Evening star., 1937-03-21
BA R& S Kom
DOG DOW
BY r. r. TAYNTON.

BY r. r. TAYNTON.
TEW people ever question the
- value of dogs. Even fewer
question the value or worth Of
4 dog lovers. But many doubt the
| use or value of a kennel club to the
community and to the members of
the club
What is a kennel club? Primarily
it is an organization Of dog lovers.
These number professional and anna
teur breeders, people who love the
| excitement and competition of dog
| shows and people who make their liv-
| ing from the manufacture and sale of
dog accessories and commodities and
often people who own just one dog as
pet but like to associate with dog
minded people.
The charters of most kennel clubs
state near the first paragraph that
! they are primarily interested in the
sport of pure-bred dogs or in further
ing the interests Of pure-bred dogs.
And one of the basic principles of
kennel organizations, although it is
not often stated in the constitution, is
that the club shall have social mo-
tive in being the meeting place Of
many people with common interest.
The holding of licensed or series
of sanctioned shows may be among
the most interesting functions of
club, but they are by no means the
most important.
The interests of pure-bred
dogs can best be served by pro-
noting friendship among those
most interested in the project
and by friendly education Of
those who might be interested.
Politics have no place in the dog
club! The jockeying for Office, the
often too ill-concealed use of rugged
political tactics, innuendo gossip and
| slander are out Of place in an or
ganization devoted to the sport of so
grand an animal as the dog. The
inevitable dissemination of such ma
neuvering puts both kennel clubs and,
unfortunately dogs into i'll repute with
the very people whom the kennel clubs
are trying to interest.
1t were better to have no kennel
clubs and no shows than to have the
! repercuSSions that often follow the
Vaccinations of those kennel club
members that oVerrate the value of
Office in those clubs.
NOTHING is so often exaggerated
as the value of dog There are
two schools of thought on the subject.
Those who claim that no puppy is
worth anything, thinking that puppies
are born to be drowned at birth or to
be given away when barely weaned.
And there is another school which
ascribes to any dog or puppy to which
the mysterious word pedigreed may
be affixed ridiculously high value.
A survey made some time ago among
the reliable breeders of pedigreed dogs
in and near the District, showed that
fair price for healthy, sound puppy
of good breeding is about $50. This
price was based on the actual cost of
rearing puppies to selling age.
Some, of course, because of indi-
vidual excellence from the show
standpoint, because Of the difficulty or
expense of breeding and rearing, or
because Of rarity, command higher
prices.
Some, due to market conditions,
cannot attain such prices. But $50 is
about the normal.
And sick or injured animal
is seldom worth anything in
cash, although it may have
great sentimental value.
Yet one woman tells a story, in ap-
parently good faith (and the story is
characteristic of many, of being Of
fered $3.50 for broken backed, pure
bred Schnauzer, although the registra-
ton certificate was lacking for breed
ing purposes. Presumably the offerer
was a veterinarian who could mend
the back, although what he could do
about the lack of authenticated pedi-
gree is unknown. When sound, heal
thy dogs of this breed are as easily
obtained as they are in this city, the
tale seems rather far fetched.
Yet, I would not imply that all
high prices ascribed to pedigreed dogs
are exaggerated. The American Ken
mel Club estimates that there are in
this country at the present time no
less than a half dozen dogs with an
authentic and procurable price tag of
$4,000 each or more. There are about
10 dogs that have changed hands at a
figure between $1,000 and $4,000, 80
or more dogs rate values over $4,000
and so or so dogs are valued at be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000.
The average selling price of good
show specimens, not champions, is
around 5000. Judging by these figures
the average value of the 100000 dogs
shown annually is about $3.50. The
average value of the $4,000, regis.
tered, living dogs not shown is about
S64, and the average value of all pure
bred, registered dogs, shown or un-
shown is about $95 each.
NO SOONER is one set of field
trials concluded than another is
begun. The newest series scheduled
is that of the National Capital Fielo
Trial Club, DR.. D. Huffer, Ashton
Md, president. These are scheduled
for April IL, 13 and IA. They are tc
take place on Walter Johnson's farm
at Germantown The first day will
be devoted to the shooting dogs, to b