"requires," it is because up to now this trimming has been almost universal, and the Kennel Club's regulations on the subject more honoured in the breach than in the observance. These practices had grown to such a pitch that, on the 1st of July 1903, a new set of rules as to the preparation of dogs for exhibition came into force, which declared that a dog should be rigidly disqualified from winning a prize if (inter alia) any part of its coat or hair had been cut, clipped, singed, or rasped by any substance, or new or fast coat removed by pulling or plucking. The very phraseology of this rule is eloquent, and it will be curious to see what practical effect it has on those varieties, especially wire-haired fox terriers, to which it applies. So far back as 1888 the Kennel Club "called the attention of judges to the practice with a view to its being suppressed." Fifteen years later it has again to legislate on the mattera sufficient criticism on its failure to check it in the interim. It will be interesting to note what effect this edict will have on the popularity of the breed, and whether or not it will set it back. For if the rule is rigidly enforced, the skill of the fancier is wasted, and he may decline the breed. After all is said and done, trimming is not a cruel operation, like cropping the ears and others, and if it is allowed in the case of a poodle, it may be argued what is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. There is no discredit in clipping a horse, hogging its mane or otherwise dealing with its appearance to improve it, and make it more admired. And speaking purely from a logical point of view, it is difficult to see any harm in practices which are not cruel, and only indulged in to draw admiration to the dog operated upon. Pulling or plucking is another operation altogether, and these remarks do not apply to it.

However, I am wandering away from my

proper province, which is not to express opinions, but simply to quote them, and I will proceed to do so, by reproducing those provided by my contributors :

MR. H. H. ENFIELD. I consider that the type of modern wire-haired fox terrier is good, but it is remarkable that some of our big winners are deficient in this respect, and I think this is attributable to the tendency of certain judges to judge entirely upon points. Many winners are selected rather as examples of show points than as being symmetrical specimens of a particular type. In point values I think a disqualifying point should be added for soft or linty coats. It is a matter for regret that so sporting a fraternity as the breeders and exhibitors of wire-haired fox terriers should display a tendency to overlook what ought to be a chief characteristic of the breed, viz., a hard, dense, wire coat. Judges and exhibitors are much too indifferent upon this subject, and almost any sort of coat may pass muster in the show ring, provided the dog otherwise excels in show points. At the present time the prominent winners with sound wire coats could be counted upon the fingers of one hand, and unless judges and breeders can be induced to give greater attention to the matter of coats, it is to be feared that the wire-haired fox terrier proper will, in the course of a few years, become extinct. (After reading this article in proof Mr. Enfield added the following remarks.) A really sound coated terrier does not require trimming. Some dogs, however, grow coats of good wire texture, but too abundant. Such dogs require to be stripped periodically, and can only be shown when the coat is partly grown. Wire fox terriers are not, I think, often shown with coats "cut or clipped like a poodle." This would be too easily detected. When the coat has to be renewed it is pulled out by the roots, and this is undoubtedly a cruel operation, except when the old coat is ready to be cast. Moreover, no amount of trimming or pulling can make a soft coat appear hard. The real mischief begins when foreign substances are put into the coat to harden it. Some experts have become so clever that a thoroughly bad coat treated by them can be made to handle well enough to deceive some judges. The Fox Terrier Club has just passed a resolution which it is hoped may check this abuse. A show terrier should have a coat that will enable him to work in all kinds of weather, otherwise he cannot be considered a sound terrier. In my opinion there has been a great deterioration in coats in the last ten years.

MR. W. E. PITT PITTS.—I am not satisfied with the modern

type of wire-haired fox terriers; they require better hindquarters, fox-terrier expression, smaller, darker eyes, and keener terrier outlook. Many of our best wires are bad movers and wrong in hind action. In point values too much is given for fronts, legs, and feet, and not enough for loin, thighs, hocks, and action. Judges should insist on wires and smooths having separate classification, and also the sexes being provided with separate classes.

