The Britisher's inborn love of sport, dogs, and breeding invented the dog show, but not so very long ago, for even in England bench shows, as a recognized institution, are only a little over half a century old. Their fame and popularity have, however, circled the globe.

The English fancier can truly boast that there are more thoroughbred dogs to the mile in Great Britain than to fifty miles in any other country, and one is not surprised to find that there are more bench shows held there in a week than in a month in the United States. We, on this side of the ocean, are their nearest rival, for while European countries have taken up the dog and his showing, still they are as much behind us as we are behind "the tight little isle."

Continental fanciers have a great deal to learn about dogs, and from their very dispositions it is doubtful if, with the possible exception of the serious, hard-working, painstaking Germans, they will ever become truly doggy. In the first place, they count their pennies very carefully when buying a dog; and in the second place, they are not really fanciers at heart, but have merely taken up dogs as a fashionable whim.

The first American shows were run in a haphazard, friendly, go-as-you-please way, but it very soon became evident that some governing body was as much a necessity in dogdom as on the race track, in college athletics, or among yachtsmen. Accordingly, the American Kennel Club grew up naturally to fill this place. In form the A.K.C., as it is called, is a congress. Its members are not individuals, but clubs, which are represented by regularly elected delegates at the meetings of the parent organization. These clubs are of two types, the local clubs, composed of the fanciers of a certain city or district, and the specialty clubs, whose members are the fanciers the country over devoted to one particular breed.

The local clubs, like the Westminster Kennel Club of New York City or the Philadelphia Dog Show Association, are organized primarily for the giving of bench shows. The specialty clubs, of which the Scottish Terrier Club of America and the Airedale Terrier Club of New England are examples, are devoted primarily to fostering the interests of their breed, which they do by offering special prizes, seeing that competent judges officiate, and even by holding shows where only dogs of their breed are exhibited.

All shows, whether given by local or specialty associations, are held under A.K.C. rules, and the regulation of these shows is the main work done at the club's offices at 1 Liberty Street, New York. The A.K.C., however, does more than this. It publishes the dog Stud Book, a volume annually, and also a semi-monthly, official journal, the A.K.C. Gazette. Moreover, the club is judicial as well as legislative and executive in its functions, and tries the offenders of the kennel world. Last, but not least, it has jurisdiction over field trials, both for bird dogs and hounds.

The A.K.C. recognizes seventy-seven distinct breeds as thoroughbred dogs—not counting several subdivision of breeds into varieties based on coats or colors. Any dog of any of these recognized breeds may be entered in the Stud Book, provided it has three generations of known, pure-blood pedigree. The registration fee is one dollar and includes the assigning of an official number to the dog, entry in the Stud Book for that year, a certificate of his registration, and the right, throughout the life of the dog, to show him, regardless of ownership, at any A.K.C. show. Unregistered dogs have to be "listed" for each show they attend, and a fee of twenty-five cents is always charged.

The usual classes at a bench show are the puppy, novice, limit, open, and winners', and in the more popular breeds these are divided by sex. The puppy class is for any dog between the ages of six months and one year, but, of course, none can be entered whose date of birth, sire, dam, place of birth, and breeder are unknown. The novice class is for dogs bred in the United States who have never won a first prize, wins in the puppy class being excepted. The limit class is for dogs who have not won six first prizes in that class, but dogs who have won their championship are barred. Any dog, who is over six months of age, may be shown in the open class.

If three of the above classes are given at a show, a winners' class is added. There is no entry fee for this class, but in it the winners of the other classes meet and are judged. At different shows various other classes are sometimes given, as a junior class for dogs between six and eighteen months, a class for champions, and many divisions are made according to weight and color in different breeds.

It is by wins in the winners' class that a dog secures the right to prefix to his name the honorable and much-coveted title of "Champion." To win this, the dog must get fifteen points. Every win in the winners' class counts a certain number of points according to the number of dogs actually on the bench at the show: 1000 dogs or over, five points; 750 dogs or over, four points; 500 dogs or over, three points; 250 dogs or over, two points; under 250 dogs, one point. Specialty shows devoted to one breed count five points. Fifteen of these points, provided three of them have been won at one show and at least three different judges have awarded the dog first in the winners' class, make a dog a champion. The A.K.C. gives a championship certificate to the owner, who can also buy a championship medal for three dollars, if his dog is registered.

Novices are cautioned to read most carefully the rules published in the premium lists of all A.K.C. dog shows before they fill out their entry blanks and to exercise great care in doing this, for mistakes are on their own heads. Their dog may be disqualified and his wins canceled should they fail to fill in the necessary particulars correctly. In case of any attempt at fraud, they will be themselves disqualified, which is a doggy ex-communication. Disqualified persons are not only barred from judging, showing, or registering, but dogs owned or bred by them during their term of disqualification cannot be shown or registered.

No dog that is lame (except temporarily), blind, castrated, spayed, deaf, dyed, or in any way "faked" can be shown, and all entries are examined by a registered veterinarian when they first come to the show. They must be passed by him, as sound and free from contagious disease, before they will be accepted. Every dog must be the bona fide property of the exhibitor. These, and the other rules, are simple, founded on common justice and reason, and easy to understand. They are all such that intent to deceive can be the only reason for their neglect or misunderstanding.

To show a dog at his best, in the very pink of perfect condition, is the only way to insure that he will be placed by the judge where he deserves. Many a dog, really better than his rival in the ring, has gone down because of condition, and defeat is not only unpleasant, but also a great handicap to a show dog. Perfect health, no fat, well-developed muscles—these are the foundation of a terrier's "fitness."

A little change in diet or exercise is the best and the easiest way to accomplish this physical perfection. Tonics and pills and powders, conditioners, as they are called, are not all they are cracked up to be. It is like doping a race-horse or a pugilist. It works for a time, but the end is inevitable and always the same.

