Dogs and All about Them

resulted in speculative theories, but the undoubted antiquity of this dog is proved by the fact that representative

raneously with these there existed, as in other countries in Europe, another very big breed, but much nobler and more thoroughbred, known as the Great Dane. When after the war of 1870 national feeling was pulsating very strongly in the veins of reunited German

the German Mastiff, and for a time the breed had to undergo a probationary period in the "Foreign Class" at dog shows, but it soon gained in p

nd a quarry worthy of his mettle; but, for all that, he has the instincts and qualifications of a sporting dog,

me other big breeds, slobber from his mouth, which is a particularly unpleasant peculiarity when a dog is kept in the house. On the other hand, it must be admitted that with almost the strength of a tiger he combines the excitability of a terrier, and no doubt a badly trained Great Dane i

even a few more. Mr. Larke's Princess Thor had a litter of seventeen, but even eight is too great a number for a bitch to suckle in a breed where great size is a desideratum. Not more than four, or at the outside five, should be left with the bitch; the others should be put to a foster mother,

e of the leading points will be useful. The general characteristic of the Great Dane is a combination of grace a

but at the same time show q

he terrier. The distance between the eyes is of great importance; if too wide apart

y ugly. In former times "faking" was not infrequently resorted to to correct a faulty tail carriage, but it is easily detected. Great Danes sometimes injure the end of the tail by hitting it against a hard

he brindle dogs the ground colour should be any shade from light yellow to dark red-yellow on which the brindle appears in darker stripes. The harlequins have on a pure white ground fairly large black patches, which must be of irregular shape, broken up as if they had been torn, and not have rounded outlines. When brindle Great Danes are continu

fficial description is

ub

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for a dog of 32 ins. at the shoulder. The length from the end of the nose to the point between the eyes should be about equal, or preferably of greater length than from this point to the back of the occiput. SKULL-The skull should be flat rather than domed, and have a slight indentation running up the centre, the occipital peak not prominent. There should be a decided rise or brow over the eyes, but no abrupt stop between them. FACE-The face should be chiselled well and foreface long, of equal depth throughout, and well filled in below the eyes with no appearance of being pinched. MUSCLES OF THE CHEEK-The muscles of the cheeks should be quite flat, with no lumpiness or cheek bumps, the angle of the jaw-bone well defined. LIPS-The lips should hang quite square in front, forming a right angle with the upper line of foreface. UNDERLINE-The underline of the head, viewed in profile, runs almost in a straight line from the corner of the lip to the corner of the jawbone, allowing for the fold of the lip, but with no loose skin to hang down. JAW-The lower jaw should be about level, or at any rate not project more than the sixteenth of an inch. NOSE AND NOSTRILS-The bridge of the nose should be very wide, with a slight ridge where the cartilage joins the bone. (This is quite a characteristic of the breed.) The nostrils should be large, wide, and open, giving a blunt look to the nose. A butterfly or flesh-coloured nose is not objected to in harlequins. EARS-The ears should be small, set high on the skull, and carried slightly erect, with the tips falling forward. NECK-Next to the head, the neck is one of the chief characteristics. It should be long

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HORSFALL'S GREAT DANE

h by Coe,