Commencing the end of November and continued the first few days of December, 1869, the Tenth Annual Show was held at Curzon Hall, Birmingham, with 757 entries.

The judges were the following: Deer-hounds and Greyhounds, Mr. S. Mallaby; Setters, Spaniels, and Extra Class of Foreign Sporting Dogs, Lord Garvagh and Mr. W. Lort; Retrievers, Messrs. J. Walker (Halifax) and W. Lort; Pointers, Messrs. G. Moore and J. Walker; Fox-terriers, Rev. T. O'Grady and Mr. J. Walker (Wrexham); Bloodhounds and Mastiffs, Rev. T. O'Grady and Mr. Edgar Hanbury; St. Bernards, Newfoundlands, and Sheep-dogs, Lord Garvagh and Mr. E. Hanbury; Otter-hounds, Harriers, and Beagles, Mr. J. Walker; All other Varieties, including Foreign Non-Sporting Dogs, Messrs. Charles Collins and John Percival.

The Sporting Classes were mostly well filled, some of them exceptionally so, as will appear from the following figures: 114 Fox-terriers, including 35 dogs and 68 bitches, in the open classes - something like competition! - 104 Pointers (divided by sex and and weight), 35 English Setters, 38 Gordon Setters, and a small lot of Irish Setters, 29 Curly-coated and 20 other Retrievers, and 76 Spaniels of all kinds.

In the Non-Sporting Classes some of the entries were excellent, amongst them 20 Mastiff dogs and 9 bitches, 13 Newfoundlands, 18 Sheep-dogs, 19 Bull-dogs and 23 Bull-terriers, 16 White English Terriers, and 23 Black-and-tan Terriers may be mentioned, though most of the classes for Toys were respectably represented.

Of course, all the figures given mean separate dogs, not entries merely, as there were no facilities for entering one dog in a number of classes in those days, or the total entry would look much larger.

The only other important show in this year of which I have found any record was the Ninth Annual Manchester, held at the Zoological Gardens, commencing December 17th, 1869, with an entry of 400, the staff of judges being the following: Sporting Dogs - Bloodhounds, Pointers, Setters, Spaniels, Retrievers, Deer-hounds, Puppies, etc., Messrs. W. Brailsford, W. Chouler, and John Douglas. Non-Sporting Dogs - Terriers, Bull-dogs, Bull-terriers, etc., Messrs. J. Monsey and A. George; St. Bernards, Mastiffs, and Fox-terriers, Messrs. A. George, Douglas, Brailsford, Monsey, and Chouler.

Pointers, Setters, and Retrievers were the best filled amongst the Sporting Classes. Mastiffs, Bull-dogs, Bull-terriers, Black-and-tan Terriers, and Fox-terriers were by far the largest classes amongst the others. All the Toy varieties were poorly patronised; in some of them there were no entries.

I have not found record of any important show until what was called the First Grand Exhibition of Sporting and other Dogs, held at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, on June 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 1870, under the management and secretaryship of Mr. G. H. Nutt, when the following acted as judges, but no particular varieties are assigned to them in the details I have obtained: Mr. S Mallaby, Rev. T. Pearce, Colonel Goodlake, Messrs. J. Walker (Halifax), W. Lort, J. Sykes, J. A. Handy, Edgar Hanbury, L. Leigh Pemberton, Captain Gamier, Messrs. S. Handley, J. Barron, and W. Foord. The entry was 895.

The Sporting Classes generally were well filled, particularly those for Blood-hounds, Pointers, all varieties of Setters, Retrievers, Spaniels, Greyhounds, Deer-hounds, and Fox-terriers, still confined to Smooth-coated.

In the Non-Sporting Division Mastiffs, St. Bernards, Newfoundlands, Bull-dogs, Bull-terriers, and Black-and-tan Terriers were the largest classes: but the other varieties of Terriers and Toys were fairly representative, perhaps Toy Terriers, Smooth and Broken-haired, being the best filled.

The next important show, I find, was the Eleventh Annual Show in Curzon Hall, Birmingham, on November 28th, 29th, and 30th, and December 1st, 1870, when the following were appointed as judges: for Pointers and Clumber Spaniels, Messrs. G. Moore and C. E. Lewis; Blood-hounds, St. Bernards, Newfoundlands, Foreign Sporting Dogs, and Large-sized Foreign Non-Sporting Dogs, Mr. Edgar Hanbury and Rev. T. O'Grady; Mastiffs, Mr. Edgar Hanbury; Fox-terriers, Rev. T. O'Grady, Messrs. J. Walker (Halifax) and J. Walker (Wrexham); Deer-hounds and Greyhounds, Mr. S. Mallaby; Setters, Retrievers, and Spaniels, Messrs. W. Lort and J. Walker (Halifax); Harriers, Beagles, and Otter-hounds, Mr. J. Walker (Wrexham); Dandie Dinmont and Bedlington Terriers, Messrs. Collins and Lort; Other Varieties, Messrs. J. Percival and C. Collins. The entries amounted to 864.

As usual at these shows, the Sporting Classes were much the larger, and of these Blood-hounds, Pointers, Retrievers, Setters, Spaniels, and Fox-terriers were the best patronised.

In the Non-Sporting Classes Mastiffs, St. Bernards, Bull-dogs, Bull-terriers, and Black-and-tan Terriers were well filled, and there was a fair sprinkling throughout the rest.

On December 30th and 31st, 1870, the Tenth Dog Show was held in the Zoological Gardens, Manchester, with following list of judges: for all Sporting Varieties, Messrs. W. Cropper, John Douglas, and J. Chouler; Black-and-tan Terriers, Messrs. J. Douglas and J. Monsey; all other Non-Sporting Varieties, Messrs. J. Barrow and J. Monsey.

Pointers, Setters, Retrievers, and Spaniels were well rilled in the first division; in the second division, which included a good entry of Fox-terriers, where the late Mr. J. H. Murchison was well in evidence with his extensive kennel, the best entries were in Mastiffs, Bull-dogs, Bull-terriers, Black-and-tan Terriers, and Scottish Terriers.