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National Geographic : 1919 Mar
Contents
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE long that it is not easy to see whether he is going or coming. And he can't tell you, for there is so much hair over his eyes that he can't see for himself. The long hair covers this dog so completely as totally to conceal the physical characteris tics it is supposed to possess. There are two 'types: those with pendent ears and those with upright "pricked" ears. The dog himself is long and low, like the other Scotch terriers, and the hair, 'which parts from his nose to his tail, comes nearly or quite to the ground. This outer coat is quite hard and nearly straight, curls being a grave fault, though a moderate wave is generally present; it should be at least 5/ inches long on the body, though shorter on the head. It falls forward and nearly conceals the eyes. The only visible feature of a good Skye is his black button of a nose. The undercoat is much softer and more sympathetic to the touch. In color the Skye may be dark or light "blue" or gray, or fawn with black points. The height is about 9 inches and the weight 16 to 20 pounds. THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER (For illustration,see page 254) The Yorkshire terrier (page 254), as a rule, is frankly exhibited as a toy. This breed, too, claims to have had sporting instincts, but today he is an artificial creature, and, so far from being useful, practically requires a valet to keep his beautiful long, silken coat in order. Special brushes are made for his benefit, special cosmetics are recommended for his hair, and very often he takes his meals with a mask on to keep his long whiskers out of his plate. Many owners go a step farther and put cotton or linen stockings on his hind feet to protect his precious coat when he scratches himself. This little dog is virtually concealed by his long silky coat, which reaches to the ground. It is parted on his nose; the part extends unin terrupted to the root of the tail, which is of medium length, carried straight out. He is in general a delicate refinement of the Skye, which he resembles strongly in confor mation. His back must be level and straight and he must carry his head well up. The standard dictates a very strict color scheme: the body from just back of the ears is all steel blue; the head and feet are all golden tan, the shorter hair of nose, ears. and feet being darker and richer, the long, flowing hair of crown, cheeks, and chest being dark at base, but growing steadily paler toward the extremities. There are three classes, according to weight; 5 pounds and under, 7 pounds and under, but over 5, and over 7 pounds. THE MALTESE TERRIER (For illustration,see page 251) The Maltese terrier, which should be pure white, is said to be of very ancient lineage and to have been a favorite of the ladies of olden Rome. He is covered with long, straight, silky hair from head to toes, and he has dark, snappy eyes, which in some individuals give an appearance of great alertness and intelli gence. Some dogs of this breed are very bright, active, and interesting. Others are so delicate that they are kept in glass cases for fear of draughts-little more than slightly animated pen-wipers. The head is like that of a droop-eared Skye, being, however, rather shorter and deeper in muzzle. Like the Skye and Yorkshire, this breed is completely lost in his coat and has to be felt of to be judged. He must not exceed o' pound, in weight. THE POMERANIAN (For illustration,see page 251) Toy dogs have been developed from larger breeds by selective breeding, They all serve one main purpose, and it is a good one-they bring joy and companionship to the thousands of people who own them. And they do harm to none, unless it be to those very few foolish people who lose all sense of values and make themselves the slaves of their canine pets. As companions, even little dogs are far pref erable to cats. They love with an unselfish love, which cats do not, and they are guiltless of the slaughter of the millions of useful birds which are destroyed by cats in the United States alone every year. If we keep pets, it" is our duty to keep those which are not peren- ,?; nially destructive to useful things. One of the most popular toy dogs in this country and in England is the Pomeranian, which from his general appearance, including : the bushy tail curled over the hind quarters, would appear to be descended, long ago, no doubt, from the Samoyed dog of the north (see page 225). Their more recent forefather is the spitz (see page 224), and today the chief difference between a spitz and a Pomeranian is in size. As a result of careful breeding, many "Poms" are less than five pounds in weight, and in addition to black and white we now see several beautiful colors, including blue, brown, sable, red, orange, and fawn. The best, or at least most desired, class scale under eight pounds. They are deep-furred, kitten - footed, round-headed, pointed - nosed, prick-eared, mincing little toy dogs, and they come in all colors, but the parti-colored ones are not so desirable and are seldom seen. The coat consists of a deep, soft, fluffy underfur, through which protrudes a plentiful overfur of long, straight, glossy hair covering the whole body, being especially full and abtn dant on the throat, chest, neck, rump, and hind quarters. The tail is a pompon flowing over the back. The legs are straight and delicate. and the dog in action is exceedingly light and "steppy." 245
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