Stone, Mr. G. Dalton, Mr. B. F. Parrott, the Messrs. Heseltine, Mrs. A. N. Lubbock, Miss Wimbush, Mr. C. Garnett, Captain Crowe, Dr. Woodhead, Mr. Roberts, Mr. J. Stark, Mr. C. R. Morrison, Mr. Lord, Prince Pless, Hon. C. B. Courtenay, Mr. Kenyon Fuller, Mr. A. Croxton Smith, and many others. The King and Queen are acknowledged lovers of the showy little hound, and good specimens, mainly bred at Sandringham, are from time to time exhibited by them.

Quite a number of packs, too, exist for the purpose of harehunting, and it is pleasing to find that in the majority of instances Masters are breeding to type. One or two attempts have been made to produce a longer legged hound, but the idea has not met with favour, and most Basset-hound men of to-day will be thoroughly in sympathy with the concluding remarks of Mr. Blain, quoted on a previous page.

Below we give the points and description of the Basset-hound, originally drawn up by Mr. G. R. Krehl, and accepted at a club meeting in 1899:

1. To begin with the Head, as the most distinguishing part of all breeds. The head of the Basset-hound is most perfect when it closest resembles a Bloodhound's. It is long and narrow, with heavy flews, occiput prominent, "la bosse de la chasse," and forehead wrinkled to the eyes, which should be kind, and show the haw. The general appearance of the head must present high breeding and reposeful dignity; the teeth are small, and the upper jaw sometimes protrudes. This is not a fault, and is called the "bec de lièvre."

2. The Ears very long, and when drawn forward folding well over the noseso long that in hunting they will often actually tread on them; they are set on low, and hang loose in folds like drapery, the ends inward curling, in texture thin and velvety.

3. The Neck is powerful, with heavy dewlaps. Elbows must not turn out. The chest is deep, full, and framed like a “man-of-war." Body long and low. 4. Fore Legs short, about 4in., and close-fitting to the chest till the crooked knee, from where the wrinkled ankle ends in a massive paw, each toe standing out distinctly.

5. The Stifles are bent, and the quarters full of muscle, which stands out so

that when one looks at the dog from behind, it gives him a round, barrel-like effect. This, with their peculiar, waddling gait, goes a long way towards Basset character a quality easily recognised by the judge, and as desirable as Terrier character in a Terrier.

6. The Stern is coarse underneath, and carried hound-fashion.

7. The Coat is short, smooth, and fine, and has a gloss on it like that of a racehorse. (To get this appearance, they should be hound-gloved, never brushed.) Skin loose and elastic.

8. The Colour should be black, white, and tan; the head, shoulders, and quarters a rich tan, and black patches on the back. They are also sometimes hare-pied.

1. The Head should be large, the skull narrow but of good length, the peak well-developed. The muzzle should be strong, and the jaws long and powerful; a snipy muzzle and weakness of jaw are objectionable. The eyes should be dark and not prominent. The ears should be set on low, of good length and fine texture.

2. The Neck should be strong, of good length and muscular, set on sloping shoulders.

3. The Body should be massive, of good length, and well ribbed up, any weakness or slackness of loin being a bad fault. The chest should be large and very deep, the sternum prominent.

4. The Fore Legs should be short and very powerful, very heavy in bone, either half crooked or nearly straight. The elbows should lie against the side of the chest, and should not turn out.

5. Hindquarters should be powerful and muscular; the hind legs should be rather longer than the fore legs, and should be well bent at the stifles.

6. Stern. Of moderate length and carried gaily; should be set on high.

7. Coat. An extremely important point. It should be profuse, thick and harsh to the touch, with a dense undercoat. The coat may be wavy. 8. Colour. Any recognised hound colour.

9. Weight.-Dogs from 40lb. to 50lb., bitches rather less.

The Rough Basset should appear a very powerful hound for his size, on short, strong legs. Body massive and good length, without slackness of loin. The feet should be thick, well padded, and not open. The expression should be kindly and intelligent. Any unsoundness should disqualify the hound.

