This appeared in February, 1914
In looking back through 1913 and comparing the hounds old and young then showing with those of similar ages about six or seven years ago, I think we have reasons to congratulate ourselves, although the improvement has been very gradual yet certain. Type distinctly (in my opinion) is more uniform, size has increased, soundness of limbs very much more pronounced; in fact, it is unusual to see animals on the benches to-day like the majority of them used to be a few years back in this respect. Size of bone has greatly increased, coats are much better.
Eyes are not improved; I refer as much to expression as to shade of eye. There have been many hounds on the benches in the past with just that lovely expression - gentle, clever, faithful, benevolent, thoughtful. Perhaps if I mention a few hounds which I and doubtless a great many of my fellow fanciers will remember, will illustrate my meaning better than words. Red Fawn dog, Kenmare, bred and exhibited by the late Mr. G.E. Crisp; Champion Daireen, shown by Mr. W.W. Williams; Champion Artara, dark brindle, was bred by Miss Pope and exhibited by Mrs. Laura Williams; Bran, 839A, dark brindle, bred by Earl Caledon and exhibited by the late Mr. G.E. Crisp; Juno of the Fens, shown by that good sportsman, Dr. Pitts Tucker; another beautiful headed one, Artara Asthore; Champion Felixstowe Emo, bred by Mr. Walter Allen, one of our oldest Irish Wolfhound fanciers; Daphne of Kidnal, red fawn, bred by Mr. A. Gerard, another of the "Old Brigade"; Champion Dhudesia, I believe litter sister to Leinster (by the by) a comparative lost dog to the fancy, he should have been much more used in his young time.
A very important thing is that we must not lose sight of the fact that the Irish Wolfhound is not just a coarse Deerhound. Although there is, of course, a lot of similarity between the two breeds, yet in taking a good specimen of each and comparing them there is a very wide difference in shape, size and style.
During the past year we have had a few promising new faces appear. At Birmingham 1913 there were some very nice hounds, comparatively fresh ones. Gavin of Breawood, Michael O'Brien, Lindley Major, all good hounds, and a few years back would have very quickly got their title Champion, but now, with more and better dogs than of old, it is very much harder to win. Birmingham, 1913, Lindley Wendy was about the tallest bitch out for years, should be invaluable for breeding, but the Americans "know some" and they have got her. As time is pressing I have no opportunity of turning up notes of Crufts and Manchester, 1913.
Irish Kennel Club, Dublin. In Ireland there must be some useful blood if mated judiciously and well reared, judging by some of the hounds on the benches, to mention a few with several good points about them: Muchlagh and Teigue belong to the O'Mahony - most useful sorts; Seaghan Boroihme, also Conn, who should be most useful at stud, being a long, strong, although not very tall dog. The only Irish-owned bitch benched (belonging to our very greatly respected "Elder Brother" and Hon. Secretary, Mr. F.F. Baily), Cruagh, a very useful sort for maternal duties.
The Ladies' Kennel Association's Show saw one new face at least in a red fawn dog, Andy, bred and exhibited by Mr. Pemberton, only a year old, and on the day promised to make an unusually good dog. He has a coat of good texture, and plentiful. This particular colour invariably has quality and quantity combined of coat. These named will bear me out: Kenmare, Champion Daireen, Felixstowe Handy Andy, Champion Lufra Rhu.
Crystal Palace, 1913, I have no notes before me of the show, but from memory I think there were four new faces: a very tall young dog in Hindhead John, who had a good outing only finishing 2nd to Champion Felixstowe Gelert. J.J. is about a year old, and is very tall and straight on the leg, and when furnished and let down should be a great credit to his breeder and owner, Mr. H.L. Crisp of Hindhead.
Some very encouraging news from Mr. Jas. McKelvie, of Hatton, Kirknewton, Midlothian, who has a remarkable litter to come out. This litter are Champion Lindley Hector and Champion Felixstowe Kilrush bred. I shall be greatly surprised if these youngsters do not create a great sensation, as they are, I hear, huge, sound, typical youngsters. I think prospects of this breed have never been so bright.
Major P.G. Shewell, of Cotswold fame, has again taken up the breed in earnest. Having secured a nucleus of the new kennel in Champion Felixstowe Gelert, Champion Lindley Lupin, and Champion Lindley Hector, this latter dog is the tallest, I believe, on record, as I have measured him with a standard and found him to measure a full 37 inches at shoulder. With such blood it can be but a short time ere winners of shields, cups, etc. in these kennels will have attached to their names in catalogues "breeder exhibitor", and, to my mind, those two words are "it".
