The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21
DOCS AND THEIR DAYS.
How the Fashion Has changed In the Last
Few Years.

Prom ne kondos Telegram.
Nothing Ia more mysterious than the Sudden
development of popular taste. There ID no 40
counting for IL: and one OF the most remArka-
bic things about = boom" IL that there seeffs
rs little reason FOR IL to begin ne there rs FOR u
to end. And II Ia in the fashion In dows that
this popularity In most manifest. Any one
whose finger has been on the pulse Of doedom
for the last dozen years can speak to the truth
OF this.
There vas the collie. A few years sgo he
was at his zenith. He was led In the ring by
n Princess, titled owners competed for hin,
cups and trophies were offered at his shrine
and his prices touched c. 900 and even 81. 200.
Now no Ia a drug in fashions dog market
and like other druRsfs taken only In honro-
pathic doses. Look at the pug. Once he ant
on every ones lap and srored on every ones
sofa. Now not even the discovery Of the
charms OF the black variety has stayed the
downward course OF his thermometer so
with toy spaniels, once at set fhir on the eariy
Victorian barometer. 40 with borzois. Which
once could boast two duchesses leading their
dogs simultaneously at one show. They all
hold their own In numbers; they are even very
important sections OF the dog world. nut they
are. alasl no longer smart.
Then came Pomersnians; there II was felt
the last word had been said. for daintier'
more charming and more sdorably de,ora-
tive adjuncts 10 a toilet could not be de-
sired. They were Just the tiny size 70 tuck
in n pretty arm; they nestled so ely
In furs; they bore themselves with such arlomb
at a restaurant or in a carriage thai they
were the most ripandu OF little dogs. They
became sable or beaver or Orange OF blue or
black or chocolate or white. not. OF course,
all at once with chameleon a~daptability. bat
In sufficient variety that one could he taken
with any dress. lIis latest development Ia
the parti-colored, which does not imply a
mixture Of the above hues. but an exceedingly
beautiful arrangement OF well distributed
black and white or blue and white. md
there Ia no doubt he is a strong runner up Tor
the ~favorite.
But the dog OF the moment. on Fortunes
cap the very button. r. the Pekinsese. Not
to own one il to be demodde. which Ia not TO
be contemplated calmly. And to be able 10
speak with assurance OF the Imperial strain
of the DowaGer Empresss preferences. OF
that looting of the Summer Palace In Pehn
apparently paved with Pekingese dogs which
founded Its breed In England. of the treasured
pet Of her Majesty Queen Alexandra. OF the
Goodwood kennel. founded by the Duchess OF
Richmond and Gordon and maintained by
Lady AlRernon Gordon LennoX. IL the der
nier cri. Never IN the annals OF doGdom
has conquest been so complete. They simply
rule society with a capital S-head the hsts
Of all ent ries TO shows with amazing totals
and have apparently adopted as an integral
part Of their importance that no one human
being IL worthy to Judge them alone, but they
must alw ays he Judged by A brace OF experts.
and those experts must be ladies.
That the Pekingese has always been costly
decorative and eristocratic II no doubt the
attraction. Few breeds can boast OF a his
tory Of a couple Of thousand years. and fewer
still have had an Empress to lay down rules
for It's kennel management. However, u has
been found that though the Dowager Empress
Of the Flowery Land has condescended ia
give minute injun ctions ms to the proper care
of these Imperial dogs they really eat. With
quite commonplace heartiness Of appetite,
quite commonplace foods.
That the wave Of popularity has probably
now reached It's topmost curl, and that en-
thuisasm will commence to wane n little ere
long IL to be anticipated. for Pekingese are
as hardy IA they are beautiful. and directly
the supply equals the demand their engross'
ing charm is diminished for those who are
the pioneers Of fashion In dogs. Perhaps tbs
next swing Of the pendulum will be to Japan
csc. those frail little gems which can never
become either cheap or common. becaus'
they Whilst and the attacks Of disease about
as effect r~lly ne an orchid does n sharp frost
More probably the Grinon BruSellois will b.
the next. Already the ipples Of popularity
are being felt, and the prices for good xrif'
ions are anything from Gi0o upward. Ever
doc has its laV-"