The Egotism of Fanciers

The Egotism of Fanciers

By Hibernia

Before the advent of bench shows, dogs were valued almost entirely according to their merit for practical purposes, except of course in the case of the pet breeds. At that time the setter, pointer, and spaniel were expected to find game, the hounds to trail, the collie to drive, the fox-terrier to go to earth, the mastiff to watch, the St. Bernard to go out into the storm, the bull-terrier to take his death, the greyhound to course, the deerhound to run down his quarry, the various breeds of terriers to kill vermin, and so on. This standard of practical utility was the principle one that guided breeders in the selection of stud dogs and brood bitches.

With the establishment of bench shows this was changed. The fetish "type" was set up, and fanciers, big and small, fell down before it and blindly worship. Type is supposed to be as stable as the mountains, while in reality it is constantly changing. The winning setters, pointers, mastiffs, collies, etc., of to-day are quite different from those of even ten years ago, and ten years hence the typical specimens will undoubtedly differ as much from the present winners. "But", some fanciers will say, "this is because we have improved these breeds that they differ from the old-time specimens." Whether this alteration of form from the primitive stock is an improvement or not is simply a matter of opinion. This changing of type or improving the breed, or whatever other name it may be called by, is going on all the time, and will continue as long as bench shows are held. As new judges and new doggy critics take the places of the old ones the "type" of the breeds will be made to conform to the ideas of the most popular of the new authorities. After all, it is the judge and the bench show reporter who mold the doggy ideas of the great majority of fanciers.

Now, I am not opposed to type, but I do disapprove of sacrificing all a dog's useful qualities for an artificial standard. No matter how near a hunting dog is to the present idea of the breed, if he is gunshy and otherwise useless in the field he should never be given a prize on the bench. A dog of this sort who wins the name of champion does more harm by being extensively used in the stud than can be undone in a lifetime. As regards a remedy, it is a difficult problem to solve, and I do not at present care to offer suggestions. But the fact remains that bench shows are encouraging more than anything else the breeding of non-sporting sporting dogs, and gradually turning into house pets many other useful breeds.

Our English cousins were the first people to set up an ideal standard for the different breeds of dogs. Here is where the egotism of fanciers shows itself. After settling upon the type for their native dogs, they import bassets from France, fix up an ideal standard and insist upon the Frenchmen conforming to it. From Germany they get dachshund, and as the primitive types seen there do not altogether meet with their approval, they lengthen the body by selective breeding and produce an animal the like of which is not to be found in the native country of the breed. The same applies to the St. Bernard, Newfoundland, Great Danes and a few other foreign breeds.

The fanciers of America are just about the same. The average Irish and Gordon setter met with in this country is built after a different type from those of England. The same holds good with the foxhound and beagle. As we grow older and depend less on the mother country for our prize winners, the lines of distinction in these and other breeds will become more sharply defined.

The evolution of a type of the American foxhound is now going on among the packs of Pennsylvania. Only a few years ago the meet clubs cared nothing for the looks of the hounds; it was field work they considered of account. Now, there is a decided effort to get packs together that look alike. Some fancy the tri-color, some the black and tan and others the blue ticked, but they all want them to be of equal weight and of the same general appearance. It will only be a few years before there will be a uniform type established and the packs will be pleasanter to look at even if they are not so good after reynard."

Written in 1890.

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