MR. W. S. GLYNNE.-I am absolutely satisfied with the modern type of wire-haired fox terrier; it would be impossible to improve it as a whole. But the Standard of Points is ridiculous, and must have been drawn up in prehistoric times. The standard gives 55 points for the front part of the terrier, and but 20 for the hind part, actually magnanimously allocating 5 points to hindquarters out of a total of a hundred. Yet, surely, the hindquarters of a terrier are a most important part? It is hardly necessary to add that no judge of a terrier would be so unfair to himself, or the dogs he is officiating upon, as to for one moment, when judging, allow the said standard of olden time to weigh in his mind. Coat gets 10 points—I would rather it were 20, and that more judges understood what a real wire-hair coat is than do now. Coat is the chief characteristic in a wire-hair, and the standard ought to encourage judges to do their duty in severely handicapping the flat-catching, beatifully prepared soft coat.

MR. FRANCIS REDMOND.-My remarks on the smooth fox terrier apply equally to the wire-haired, except that the latter breed has a coat to be dealt with, which needs preparation and manipulation for show, and makes it possible for a bad, or moderate-coated terrier in the hands of one skilled in the preparation of wire or rough coated dogs for exhibition, to be presented to the judge looking better in coat and general appearance than the more natural coated specimen in the hands of the man less skilled in the art of preparation for show.

MAJOR A. DE CASTRO-The type is right, but I should like to see an improvement—(1) in ears, which are too large; (2) in coat, which is soft and too abundant, when not trimmed; (3) in tail, many of our best dogs carrying their tails over their back or curled. The point values want adjustment; there is not sufficient value given to the coat, which is only apportioned 10 points, whereas, considering the characteristic (as its name implies) of the coat, more value should be attached to it. The old and well-worn subject of trimming is always with the breeder and exhibitor of the wire-haired terrier. The dog, as exhibited, trimmed to a nicety, is the dog we want, but which, save in a

few instances, we cannot breed! If we do, they frequently have faults which put them back when competing with trimmed rivals. No points are given for the natural wire coat; the dog so blessed stands on equal terms with regard to it. This, I think, is unfair. The coat of the wire-haired fox terrier should count 25 per cent or even 50 per cent in points, and any terrier considered by the judge to be trimmed should not receive a point for its coat. This should have the effect of stopping an unfair and cruel practice.

MR. T. M. FOGG.—In my opinion the present-day dog is much too large, and losing all terrier character; and, as a rule, the wires are very weak in their hindquarters, which is one of the most essential points of the working terrier. The Standard of Points I consider good, with the exception of size, where there should be a hard and fast line drawn. The type that some judges favour is totally at variance with the working terrier, and more favours the whippet. To my mind there are not so many genuine, good, all-round terriers at the present time as there were fifteen years ago, when I started breeding. I consider the reason of this is that there are too many crazes, such as getting absurdly long, narrow heads and fronts to suit the present-day judge.

The recommendations of the wire-haired fox terrier run on a line with those of his smooth brother. So good an all-round judge of terriers as Mr. Glynn is 'strongly of opinion that the wire-haired fox terrier is the gamest terrier of the day; he is certainly the gayest, brightest, and most companionable of dogs." Mr. Enfield finds him a game, sporting dog, and a most excellent companion indoors and out. Mr. Pitt Pitts prefers it as a good working dog and intelligent companion; very game if properly trained, and a convenient size to keep or take about with you. Mr. Fogg considers the wire-haired fox terrier exceeds all other breeds of terriers for gameness and working ability, besides showing more sagacity. Provided they are not kept from a money-making point of view, which means being hustled and harassed about from show to show, they are of a hardy nature, and easily bred if

properly and naturally treated.

But probably the dog's best recommendation is its extraordinary advance in popularity.

The Standard of Points for wire-haired fox terriers is the same as for that of the smooth, which they should resemble in every respect except the coat, which should be more broken. The harder and more wiry the texture of the coat is, the better. On no account should the dog look or feel woolly, and there should be no silky hair about the poll or elsewhere. The coat should not be too long, so as to give the dog a shaggy appearance, but at the same time it should show a marked and distinct difference all over from the smooth species.

POINT VALUES (as altered at the meeting of the Fox Terrier Club, November 10, 1903)—

At the same meeting the club passed the following resolution :

In consequence of the practice of tampering with the coats of wire-haired fox terriers, by the use of sticky substances, the Fox Terrier Club Committee beg to call the attention of judges to this reprehensible practice, in the hope that they will call in the advice of the veterinary inspector in cases where there is ground for suspicion, with a view to lodging objections.

Amongst the most typical dogs in the breed are: Ch. Dusky Reine, Ch. Commodore of Notts, Ch. Dusky Admiral, Northfield Knockout, Ch. Royston Remus,