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CHAPTER VI.

THE WIRE-HAIRED FOX TERRIER.

MUCH contained in the preceding chapter is applicable to the wire-haired fox terrier, for in colour, make, and shape, the two ought to be identical, though the one has a smooth close coat, the other a hard close coat and somewhat rough.

This should be hard and crisp, not too long, neither too short, but of a tough, coarse texture, finer underneath, all so close and dense that the skin cannot be seen or even felt, and, if possible, so weather and water resisting that the latter will stand on the sides like beads, and run off the whole body as it is said to do, and does, off a duck's back. There must not be the slightest sign of silkiness anywhere, not even on the head. A curly jacket, or one inclined to be so, is far better than a silky one. Indeed, some of the best coated dogs of this variety I have seen had more than an inclination to be curly-the crispest hair on the human head has usually a tendency to be so, and the

straight hair is the softer and finer. There should be some amount of longish hair on the legs, too, right down to the toes, and when there is a deficiency in the coat in this respect, one may be pretty certain that some crossed strain is in the blood of the animal so handicapped. In attempting to produce straight coats, modern breeders have gone to extremes, and, according to their nature, produced fine ones, of a texture like silk almost; these are, again, likely to be thin, and quite inadequate to keep out the water and cold. Seldom do we see a wire-haired terrier with so close and hard a jacket as some of the otter hounds possess, or even owned by the best hard-haired Irish and Scottish terriers. Straighter they may be, but harder never, and what, indeed, is straightness but a useless beauty mark?

In the kennels of the Kendal Otter Hounds there was a black and tan hound called Ragman, who ran nine seasons, who possessed the best water and weather resisting coat I ever saw on any dog. Without being long enough to assist him as a bench hound, it was simply perfect for the purpose for which it is required-protection from weather and water. Take down the ribs, along the back, under the belly, on the head, anywhere, it was all there, hard as bristles, a little softer and closer underneath

than near the surface; and I have seen that good hound swim for two, or three, or four hours maybe, come out on to the bank, shake himself, so throw the water off, roll in the meadow, and in a minute he would be as dry as the proverbial board. His coat inclined towards curliness, and, this notwithstanding, is the description of jacket that ought to be found on all wire-haired terriers. I know of none at the present day that possesses so good

a one.

In judging this variety of terrier I should, without hesitation, throw out or disqualify every dog with a soft coat. The class is for "wirehaired" terriers, and anyone giving an award of any kind to one that is not as described does a triple injustice, for he dishonours the description, introduces a bad type, and proves his own incompetence. I have dwelt thus long on coat because therein lies the whole difference between the two great modern types of fox terriers.

From the time Dame Juliana Berners wrote of terriers, the varieties, rough and smooth, have grown up side by side, one man preferring the one, another the other, just as is the case now. The smooth variety has always been the more numerous -latterly the more popular, because the smarter, the more thoroughbred looking animal, and besides,

on wet days he does not take so much dirt into the house. As to gameness, Jack is as good as his master, but by reason of the denser covering to his skin, the wire-haired can stand the cold, inclement weather of our north country climate better than his cousin; still, after all, a cross-bred dog is best for the really arduous work required with foxhounds hunting in a mountainous district, and with otter hounds.

Some old engravers and painters have given us portraits of wire-haired terriers black and tan, blue grizzle and tan, pepper and salt, and of various shades in red and fawn and yellow, as well as of the present time orthodox white and marked with fawn, or black and tan. Modern fancy has developed the black and tan into a new variety, whilst the others, of whole colour, equally useful in every way, have, except in a few instances alluded to later on, gone to the wall. In various districts of North Durham and Yorkshire the wire-haired terriers appear to have been produced in greatest numbers, but Devonshire also had them in the form they were wont to be used by the Rev. John Russell, a name so familiar to every sportsman throughout the many countries where the English language is spoken. The late "Robin Hood,"

the Field's well-known coursing correspondent,

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