The dog still maintains creditably his title of man's best friend. Sales of dog food totaled approximately $55,000,000 for canned and $5,000,000 for the dry or traditional dog biscuit; this sensationally increasing market has given a new outlet for the farmer's cereals and livestock.
In registrations the American Kennel Club registered approximately 75,000 dogs; the Field Dog Stud Book 13,000, the latter mostly setters and pointers. Breed popularity on the basis of registrations for the first five breeds are in order — cocker, Boston terrier, beagle, Scottish terrier, wirehaired fox terrier.
The Pekingese leads the toy dogs in sixth place and the dachshund comes seventh. Cartoonists are making life rather difficult for the dachshund on account of its use as a symbol of Germany although 98 per cent of all dachshunds in America are American-bred.
In bird dog field trials numbering approximately 200, pointers captured major wins over English setters. There was a noticeable increase in the number of field trials for cocker and springer spaniels and the retrievers.
In bench shows, there were 209 all-breed and 108 one-breed shows, a total of 317. The largest show was the Morris and Essex Kennel Club Show, Madison, N. J., May 27, with 4,456 dogs actually benched. The coveted title of best dog in the show was awarded to My Own Brucie, a black cocker spaniel owned by Herman E. Mellenthin of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Of the toy dogs the first prize went to Sealand Moneybox, a Pomeranian owned by Mrs. Vincent Malta of Astoria, N. Y. Champion Blaken Eiger, a white poodle owned by Mr. and Mrs. Sherman R. Hoyt of Katonah, N. Y., led the non-sporting dogs; the working dog division prize was carried off by Odin Vom Busecker Schloss, a shepherd dog owned by Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Heckert of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Glenmavis Solitaire of Freedom, an airedale owned by A. L. Zeckendorf of Stamford was first in the terrier breeds. In the hound class first honors went to Herman Rinkton, a dachshund owned by Mrs. Annis A. Jones of South Orange, N. J.
In the sixty-third annual show of the Westminster Kennel Club, the most notable of American dog shows, held in Madison Square Garden Feb. 13-15, the dog judged best in show to the acclaim of 15,000 enthusiasts was the Doberman pinscher Ferry v. Rauhfelsen, owned by the Giralda Farms of Mrs. M. Hartley Dodge of Madison, N. J. The James Mortimer Challenge Trophy for the best American-bred dog was taken by the black cocker spaniel Champion My Own Brucie, owned by Herman E. Mellenthin of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. The chief challenger for this important award was Labrador, Champion Earlsmoor Moor of Arden belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Milbank; and third came that inveterate winner among Irish setters, Champion Milson Top Notcher of the Milson Kennels, Harrison, N. Y. Other main awards were as follows: best team — Croglin Kennels' Sealyham terriers Champion Nutfield Snowfall of Croglin, Champion Brash Best Man of Croglin, Champion Croglin Christina and Croglin Crest; best brace — Blakeen Kennels' poodles Champion Blakeen Jung Frau and Champion Blakeen Eiger; best hound pack — Meadow Brook Hounds' cross-bred foxhounds.
National Dog Week, Sept. 17-22, was observed in 761 communities. Dog control on account of rabies and the stray dog received considerable attention with emphasis upon better care for all dogs rather than more dogs and careless dog owners.
Although the war situation has disastrously affected dog breeding and dog ownership in European countries at war, the American dog fancier has not in any way felt unfavorable effects.
One of the outstanding developments of the year has been the increasing number of obedience trials at dog shows and the awarding of training degrees, namely, in order — companion dog, companion dog excellent, and utility dog.
The total number of dogs in the United States is approximately 12,000,000, of which one-fourth or 3,000,000 are pedigreed.
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