A History And Description Of The Modern Dogs Of Great Britain And Ireland. (Sporting Division) | Rawdon Briggs Lee
In the following pages an endeavour has been made to summarise the progress, and describe the Sporting varieties of the dog as they are at present known, and, I believe, appreciated, in the British Isles. Without losing any of the early history, my wish has been to introduce matter bringing the subject up to date; not only so far as the work of hounds and other dogs in the field is concerned, but as they are as companions, and when wanning, or attempting to win, prizes in the show ring. One or two new features have been introduced, or rather revived, the most important change being in connection with Mr. Wardle's illustrations. With three exceptions these are not portraits, although originally drawn from living examples. They are to be taken as typical specimens of the various breeds they represent. The reasons for this departure from modern custom will be obvious; and no doubt, for future reference, such pictures must be more useful than any portraits of individual dogs could be - dogs whose prominence before the public is more or less ephemeral.
| Title | A History And Description Of The Modern Dogs Of Great Britain And Ireland. (Sporting Division) |
| Author | Rawdon Briggs Lee |
| Publisher | Horace Cox |
| Year | 1897 |
| Copyright | 1897, Horace Cox |
| Amazon | A History and Description of the Modern Dogs of Great Britain and Ireland: Sporting Division |
By Rawdon B. Lee, Kennel editor of "the field," author of the histories of "the fox terrier," "the collie," etc.
The Illustrations by Arthur Wardle.
Vol. I. (A New Edition.)
Preface- In the following pages an endeavour has been made to summarise the progress, and describe the Sporting varieties of the dog as they are at present known, and, I believe, appreciated, in the British Is...
- Chapter I. The Bloodhound
- ALTHOUGH many writers have endeavoured to find the origin of the bloodhound in the Talbot of ancient days, there is no reason to believe that the former had as great a connecting link with the latter ...
- The Bloodhound. Part 2
- Without quoting the whole of the warrant, it may be stated that six other slough dogs were ordered to be provided and kept at the expense of the following parishes, one dog in each : Newcastle, Stap...
- The Bloodhound. Part 3
- The two then started off to the scene of the robbery, and after visiting the house and learning all particulars, they went outside. When in the grounds, Finkle said to Voltigeur, Where are they? See...
- The Bloodhound. Part 4
- But dog stories, like the yarns of fishermen and shooters, are apt to become rather monotonous than otherwise, to say nothing of the exaggerations that creep into them occasionally. However, the authe...
- The Bloodhound. Part 5
- The bloodhound stands alone amongst all the canine race in his fondness for hunting the footsteps of a stranger; any dog will hunt those of his master or of someone he knows, and of a stranger, probab...
- The Bloodhound. Part 6
- The final trial was run by the entire two couples and a half of hounds, and with fifteen minutes' law to the quarry. Now that the snow had ceased, the pack quickly went along the right line down the h...
- The Bloodhound. Part 7
- Mr. W. J. Scott's Hebe III., a smart bitch, likewise picked up the line quickly, and, running it a little too much to windward, was at a loss for a moment. She cast well, and without assistance struck...
- The Bloodhound. Part 8
- Colonel Cowen, until his much lamented death in 1895, kept a hound or two at Blaydon, near Newcastle; Mr. E. Brough, near Scarborough, is perhaps our greatest breeder; but good bloodhounds are also to...
- The Bloodhound. Part 9
- The late Mr. J. H. Walsh (Stonehenge) appears to have had a prejudice against the temperament and character of the bloodhound, formed evidently by a very savage and determined dog of Grantley Berkel...
- The Bloodhound. Part 10
- The points of the bloodhound are numerically as follows : Value. Value. Head..................... 20 Back and ribs .....
- Chapter II. The Foxhound
- The most perfect of his race is the foxhound - perfect in shape, in pace, in nose, in courage. Not one of his canine companions is his equal, for in addition to his merits as a mere quadruped, as a ho...