I would like to say a few words to new fanciers in this breed. Many of you have the very finest opportunities for growing good hounds, as there is more variety in sires now than for past years, also many of the beginners have new kennels and fresh ground, and this goes much further than many think towards success in rearing. Never over-crowd, never over-exercise, never over-heat the youngsters in the kennels, and above all, never worry. Give them plenty of raw lean beef, oatmeal porridge, brown bread, and raw beef bones, also a few good puppy cakes dry sometimes, fresh air, clean spring water (if obtainable), using plenty of patience and kindness, laying them on a dry boarded floor, on a good thick bed of dry wheat straw, letting the kennels, if possible, face south and on sandy soil. If these suggestions and common-sense are carried out, there is every reason to hope and believe that this grand hound will be second to none of the large varieties in the near future.
I should like to mention that Mr. Thos. Hamilton Adams, of Limpsfield, Surrey, has not just lately been quite so much before the public with the Ivo hounds, having taken up with the Sealyhams and that means, as with all he interests himself in - "success". The Ivo Sealyhams are already a big proposition to run up against.
We are parting with a lot of our best blood to America, and several that have been sent out for work have given great satisfaction and good sport. A few of those gone are Champion Lufra Rhu, Felixstowe Juno, Champion Felixstowe Gweebarra, Dromore, Lindley Wendy, Blarney, and many whose names I forget. I purposely have not referred much to the Felixstowe hounds, not wishing it to appear as getting a cheap advertisement, although at the same time during the past year I did some winning, had some big priced sales, and finished up by selling a youngster for £100 to be delivered in a fortnight's time, but he died instead. If ever my advice can be of any use to fanciers of this grand hound at any time, I shall be delighted to receive enquiries.
I have been asked to write something for the Year Book, and thought a few of my impressions of the breed, its progress, etc. for the past twenty-five years, might be of some interest to those to whom Irish Wolfhounds are as dear as they are to me. I am taking off from the time when a very dear old friend, Mr. R.T. Martin, of Artane, Co. Dublin, was one of our prominent Irish Wolfhound breeders and exhibitors, who then owned Ch. Marquis of Donegal, Connaught, Nuala, Leinster, Heremon, etc. Donegal was a tall dog, and at that time he stood some 35 to 36 inches. He had quite a nice head in shape but lacked beard and brow, was fairly long (which so often accompanies flat sides) and not too well finished behind. His front was not perfect either, yet withal he was prominent, on account of size, I think. From him descended many good hounds.
Captain Graham was very keen on black and tan colouring in the breed, and in his great attempts and achievements in helping on the breed he worked at the latter part of his life to encourage this black and tan colour, but he did not live long enough to get very far in it. One of his last of that colour was Osric, and he acquired Winona, a black and tan bitch, to breed to Osric.
Mr. J.F. Baily (our late Hon. Secretary and Treasurer) was endeavouring to help the breed, and bought most of his stock, I believe, from Mr. Martin. Amongst them were Connaught and Leinster - two good, sound hounds of substance - who sired in those days some good stock. He also owned Ch. Dhudesia, whom he later sold to Major P.G. Shewell. This bitch was very similar in type to Leinster, her brother, and produced some good youngsters while in Major Shewell's possession.
Mr. Bolton was (and still is) a real "stayer", and I believe bred, amongst others, a very noted bitch named Cheevra, whose name can be seen to-day in some of the old pedigrees. She was very prolific and gave us some good ones.
Mr. George Crisp in his day was quite at the top of the tree for several years, and I suppose stayed there longer than any other exhibitor has ever done.
He held the Graham Challenge Shield longer than anyone else on record. He owned at various times, and bred nearly all of them, Kincaid, Zota, Kenmare, Navan, Sir Brian, Brian, Ooona, Ch. Pomona, Kilcullen, St. Canice, Bran, Ch. O'Leary, Ch. Zarah, and many other good hounds. A very remarkable thing happened about Ch. O'Leary. At about nine months old he got into a flock of ewes and lambs and brought a very large lamb in his mouth across a stream adjoining Playford Hall. His kennelman, Threadkell, saw him and chastised him - I thought too severely - it so thoroughly upset his nerves that from then onwards he would at times in the judging ring shake, almost like some form of chorea, and this he very strangely imparted to many of his own pups, and it appeared in several up to the third and fourth generation.
Ch. Zarah was a first cross, but came very typical; she was by a Great Dane, Leon, and out of a Deerhound bitch, Fly II. She never gave anything at all approaching the Great Dane, no matter what sire was used.
Kilcullen was a medium brindle and a very nice well-put-together, typical little hound about 32 inches.
