The Welsh Terrier to-day is very much improved beyond what he was when first put on the bench. This improvement has been brought about by careful and judicious breeding from nothing but pure bred specimens. No outside aid has been invoked—at any rate in the production of any of the best terriers—and none has been required. It is a matter for great congratulation that the breed has been kept pure despite all temptation and exhortation.
The Welsh Terrier breeds as true as steel; you know what you are going to get. Had popular clamour had its way years ago, goodness only know what monstrosities would now be being bred.
The colour of the Welsh Terrier is, of course, against him for working with a pack of hounds, especially in water. It is only fair, however, to the breed to say that, barring this colour drawback, there is no better terrier to hounds living. They are not quarrelsome, show very little jealousy one of another in working, can therefore easily be used, exercised, and kennelled together, being much better in this respect than any of the other breeds of terriers. They also, as a general rule, are dead game; they want a bit of rousing, and are not so flashily, showily game as, say, the Fox-terrier; but, just as with humans, when it comes to real business, when the talking game is played out and there is nothing left but the doing part of the business, then one's experience invariably is that the quiet man, the quiet terrier, is the animal wanted.
On the formation of the Welsh Terrier Club a standard of perfection was drawn up and circulated with the club rules. This standard has remained unchanged up to the present day, and is as follows:—
* * * * *
HEAD—The skull should be flat and rather wider between the ears than the wire-hair Fox-terrier. The jaw should be powerful, clean cut rather deeper and more punishing—giving the head a more masculine appearance—than that usually seen in a Fox-terrier. The stop not too defined, fair length from stop to end of nose, the latter being of a black colour. EARS—The ears should be V-shaped, small, not too thin, set on fairly high, carried forward, and close to the cheek. EYES—The eyes should be small, not being too deeply set in or protruding out of skull, of a dark hazel colour, expressive and indicating abundant pluck. NECK—The neck should be of moderate length and thickness, slightly arched and sloping gracefully into the shoulders. BODY—The back should be short and well ribbed up, the loin strong, good depth, and moderate width of chest. The shoulders should be long, sloping and well set back. The hind-quarters should be strong, thighs muscular and of good length, with the hocks moderately straight, well set down and fair amount of bone. The stern should be set on moderately high, but not too gaily carried. LEGS AND FEET—The legs should be straight and muscular, possessing fair amount of bone with upright and powerful pasterns. The feet should be small, round and catlike. COAT—The coat should be wiry, hard, very close and abundant. COLOUR—The colour should be black and tan or black grizzle and tan, free from black pencilling on toes. SIZE—The height at shoulders should be 15 inches for dogs, bitches proportionately less. Twenty pounds shall be considered a fair average weight in working condition, but this may vary a pound or so either way.
DISQUALIFYING POINTS: NOSE white, cherry, or spotted to a considerable extent with either of these colours. EARS prick, tulip, or rose. Undershot jaw or pig jawed mouth. Black below hocks or white anywhere to any appreciable extent, black pencilling on toes.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER
The Scottish Terrier as a show dog dates from about 1877 to 1879. He seems almost at once to have attained popularity, and he has progressed gradually since then, ever in an upward direction, until he is to-day one of the most popular and extensively owned varieties of the dog. Sir Paynton Pigott had, at the date mentioned, a very fine kennel of the breed, for in The Live Stock Journal of May 30th, 1879, we find his kennel fully reviewed in a most enthusiastic manner by a correspondent who visited it in consequence of a controversy that was going on at the time, as to whether or not there was such a dog at all, and who, therefore, wished to see and judge for himself as to this point. At the end of his report on the kennel the writer adds these words: "It was certainly one of the happiest days of my life to have the pleasure of looking over so many grand little dogs, but to find them in England quite staggered me. Four dogs and eight bitches are not a bad beginning, and with care and judicious selection in mating, I have little doubt but Mr. Pigott's kennel will be as renowned for Terriers as the late Mr. Laverack's was for Setters. I know but few that take such a delight in the brave little 'die-hards' as Mr. Pigott, and he may well feel proud of the lot he has got together at great trouble and expense."