- The Foxhound. Part 2
- There was a very interesting old hunting story Lord Wilton writes, in his Sports and Pursuits of the English, that, not until 1750 were hounds entered solely to fox; but against his statement must b...
- The Foxhound. Part 3
- Here is another good hunt on the hills: One Friday in November, 1896, the Coniston hounds met near Stock Ghyll Force, Ambleside, to try for a fox that had been doing mischief near Strawberry Bank. A d...
- The Foxhound. Part 4
- Perhaps the following letter from the Field with regard to the pace of hounds may not be without interest: This subject has interested me a good deal during the past twelve months, for the following ...
- The Foxhound. Part 5
- Trencher fed packs of hounds are not so numerous as once was the case, though such are still to be found. They get their name from the fact that they are not kept in kennels, but individual hounds h...
- The Foxhound. Part 6
- Eighteen couples all together - or at least with a front some ten couple broad, the rest in a cluster in close and vociferous attendance - the horn pushed back into its case; one scream of encouragem...
- The Foxhound. Part 7
- As to the rounding of the ears, Stonehenge believed it useful in preventing canker either from foul blood or mechanical injury. . . . The sole use of an abnormally large ear, as far as I can see,...
- The Foxhound. Part 8
- I have a high opinion of the strength, endurance, and stamina of the foxhound. But then why does he last so short a time? When seven or eight years old he is completely used up, whereas the French ho...
- The Foxhound. Part 9
- There have been hounds in considerable numbers that could boast of temporary reputations, but they have not secured lasting fame; and I should be inclined to limit what might be called the standard f...
- The Foxhound. Part 10
- I spoke of Lord Henry Bentinck's Contest in the above remarks relating to the dam of Senator, and that relationship alone might entitle him to be selected among the celebrated twelve to be considered...
- The Foxhound. Part 11
- In these few pages about foxhounds I have not endeavoured to lay down any law as to management and conduct of the pack, which may well be left in the able hands of the masters and huntsmen; and, indee...
- Chapter III. The Staghound
- As this hound is neither more nor less than a foxhound under another name, but trained for a different purpose, I would rather he followed the latter than preceded him, though older associations and m...
- The Staghound. Continued
- It may be interesting to note that the old pack, which had been bred on Exmoor, was sold to go to Germany in 1811, and what has been produced from it, with no doubt suitable crosses, is hunting ther...
- Chapter IV. The Harrier
- UNLESS some very considerable change takes place, it is extremely likely that the harrier will not survive very many generations, at any rate in this country. His type has not been strictly defined fo...
- The Harrier. Continued
- Sundry packs of harriers, running to not more than 18 inches, are to be found in Wales; whilst other excellent hounds in the list of the Rural Almanac are the Windermere harriers (late Colonel Ridehal...
- Chapter V. The Beagle
- THIS is perhaps the only variety of hound that has profited by the institution of dog shows. He has done so because he is small and affectionate, pretty and docile, and in many respects admirably suit...
- The Beagle. Part 2
- The above was written more than forty years ago, and Mr. Crane died in 1894. He kept his favourite little hounds right up to the time he died, and, so far as can be made out, was one of the very few m...
- The Beagle. Part 3
- Since that time several lovely little hounds have been introduced, Mr. Crofton's Opera and Prima Donna, barely 10 inches in height, being, no doubt, the choicest of the smaller ones. Of the larger, Mr...
- The Beagle. Part 4
- During the past few years the wire coated beagle has not been much in evidence, and few seem to care for them now that Mr G. H. Nutt has given over his pack. It has been said most of these wire-hairs...
- The Beagle. Part 5
- The following scale of points and description of the beagle has recently been issued by the club which looks after its interests : Head Head of fair length, powerful without being coarse, skull ...
- Chapter VI. The Otter Hound
- THERE is no finer type of the canine race in this country than the otter hound. His hardy, characteristic expression, shaggy coat, and rough wear and tear appearance, have always reminded me of that a...
