Evening star., 1940-03-24
KEEPING TAB ON THE DOG WORLD
News of Leaders Dosdom and Their Masters
Breeds; Notes on Shows Here and Elsewhere
By r. r. Tayntos.


laurora smasher, IL the story Of the
breed in miniature. Bred in Eng
land, by q son Of international
Champion Gallant Fox Of Wildoaks
out Of . daughter Of Champion Ia
lavera Simon, he was whelped in
Canada on August 10, 1896. There
he made his championship in short
order, being winners' dog and best
Of breed every time shown. He was
then purchased by Mr.. Scharfeld,
who has shown him in keen COM
petition since November, 1899. He
was winners dog or better at Har-
risburg, Chicago Specially, Cam
bridge, Newark, Bronx, the New
York Specially, Elmira, Rochester.
Flint, Detroit, Canton and CIeve-
land. Since the Detroit show he
has been entitled to be called en-
ternational Champion Talaurora
Smasher."
His show career will be continued
for this spring, ut least, in the "spe-
cials only" classes. After that, his
owners feel he is entitled to a bit
Of home life, q luxury he has missed
heretofore.
Leading Winner.
The wire fox terrier originated in
England. soon caught the atten-
ton Of Canadian fanciers, and then
took the United States by storm.
For many years it was the leading
winner Of best in show and best in
group awards in this country, as
well as the second or third most
popular dog in the country, as
judged by American Kennel Club
registrations. The clue to his re-
cent slipping from that coveted po-
sition may be found in the last
sentence Of the preceding para
graph. He has been too good a
show dog, his fashy appearance and
close attainment to physical per-
lection have banished the better
specimens from the home to the
kennel, where they are treated like
the valuable properties they are.
They long since lost their native
heritage Of the right to work ex-
terminating foxes and other vermin.
The dog that loses his grip on the
home or loses his chance to work,
even though it be through no fault
Of his own, is inevitably the dog
that loses popularity.
While the smooth and the wire
hair fox terriers are now considered
one breed and one best of breed
award is allotted to both coats, there
is small doubt that they were orig
inally two different breeds, stem
ming from different crosses of dogs,
and that they grew up side by side.
1t is comparatively late in their
history that the smooth and wire
haired fox terriers were crossed for
the betterment of both. These
smooth-wire hair crosses are some
times evidenced now by the ap-
pearance Of smooth puppies in wire
haired litters and vice versa.
While the terriers Of Britain. or
"teroures" and "terrars," as they
were then called, were mentioned
by kennel writer's as far back as
the early 18th century, the modern
wire hair did not come into being
until late in the 18th century. His
forebears were probably the old,
rough coated black and tan terrier
OF Wales, Derbyshire and Durham.
The forbears of the smooth in
cluded the smooth black and tan.
the bull terrier, the beagle whence
the hound markings) and the grey
hound or whippet. Later, the two
coats weer interbred.
Prowess in Field.
The first wire hair fox terrier OF
which We have record Is Old Tip, a
dog Of unknown ancestry. He was
bred and owned by Tom M. Ken
dali, master OF the Sinnington
hounds. He was doubtlessiy priced
chiefly for his prowess in the field,
and as an adjunct Of the hounds.
That he was destined to start a new
race Of dogs was undreamed. From
three ordinary. smooth bitches he
sired three champions, Pincher,
Venture and Wootton's Tip. Five
generations later. in direct line, ap-
peared Meersbrook Bristles; three
generations later came Cackler of
Notts; in due course, he was followed
by Comedian of Motifs, and a little
later came Talavera Simon. These
dogs were the real pillars of the
breed. Their blood contained the
subtle power of stamping and chang
ing the type of all that came after
tehm, and it is due to their influence
that the wire hair fox terrier is the
animal he is today.
Although Old Tip was whelped
in the 1860s, it was not until 1876
that the Fox Terrier Club was
formed at the home of Maj. Hard
ing Cox. The club (EnglishO is the
second oldest speciality club in ex-
istence. It was preceded by the
Bulldog Club and the Dandie Din
mont Terrier Club, the latter no
longer in existence. The Fox Ter
rier Club is the parent association
OF numerous clubs throughout the
world devoted to the cult of this
dog. In this country, every large
city and numerous small ones have
Fox Terrier Clubs, which hold local