New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-29
Those of Breed Exhibited
Nowadays Differ from
the Oldtimers.
NEW NOTIONS AS TO
SIZE AND COLOR
And "Bolting the Fox" Is No
Longer Requisite of a
Winning Dog.

an interesting article on the much dis-
tussed question of size as applied to
the fox terrier. Mr.. MARBLES points
out that the earliest show bench fox
terrier was a very different sort Of dog
from those found winning the ribbons
to-day.
"The conception of the earlier show
men," says Mr.. Marples-"I was going
TO say our forefathers, but remembered
that there are eminent fox terrier men
living to- day who have been associated
with the fox terrier both as showmen
and workers. almos. from his very
earliest exhibition days-was solely
based on his conformation and capaDil-
ity for underground work N boiling
the fox.
For this purpose a sort OF multum-
in-parvo terrier was considered the
desideratum-a compact, sturdy little
dog of great substance and grit. For
really practical purposes, 1t must be
admitted that there is great sanity in
this line of reasoning. The question
of coat, of shoulders, fronts and feet,
of character and polish in the fox ter
rier, never entered into the philosophy
of our earliest devotees; indeed, the
two latter terms were almost foreign
10 their vocabulary.
"Then it was, in the earlier show
days of the dog, that 1t mattered not
if smooth fox terrier had short,
.hin coGt or a wire-haired dog an open
coat, full eyes, or a rather thick head
and shoulders, so long as he had
strong Jaw, short back and legs, good
Zone, big quarters and game, deter
mined outlook.
This was TIE prevailing conception
OF a fox terrier and the type of dog
which occupied the show bench in
those primitive times, and from which
the present more refined terrier has
been steadily evolved. To the credit
of the medieval and more modern
breeders and exhibitors, be it said,
this manufacture of a more racy, sym
metrical and shapely animal, with a
more classical chiselling of head, more
beautiful shoulders, legs and feet,
dense, Misunderstanding coat, and great
style and dash, has been accomplished
from the crude, raw material available.
solely by selection, without resort to
any alien terrier or outside cross
whatever, which makes the metamor-
phosis all the more striking and praise
worthy.
at has often been the case that old
into this fascinating pursuit of breed
ing fox terriers to an arbitrary stand
ard, but who have simply gone on
breeding their working terriers, not
even by rule of thumb but purely for
their working propensities, have at
their periodical visits TO the show ring
deplored what they considered to be
the degeneracy of the fox terrier. Al
times, when in the breeding and prop
agation of the modern article on the
scientific lines laid down, the dogs
have drifted, as they have done at
times. to somewhat more elephantlne
proportions than was admittedly de-
sirable. these fossiized old sporting
fogies have viewed the fate of their
favorites with the utmost despair, and
the modern propagandists as pagans
of the most aggravated and abandoned
type. ..; hal
purpose, as an old, if not very Illus
trious, fox terrier enthusiast, conhnlhg
myself in this article. >,
"No one can deny the correctness OF
the old basis upon which all FOX terrier
men should proceed in their breeding
operations. viz, to produce terrier
able to fulfil his specific avocation IN
boiling fox to the very best advan-
tage: ;uol ..ar+-
ing point. Now, for this purpose,
viewing the question in a purely prac-
teal light, it can avail terrier notn-
ing to have full eyes, short coat,
crooked forelegs, or big ears, charac-
teristics which many of the eariles
workers and benchers possessed IN q
greater or less degree, and all OF
which, | submit, are distinctly detrl-
mental TO the dog and in favor OF Key
nard in their subterranean encounters
together.
at is to the eradication of these
faults in the fox terrier that the parent
Fox Terrier Club and its many club on
shoots and followers have addressed
themselves. and with marked success,
and this without any sacrifice OF the
cardinal virtues of the dog in strength
of law power. gameness and endur-
ance, both above and under ground.
"Are not the small eyes and ears, the
clean, narrow shoulders and fronts
and feet, short backs. the big ribs and
quarters of the modern creation all
great assets in the dog for purely work
ing requirements? OF course they are.
All there is left, then, in the dog for
old sportsmen TO cavil at Is the IN
creased size and length of leg of some
of the latter-day fox terrier lumlnaries.
The last named feature has come to
pass not exactly as a fashion or fad,
but in the natural order of things, in
the production of smarter and more
racy- looking animal on the lines of the
hackney.
Classification for this extra length of
leg has been found by some zealots,
even on utiltaran grounds. These
owners have contended that the fox
terrier, while primarily an under
ground terrier, should nevertheless be
so constructed that he can follow the
hounds. Fox terriers are often kept at
different farms in the hunting dis
tricts, handy for the huntsmen to fetch
when the quarry goes to earth. In
other cases they are carried by the
huntsmen on horseback, and in per-
haps a few cases are allowed to follow
the hounds certain distances; but II is
hardly to be expected that a fox terrier
can keep up with a pack of hounds
from the start to the finish of a run.
1--WE will pass over that contention
for what it may be worth, as no doubt
somewhat different methods of using
ION lerEleIS pteFdli III NiiANiNHS Nto-
tricts and hunts.
Coming to the pertinent question
of the size allow me to point out that
the Fox Terrier Club, founded nearly
forty years ago. in its standard de.
scripton and points for the breed
deals with the weight question much in
the same way as it is treated in this
article, giving twenty pounds as the
maximum weight, without drawing a
hard and fast line, but gives no height