CHAPTER VIII

=The Foxhound=

At no period of English history has fox-hunting, with Horse and Hound, been more vigorously pursued than it is during the twentieth century.

Scattered from north to south, east to west, are approximately some two hundred packs of these magnificent specimens of the canine race.

Judging from the excellent sport enjoyed by the majority of hunts during this last season, one has no need to be sceptical as to the progress and continuance of this grand and manly form of sport. Looking back on the times when such great followers of the chase as Peter Beckford and Mr Apperley ("Nimrod"), one is apt to think that through lapse of time, agricultural depression, and inroads made into the country through commercial industry, fox-hunting might well-nigh have become a sport of the past, but, happily, this is not so.

Given good weather and a favourable season, there is as good sport to be obtained with Horse and Hound as in the days of Beckford. The modern Foxhound, has, by selection, been derived from the old Southern Hound, a dog that had longer ears, was heavier built, and slower.

This Hound was supposed to have been used by the Ancient Britons for hunting the larger game present at that time.

The number of Hounds constituting a pack varies, and if the pack is a very large one, the dogs and bitches are hunted alternately.

As to which is the best for hunting, opinions vary.

From twelve to twenty-five couples may be taken as the average number working at one time.

The following is a description of the Foxhound, taken from the _Foxhound Stud Book_:--

Head, of full size, but by no means heavy.

Brow pronounced but not high or sharp.

There must be good length and breadth, sufficient to give in the dog Hound a girth in front of the ears of fully 16 inches. The nose should be long (4½ inches) and wide, with dilated nostrils.

Ears set on low and lying close to the cheek.

The neck must be long and clean, without the slightest throatiness. It should taper nicely from the shoulders to the head, and the upper outline should be slightly convex.

The shoulders ought to be long and well clothed with muscle without being heavy, especially at the points. They must be well sloped, and the arm must be long and muscular, but free from fat and lumbar.

The chest should girth over 30 inches in a 24-inch Hound, and back ribs to be deep. The back and the loin both ought to be very muscular, running into each other without any contraction (waist) or nipping between them.

The couples must be wide even to raggedness, and there should be the slightest arch in the loin, so as to be scarcely perceptible.

The hind-quarters, or propellers, are required to be very strong, and as endurance is of even more consequence than speed, straight stifles are preferred to those much bent, as in the Greyhound.

Elbows set quite straight, neither turned in nor out, are a _sine qua non_. They must be well let down by means of the long true arm previously mentioned.

Every Master of Foxhounds insists on legs as straight as an arrow and very strong; size of bone at knees and stifles being specially regarded as important.

Not much attention is paid to colour and coat, so long as of good Hound colour, and the latter short, dense, hard and glossy. Typical Hound colours are: black, white and tan (tricolour), black and white and the various "pies," compounded of white and the colours of the hare and badger, or yellow and tan.

In some old strains the "blue mottle" of the Southern Hound is still preserved. The stern is gently arched, coming gaily over the back and slightly fringed with hair below. It should taper to a point. The symmetry of the Foxhound is considerable, and what is called "quality" is highly regarded by all Hound judges. Dogs ought to weigh 70 to 80 lbs. and bitches from 60 to 70 lbs.

As to height, this varies in accordance with the country over which the Hounds have to hunt. From 22 up to 26 inches, but between these heights is general.

It is a very old custom to crop the young Hounds' ears with scissors, the operation being known as "rounding". It is done with the object of preventing the ears from becoming lacerated by briars, etc.

Recently there has been a good deal of discussion as to the necessity for a continuance of this practice, many asserting that it is not necessary, and constitutes cruelty.

As to the cruelty, there can be no two opinions.

The Kennel Club put their veto on the cropping of Bull-terriers, Black-and-tan Terriers, Boarhounds, etc., and there is little doubt that in course of time small ears will be the result. The old type of Foxhound had very much bigger ears than the modern one.

All things considered, the author is of opinion that the time has arrived for total abolition of this cruel operation.

The following is a list of some of the principal packs of Foxhounds in

_England_

Albrighton. Atherston. Badsworth. Beaufort, Duke of. Berkley, Old West. Bicester. Blackmore Vale. Blankney. Braham Moor. Burton. Cambridgeshire. Cornwall, North. Do., East. Cotswold. Do., North. Devon, East. Do., Mid. Do., South. Oxford, South. Quorn. Shropshire, South. Staffordshire, North and South. Worcester. Taunton Vale. Zetland. Warwick, North. Do. Dorset. Essex. Fitzhardinge, Lord. Fitzwilliam, Earl. Flint and Denbigh. Grafton. Kent, East. Do., West. Ledbury. Meynell. Oakley. Rutland, Duke of. Sussex. Tredegar, Lord. York and Ainsty. Whaddon Chase. Yarborough, Earl of.