- The Otter Hound. Part 2
- Well, we hunted our otter up and down that pool for two hours. He was. given no rest; he came quietly to a corner where the water was shallow; Rally and her big puppy were there. They saw the round, b...
- The Otter Hound. Part 3
- The Carlisle hounds are another noted lot, and, with a slight interval, during which Mr. James Steel was the master, that position was occupied by Mr. J. C. Carrick for over a quarter of a century, vi...
- Chapter VII. Welsh Hounds
- Many writers have more or less casually alluded to Welsh hounds, but their information does not go beyond telling us that they resemble foxhounds in all but coat, which in the Welsh variety ought to b...
- Welsh Hounds. Part 2
- More recently, Mr. Jones secured new crosses from the kennels of the late Colonel Pryse, of Peittyll, near Aberystwith, and from other hunts in the southern portions of the Principality; whilst in a f...
- Welsh Hounds. Part 3
- The Hon. H. C. Wynn speaks in similarly eulogistic terms of the Welsh breed, and of his good bitch Lively in particular. She has produced him the very best hounds he has in his pack - a workmanlike lo...
- Welsh Hounds. Part 4
- And now as to their babbling when casting for a line. I think I speak correctly when I say that this fault is rare. I have often seen Welsh hounds mad to begin work, hardly restrained by the whips, t...
- Welsh Hounds. Part 5
- About the same time, Cymru Bach, who also thoroughly understood what he was writing about, said: As a Welshman who has hunted Welsh hounds all the year round for some fifteen years, the epitaph on ...
- Chapter VIII. The Deerhound
- Failing any further information on the subject than we at present possess, it will always be a moot point whether the hounds used for Queen Elizabeth's delectation at Cowdray Park, in 1595, that pull...
- The Deerhound. Part 2
- In Johnson's tour to the Hebrides in 1773, Boswell makes several allusions to the dogs and hounds. He says : In the Isle of Sky is a race of brindled greyhounds larger and stronger than those with wh...
- The Deerhound. Part 3
- Lord Tankerville continues, that he was informed of a remarkable deerhound, belonging to a poacher in Badenoch, that never missed a deer. In due course he obtained the hound, and called it Bran. Later...
- The Deerhound. Part 4
- In 1869 we find a Cameron of Lochiel sending to Curzon Hall and taking a first prize with Torum, who afterwards became the property of Mr. H. C. Musters. Torum had been sent from the Highlands because...
- The Deerhound. Part 5
- During 1892 a club to look after the welfare of the deerhound was established, and issued the following description of him : Head The head should be broadest at the ears, tapering slightly to th...
- Chapter IX. The Greyhound
- Not one of our British dogs has had such justice done to him by writers on canine matters as the greyhound. He has always been popular, and, being probably the oldest of his race, no doubt quite deser...
- The Greyhound. Part 2
- But let us leave such a troublous period, and at once enter upon that epoch in the history of the greyhound when he was used much in the same fashion as he is to-day. In Elizabeth's reign the first ru...
- The Greyhound. Part 3
- Although a few years ago an attempt at a change in the general arrangements and conduct of coursing meetings was made by certain private companies, who gave large prizes, and arranged stakes for which...
- The Greyhound. Part 4
- More misfortunes than the great one at Waterloo awaited Fullerton, for in March of the same year he was lost near London, and not recovered for some days, when he was found wandering about in a half s...
- The Greyhound. Part 5
- The pedigree of the greyhound has for many years had considerable attention. The National Coursing Club, established in 1858, rules all matters appertaining thereto; and no dog can win a prize at any ...
- The Greyhound. Part 6
- Mr. Leonard Pilkington, St. Helen's, is almost equally successful, he winning the Waterloo Cup in 1888 with Burnaby, and in 1895 with Thoughtless Beauty, which was, however, run in the nomination of M...
