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CHAPTER X.

* WELSH TERRIER.

a mest modern introduction, and r how it was that for so long his overlooked. The deg of which 1 terrier was unknown out of his own and fight years or so age ared t some of our shows; he was the Sad Book; a club was formed Her by we thate, and at Liverpool at than ninety-tha e et

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col, at the end of Ja stay he pered seventy-th.ee, in 1960 ars entis: m 1901 cply for, and in 19 a. has were forty-one. I take Livcipoot is ta, evan ple because, owing to its proximuty to the prodig, has generally attracted the

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CHAPTER X.

THE WELSH TERRIER.

THIS terrier is our most modern introduction, and one is apt to wonder how it was that for so long his merits had been overlooked. The dog of which I write as a Welsh terrier was unknown out of his own

pet principality until eighteen years or so ago. Then he appeared at some of our shows; he was given a place in the Stud Book; a club was formed in 1886 to look after his welfare, and at Liverpool in 1893 there were no fewer than ninety-three entries made of Welsh terriers, or dogs that passed as such, and that this was a by no means unusual number is adduced from the fact that at the Birmingham show, in December, 1895, eighty-one entries were made; and at Liverpool, at the end of January in 1896, the entries reached seventy-three; in 1900 there were fifty-nine entries; in 1901 only ten, and in 1902 the numbers were forty-one. I take Liverpool as an example because, owing to its proximity to the principality, it has generally attracted the

largest entries of Welsh terriers.

These figures

do not, of course, mean that so many dogs were actually benched, as many of them competed in more than one class. However, it cannot be denied. that the collection of Welsh terriers usually placed upon the benches at our leading shows form as grand-looking a lot of working terriers as man need desire to see.

When first introduced, a rather short stumpy head, bearing considerable terrier expression generally, was considered to form the correct type; now the head has been "improved," or otherwise, until it is as long and fox terrier-like as those to be seen on the dogs Mr. Wardle has drawn on another page.

The Kennel Club acknowledges this variety of terrier by the name which heads the present chapter, and, in addition, there is a well-established and flourishing club that looks carefully after its interest. So let it be. Still, there is no gainsaying the fact that some of the earlier terriers of this variety had been produced from parents that never owned a drop of Welsh blood in their veins, that had never seen the principality, and had no more connection therewith than the black and white fisherman's dog of Newfoundland has with the dog treasured by the monks of St. Bernard's hospice. When the newly popularised, black and tan, hard-haired terrier

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