THE MODERN FOXHOUND

CHAPTER XI

THE history of the modern foxhound’s development has been thoroughly dealt with by many noted authorities on the chase, so we shall only briefly refer to it here, preferring rather to discuss the various points of the present standard type with regard to its working ability in the field. Somewhere about 1750, Mr. Hugo Meynell was responsible for a quickening up of the then slow method of fox-hunting, and in conjunction with Squire Childe and Mr. John Musters, he evolved a proper method of breeding and kennel management. Later, the system of hunting was revolutionised by Squire Osbaldeston when Master of the Quorn, hounds being bred for speed, while quickness and decision played a great part in the successful conduct of the chase by those in authority. It was during the first quarter of the eighteenth century that the foremost breeders of that day established the present shape and character of the foxhound, and breeding on such lines has been carried on until we see its final culmination represented by the type of hound annually exhibited at Peterborough show.

Turning back to the past history of the leading English kennels, from which are descended the chief strains of blood of the present day, it will be found that hounds were then much smaller than they are now, and that they differed to some extent in certain points of their anatomy. The highest type of foxhound to-day is the Belvoir, and the majority of well known packs are bred and inbred to Belvoir sires, until the type and quality of that famous kennel are to be found throughout Great Britain. In the history of the Belvoir, it is quite apparent that the smaller sized foxhounds have always been predominant in the past, and it is through them that the kennel has achieved its greatness. The Belvoir and Brocklesby have been closely associated in hound breeding, and The Druid tells us that Brocklesby Rallywood, 1843, was the hound which virtually made the Belvoir. Of him Goodall wrote, “He was a most beautiful short-legged dog, exceedingly light of bone, but with beautiful legs and feet. Rosebud, his dam, worked until she was ten years old, and she was never known to do anything wrong. They are perfection in their work, and everlasting.”

Rallywood stood 23 inches in height, and judging from a reproduction of a portrait of him painted by J. Ferneley, he was a hound fit to hunt and kill foxes in almost any sort of country. The picture shows a light built, intelligent looking hound, somewhat round in the quarters, standing back at the knee, with fairly long pasterns, and round, compact feet. The Belvoir pack benefitted greatly when Will Smith let Will Goodall have Brocklesby Rallywood, and both Sir R. Sutton and Lord H. Bentinck stated that “his benefits to our packs have been almost incalculable.”

Rallywood was the sire of Willing (1857), dam of Wonder (1864) and grand dam of Weathergage (1876). Frank Gillard pronounced Weathergage the best foxhound he ever saw in every part of a hunt, and though the hound was flat sided, short necked, and three cornered he had very deep ribs, and a wonderful voice. His dam Royalty (1871), descended from Rambler (1864), possessed remarkable symmetry and balance, qualities that the son failed to reproduce. Despite this fact however, Weathergage transmitted these qualities to his own son Gambler (1884), a compact, 23 inch hound, 27½ inches in length. It therefore appears that the qualities were dormant in him, and he was able to transmit them to his progeny.

To Gambler very many of the most fashionable foxhounds of to-day trace their origin, and both he and his ancestors were small hounds compared with the modern standard. During the forty years between the time of Brocklesby Rallywood and Belvoir Gambler, we find a very noticeable increase of bone in foxhounds, particularly below the knee. This is plainly evident if we compare the portraits of the above mentioned hounds. The picture of Gambler shows a hound of massive appearance, yet well balanced and symmetrical, with a characteristic and intelligent head, and great beauty of contour. There is great bone, carried right down to the toes, and though the pasterns are short and straight, there is no sign of knuckling over at the knee. The Belvoir kennels have of course produced very many remarkable hounds of the standard type, which would take too long to enumerate here. We may however mention Dexter (1895) whose portrait shows a practically perfect hound of his particular type.