- Chapter X. The Whippet
- With, I believe few exceptions, the whippet or snap dog has not been included as a distinct variety in any book on English dogs. Still, it is now, and has been for some time, quite a variety of itself...
- The Whippet. Continued
- However, if the whippet is to become generally popular, it will not be by means of an ability to kill rabbits. The dog racing by him will be more likely to find favour with the public. Those who are n...
- Chapter XI. The Irish Wolfhound
- SOME there are who believe that this historical hound became extinct soon after the last wolf was killed in Ireland, which happened in 1710. Others hold the opinion that it never became extinct at all...
- The Irish Wolfhound. Part 2
- To Captain G. A. Graham, of Dursley, Gloucestershire, we owe considerable gratitude for the trouble he has taken to resuscitate the Irish wolfhound. Enthusiast though he be, he is not like so many oth...
- The Irish Wolfhound. Part 3
- This is not a bad character for a dog that one requires to be an every-day companion either in town or country; and certainly, so far as I have studied and noticed the variety, I must agree with the e...
- Chapter XII. The Borzoi Or Russian Wolfhound
- There is no dog of modern times that has so rapidly attained a certain degree of popularity as that which is named at the head of this chapter. A dozen years ago it was comparatively unknown in Englan...
- The Borzoi Or Russian Wolfhound. Part 2
- The favourite colour of all, and. by far the rarest for these dogs, is pure white, but this is seldom met with. The usual colour is white, marked with fawn, lemon, red, or grey more or less mixed. Pe...
- The Borzoi Or Russian Wolfhound. Part 3
- Recently, a very big wolf, that had been captured with much difficulty, was matched against any two hounds in Russia. The challenge was accepted, and the wolf placed in a huge box in an open space. ...
- The Borzoi Or Russian Wolfhound. Part 4
- With ears erect and nose in the air, this fine dog seemed to take as much interest in the sport as any of us. Though the barking and baying hounds in the coverts came nearer every second, he never mo...
- The Borzoi Or Russian Wolfhound. Part 5
- In addition to sport with Borzois obtained in the above manner, occasional meetings are held where hares are coursed; and bagged, or rather caged, wolves treated in a similar manner. Judging, howe...
- The Borzoi Or Russian Wolfhound. Part 6
- To dwell a little more upon the very best specimens seen in England - Krilutt and Korotai, with Oudar and Ooslad, have been and still are equal to anything I have seen. The latter, a fawn hound, is ra...
- The Borzoi Or Russian Wolfhound. Part 7
- I have written of the Borzoi as we know him here, and as he will in the future be known, taking no account of the various strains said to be in the Czar's dominions, and the following description of h...
- The Borzoi Or Russian Wolfhound. Part 8
- In 1892 a Borzoi club was established in Great Britain, and the following is their description of the hound: Head Long and lean. The skull flat and narrow; stop not perceptible, and muzzle long ...
- Chapter XIII. The Great Dane
- Here is a dog, not an English animal, but one thoroughly acclimatised to the rigours of our climate, and fairly naturalised. Still, it seems as it were only the other day (it is nearly thirty years si...
- The Great Dane. Part 2
- It would appear that, within the last eighty years or so, considerable improvement must have been made in the size and power of the Great Dane. Sydenham Edwards, who wrote of him in 1803, said he was ...
- The Great Dane. Part 3
- Again it is not unusual for the Dane to be trained to find truffles, a well known edible fungus which grows underground. A friend of mine who has kept the variety for years, and still owns some exc...
- The Great Dane. Part 4
- The standard of points and description of the Great Dane as adopted by the new club are as follows : 1. General Appearance The Great Dane is not so heavy or massive as the mastiff, nor should he...
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- THE NON-SPORTING Division of Modern Dogs of Great Britain and Ireland. 376 Pages and twenty-two full-page Illustrations. Price 10s. 6d. The Times says: A treatise which will, no doubt, carry high ...
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