Dogs and All About Them - Robert Leighton
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But in any case the Pomeranian dog, so called, has been a native of
various parts of Europe from very early times. His advent into England
has been of comparatively recent date, at least in any great numbers,
so far as can be ascertained, since no ancient records exist on this
question. Gainsborough, however, painted the famous actress, Mrs.
Robinson, with a large white Pomeranian sitting by her side.
In Rees' _Encyclopedia_, published in 1816, a good picture of a white
Pomeranian is given with a fairly truthful description. In this work
he is said to be "larger than the common sheep dog." Rees gives his
name as _Canis Pomeranius_, from Linnaeus, and _Chien Loup_, from
Buffon. From these examples, therefore, we may infer that the large
Pomeranian, or Wolf Spitz, was already known in England towards the
end of the eighteenth century at least. There are, however, no
systematic registers of Pomeranians prior to the year 1870.
Even ten years later than this last date, so little was the breed
appreciated that a well-known writer on dogs began an article on the
Pomeranian with the words "The Pomeranian is admittedly one of the
least interesting dogs in existence, and consequently his supporters
are few and far between."
The founders of the Kennel Club held their first dog show in 1870, and
in that year only three Pomeranians were exhibited. For the next
twenty years little or no permanent increase occurred in the numbers
of Pomeranians entered at the chief dog show in England. The largest
entry took place in 1881, when there were fifteen; but in 1890 there
was not a single Pomeranian shown. From this time, however, the
numbers rapidly increased. Commencing in 1891 with fourteen,
increasing in 1901 to sixty, it culminated in 1905 with the record
number of one hundred and twenty-five. Such a rapid advance between
the years 1890 and 1905 is unprecedented in the history of dog shows,
although it is right to add that this extraordinarily rapid rise into
popularity has since been equalled in the case of the now fashionable
Pekinese.
This tendency to advancement in public favour was contemporaneous with
the formation of the Pomeranian Club of England, which was founded in
1891, and through its fostering care the Pomeranian has reached a
height of popularity far in advance of that attained by any other
breed of toy dog. One of the first acts of the club was to draw up a
standard of points as follows:--
* * * * *
APPEARANCE--The Pomeranian should be a compact, short coupled dog,
well knit in frame. He should exhibit great intelligence in his
expression, and activity and buoyancy in his deportment. HEAD AND
NOSE--Should be foxy in outline or wedge-shaped, the skull being
slightly flat, large in proportion to the muzzle, which should finish
rather fine and free from lippiness. The teeth should be level, and
should on no account be undershot. The hair on the head and face
should be smooth and short-coated. The nose should be black in white,
orange and sable dogs; but in other colours may be self, but never
parti-colour or white. EARS--Should be small, not set too far apart,
nor too low down, but carried perfectly erect like those of a fox,
and, like the head, should be covered with short, soft hair.
EYES--Should be medium in size, not full, nor set too wide apart,
bright and dark in colour, showing great intelligence; in white,
shaded sable, or orange dogs the rims round the eyes should be black.
NECK AND BODY--The neck should be rather short, well set in. The back
must be short and the body compact, being well ribbed up and the
barrel well rounded. The chest must be fairly deep and not too wide,
but in proportion to the size of the dog. LEGS--The fore-legs must be
well feathered, perfectly straight, of medium length, and not such as
would be termed "leggy" or "low" on leg, but in due proportion in
length and strength to a well-balanced frame. Must be fine in bone and
free in action. The hind-legs and thighs must be well feathered,
neither contracted nor wide behind; the feet small and compact in
shape. Shoulders should be clean, and well laid back. TAIL--The tail
is one of the characteristics of the breed, and should be turned over
the back and carried flat and straight, being profusely covered with
long, harsh, spreading hair. COAT--There should be two coats, an
undercoat and an overcoat; the one a soft fluffy undercoat, the other
a long, perfectly straight coat, harsh in texture, covering the whole
of the body, being very abundant round the neck and fore part of the
shoulders and chest where it should form a frill of profuse standing
off straight hair, extending over the shoulders. The hind-quarters
should be clad with long hair or feathering, from the top of the rump
to the hock. COLOUR--All whole colours are admissible, but they should
be free from white or shadings, and the whites must be quite free from
lemon or any other colour. A few white hairs in any of the self
colours shall not necessarily disqualify. At present the whole
coloured dogs are:--White, black, brown (light or dark), blue (as pale
as possible), orange (which should be as deep and even in colour as
possible), beaver, or cream. Dogs, other than white, with white foot
or feet, leg or legs, are decidedly objectionable and should be
discouraged, and cannot compete as whole coloured specimens. In
parti-coloured dogs the colours should be evenly distributed on the
body in patches; a dog with white or tan feet or chest would not be a
parti-colour. Shaded sables should be shaded throughout with three or
more colours, the hairs to be as "uniformly shaded" as possible, with
no patches of self colour. In mixed classes where whole coloured and
parti-coloured Pomeranians compete together, the preference should, if
in other points they are equal, be given to the whole coloured
specimens. Where classification is not by colours the following is
recommended for adoption by show committees:--1. Not exceeding 7 lb.