As already mentioned, all the hounds in the most famous packs are bred and inbred to Belvoir sires and to-day the standard type is to be found throughout the hunting countries of the British Islands. Many of the most famous hounds of the past stood no more than 23 inches in height, and they were remarkable for their working ability and stamina. To them the majority of present day hounds trace their origin. Of the large hounds bred in the past no trace of their descendants can be found to-day, except in a very few cases. This points to the fact that hound-breeders of that time set greater store by small hounds, whereas to-day many Peterborough champions are nearer 25 than 24 inches in height.

Prior to the institution of Peterborough show in 1896, less important shows had been held at Malton, York, and Beverley, the first meeting of the kind having been inaugurated by Mr. Thomas Parrington, at Redcar. This gentleman was also to a great extent responsible for the institution of the now famous annual show at Peterborough. Mr. Parrington had had a very long experience of hounds, and it was his opinion that the hounds of standard type to-day, while superior to their ancestors in conformation, are inferior in the matter of nose, courage, tongue, and stamina. Although there are doubtless many who will disagree with this statement, we are convinced that as regards hounds of the standard type in general, it is perfectly correct. When Peterborough show was first instituted, the promoters no doubt had in mind the attainment of symmetry and balance that would produce not only a good looking pack of hounds, but one suited—owing to the perfect balance of individual hounds—to do the greatest amount of work in the field with the least possible amount of wear and tear. Keeping in mind the fact that the standard type of hound was evolved and perfected by breeders who hunted in the Shires and countries adjoining, we must agree that the type is suited for work in such countries, countries which consist for the most part of level grass land or undulating ground. That symmetry and balance have been attained in the past we cannot deny, for the foxhound of standard type is symmetrical and well balanced, qualities which are due to a great extent to the shows. Looks are not everything however in a hound, and working qualities should never be subordinated to appearance. We have already mentioned the opinion of Mr. Parrington that the present day standard type of hound is inferior to his ancestors in nose, tongue, courage, and stamina; and in addition we may also add, he has changed for the worst as regards height, bone, and feet. We have already seen that most of the famous hounds of the past were not more than 23 inches in height, as compared with the 24 or 25 inch hounds of to-day, and with regard to bone and feet, these points are fully dealt with in subsequent chapters.

The three great hound shows, Peterborough, Reigate, and Exeter, have served auseful purpose inasmuch as they for a time raised the standard of foxhound excellence. In addition they have tended to popularise hunting and encourage breeders. These are all very laudable attainments, but to-day the shows have gone beyond the strictly utility point of view, and have given undue encouragement towards breeding for certain show points. The same thing has happened, only to a much greater degree, in the case of gun-dogs and other breeds. Take smooth and wire-haired fox terriers for example. At one time they were a valuable working strain, but to-day the majority are useless for underground work. Most dogs of the show type are too big to go up to fox or otter, and in the majority of them the inherited instinct for work has been lost. Anyone with a lengthy experience of working terriers will corroborate the above statement. Dog showing is now purely and simply a business proposition, the pecuniary value of the show breeds resting upon the closeness of their approximation to the standard of show points set down and approved by the judges. Working ability has been entirely neglected in the desire to assimilate these show points.

