Evening star., 1940-03-17
KEEPING TAB ON THE DOG WORLD
News of Leaders Dogdom and Their Masters; Comments
Breeds; Notes Shows Here and Elsewhere
Bv r. r. Taynfon.

land tnaC mas no n1SLCfy. CerC91nly
this proverb must apply to breeds
Of dogs. for there never was q hap
pier, scrappier bit Of dog flesh than
the daredevil Irish terrier, nor one
with less history, SO far as actual
records Of the breeds beginnings go.
Some students Of dog history claim
the terrier Of Ireland Is closely
related to the Irish wolfhound. An
outline drawing Of dogs Of both
breeds shows decided similarity
In conformation, although the wolf
hound Is the largest known breed Of
dogs, and the Irish terrier Is classed
among the smaller dogs. Other dog
historians claim there Is q close
relationship between the Irish
terrier and the old black and tan
terrier Of England. This hypothesis
seems quite likely, In view Of the
fact that an occasional black and
tan puppy crops up In the most
aristocratic of utters.
There is a story to the effect that
noted English breeder mated
champion wirehair bitch with q
champion Irish terrier stud and
got a litter of four black -and-tan
puppies that won prizes as Welsh
terriers. Be that as it may, the
similarity of the Irish terrier, the
Welsh terrier and the Airedale ter
rier points to common ancestor. It
is certain that the Irish terrier was
well established as a breed, and was
breeding true to type, long before he
made his debut in the show ring.
However, on the theory that a good
dog could not be a bad color, Irish
terriers in the middle of the last
censury were bred in red, black and
tan, blue and tan, gray brindle, or
shades between. Utility and cour-
age were the tests Of the dog, not
color.
Breed Standard Set.
In 1879, the Irish TERROR Club of
England was formed, followed in
1896 by formation of the Irish Ter
rier Club Of America. With the estab-
hshment Of a breed standard, color
became more uniform In the breed.
The blue or gray puppies in the lit
tiers became the basis of another
bred.
The courage. loyalty and devotion
OF the Irish terrier are well known.
The fact that they had an enviable
record in the World War is, perhaps
not so well known. 1t. Col. E, H.
Richardson, who was in command of
the British War Dog School, gives
the Irish terrier very high rating
for services performed. He says, in
part: Il can say with decided en-
phasis that the Irish terriers of the
service more than did their part.
Many soldier is alive today through
the effort of one of these terriers.
They are extraordinarily in
telligent. faithful and honest, and a
man who has one Of them as a
companion will never lack a true
friend"
While the Irish terrier today does
not make scintillating record in
the show ring when opposed by ter
r1ers OF other breeds, it is a fact,
nevertheless, that probably the most
brilliant show record ever made by
any dog, surprising even the record
piled up by the incredible Oh. Nor
nay Saddler, was made by an Irish
terrier. Bolton Woods Mixer, owned
by Wilson of Bolton Woods, Brad
ford, England, started winning in
the show ring when he was less
than years old. He piled up the
almost unbelievable total Of some
5000 first and special prizes and 152
championships!
Marks of the Breed.
The ideal Irish terrier must be
some shade Of red; bright red, red
wheaton or red gold are the prefer
able shades. They should be clear
in color and unmarried by patches
OF white, although a small white
spot on the breast is not a dis
qualifying fault. In outline, the
1rishman should resemble the race
horse rather than the cob. The
back should be Of moderate length,
but give the suggestion of strength.
There should be no dip behind the
shoulders to suggest weakness. The
ribs should be deep rather than
round, and the loins and hind
quarters should be strong and mus
cular.
The Irish terrier must have a long
but well-balanced head, in good
proportion to the body. The skull
must be fiat, rather narrowing
slightly toward the eyes. Cheeks
must be clean, jaws strong and of
Furnishing length. The teeth must
be strong, even and white, neither
over nor undershot. The ears should
be small and V-shaped, set well up
on the head and falling forward.
Feet and coat in the Irish terrier
are both important. Both have to
be hard and able to Withstand the
rigors of climate and use.
That such terriers have been and
are being bred is proved by the rec
ord of such dogs and Champion Kill
morna, owned and bred by Sidney H
Ferris Of Detroit. Kilmorna won III
points for group and best Of breed
wins in 1899, thereby annexing the
Hubert Rutherford Brown Memorial