(Pomeranian Miniatures). 2. Exceeding 7 lb. (Pomeranians). 3.
Pomeranians and Pomeranian Miniatures mixed.
* * * * *
The early type of a Pomeranian was that of a dog varying from 10 lb.
or 12 lb. weight up to 20 lb. weight, or even more, and some few of
about 12 lb. and over are still to be met with; but the tendency among
present-day breeders is to get them as small as possible, so that
diminutive specimens weighing less than 5 lb. are now quite common,
and always fetch higher prices than the heavier ones. The dividing
weight, as arranged some ten years ago by the Pomeranian Club, is 8
lb., and the Kennel Club has recently divided the breed into two
classes of Pomeranians and Pomeranians Miniature.
As a rule the white specimens adhere more nearly to the primitive
type, and are generally over 8 lb. in weight, but through the
exertions of many breeders, several are now to be seen under this
limit.
The principal breeders of this colour in England to-day are Miss
Hamilton of Rozelle, Miss Chell, Miss Lee-Roberts, Mrs. Pope, and Mrs.
Goodall-Copestake. The first two whites to become full champions under
Kennel Club rules were Rob of Rozelle and Konig of Rozelle, both
belonging to Miss Hamilton of Rozelle.
More black Pomeranians have been bred in England than of any other
colour, and during the last fifteen years the number of good specimens
that have appeared at our great exhibitions has been legion. There do
not seem to be so many really good ones to-day as heretofore; this is
explained, perhaps, by the fact that other colours are now receiving
more and more attention from breeders. A typical small black of to-day
is Billie Tee, the property of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Mappin. He scales
only 5-1/2 lb., and is therefore, as to size and weight as well as
shape, style, and smartness of action, a good type of a toy Pomeranian.
He was bred by Mrs. Cates, and is the winner of over fifty prizes and
many specials. To enumerate all the first-class blacks during the last
thirty years would be impossible, but those which stand out first and
foremost have been Black Boy, King Pippin, Kaffir Boy, Bayswater
Swell, Kensington King, Marland King, Black Prince, Hatcham Nip,
Walkley Queenie, Viva, Gateacre Zulu, Glympton King Edward, and Billie
Tee.
The brown variety has for a long time been an especial favourite with
the public, and many good ones have been bred during the last ten
years. There are many different shades of browns, varying from a dark
chocolate to a light beaver, but in all cases they should be
whole-coloured.
An admirable example of the brown Pomeranians is the incomparable Ch.
Tina. This beautiful little lady was bred by Mrs. Addis from Bayswater
Swell ex Kitsey, and scaled a little under 5 lb. She won over every
Pomeranian that competed against her, besides having been many times
placed over all other dogs of any breed in open competition.
The shaded sables are among the prettiest of all the various colours
which Pomeranians may assume. They must be shaded throughout with
three or more colours, as uniformly as possible, with no patches of
self-colour. They are becoming very popular, and good specimens are
much sought after at high prices. Mrs. Hall-Walker has been constant
in her devotion to this variety for several years, and she possesses a
very fine team in Champions Dainty Boy, Dainty Belle, Bibury Belle,
and in Gateacre Sable Sue. Mrs. Vale Nicolas also has recently been
most successful with shaded sables. Ch. Nanky Po, over 8 lb., and
Champions Sable Mite and Atom bear witness to this statement. Her
lovely Mite is a typical example of a small Pomeranian of this colour.
He was bred by Mr. Hirst, by Little Nipper ex Laurel Fluffie, and
scales only 4-1/4 lb. Mention should also be made of Miss Ives' Dragon
Fly, Mrs. Boutcher's Lady Wolfino, Miss Bland's Marland Topaz, Mr.
