re arranged by S.
E. Shirley and J. H. Murchison, but the exhibition, although a most
interesting one, was a failure, and the guarantors had to face a heavy
loss. A second venture proved to be a little more encouraging, although
again there was a loss; but in April 1873, the Kennel Club, which is now
the governing body of the canine world, was founded by S. E. Shirley,
who, after acting as its chairman for many years, was elected the
president, and occupied that position until his death in March 1904. His
successor was the duke of Connaught and Strathearn; the vice-presidents
including the duke of Portland, Lord Algernon Gordon Lennox, J. H.
Salter and H. Richards. The progress of the club has been remarkable,
and that its formation did much to improve the conditions of the various
breeds of dogs, to encourage their use in the field by the promotion of
working trials, and to check abuses which were common with regard to the
registration of pedigrees, &c., cannot be denied. The abolition of the
cropping of the ears of Great Danes, bull terriers, black and tan
terriers, white English terriers, Irish terriers and toy terriers, in
1889 gained the approval of all humane lovers of dogs, and although
attempts have been made to induce the club to modify the rule which
prohibits the exhibition of cropped dogs, the practice has not been
revived; it is declared, however, that the toy terriers and white
English terriers have lost such smartness by the retention of the ears
that they are becoming extinct. The club has control over all the shows
held in the United Kingdom, no fewer than 519 being held in 1905, the
actual number of dogs which were entered at the leading fixtures being:
Kennel Club show 1789, Cruft's 1768, Ladies' Kennel Association 1306,
Manchester 1190, Edinburgh 896 and Birmingham 892. In 1906, however, no
fewer than 1956 dogs were entered at the show of the Westminster Kennel
Club, held in Madison Square Garden, New York; a fact proving that the
show is as popular in America as it is in the United Kingdom, the home
of the movement. The enormous sum of L1500 has been paid for a collie,
and 1000 guineas for a bulldog, both show dogs pure and simple; while
L500 is no uncommon price for a fox terrier. Excepting for greyhounds,
however, high prices are rarely offered for sporting dogs, 300 guineas
for the pointer "Coronation" and 200 guineas for the retriever "High
Legh Blarney" being the best reported prices for gun dogs