As with the terrier varieties, there is a wide field for selection
among the medium-sized dogs, both sporting and non-sporting;
consequently much depends upon what the dog is intended for. If any of
the members of the household are inclined to sports afield, then one of
the many varieties of spaniels would make a suitable house companion,
for aside from being an alert watch dog, he is a natural all round
hunter and is equally good on upland game as on water fowl. Spaniels
make excellent retrievers, very good grouse and quail dogs where the
mere questing for and finding of game is desired, but naturally the dog
should be educated for the purpose. Unlike the pointer, the setter,
or the griffon, the spaniel does not point, but finds the game and
flushes it in front of the sportsman; in view of this fact he must be
trained to quest within gun range. This, however, is easily taught
the spaniel, for all of the many varieties are intelligent animals and
therefore easily educated. A spaniel makes an excellent dog for ladies
who enjoy field shooting, for the reason that he is so much more easily
handled than any of the bird dog varieties, and peculiarly amenable to
the gentler sex.
As a guardian of the home the spaniel might not strike terror to the
hearts of unwelcome intruders, like some of the terrier or other
breeds, but they are good watch dogs, quick to give the alarm upon the
approach of strangers, and besides, they are very docile and cleanly
about the premises. There may be some objection to the long coat, on
the ground that if the animal is shedding, he is prone to leave stray
hairs on rugs and furniture, but in this connection it might be said
that daily grooming will ameliorate this evil to a great extent, for
after all is said, a dog that is allowed to frequent the house even
during only a small part of the day, must be kept clean whether he is
a long or a short-haired one.
[Illustration: THE COCKER SPANIEL, CHAMPION OBO II.]
Of the many varieties of spaniel, the _Cocker_ is the most popular.
They come in all colors; solid blacks, reds, creams, orange and browns,
but if of the latter color, it should be of a rich liver and not the
washed out shades which sometimes crop out in a litter. These off-color
ones should be eschewed if one wishes to conform to the standard.
Neither should the whole-colored dogs have white on them, but a strip
of this color on the chest, while objectionable, should not disqualify.
The parti-colors are also very handsome animals. These are white and
black, liver and white, orange and white, cream and white, and roans;
either blue or red.
The standard weight calls for cockers ranging from eighteen to
twenty-four pounds. Here of late it has become fashionable to breed
them down to the minimum weight, but this is almost making toys of
what was once considered one of the principal sporting breeds. If
the prospective purchaser intends to use his dog for sporting purposes
he is advised to select one from stock that will come nearer reaching
the maximum rather than the minimum weight, for the eighteen pound
cocker is entirely too small for utility purposes. As a matter of fact,
some years ago twenty-eight pounds was the standard maximum weight of
working cockers which is really more logical in a dog that is intended
for field work. At all events, it is better to have a cocker over, than
under the weight allowed by the standard, if one expects to make use of
him afield.
The cocker should be a neat-headed, wide-awake, serviceable looking
little dog, with rather large dark eyes and an intelligent expression.
He should stand on strong, well-boned, but short legs absolutely
straight in front, with well bent stifles behind. His quarters should
be muscular and powerful, especially when viewed from behind; short in
body when viewed from above, yet standing over considerable ground. He
should, in short, give one the impression of a massive little dog, yet
at the same time, he must have considerable speed and endurance. The
coat is flat or slightly wavy, silky and very dense, with ample feather
on legs and his feet should also be well supplied with hair, but the
coat should never be curly. The stern is usually docked to a length of
about two or three inches. This should be carried just below the level
of the back and when the dog is working or animated, its action should
be merry, but never carried gaily.