Walter Winans' Morning Light, and Mr. Fowler's May Duchess.
The blues, or smoke-coloured Pomeranians, have likewise their
admirers, and among those who have taken up these as a speciality may
be mentioned Miss Ives, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Loy, and Miss Ruby Cooke.
Another colour which has attained of late years increasing popularity
in England is orange. These should be self-coloured throughout, and
light shadings, though not disqualifying, should be discouraged. The
principal breeder of the orange Pomeranian to-day is Mr. W. Brown, of
Raleigh, Essex, who has probably more specimens in his kennels than
any other breeder of this colour. Tiny Boy, The Boy, and Orange Boy
are his best, and all three are approved sires. Mrs. Hall-Walker is an
admirer of this colour, and her Gateacre Philander, Lupino, and Orange
Girl are great prize-winners. Miss Hamilton of Rozelle has for many
years bred "oranges," and has given to the Pomeranian Club, of which
she is President, two challenge cups for Pomeranians of this colour.
Mrs. Birch also is a lover of this hue, and possesses such good dogs
as Rufus Rusticus and Cheriwinkle.
There is still another variety which bears the name of parti-coloured.
As the name implies, these dogs must be of more than one colour, and
the colours should be evenly distributed on the body in patches; for
example, a black dog with a white foot or leg or chest would not be a
parti-colour. As a matter of fact, there have been bred in England
very few parti-coloured Pomeranians; they seem to be freaks which are
rarely produced. It does not follow that by mating a black dog to a
white bitch, or _vice versa_, a parti-coloured will be necessarily
obtained; on the contrary, it is more likely that the litter will
consist of some whole-coloured blacks, and some whole-coloured whites.
Miss Hamilton's Mafeking of Rozelle, and Mrs. Vale Nicolas's Shelton
Novelty, are the two most prominent specimens at the present time,
although Mrs. Harcourt-Clare's Magpie and Mr. Temple's Leyswood Tom
Tit were perhaps better known some time ago.
Among toy dogs this particular breed has enjoyed an unprecedented
popularity; the growth in the public favour among all classes has been
gradual and permanent during the last fifteen years, and there are no
signs that it is losing its hold on the love and affection of a large
section of the English people. His handsome appearance, his activity,
and hardihood, his devotedness to his owner, his usefulness as a
housedog, and his many other admirable qualities will always make the
Pomeranian a favourite both in the cottage and in the palace.
CHAPTER XLIV
THE KING CHARLES SPANIELS
In the fourth chapter of Macaulay's _History of England_ we read of
King Charles II. that "he might be seen before the dew was off the
grass in St. James's Park, striding among the trees playing with his
Spaniels and flinging corn to his ducks, and these exhibitions
endeared him to the common people, who always like to see the great
unbend."
Queen Elizabeth's physician, Dr. Caius, described these little
Spaniels as "delicate, neate, and pretty kind of dogges, called the
Spaniel gentle or the comforter," and further said: "These dogges are
little, pretty, proper, and fyne, and sought for to satisfie the
delicatenesse of daintie dames and wanton women's wills, instruments
of folly for them to play and dally withall, to tryfle away the
treasure of time, to withdraw their mindes from their commendable
exercises. These puppies the smaller they be, the more pleasure they
provoke as more meete playfellowes for minsing mistrisses to beare in
their bosoms, to keepe company withall in their chambers, to succour
with sleepe in bed, and nourishe with meate at board, to lie in their
lappes, and licke their lippes as they ryde in their waggons, and good
reason it should be so, for coursenesse with fynenesse hath no
fellowship, but featnesse with neatnesse hath neighbourhood enough."
There would appear to be much divergence of opinion as to the origin
of this breed, and the date of its first appearance in England, but it
was certainly acclimatised here as early as the reign of Henry VIII.,
and it is generally thought that it is of Japanese origin, taken from
Japan to Spain by the early voyagers to the East, and thence imported
into England. The English Toy Spaniels of to-day, especially the
Blenheim variety, are also said by some to be related to some sporting
Spaniels which belonged to Queen Mary about the year 1555, and might
have been brought over from Germany. Mary kept a pack of Spaniels for
hunting purposes.
There is another theory advanced, and with some reason that the
English Toy Spaniel of the present day derived its origin from the
Cocker Spaniel, as these larger dogs have the same colours and
markings, black and tan, tricolour, and red and white. The Cocker also
occasionally has the spot on the forehead which is a characteristic of
the Blenheim.