A terrier is easy to get "fit," and the only thing that may cause the exhibitor loss of sleep is the condition of the wire coat. Wire coats are—there is no use fishing about for any excuse—wire coats are a bother. A great, big three-quarters of the trouble is overcome, however, if the dog has been carefully and regularly groomed. Such a dog does not need much trimming,—mainly a little cleaning up about the head and legs. On the other hand, one who has been neglected needs the services of a skilled canine tonsorial artist to put him down before the judge with a coat that meets the requirements of the ring.

The A.K.C. lets one pluck and pull with his fingers, and brush and comb away as much as he wishes, but the use of knives, razors, scissors, or clippers is strictly tabooed. It is too bad that the trimming of wire terriers is carried so far as is the style to-day, for, even if legalized by the A.K.C, it so alters a dog and so improves a bad coat that it savors pretty strongly of faking. There is, however, little chance of there being any immediate reform, and to show successfully one must obey the dictates of Mistress Fashion.

A dog in perfect condition, with his coat trimmed in the approved style, may yet fail to get his deserts in the show ring, if not properly handled. The professional handlers are past masters at the art of making a dog appear at his very best in the ring, and a great deal of their success is due to this skill. The cry of the partiality of judges to professionally shown dogs has been often heard, but it is not so serious to one who will watch a class actually being shown on the sawdust. The humorousness of the man who can realize the better showing of the dogs handled by the paid professionals in every ring but his own appeals to a close and impartial observer.

The novice cannot do better than to steal a leaf out of the book of the professional handlers, and by a careful study of their methods, learn to show his own dogs so that they will always be at their best, making their strongest points apparent and hiding their weaknesses, and religiously seeing to it that he catches the judicial eye.

It is well to take a puppy destined for a show career and to teach him to show. It is just as easy to teach him to stand firm on his pins, all alert, full of fire, yet not bobbing about like a jumping-jack, as it is to have him sit up and beg or to "play dead." To a "public dog" it is an innately more useful accomplishment.

A little bit of boiled liver, the sweetest tit-bit on a dog's menu, is an excellent thing to carry into the ring with you, but it is a grave mistake to be forever teasing and nagging at your entry. Leave him alone as much as possible. Do not wear out his spirits and your own patience, but just see that he is kept awake, standing firm so as to show his front to advantage, and so placed that the judge looks at him from the most advantageous position. If he has a poor colored eye, keep his tail pointed at the source of the light; if his back is plenty long, do not let the judge see more of his profile than possible, and so on, with different rules for each dog in the world.

Bad manners in the ring are the poorest of poor sportsmanship. Never try to hide another's dog and do not let your dog pick at or worry another entry. The terriers are all inclined to "start things" in the ring anyway, and each exhibitor ought to do his best to prevent the ring from becoming a whirling, barking, tugging bedlam. No judge can do his best under such disconcerting, if exciting, conditions, and he has a hard enough time at best, so exhibitors ought to help him as much as they are able.

Very, very seldom does one meet an exhibitor who will come out frankly and say that he was beaten fairly, even if he has shown a regular "rotter" against an "out-and-outer." It does not cost one single, red cent to congratulate the owner of the dog who has beaten yours. If he has done so fairly, it is but the decent thing to do, and if you think your dog is the better, why you have the consolation of knowing that there is going to be another show where another judge will hand out the ribbons probably the very next week. It is also a mighty nice thing to find a good point or two to mention in the dogs that have been placed behind yours, assuming, of course, that you have not had the fate of being "given the gate."

These little courtesies of the ring are often sadly lacking at our American shows. Fanciers have a world of things in common and, instead of bitterest rivals, they should be the best of friends. Friendly rivalry adds ninety per cent. to the pleasures of being a fancier, and in this a man gets just about what he gives.

In sending a dog to a show, even if the distance be but a mile or two and you are going along, too, it is best to crate him. It costs a little more, but many an unboxed dog has been lost or injured, and the railroads assume absolutely no responsibility in these cases. The express companies do charge a very high rate (one and a half times that charged for merchandise) for very poor service, but they are at least legally responsible for dogs committed to their charge. In England, wicker hampers are very popular for shipping dogs, but here, while lightness is to be sought, they are hardly strong enough to withstand the gentle care of our "baggage heavers."

The shows provide bedding, food, and water, but the fancier supplies his own chains and leads. To fasten a dog on the exhibition bench, bench chains, as they are called, are used. These are either nickel or brass finish, with snaps at both ends, and by means of them a dog can be so fastened that he can move about comfortably and yet not hang himself by getting over the front or get into trouble with his neighbors beyond the partitions.

In the show ring, however, these chains would be too heavy, and it is the custom to show terriers on long leather leads. There are two styles in vogue. One is a regular lead fastened with a snap to an ordinary collar, which should be a half inch strap of plain leather. The other is the slip collar, or a long lead with a loop at one or both ends. The loop is slipped over the dog's head and fastened by a sliding clasp. All leads and collars for terriers should be light and plain. Fancy, studded, bebelled, and beribboned collars look about as well on a terrier as diamonds on a bellboy.

The showing of dogs is rapidly becoming one of our most popular sports. The number of shows increases wonderfully each year, and every season the entries become more and more numerous. Daily, there are recruits enlisting in the army of dog fanciers. There is no denying the potency of the charm woven by the dog show. The confirmed fancier fairly loves the barking roar of the benched dogs; that peculiarly distinctive smell—a strange mixture of dog, disinfectant, and sawdust; the excitement of the ring; the doggy parties at lunches, dinners, and at night after the show is over. It is all different from anything else in the world of sport, this charm of the bench show, and it is sure to hold in a fast grip any dog lover who falls under its sway.