Harking back to hound shows, we find a similar tendency towards breeding for excessive show points. Bone, straightness, “necks and shoulders,” and the cat-foot are bred for to so great an extent that the result can but end in disaster if the policy is continued. If we look at certain hounds which during recent years have won honours at Peterborough, we find many of them are in some points quite abnormal. Take feet and knees for example. Instead of a compact, and fairly round foot, we have a contracted, club-like affair, on which it is impossible for a hound to stand squarely. The knees too knuckle over to such an extent that they appear “dicky,” and obtain spring in a contrary direction to that ordained by nature. Such a wide deviation from the natural cannot benefit the hound in his work, for knuckling over at the knees is abnormal as any qualified veterinary surgeon will testify. Regarding the club-like forefeet, the consensus of opinion amongst huntsmen, more particularly those who carry the horn in rough, provincial countries, is all against such an abnormal shape, and in favour of the neat, compact, and shallow-padded hare foot. If the fashionable type of foot was all that certain Masters claim it to be, how is it that the hare foot is still universal amongst the fell and moorland hounds in the North? Sidney Tucker, for so long huntsman to the Devon and Somerset Staghounds, averred that the club-like foot of the modern hound was useless to him in his country, and that the more open and natural foot stood the work far better. Few people were in a better position to express an opinion than Tucker, for he had in his kennels drafts from Hunts in all parts of the country, and was thus able to thoroughly test the wearing qualities of all sorts of hounds’ feet. Again, there are certain harrier packs, such as the Cotley and the Axe Vale, composed of light coloured hounds of the old-fashioned breed, with hare feet. These harriers hunt fox as well as hare, and when in pursuit of the former, there are probably few foxhound packs in the country which show better sport, or account for their foxes more handsomely. Here again, if the hare foot does not stand wear and tear, how is it that these old fashioned harrier packs have stuck to it in preference to the more fashionable round foot? In our own experience we have seen hounds of standard type hunting on the fells with the fell packs, and their round, contracted feet were absolutely unfitted to cope with the exigences of the rough going. Again, puppies out of a fell bitch, sired by a hound of standard type, seldom possess feet of hard wearing qualities, the hounds so bred standing far too much on their toes.

With regard to bone, we find the foxhound of standard type possessed of an enormous quantity of it, carried right down to his toes. In the desire to get more bone below the knee, the pasterns have gradually become shorter and more straight, until there is no spring whatever in the natural or backward direction. Spring is essential to withstand jar and concussion, and so to gain it the hound knuckles over at the knee, in a quite abnormal manner. Again, why need a hound carry such heavy bone? Bone means weight, and consequent leg weariness, and cannot add to the ease wherewith a hound should travel. In no other breed of dog, as far as we are aware, is spring obtained except through fairly long, sloping pasterns, and in a backward direction. Pointers and setters both do their work at speed, yet they are possessed of sloping pasterns and hare feet. The fundamental principles of anatomy that nature has seen fit to apply to animals of the canine breed are best fitted to aid the breed in the work it has to do. It seems therefore that those Masters who approve of the abnormal in hounds of standard breed are attempting to read Nature a lesson as regards legs and feet, and people who attempt that sort of thing generally come a cropper in the long run. Animals of the feline race, such as the domestic cat, cheetah, lion, and tiger, have round feet with deep, thick pads. None of these animals obtain their prey by chasing it long distances, as do the wild dogs, and wolves; instead they secure it by stealth, or by a short, quick rush, not long sustained. Why then aim at such a type of foot for the hound, whose business is to run far and fast over every variety of country? In the case of the horse which has to cross the same country as the hound, the various breeds have been improved to meet their different uses, but in no single instance has the foot or pastern been shortened, straightened, or contracted. Any horseman knows that a long, sloping pastern prolongs a hunter’s life of usefulness, because it minimises jar and concussion, and incidentally provides an easier ride for the man in the saddle when crossing a country.

Harking back to bone, and subsequent weight, you do not require the bone of the cart-horse in the hunter, so why overload a hound with it? Light and medium boned hounds with proper constitutions, last quite as long, in fact longer than heavy-boned hounds, at any rate in rough country, and the same applies in an ordinary country like the Shires. The hound has nothing but himself to carry, and it is the small, compact hound, not over burdened with bone, that “stands the racket” best.

We have already mentioned the names of three famous hounds of the past, i.e., Rallywood, Weathergage, and Gambler. Could these three hounds come back to life and be judged at Peterborough, they would be rejected on account of size, and in all probability they would also be passed over as stud hounds, despite their records in the field. As for stamina, Gambler ran with the pack for fourteen seasons, a feat which cannot be placed to the credit of any of the hounds of standard type now. A hound of the Gambler type, while not the sort for a very rough country, is nevertheless suited for work in the Shires, and he and others justified their breeding, by doing their work well in the country to which they belonged.