Be the origin of the King Charles Spaniel, and its advent in this
country, what it may, King Charles II. so much indulged and loved
these little friends that they followed him hither and thither as they
pleased, and seem to have been seldom separated from him. By him they
were loved and cherished, and brought into great popularity; in his
company they adorn canvas and ancient tapestries, and are reputed to
have been allowed free access at all times to Whitehall, Hampton
Court, and other royal palaces.
There are now four recognised varieties of the English Toy Spaniel,
or, more properly speaking, five, as the Marlborough Blenheims are
considered a distinct type. The latter are said by some to be the
oldest of the Toy Spaniels; by others to have been first brought over
from Spain during the reign of Charles II. by John Churchill, first
Duke of Marlborough, from whose home, Blenheim Palace, the name was
derived, and has ever since been retained.
If we may take the evidence of Vandyck, Watteau, Francois Boucher, and
Greuze, in whose pictures they are so frequently introduced, all the
toy Spaniels of bygone days had much longer noses and smaller, flatter
heads than those of the present time, and they had much longer ears,
these in many instances dragging on the ground.
The Marlborough Blenheim has retained several of the ancestral points.
Although this variety is of the same family, and has the same name, as
the short-nosed Blenheim of the present day, there is a great deal of
difference between the two types. The Marlborough is higher on the
legs, which need not be so fully feathered. He has a much longer
muzzle and a flatter and more contracted skull. The Marlborough
possesses many of the attributes of a sporting Spaniel; but so also
does the modern Blenheim, although perhaps in a lesser degree. He has
a very good scent. Mr. Rawdon B. Lee states that "the Blenheims of
Marlborough were excellent dogs to work the coverts for cock and
pheasant, and that excepting in colour there is in reality not much
difference in appearance between the older orange and white dogs (not
as they are to-day, with their abnormally short noses, round skulls,
and enormous eyes), and the liver and white Cockers which H. B. Chalon
drew for Daniel's _Rural Sports_ in 1801."
This will bear out the statement that the smaller type of Spaniel may
be descended from the Cockers.
The ground colour of this dog is white, with chestnut encircling the
ears to the muzzle, the sides of the neck are chestnut, as are also
the ears. There is a white blaze on the forehead, in the centre of
which should be a clear lozenge-shaped chestnut spot, called the
beauty spot, which by inbreeding with other varieties is fast being
lost. Chestnut markings are on the body and on the sides of the
hind-legs. The coat should incline to be curly; the head must be flat,
not broad, and the muzzle should be straight. The chestnut should be
of a rich colour.
The four varieties--the King Charles, Tricolour or (as he has been
called) Charles I. Spaniel, the modern Blenheim, and the Ruby--have
all the same points, differing from one another in colour only, and
the following description of the points as determined by the Toy
Spaniel Club serves for all:--
* * * * *
HEAD--Should be well domed, and in good specimens is absolutely
semi-globular, sometimes even extending beyond the half-circle, and
projecting over the eyes, so as nearly to meet the upturned nose.
EYES--The eyes are set wide apart, with the eyelids square to the line
of the face, not oblique or fox-like. The eyes themselves are large,
and dark as possible, so as to be generally considered black, their
enormous pupils, which are absolutely of that colour, increasing the
description. There is always a certain amount of weeping shown at the
inner angles. This is owing to a defect in the lachrymal duct.
STOP--The "stop" or hollow between the eyes is well marked, as in the
Bulldog, or even more so; some good specimens exhibit a hollow deep
enough to bury a small marble. NOSE--The nose must be short and well
turned up between the eyes, and without any indication of artificial
displacement afforded by a deviation to either side. The colour of the
end should be black, and it should be both deep and wide with open
nostrils. JAW--The muzzle must be square and deep, and the lower jaw
wide between the branches, leaving plenty of space for the tongue, and
for the attachment of the lower lips, which should completely conceal
the teeth. It should also be turned up or "finished," so as to allow
of its meeting the end of the upper jaw turned up in a similar way, as
above described. EARS--The ears must be long, so as to approach the
ground. In an average-sized dog they measure twenty inches from tip to
tip, and some reach twenty-two inches, or even a trifle more. They
should be set low on the head, hang flat to the sides of the cheeks,
and be heavily feathered. In this last respect the King Charles is
expected to exceed the Blenheim, and his ears occasionally extend to
twenty-four inches. SIZE--The most desirable size is indicated by the
accepted weight of from 7 lb. to 10 lb. SHAPE--In compactness of shape
these Spaniels almost rival the Pug, but the length of coat adds
greatly to the apparent bulk, as the body, when the coat is wetted,
looks small in comparison with that dog. Still, it ought to be
decidedly "cobby," with strong, stout legs, short broad back and wide
chest. The symmetry of the King Charles is of importance, but it is
seldom that there is any defect in this respect. COAT--The coat should
be long, silky, soft and wavy, but not curly. In the Blenheim there
should be a profuse mane, extending well down in the front of the
chest. The feather should be well displayed on the ears and feet, and
in the latter case so thickly as to give the appearance of their being
webbed. It is also carried well up the backs of the legs. In the Black
and Tan the feather on the ears is very long and profuse, exceeding
that of the Blenheim by an inch or more. The feather on the tail
(which is cut to the length of three and a half to four inches) should
be silky, and from five to six inches in length, constituting a marked
"flag" of a square shape, and not carried above the level of the back.