The _Field Spaniel_ may be described as a larger edition of the cocker;
longer and lower in body in proportion to his general make-up, but
a well-knit, massive dog, the males weighing from thirty-seven to
forty-five pounds, the bitches about five pounds less. The true field
spaniel is always black, though his near kin is the springer which
comes in parti-colors also. There are various strains of the springer
spaniel, as for instance the Welsh and the English, but in all
essentials they are identical. The difference between the springer and
the field spaniel is that the former is usually shorter in body and
higher on the leg. In the matter of intelligence he is fully the equal
of the cocker or the field spaniel and for field work he is probably
the most practical of the three, especially when it comes to retrieving
waterfowl.
The _Clumber Spaniel_ is the largest of the land spaniels, the weight
in males ranging from fifty-five to sixty-five pounds, the females from
thirty-five to fifty pounds. He is a strong, sturdy, compact dog, with
profuse coat, but a smaller ear of the V-shaped variety. In color he
must always be white and lemon or white and orange, ticks on the head
or fore legs add to his beauty. He should have few, if any markings on
his body. This variety is not very numerous in this country, though in
many parts of England he is used quite regularly as a sporting dog.
The _Sussex_ is another variety of the large land spaniels, smaller,
however, than the Clumber, weighing from thirty-five to forty-five
pounds. In color he is a rich golden liver. In this country he is
practically unknown, but he is numbered as among the oldest of breeds
in England.
The _Irish Water Spaniel_ scarcely comes within the province of this
book. He is a large dog, standing well up on the leg. It is said that
he is a cross between the Irish setter and the large poodle, but this
may be all conjecture. At all events he stands as high at the shoulder
as an Irish setter. In color he is liver; any white except on chest
or toes, disqualifies. His coat is a mass of short curls back to his
tail which should be entirely free from feather. On his skull he has
a well-defined top-knot; indeed, this is one of the distinguishing
marks of the breed. As a house dog he is almost too large though for
wild fowl retrieving under any and all weather conditions, he is par
excellence.
[Illustration: THE CHOW, LORD CHUMLEY.]
Among the non-sporting medium-sized breeds, the _Chow Chow_ stands
preeminently to the forefront. He is a Chinese breed, like the
Pekingese, and considering that he breeds very true to type, it is
possible that he is of more ancient origin than many of our much lauded
“pure breeds” of England. The chow is given credit for being a very
intelligent animal; he is a good house dog and a faithful companion.
In size he is about like the old-fashioned Spitz dog from which the
Pomeranian is descended. In color he should be either black, red,
yellow, blue, or white, but the shade should run uniform except that
the underpart of the tail and inside of thighs are frequently of a
lighter shade. He carries his tail curled over his back; his coat
should be abundant, dense, straight and somewhat coarse in texture,
with a soft, wooly undercoat. His ears are carried erect. He has a
rather peculiar sour expression and his eyes are dark and small in
all but the blues, in which a light color is permissible. One of
the distinguishing features of a chow is his tongue, which in pure
specimens is blue-black. His nose should also be black, large and wide.
The chow became popular about a quarter of a century ago, then for a
time the interest lagged, but of late years his popularity seems to be
increasing once more. The dog is perhaps among what one might call
the high-priced varieties, but it is always possible to buy a “waster”
which will answer the same purpose for a companion as the perfect
show dog. A breeder of chows once said to me: “This breed has all the
oriental mysticism about it that one finds in everything that comes
from the Far East; they seem to know what you are thinking about and
at times, as they lie there on the rug, one imagines they are actually
going to speak and tell you what they have on their minds. But once
your friend, a chow is always your friend.”
[Illustration: THE FRENCH BULLDOG, CH. GUGUSSE, JR.]
The _French Bulldog_ is another breed that has come into great
popularity during the past fifteen years, especially among the ladies.
As far as his actual usefulness is concerned, we cannot say much,
although his admirers might probably take one to task if this statement
were made in their presence. He makes a delightful companion, smooth
of coat and clean in his habits. For the house he is probably one of
the most desirable breeds among the many, even though his real utility
might be questioned. However that may be, the dog is popular and good
specimens command high prices.