Here let me say very fictitious heights were given as to O'Leary - he never stood a fraction over 33 inches; but apart from his shakes he was a good hound all round.
A little later we come into a time when Mr. Lane Jackson, Mr. A.E. Gerard, Mr. J. Trainor, Mrs. Williams, and Major P.G. Shewell were notabilities in our hounds. Mr. Jackson brought out a very good light-fawn bitch in Ch. Sportella, who had a good long run of successes. One day I had a trying time; I was asked to go to his kennels and give my opinion on a litter of six youngsters from Sportella, about six months old. I was to give my opinion as to how to deal with these pups as the owner considered them not normal on their legs. On examining these wrecks of beautiful youngsters, I advised to have them all "put down" as their limbs were past all help, owing to bad rickets in their joints and bone curvatures. I am sorry to say that this, I think, was the means of him retiring from the breed.
Mr. A.E. Gerard came into possession of Cheevra, and bred some puppies from her. One of his hounds was bought by the Irish Wolfhound Club and presented as a regimental mascot to the Irish Guards. This hound's name was Rajah of Kidnal - quite a nice hound - he was handed over to the regiment at one of the Kennel Club Shows at the Crystal Palace, and quite an event was made of the ceremony. Other Irish Wolfhounds taking that position later on were Cruachan of Ifold, and more recently one from Capt. Hudson, Gilla of Brabyns.
Major P.G. Shewell started a successful career from an exhibition point of view by buying Ch. Cotswold's dam and mating her to Ch. O'Leary. In this litter was Ch. Cotswold, with whom I believe the Major won some seventeen K.C. Challenge Certificates; and Cotswold sired another notable hound (ex Ch. Felixstowe Dromore), named Ch. Felixstowe Kilronan. This hound, I think, while in Major Shewell's possession, won about sixteen K.C. Challenge Certificates. I just remember Cotswold at times had his sire's bad attacks of the "shakes", but he did not often pass it on. One of the best bitches bred in this kennel was Cotswold Patricia, who did a lot of winning when she liked, but at times made up her mind not to show and absolutely refused to stand on her legs. These, of course, were her losing days.
Another fancier of those days who did not show much, and did but little breeding, was the owner of Brian II and Thiggum Thu. These hounds did some winning, but were better known as stud hounds. These hounds were owned by Mr. Trainor.
Another well-known exhibitor was Mrs. Williams. Her prominent hounds were Ch. Dermot Asthore, Ch. Wargrave, Kathleen and Ch. Artara. In their day they were almost unbeatable. Dermot was a most consistent sire and did a great deal, I thought, for the breed. He brought in a line of outcross blood through the Nookoo line.
Dr. Pitts- Tucker showed one of our best bitches, named Juno of the Fen, a real sound typical bitch, with no prominent faults; but she, strange to say, did very little winning.
We have some good sporting fanciers in Ireland, in addition to those already referred to, and including Mr. Peter Rehoe, who has frequently owned a good one or two; Miss Wood, of Clonsilla, also did some useful breeding, and some of her hounds figured prominently in the old pedigrees.
Mr. T.W. Corcoran is one of our old stalwarts, who sticks to them through thick and thin, and is never without a few good ones. One of his later-day champions was Ch. Finnbarr Boroimhe, a sound active hound, who has only recently died.
Dr. Fisher produced, a few years back, some good hounds, Ch. Lindley Hector, Ch. Lindley Lupin, and other notabilities. Mr. H. Pemberton, one of our oldest fanciers, bred and owned many good ones, his Comberford Mick having a lot to do with many noted hounds, also his Andy and Cynethrith.
Mrs. Nagle (our Hon. Secretary) has been working very hard at the breed for years and is very keen on the workmanlike sort of hound; her efforts in this direction have not by any means been in vain.
In summing up I would like to say, and without wishing to give any kind of offence whatever, I do feel many of the present-day exhibitors do not appear to be pulling their weight in the matter of helping on the breed in what I consider a very vital part, and this is - the breeding side of the fancy. No one more thoroughly enjoys a good winning day than I do, but remember sometimes it would be serving the breed better to keep some particular animal at home for a few months to get a litter of a certain breeding, than to forego that litter and pick up an extra red card or two. Again, it seems often a litter is bred for no earthly reason except that perhaps (?) there may be a good one among them. I do most strongly feel that there should be more and deeper thought given to the breeding problems than appears to be the case at present. Don't let us discard an animal from a breeding point of view because it may not be winning, but if of the right breeding and in good health, and no serious reason why it should be passed over, then certainly do not pass it by. We certainly should remember that very frequently our best show specimens are not produced from the front-rank hounds. I stand by this statement - it is blood that tells every time, and not immediate specimens. In a more collective way, I look back at the hounds all along to the present time, and feel that while we have in the past twenty-five years, made great strides of improvement I can but come to the conclusion that this twenty-five years has not been spent entirely to the best advantage. So much of "fits and starts" appear to enter into the work, and that invariably is quite wrong. Remember, it is continuity of purpose gets there more surely, and gets there sooner. How often we get a little puzzled in a certain mating, and sometimes give this particular effort up and try another line, also with the result no good is achieved, and by continuing that previous effort one would most likely have got what one was making a more or less feeble effort to attain.