_Some Packs in Scotland_

Buccleuch, Duke of. Lanark and Renfrew. Fife. Eglinton.

_Some Packs in Ireland_

Meath. Wexford. King's County. Louth. Waterford. Tipperary. Galway County. Carberry. Carlow.

=Harriers=

Although there are packs of Harriers in various parts of the country, they are of a very limited number, hare-hunting with Hounds being a very inferior sport to that of fox-hunting. Moreover, hares are not as plentiful as in the days of our forefathers, in a large measure arising through diminished agricultural industry and commercial relations.

That good sport is still to be had with Harriers we do not for a moment dispute, but it is not general.

Formerly "dwarf" foxhounds were used for hare-hunting, though proved not to be equal to the typical Harrier for this purpose.

Harriers vary in their height according to the nature of the country they have to work in.

From 16 to 20 inches is the general height, sometimes a trifle more, or less.

Unless very carefully trained, Harriers will hunt rabbits, and then they are with difficulty broken of this vice.

The most useful colour is black, white and tan (tricolour), but hare, red, tan, badger and yellow pies are frequent.

Throughout, the Harrier should be symmetrical, have a large nose, dilated nostrils, ears low set on and lying close to the cheeks, and the neck long and strong. A short neck is a defective one.

There must be no loose skin, such as dewlap, etc., in this region.

Elbows well let down and carried in the same line as body.

_Loins._--Broad; and back straight, strong, and wide.

_Back ribs._--Deep.

_Chest._--Deep, but not wide.

_Fore-limbs._--Straight as a line, well rounded and of good bone and substance. Feet must be hard and compact.

Strong hind-quarters, and a gay carriage of tail are typical of a well-built Harrier.

_Coat._--Dense, smooth (not coarse), and glossy.

Twenty couples were considered by the late Peter Beckford as constituting a full pack of Harriers, though there is no fixed number for this purpose.

Our illustration represents one of the Crickhowell Harriers, and for the picture I am indebted to Mr Stanhope Lovell of Crickhowell.[3]

=The Otterhound=

Otter-hunting is a very ancient sport, otter dogs being used during the reign of King John.

The Hounds in those days had not the beauty of the present-day Otterhound, as very different types of dogs were then used, _e.g._, a cross-bred Terrier, Foxhounds, etc.

One of the best packs of Otterhounds in this country are those belonging to the Dumfriesshire otter-hunt, the River Tweed affording the pack excellent hunting ground. It is an old-established pack, and has always given, we believe, the best of sport.

Looking at a typical specimen of this breed, one is not slow to recognise a "workman all over."

To a casual observer he has the appearance of a rough-coated--if such there can be--Bloodhound.

These dogs weigh from about 65 to 80 or 90 lbs., and the bitch Hounds 10 or 15 lbs. less, and of different colours, but grizzle (black and grey), and tan is the most general.

_Colour._--Fawn, yellow, blue and white and black-and-tan are frequently seen. The last-named colour should not be encouraged in these Hounds.

White markings are common.

His coat should be dense, of a wiry texture, shaggy in appearance, and of a water-resisting nature.

When judging these dogs, particular attention is paid to the coat.

A soft coat is decidedly objectionable, so is one that is thin.

_Height._--About 25 inches.

_Eyes._--Deeply sunk, thoughtful, showing the "haw" plainly.

_Ears._--Long and sweeping, hanging closely to the cheeks.

_Skull._--The peak is less prominent than that of the Bloodhound and the head shorter, but the flews large and loose. Like the ears, it is covered by shaggy hair, softer than that on the body. Beneath the lower jaw there is a moustache. Large teeth and powerful jaws are indispensable in an encounter with an otter.

Of Foxhound-like conformation, the frame is of stouter build altogether.

_Neck._--Thick, of medium length, ending in very powerful shoulders and arms, and the chest must be deep, running and swimming demanding a sound heart and lungs. Dewlap loose. A strong back and loins, the latter slightly arched, an additional qualification of the breed. Should be shorter in the leg than a Foxhound, but have big-boned, muscular limbs, with large feet, close, and horny below.

These Hounds hunt both by scent and by sight, their scenting-power being developed to a remarkable degree.

The music of Otterhounds is rich, deep and mellow.

=The Deerhound=

Regarding the origin of the Scottish Deerhound there is very little reliable information, though there can be no questioning the fact that it is a variety of dog indigenous to the Highlands, and bred specially for the purpose of hunting the deer.

About forty-five years since there were not many of these Hounds in England, and even in their native land at, or about, this period, they were by no means common.

Although powerful and swift dogs, they are only used to a very limited extent, and breeders of these Hounds keep them more for companionship, and exhibition purposes.

They make excellent watch-dogs, and are exceedingly hardy.

The following description is that issued by the Deerhound Club:--

_Head._--The head should be broadest at the ears, tapering slightly to the eyes, with the muzzle tapering more decidedly to the nose.