COLOUR--The colour differs with the variety. The Black and Tan is a
rich glossy black and deep mahogany tan; tan spots over the eyes, and
the usual markings on the muzzle, chest, and legs are also required.
The Ruby is a rich chestnut red, and is whole-coloured. The presence
of a _few_ white hairs _intermixed with the black_ on the chest of a
Black and Tan, or _intermixed with the red_ on the chest of a Ruby
Spaniel, shall carry _weight against_ a dog, but shall not in itself
absolutely disqualify; but a white patch on the chest or white on
any other part of a Black and Tan or Ruby Spaniel shall be a
disqualification. The Blenheim must on no account be whole-coloured,
but should have a ground of pure pearly white, with bright rich
chestnut or ruby red markings evenly distributed in large patches. The
ears and cheeks should be red, with a blaze of white extending from
the nose up the forehead, and ending between the ears in a crescentic
curve. In the centre of this blaze at the top of the forehead there
should be a clear "spot" of red, of the size of a sixpence. Tan ticks
on the fore-legs and on the white muzzle are desirable. The Tricolour
should in part have the tan of the Black and Tan, with markings like
the Blenheim in black instead of red on a pearly-white ground. The
ears and under the tail should also be lined with tan. The Tricolour
has no "spot," that beauty being peculiarly the property of the
Blenheim. The All Red King Charles is known by the name of "Ruby
Spaniel"; the colour of the nose is black. The points of the "Ruby"
are the same as those of the "Black and Tan," differing only in
colour.
* * * * *
The King Charles variety used to consist of black and tan and black
and white Spaniels, and it is thought that by the inter-breeding of
the two specimens the Tricolour was produced. The colour of the King
Charles now is a glossy black with rich mahogany tan spots over the
eyes and on the cheeks. There should also be some tan on the legs and
under the tail.
The Prince Charles, or Tricolour, should have a pearly-white ground
with glossy black markings evenly distributed over the body in
patches. The ears should be lined with tan; tan must also be seen over
the eyes, and some on the cheeks. Under the tail also tan must appear.
The Blenheim must also have a pearly-white ground with bright rich
chestnut or ruby red markings evenly distributed in patches over the
body. The ears and cheeks must be red, and a white blaze should
stretch from the nose to the forehead and thence in a curve between
the ears. In the middle of the forehead there should be, on the white
blaze, a clear red spot about the size of a sixpence. This is called
the "Blenheim spot," which, as well as the profuse mane, adds greatly
to the beauty of this particular Toy Spaniel. Unfortunately, in a
litter of Blenheims the spot is often wanting.
The Ruby Spaniel is of one colour, a rich, unbroken red. The nose is
black. There are now some very beautiful specimens of Ruby Spaniels,
but it is only within the last quarter of a century that this variety
has existed. It seems to have originally appeared in a litter of King
Charles puppies, when it was looked upon as a freak of nature, taking
for its entire colour only the tan markings and losing the black
ground.
The different varieties of Toy Spaniels have been so much interbred
that a litter has been reputed to contain the four kinds, but this
would be of very rare occurrence. The Blenheim is now often crossed
with the Tricolour, when the litter consist of puppies quite true to
the two types. The crossing of the King Charles with the Ruby is also
attended with very good results, the tan markings on the King Charles
becoming very bright and the colour of the Ruby also being improved.
Neither of these specimens should be crossed with either the Blenheim
or the Tricolour, as white must not appear in either the King Charles
or the Ruby Spaniel.