At the present time clean necks are a fetish with breeders of the standard type of hound. John Warde, the “father of modern hunting,” always favoured a throaty hound, despite the fact that “John Warde’s neck cloth” was used as a term of reproach by fashionable breeders. Now a bit of “neck cloth” is invariably a sign that a hound possesses both nose and tongue, two very desirable qualities in any hound, but especially so in those of the moorland and fell type, as well as in those which hunt extensive woodlands. A clean neck is nice enough to look at, but it should be remembered that “handsome is as handsome does,” for mute hounds are all too common nowadays, in fact some packs say so little about it that they can barely be heard two fields away. A mute hound should be drafted at once; because he cannot always be watched, and will spoil many a run by getting away “on his own.”

As to size, a hound of twenty-three inches or under is, in nine cases out of ten, a much better all round performer than one of twenty four or five inches. It is easier to breed good little ’uns than good big ’uns, and they last longer, as well as being less expensive to keep.

With regard to stamina and constitution, hounds of the standard type appear to compare unfavourably with those in the past, as well as with other types, such as the fell and Welsh hounds, in use to-day. Many hounds are drafted at the end of their fourth season, presumably because they can no longer run up, while abnormal sized litters, containing a preponderance of female puppies, are only too common nowadays. This is a sure sign of weak constitution, brought on by close in-breeding to fix and retain type. At present a hound which wins championship honours at Peterborough immediately becomes sought after as a sire. His reputation in the field has been gained in his first season, after which, owing to stud duties, he seldom appears with the pack. There is therefore no reliable information concerning his staunchness, stamina, and other qualities to be obtained, so that if bitches are sent to him, it is pure guess work as to what characteristics he will transmit to his progeny. If you examine such a hound you are no wiser, unless you chance to see him on one of his occasional days afield, and even then his working life has been too short for him to have developed his good qualities. In the case of say a fourth season hound, you know his record afield, and can therefore gauge his suitability to mate with certain bitches.

The trouble with hound shows appears to be this. They have catered so long for the standard type, that the latter now holds a complete monopoly. This type, because it is fashionable, possesses the highest financial value, just in the same way that the show fox terrier valued at say £100 to go to America is superior from a show point of view to the ordinary kennel terrier, despite the fact that the latter as a worker is worth his weight in gold. Hounds are constantly sold at inflated prices simply because they are of fashionable type, despite the fact that there are other types in the country which can do the work afield equally well or even better, yet whose financial value is not considered to be a tenth of that of their fashionable relatives.