The muzzle to be pointed, but the teeth and lips level.

The head ought to be long, the skull flat, rather than round, with a very slight rise over the eyes, but with nothing approaching a "stop."

The skull should be coated with moderately long hair, which is softer than the rest of the coat.

The nose to be black (although in some blue fawns the colour is blue) and slightly aquiline.

In the lighter coloured dogs a black muzzle is preferred. There should be a good moustache of rather silky hair and a fair beard.

_Ears._--These to be set on "high," and in repose folded back like those of the Greyhound, though raised above the head during excitement without losing the fold, and, in some cases, semi-erect.

A "prick" ear is bad.

A big, thick ear hanging flat to the head, or heavily coated with long hair, is one of the worst faults. The ear should be soft, glossy and like a mouse's coat to the touch, and the smaller it is, the better. It should have no long coat or long fringe, but there is often a silky, silvery coat on the body of the ear and the tip.

Whatever the general colour, the ears ought to be black, or dark coloured.

_Neck and Shoulders._--The neck should be long--that is, of the length that befits the Greyhound character of the dog.

An overlong neck is neither necessary nor desirable, for the dog is not required to stoop to his work like a Greyhound, and it must be remembered that the mane, which every good specimen should have, detracts from the apparent length of the neck.

Moreover, a Deerhound requires a very strong neck to hold a stag.

The nape of the neck must be very prominent where the head is set on, and the throat clean cut at the angle, and prominent.

Shoulders to be of good slope and blades well back. Loaded and straight shoulders are faulty ones.

_Stern._--To be tolerably long, tapering and reaching to within 1½ inches of the ground, and about the same distance below hocks.

When the Hound is at rest, tail ought to be quite straight down, or curved.

During excitement, curved, and in no case lifted out of the line of the back.

It should be well covered with hair on the inside, thick and woolly, underside longer, and a slight fringe near tip not objectionable. A curl or ring tail very faulty.

_Eyes._--These should be dark; generally they are dark brown or hazel. A very light eye is not liked. The eye is moderately full, with a soft look during repose, but a keen, far-away expression when the Hound is roused. Rims of eyelids ought to be black.

_Body._--The body and general formation is that of a Greyhound, of larger size and bone.

Chest deep, rather than broad, but not too narrow, and flat-sided. The loin well arched, and drooping to the tail. A straight back is not desirable, this formation being unsuitable for uphill work, and very unsightly.

_Legs and Feet._--The legs to be broad and flat, with good broad forearms and elbows.

Straight fore-limbs, and close compact feet.

The hind-quarters to be drooping, and as broad and powerful as possible, the hips being set wide apart.

The hind-legs to be well bent at the stifle, with great length from hips to hocks, and the latter broad and flat.

Cow-hocks, weak pasterns, straight stifles, and splay feet are the worst of faults.

_Coat._--The hair on the body, neck, and quarters should be hard and wiry, and about 3 or 4 inches in length, and that on the head, breast, and belly much softer. There ought to be a slight hairy fringe on the inside of the fore and hind legs, but nothing approaching the feather of a Collie.

The Deerhound ought to be a shaggy dog, but not overcoated. A woolly coat is a bad one.

Some good strains have a mixture of silky coat with the hard, and this is preferable to a woolly coat. The proper Deerhound coat is thick, close-lying, ragged, and harsh or crisp to the feel.

_Colour._--More a matter for individual fancy.

A dark blue-grey most preferred, and after this, darker and lighter grey, or brindles, the darkest being preferred.

Yellow, sandy-red, or red-fawn, with black points (_i.e._, ears and muzzle), are equally esteemed, more so because two of the oldest strains--the M'Neil and Chesthill Menzies--are of these colours.

White is condemned by all the old authorities, but a white chest and white toes, occurring as they do in a great many of the darkest coloured dogs, are not so much objected to, though less the better, as the Deerhound is a self-coloured dog.

A white blaze on the head, or a white collar, should entirely _disqualify_.

A white tip on tail occurs in most strains.

_Height of Dogs._--From 28 to 30 inches.

_Height of Bitches._--From 26 inches upwards.

A big bitch is better for breeding and keeping up size. Ought not to exceed the height of the dog under any circumstances.

_Weight._--Dogs, 85 to 105 lbs. Bitches, 65 to 80 lbs.

Mr Rawson, of Joppa, kindly supplied me with photographs.

THE TOTAL POINTS REQUIRED FOR A DEERHOUND

_Character_--

Length and shape of head 10 Ears 6 Beard and eyebrows 3 Eyes 5 Coat 7 Neck 5 Tail 4 Nails 2 Teeth 5 --47

_Body_--

Height at shoulder 10 Substance and girth 9 Length and symmetry of body 9 --28

_Limbs_--

Loins and hocks 10 Fore-limbs 8 Feet 7 --25

Total 100

SECTION C

=Hounds=