In appearance the French bulldog resembles the Boston in many
respects--that is, a Boston of the heavier type and with uncut ears,
but he is more muscular and substantial in appearance. His ears must
be of the pronounced “bat” variety; his head, large, square and
broad; skull almost flat; the underjaw, like the English bulldog, is
large, powerful, and undershot, with the muzzle well laid back and
the muscles of the cheeks fully developed. The tail should be either
straight or screwed (but not curly) short, and hung low. The eyes are
wide apart set low down in the skull, as far away from the ears as
possible. Back must be short, the chest broad, the forelegs straight
and muscular and wide apart, while the hind legs should correspond
in the matter indicating strength. The French bulldog standard calls
for two weights; dogs under twenty-two pounds and those of twenty-two
pounds and not exceeding twenty-eight. The colors are any shade of
brindle, though the darker the better. The novice looking for a good
specimen, however, should be careful about the absolute disqualifying
points as for instance, other than bat ears, any mutilation, solid
black, black and white, black and tan, liver and mouse color, eyes of
different color (as they will come sometimes), nose other than black
and hare lip, which is also a fault that frequently crops up and many
unscrupulous breeders are apt to foist such undesirable specimens upon
the unsuspecting novice who might be none the wiser.
The _English Bulldog_ is another of the “manufactured breeds” so
grotesquely ugly that he is beautiful in the eyes of some. The bulldog
will attract attention anywhere, but as to his sphere of usefulness
in these days of his grotesque appearance, there is always room for
doubt. There was once a time when the bulldog was a shifty and useful
animal, but as he is at present bred, this quality has, to a great
extent disappeared with his “improvement,” although his admirers will
claim stoutly that he is a good watch dog and quite intelligent. His
very artificiality makes him a dog which is difficult to rear, being
susceptible to various diseases to a much greater degree than most of
the more normal breeds.
[Illustration: THE BADGER BITCH BERTHA VON STROMBERG.
This breed was formerly known as the dachshund.]
Everyone, even he who is only remotely interested in dogs, knows
the _Badger Dog_, if not under this name, at least under his old
appellation of dachshund, by which he was known up to the time of the
World War when his Teutonic origin was expediently disguised under the
name that he now bears. Owing to his length of body and his abbreviated
legs he has always been known as the original “sausage” dog, for his
length of body is several times his inches in height, which should be,
at shoulder, only from 7-1/8 to 8-1/5 inches. The weight is divided at
bench shows, as for instance, dogs under sixteen and one-half pounds,
bitches under fifteen and one-half pounds. Middleweights from the
maximum lightweight division to twenty-two pounds. Heavyweights, dogs
and bitches over twenty-two pounds.
The badger dog, while not classified among the terriers, has the
characteristics of that family, for he goes to ground for his quarry,
and in every other way shows his terrier characteristics. On the other
hand, he is also a fairly good trailer and, like the beagle, will hunt
rabbits. As a house companion he is intelligent and cleanly; his short,
satiny coat fitting him eminently for a ladies’ dog. The breed comes in
a variety of colors: black and tan, all tan, all red, yellowish red and
spotted in various shades.
[Illustration: THE BEAGLE HOUND CH. IMPORTED CRUISER.]
The _Beagle_, while not to be considered a house dog, is small and
may be kept very nicely in a small place, provided he is allowed to
run and exercise in the open every day and is given the opportunity
to hunt his favorite game--rabbits--frequently. As a keen-nosed dog
for his own sphere he has no equal, and having been bred for years
with this sole purpose in view, his intelligence is concentrated along
these lines and not toward making him an allround home companion, but
given the opportunity and the human companionship, his intelligence
may be improved to a wonderful degree. The beagle is in every sense of
the word a miniature foxhound, ranging in height from nine to fifteen
inches which is the maximum; dogs over this height are disqualified
at bench shows and beagle trials. The classification in vogue at the
present time is dogs thirteen inches and under, and dogs over thirteen
and not over fifteen inches.