This, whilst harmful to hounds in general, is obviously unfair to those Masters who wish to breed hounds of a type suited to their individual countries. Should they do so, and enter any of their hounds at the shows, they are excluded from sharing in the awards because their exhibits are not up to the standard set down by the judges. As things stand at present, the average provincial Master must either breed for show alone and thus hunt his country with a type of hound which is probably quite unsuited to it, or he must resolutely set his face against the shows and breed for utility and consequent improved sport. Now all this could be very easily altered if the Peter-borough standard was expanded in order to cover several types. Three such types would be sufficient to enable provincial packs to be properly catered for, from a utility point of view, and the present inflated prices for fashionable hounds would give way to utility value, based on the suitability of the hound to its particular country. As matters stand now, upon the basis of a single standard of type for the whole of the hunting countries in Great Britain, we find that this type —by actual experience—has been found wanting in many districts. There are hounds, such as the fell and Welsh types, capable of doing the best work in any country, which certainly cannot be said of the ultra fashionable sort one sees at Peterborough. If therefore, a single standard was deemed sufficient, such hounds are capable of upholding it, because fell and Welsh hounds can hunt in any country, and form a better standard to breed to, from an all-round utility point of view, than the heavy-boned sort one sees at the shows. Although let us say the fell type is suited to any hunting country in Great Britain, there are those Masters who would like to keep reasonably near to the standard type, so long as their hounds could do the work required of them. By having say three classes at Peterborough instead of one, these Masters would be catered for, as well as others like them. The monopoly of the shows by the standard type has increased the tendency to in-breeding, because as already mentioned, a few practically untried stallion hounds become champions, and are used almost exclusively at the stud. This sort of thing ends in loss of constitution, and necessitates keeping an unnecessary number of hounds in kennel in order that packs may be continually up to strength. Individual hounds cannot do their two or three days per week, so more hounds have to be bred and sent out to walk, and when they are entered they may only last three or four seasons. Kennel and other expenses consequently go up, while the standard of real sport tends to deteriorate. Close in-breeding results in loss of constitution, working ability, and brain power, with consequent irregularity in type. If you want brains, drive, music, and plenty of “devil” in your hounds, never breed nearer than the fifth generation. In “The Foxhound of the Twentieth Century,” Mr. C. Bradley says, “The money value of a pack of hounds to-day turns on the formation of the knee-joint to the ground, and however good topped they may be, if light of bone it will avail them little in the eyes of the purchaser who wants the best.” He also says “The usefulness of some animals may have been impaired by breeding for points, but the fox-hound has never become ‘the sport of fashion.’ ” Now these two statements can hardly be said to agree. If the value of a pack turns on the amount of bone below the knee, without mention of working qualities, surely it is fashion’s dictate that commands the market. In our experience there are few animals to-day, with the exception of show terriers and other breeds kept solely for exhibition purposes, which are more “the sport of fashion” than the type of fox-hound now found winning honours at Peterborough. Fashion has been responsible for the club-like foot, and knuckled over knee, as well as for the unnecessary bone. The Brocklesby Rallywood was light-boned, and stood back at the knee, and yet we are told he was one of the best in his work, with stamina, courage, and all the qualities that go to the making of a really great hound. He lived in a day when hounds were quite as fast if not faster than they are now, and if he satisfied the great hound-breeders of that time, breeders who knew quite as much about the requisite qualities in a hound as do their descendants, the changes that have taken place in the anatomical formation of the hound since Rallywood’s day cannot have had their origin in an idea to improve working qualities; but rather because fashion ordained that certain points as we now see them were simply “more pleasing to the eye.”

The same author tells us that when Will Goodall was huntsman of the Pytchley, he borrowed a couple of cross-bred Welsh hounds from Mr. F. Lort Phillips, master of the Pembrokeshire. On the worst scenting days the Welsh-bred bitch Dimple could hold the line and get away in the lead. Here we have a hound that was no doubt lacking in bone, and back at the knee, yet able to go one better than the English fox-hounds of a famous and fashionable pack; yet Mr. Bradley says “but so far as Welsh blood and characteristics of make and shape are concerned, it is not a desirable source for an out-cross, if the beautiful conformation of the English fox-hounds counts for anything.” Here we have the modern fashionable breeder’s view-point in a nutshell. As long as a hound looks pretty and takes the eye, and has bone below the knee, he is able to win prizes at Peterborough, and when he and his kind are sold they fetch top prices. In the field however a little Welsh bitch can show them the way, but her working ability is subordinated to the “beautiful conformation” of the English foxhounds which could not hold the line. And yet foxhounds are supposed to be bred for the express purpose of hunting and catching foxes. With all due deference to the fashionable breeders of to-day, and acknowledging the utility of the standard type of hound in level and undulating grass countries, there are districts such as the fells and moorlands of the Lake country and Yorkshire, as well as parts of Wales in which the local hounds can out-run and out-hunt the best of the fashionable kind that are annually exhibited at Peterborough. A nice looking hound is a pleasing possession if he has all the qualities which go with a first-rate worker, but “handsome is as handsome does” should be the motto, with particular emphasis on the does.