Another point I would like to bring forward is a matter of warning. Do let us set our face most firmly against playing with type. Am I not right in saying, one is in some cases disposed to back a type or points which in reality are foreign to our breed? I know, of course, it sometimes emanates from those that know least about right conformation - in our breed - but nevertheless it is sometimes done. Nothing can be more dangerous nor detrimental to Irish Wolfhounds. Some of our hounds of the present day are too short coupled, too flat in brisket, straight in stifles, and hocks too far from the ground, and weak narrow fronts. An excuse is made to support these misfits. It is a thousand pities that all the work of years, and frequently work carried on under great strain and inconvenience, should be nullified by these great errors. Another thing I see is that there is a great tendency to show this hound in a very unnatural state. The hound in many cases looks as if he had been living indoors under much too warm conditions, and his coat appearing entirely opposite to what it should be - a weather-resisting coat.
I feel this article is but a brief retrospect of the breed covering the twenty-five years, but I have tried to help the breed. I have worked for it ever since 1892, and, I hope, not altogether in vain. I again repeat: I do see a good deal of improvement the last quarter of a century, but there is still much to do, if we genuinely want to see this hound a really good representative of the right animal to do the job it is intended for. Let us sink our own little tin-pot differences and get down to rock-bottom plain facts, and play the game as only good sportsmen do.
Before finishing, I would like to apologise for any omissions I may have made as to names of those who have put in much work and thought in the restoration and improvement of this truly noble hound. I have purposely omitted reference to almost all of my hounds for obvious reasons. I get my share of pleasure in reading how the majority of the best present-day hounds are bred, and as to what share my efforts have taken in the production of them.
In looking at our present-day notabilities we see many very fine animals and which appeal to us in many, though varied, ways; some possibly from the point of size, others by reason of possessing some other very desirable and even more treasured points in our particular opinion, and there is much to be said in favour of all these various causes of admiration; and yet it is possible that each of these specimens in their entirety are by no means good typical specimens of the breed.
Is there not a very grave possibility, if this sort of approval continues and possibly increases, for the breed to deteriorate even from its present degree of good type?
It appears that the foundation of an improvement in this direction lies in those who judge the breed; they should know, and be willing, to uphold those animals they judge, giving more value to the right type.
Do I hear some saying: "That argument cannot stand," because "I know that typical hound So-and-So, when standing still, is a very typical animal"; move him, and he is all wrong, and that is no good to a galloping hound. Well, fellow-fancier, before you "open out", just make sure that the animal is typical, because I very much doubt that when you go through that specimen carefully you will find some essentials lacking. To my mind, I conisder a typical Irish wolfhound needs a lot of very careful scrutiny before deciding he belongs to that category. This opinion of mine may lead to an expression of something like this: "Judges cannot be expected to know anatomy to this extent." Well, if not, why take on a job and only be able to less than half do it? It is very nice to have the compliment paid one of being invited to judge, but it is up to that one to refuse, if in one's own conscience one does not feel capable.
Now as to the production of these typical animals. We can, in my opinion, only help on the good work. It is a continuous job, and can only be done at a very slow pace, as often to build up one part it partly appears to pull down something else. The very greatest assistance lies in personally knowing much of the ancestors we breed from, and our assistance invariably comes from using the animals who carry intheir breeding a predominance of those points we are wanting to establish and fix. We also must very vividly remember selection in connection with this type-fixing problem.