Of recent years an emphatic stand has been made against unsoundness, and hounds that at one time would have won prizes on account of their beautiful type would now be sent out of the ring unnoticed. This is quite the right line to go upon, for the

Basset is essentially a sporting hound, and every effort should be made to breed out unsound front legs or weak loins and quarters. Though many people keep Bassets simply for show purposes or as pets, there is no reason why the working properties should Occupy a secondary position in the esteem of the breeder. Indeed, the writer would almost prefer seeing a sporting breed become extinct than suffer the degradation of being propagated simply for socalled "fancy" points. We should try for a well-balanced hound, beautiful in head, with the pathetic expression which is so much of his charm, short legs, with feet beyond reproach, well-sprung ribs, and deep chest. Why some people should wish for longer legs it

is difficult to imagine. The Basset was never meant for speed, and, rather than take away one of his chief characteristics, those who want a faster pack should take up Beagles instead. The note of the little hound is deep and melodious.

As with so many other varieties, persistent inbreeding for the maintenance of type has resulted in a greater susceptibility to distemper. In order to strengthen the constitution and also get an increase in size, the late Sir Everett Millais made experiments in the direction of a Bloodhound cross, and the results in the third generation were certainly striking. For some reason or other, however, breeders did not lend a ready favour to the idea, and no one has followed it up. As a rule, sensational figures are not paid for Bassets, and quite a little excitement was caused at Cruft's

Show in 1900 when Mrs. Tottie claimed Mr. A. Croxton Smith's Wantage for the catalogue price of £150. At an earlier day Mr. Krehl obtained a somewhat similar sum. The illustrations (Fig. 53 and 54) show the present-day type of hound.

Bassets vary a good deal in disposition. Some make delightful companions, becoming much attached to master or mistress, while others display a stubbornness which requires considerable humouring. On the whole, it is mainly a question of early training.

BRED BY

In choosing a puppy, select one with plenty of bone and substance. See that the ears are set on low and fold gracefully, instead of hanging flat to the side of the skull. Beware, too, of those with very narrow heads-they are likely to become snipy. The skin should be loose and fine to the touch, and the eyes should be deep set and show some haw, as with the Bloodhound. The legs should be clean at the shoulder, without any tendency to bow out the writer prefers them wrinkled down to the feet, which should be large and clumsy-looking for the size of the puppy,

CHAPTER XXIII

THE DACHSHUND

BEWICK says that the Kibble-hound of his day was a cross between the old English Hound and the Beagle, which would give a low hound, but not a swift one; indeed, lowness and swiftness are incompatible. Whether the Dachshund is a Kibble-hound, or even what a Kibble-hound exactly was, is not very clear, for kennel terms vary greatly in meaning in course of time.

The word Dachshund means "badger dog," and not "hound,” as that term is used by our hunting men. He has, however, notwithstanding his use as a Terrier, many of the properties of the hound, and varietally should be classed with them; indeed, our own native Terriers are classed with the hounds by Caius, although many of our existing varieties are of very different type from hounds. The term "Kibble-hound" may have been applied to such as were short and crooked in the leg, as if broken, and, in that sense, the Dachshund, the Basset, and some of our Dandie Dinmont Terriers, may be called Kibble-hounds.

During the last few years Dachshunds have immensely increased in numbers. It is, however, doubtful whether as regards quality and character the dog has progressed with equal steps. In fact, the Dachshund is becoming more and more a fashionable pet than a workman-a quality with which the breed was associated when it was first introduced in this country.

The following was contributed to the First Edition of this work by "Vert," whose large experience of Dachshunds entitles his opinions on the breed to be considered authoritative :

"So much has been said and written on this breed of dogs during the few years that they have had a place in the prize schedules of our shows, that in treating the subject we shall endeavour to unsay some of the nonsense that has from time to time been put forth by some of those journals whose pages are opened to the discussion of canine matters, in one of which a certain amusing correspondent, in a playful moment, tells his readers