New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Irish erriers
Specially Show
Promises Much
Big Entry, Including Some
of Worlds Best, Assured
Event May 80
By J. S. Mitchell


list, for there is no more universally
popular member of the terrier group
than the Irish terrier.
Clubs founded for the purpose Of fos-
tering the breed are to be found in
every part of the earth. They are in
England, Scotland. Wales and, Of
course, in Ireland. and in South Africa,
Australia, New Zealand, Canada and
British Columbia.
A marine attached to the Brooklyn
navy yard tells the story that one of
the most familiar sights that met his
eyes one day in Toxic was rousing
of Irish terriers. He was SO carried
away by the sight that he was back
again in Flushing Avenue.
At the approaching Show some fine
specimens will be seen, for there are
in the United States to-day some of
the best in the world. At the recent
exhibit in Madison Square Garden John
G.. Bates showed an imported bitch
which not only won in her sex right
through the classes, but was adjudged
the best Of the breed in the show. The
same owner has another fne dog in
Champion Blarney Killarney, while
Harlem boasts q real good one IN
Brentwood Bullet, belonging to Marcus
Bruckheimer.
Th~ qualities which endear the Irish
terriers to the dog lovers are gamo-
ness, hardness and wonderful instinc-
tive qualities as house dog. good
specimen of the breed will hold his
own with any sort Of dog, and if the
ether one is not too big the Irish dog
will whip him in the end.
Good Field Dog
For field purposes there is no better
companion, for he can be trained to do
almost anything, even to retrieving
birds. For the purpose of man who
might go pottering arc and with a gun
rot at some rocks the Irish terrier is
boon companion. If the scent of
rat should come across his path the
dog is on the job in second and will
acquit himself in a surprising manner.
In the Old World, where rafting con-
tests are offered in connection with the
dog shows, some wonderful rat killing
feats are recorded of these dogs. To
kill dozen rats in couple of minutes
seems an incredible performance, yet it
has been done by dogs trained for that
purpose.
AS to the exact origin of the Irish
terrier there is no definite data, but
there is sort of unfounded theory
that the canine is miniature wolf
hound, made small by crosses with
other dogs, principally of the terrier
type. That there may be some truth in
the belief is substantiated by the fact
the terrier has wonderful holding
power with the jaws and it's quick abil-
ity to kill game or rodents. Then,
again, the bearded lower jaw bears
some of the head marking of the wolf
hound. Of course, the scrappy nature
of the dog comes from the terrier
tribe, but his courage is really that of
the hound.
The average weight of this terrier is
about twenty-four pounds, but larger
and much heavier specimens are COM
perts have it that by care in breeding
the dog has been improved greatly
within the last decade AS far as the
writer knows-and the knowledge ex-
tends over a period Of thirty years
the breed has not been improved, but,
on the contrary, it has gravtated more
or less toward the fox terrier type,
which is nothing to be desired.
Ears Formerly Cropped
AS far back as 1876 the breed was
standardized by the English Kennel
Club, and in those days the ears were
allowed to be cropped, but this rather
;nhuman practice was tabooed in 1887,
and ever since the bench show spec-
mems have had to be shown with long
ears. When the Westminster Kennel
Club held it's first show in Gilmores
Garden, or what is now known as Madi~
son Square Garden, in 1875, couple of
Irish terriers were on exhibition more
or less as a curiosity, but they were
not classified, though soon afterward
the breed came in for official recogni-
ton, and ever since the breed always
fills we'll at the shows in and around
New York City and throughout the
country.
In order to score effectively with the
show ring judges of the present gen
Grafton the Irish terriers must have a
good coat, good head and certain tabu-
lated points of the legs, body, feet and
ears. The head might be termed the
lighthouse of the breed, for it is the
part most vitally regarded by the
judges and connoisseurs. In general
outline the head should be long, fiat on
the skull and narrow between the eyes.
and below the eyes there should be a
slight falling away. The eyes them
selves should be of good size and of
dark hazel color Above all, a strong
hAuzzle is essential, and there should
be a slight beard, which, in the uniyer-
sal opinion of all critics, is indispen-
sable.
Good carriage of the ears add great
iy to the appearance of the head. and
the ears should be V-shaped and
should drop forward close to the cheek
In puppies, ears have a tendency TO
rise upward, but this should pass un-
needed, for as the dogs grow older the
ears VIII assume their proper shane.
Some Marked With White
Both the fore and hind legs should
be straight and they should rest on
good, sound feet. The body should be
Weli-rounded, rather narrow behind
me neck should be Of medium Length
WITH with deep chest and broad loins.
me coat must be Of deep reddish
eoior, and be fiat and wiry to the touch.
on some very fine dogs little white
oiten Is visible on the chest. but II
possible such marking should be
Since his introduction the 1r;sh
terrier has been subject to disease
Eno"n IN dogdom as follicu!ar mango.
ana totally different from sarcontje
mango, condition in which the para-
s'tes Snrive at the roots Of the hair.
IN the foilicular kind there is no mar
asite, but instead watery dischnrgo
from the roots Of the hair. cure ~ =
the contagion, for it spreads. has hssn
found by later day medical science.
Two strong traits Of the Irish terrier
are an unhinching attachment to the