
that OF a "dignified, thoughtful and thoroughly
reliable guard. companion friend. with a great
deal Of character? A valuable feature of this
part Of the book is the collection OF illustrations
which includes portraits Of prominent repre-
sentatiVes or their breeds, in many cases cham
pions, Hplritedly drawn by r. II. Moore. AS Mr.
Lane Vouches for the accuracy Of the portraits
this picture gallery" he says, must needs
be not only interesting, but instructive as an aid
in completing the Identification of the technical
features Of different varieties. The British dog
naturally enough, engrosses most of the au-
thor's attention and space: but he is not un-
mindful that there are other varieties and his
chapter on foreign dogs is curious and attrac-