The _Whippet_, which is a miniature English greyhound, is a neat,
cleanly dog, not perhaps a desirable companion when all essentials
of an intelligent dog are taken into consideration, but he is a trim
animal, very distinguished in appearance, and short of coat, hence he
is worth considering on this account, if for no other. At the present
time the whippet is coming into greater popularity, mainly because of
the fact that bench show clubs are giving him ample classification and
further, because as a racing dog he has gained quite a vogue in some
parts of the country.
[Illustration: THE CURLY POODLE, CH. ORCHARD MINSTREL]
Among the many intelligent non-sporting dogs is the _Large Poodle_, a
dog somewhat larger than the chow. He is in every sense of the word a
larger edition of the toy poodle, but a much more useful dog because
of his size and superior intelligence. The poodle is one of the most
readily trained dogs in existence today. As a trick dog he has no
equals and he may be broken to retrieve from land and water with the
same facility as any of the sporting retrievers or spaniels. There
are two varieties of the poodle; the corded and the curly. The latter
is the more common and also the more practical, for the corded poodle’s
coat is the most difficult of any among the canine race, to care for.
The hair on the latter hangs from the dog in long rope-like strands,
almost touching the ground and unless it is given daily attention it
is likely to become matted and soiled. The corded poodle is covered
with short curls all over his body. It is customary to clip them about
one-third; that is, the coat is left on head, neck and front, extending
well back of the shoulders while the loin, hips and back legs are
closely clipped, leaving a tuft here and there and on the end of the
docked tail. A well cared for poodle makes a unique appearance. The
breed comes in all black, all white, all blue and all red. The colors
should be solid--that is, on blacks there should be no white and vice
versa.
A breed that promised to come into popularity some years ago is the
foreign born _Samoyede_. Although it is not so many years ago that this
breed lived in a semi-wild state in Siberia where reclaimed specimens
were used for hunting bear, and by the natives of Lapland, he was
used for rounding up tame elk. The samoyede is peculiarly amenable to
civilization and the companionship of human beings. Fifteen or twenty
years ago the breed was seen in fairly large numbers on the show
benches of this country and England. After that there came a lull, but
of late he seems to be gaining in popularity. In the far north he was
used as a sledge dog like the husky and other arctic breeds. The dog
is long-coated and in many respects resembles the Spitz, though he is
larger than the average of those specimens. He may not be the ideal
dog to have about in the home where there are children as he is of
uncertain temperament, but he is a rather unusual looking animal for
which reason he has gained a certain amount of notoriety.
[Illustration: THE DOBERMAN PINSCHER CH. BETEL DOBERMAN.]
The _Doberman Pinscher_, which is really a terrier possessing
characteristics of the Airedale, is another dog which, when he once
becomes fully known and appreciated for his sterling qualities, will
become a more general home favorite. He is smooth coated, prick-eared
and black and tan in color, weighing in the neighborhood of thirty-five
to forty pounds. He is very intelligent and is as easily taught
to perform the duties of an allround “varmint dog” as any breed
in existence. As a police dog he is said to be even more readily
trained than the breed which is supposed to be a specialist in that
sphere--namely the shepherd dog--until lately known as the German or
Belgian shepherd dog.
While on the subject of the latter breed, it might be said in passing,
that this dog is gaining in popularity each year. He is said to be
intelligent, in fact he is easily trained, but here also is a breed
which is somewhat uncertain in temper despite the stories to the
contrary. As a watch dog he cannot be surpassed. For those having
country estates or large enough out-door space, this dog is a very
desirable one, but it is scarcely possible to keep one of these in
limited quarters.
The same may be said of any of the larger breeds, and as this book is
devoted to the dogs that are suitable for the large towns and cities
we shall refer the aspiring fancier who is bent upon going in for the
large dogs to procure a copy of “Dogcraft,” a former work of mine which
gives the standards of all breeds, large and small.