The Washington herald., 1914-03-15
6EyIGYIzX

by English fanciers of American, or
dogs from other countries. except those
owned by members Of the diplomatic
service. and professional performing dogs.
OF course, We do not mean to say that
all English exhibitors arc commercially
inclined; there are thousands of high
class sportsmen over there, but We do
claim that the business is in the hands of
commercial dog breeders, whose surplus
stock usually consists Of a few cham
pions which are sold at prices ranging
from 500 TO $4,000 for which they cannot
be blamed, as IL enables them to keep up
the interest in dogs. which is easy to do
when such prices are realized.
Many Of our most successful breeders
and exhibitors, especially OF small dogs,
are workingmen. There is no evidence to
support that claim. but In view OF the
fact that for centuries the workingman Of
England was prohibited by law from
owning dogs which could not go through
an eight-inch gauge (which was kept for
the purpose of measuring doss), il is quite
reasonable to suppose that the love for
the smaller breeds among workingmen is
inherited. As late as the reign of King
Charles III, only landowners were per-
mitted to keep dogs. which was how
acted during the reign of King Richard
duced:
'Forasmuch as divers artifcers. labor
ers. servants and grooms keep grey
hounds and other dogs. and on holidays,
when good Christian people be at church,
hearing divine service, they go hunting in
parks, warrens and connignes of lords
and others to the very great destruction
Of the same, and sometimes under such
color they make assemblies. conferences
n NGWNfr agss.. g.
their allegiance, 1t is ordained that no
manner Of artificer, laborer. nor any
ether ayman which hath not lands and
tenements of the value of e4O by the year
nor any priest or clerk. II he be not ad-
vanced to the value of E10 by the year.
shall have or keep greyhounds Chound
nor any other dog) TO hunt under pain
OF one years Imprisonment
Politics In sports.
. Thus the breeding of dogs was confined
to the weil-to-do-class, who have always
been protected in everything under Eng
lish law. provided they were loyal to the
crown. or at least to the person in power
Oliver Cromwell prohibited cock fghting
On the grounds that 'royalist meetings
were conducted under the guise Of cock
matches. which is only mentioned to
show the extremes to which English
rulers have always gone when their
Jobs" were at stake.
All the native small dogs of ENGLAND
were produced by workingmen. primarily
in order that they might conform to the
stringent laws. Among the most beauti-
ful OF the small breeds was the spaniel,
which is now known as the King Charles;
all the terriers owe their origin to the
same cause, except the larger breeds
such as the Airedale and bull, neither
Of which properly belongs to the terrier
family, but Is so classed by the kennel
clubs. The original fox terrier was an
intelligent. courageous little dog, but
since the breed was taken up as a fad.
its characteristics have been DESTROYED
and like many other useful breeds which
have fallen under the blighting influence
of the English standard has become a
brainless toy. and il put to earth" would
not last ten seconds with a badger even
if his long legs would permit him to
enter. which they will not The old
fashioned fox terrier. Of which there are
still thousands in the British Isles. is
the gamest animal alive. but as he does
not conform to heT''standard" he is not
eligible to recognition.
.'The British workingmnn.,
The workingman OF Great Britain is a |
true fancier and a true sportsman. and
has done more with the material which
he had to commence with than any other
class in England: but in the big shows,
he seldom carries OF the prize, and the
fabulous prices which are paid for cham |
pions seldom find their way into his
savings bank.
The breeds in which the workingman |
held the strongest hands have
been superseded by the small Oriental |
breeds, as the Chow Chow, which. after |
heing labeled the Royal dog of China" |
became the fashion. Then |
there are numerous others, such as Schip- |
perks, Griffon's japanese spanieIs, Pek- |
nese. Maltese. and Pommeranians, which |
were brought to England by the favored |
members Of the diplomatic service whose |
dogs are presumed by the British Board |
Of Agriculture to be immune from rabies,
and consequently do not have to remain |
The usual six months In durance vile.
The information that the Boston terrier |
would be a welcome addition to the Eng
ish kennels. but for the law which pro-
hibits the cropping of ears, affords Us
great pleasure. but We do not quite un-
derstand why the English law protects