| FELIXSTOWE GRAINE 8 yrs. 4 months |
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| PRINCIPAL WINS | |
| CRUFTS, 1929 | 1st Graduate, Reserve, Limit and Open |
| MANCHESTER, 1929 | Challenge Certificate and two 1sts. |
| RICHMOND, 1929 | Reserve Challenge Certificate, two 2nds. |
| MANCHESTER, 1930 | Reserve Challenge Certificate, two 2nds. |
| BIRMINGHAM, 1930 | Challenge Certificate, two 1sts, also Baily- Booth-Strohmenger Bowl for best of breed |
| WINDSOR, 1931 | Reserve Challenge Certificate and two 2nds. |
Also many other wins at Championship and non-Championship Shows. |
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She has not been shown except locally since 1931 (Windsor Show), but won 1st in all classes at Manchester Show, 1932, which was her last appearance on the bench |
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I have experienced that two heads of hounds with good length and even, narrow skulls, which some would think would seriously help on that point of heads, would in that fusion produce the most untypical heads, possibly heads not at all resembling their onw, and that I found out when too late. The explanation was that although their heads were long, and something very nice about them, yet no real good heads had been the dominating factor in their composition for five generations or longer, and this was one of the instances which set me thinking of ancestral influence.
I wonder if I can make myself understood (if not, I am sure the fault will be mine) as to what I consider goes to make a typical Irish Wolfhound, in height - dogs from about 34 in. upwards, and bitches from about 31½ in. upwards.
The late Captain Graham, in talking over Irish Wolfhounds one day with me, drifted on to type, and on my asking him his description of it, he described something of this sort:-
An Irish Wolfhound should not be either like a Great Dane nor a Deerhound, although he would lean more to the Deerhound than to the Dane. His head should show greater proportion of strength to the size of him than the Deerhound. His ears should be carried in repose tucked behind him, as a Greyhound's, and when looking at objects in the distance should be semi-erect. His eyes should at least harmonize with his general colour, a usual preference being given to dark rather than light eyes. His muzzle, distinctly not square; it should have the appearance of being undercut rather than square, until the teeth are inspected, when it is seen the teeth are level. The head should be of good length in proportion to the hound, with a very small drop befoe the eyes and frontal bones little raised. His throat should be clear of loose skin or dewlap. His skull, although not coarse, should give one the impression of strength. To finish up a nize typical head, a reasonable amount of eyebrow, muzzle hair, and beard, completed by the neck being set into the head nice and high up and showing a reasonable crest. The neck should be of fair length, but too long a neck gives an impression of weakness rather than strength. The body should give an impression of nice length rather than the idea of a short-coupled-upbody; brisket down to elbows, and nicely wide at the bottom; the ribs reasonably sprung, but not to the extent of a Great Dane, so as not to resemble a barrel-like appearance. The loin should be a little full, but not so exaggerated as to give the hound the appearance of being dipped behind the shoulder, but just sufficient to give a nice gradual sweep right down to the set-on of the tail, which should connect fairly low down. This all adds to the lines of a nice set of curves beginning with the crest of neck and finishing with the bend of the tail.
As to the legs, a fair amount of bone is needed to make a typical hound and it is essential that the shoulders should be nicely laid back, not upright. The forelegs should be set in line with their shoulder points. The hindquarters are responsible for about two-thirds of his movement, continued movement that is, given the hound is fit internally. He needs good strong hindquarters, well muscled up, as separated from a superabundance of fat;; his heels nicely low to the ground, nicely bent stifles and second thighs, and in action his hind legs should come just pass the forelegs, outside of course. Tail of good length, but certainly not thick and fleshy. His body just in front of hindlegs fairly drawn up, of course, for he is a galloping hound and does not need much encumbrance there when he is called upon for work. His coat should be dense next his skin, and longer and more wiry on the outside. It should be a double coat, and would more frequently be so if not so much over-groomed.
Colours in various shades are recognised. Personally, I am very fond of orange-fawns and the various shades of brindle. I do not so much like the fainter shades unless accompanied by good black toenails and muzzles, and dark shadings round the eyes and under edges of the tail.
Quite likely some may ask, "What can you point out to as the most typical Irish Wolfhound of today, and to my mind it is Ch. Galleon of Ouborough (Mr. Rank's) and Miss Watson's bitch, Felixstowe Graine. I know full well some will say, "Whatever is there outstanding in these two?" My reply is, in my humble opinion, they, more nearly than any others, represent the ideal. I very fully realize they are just over possibly their brilliancy of youth, but I cannot find better models of Irish Wolfhounds.
The articles by Isaac Everett on rearing puppies and the feeding and care of stud dogs and brood bitches can be found on the page on early feeding and care. Some judging reports by him can be seen on the pages on early judge's reports. He also wrote the breed note column in the weekly paper Our Dogs for many years, the column being entitled Wolfhound Whines. Some of these can be seen in the book pages, here. A later Retrospect on the breed by Isaac Everett appeared in Our Dogs of December 14, 1934, and an article entitled "Forty-five Years in Irish Wolfhounds" appeared in Our Dogs of December 13, 1935
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Updated August 3rd, 2008