The Gentleman

Click here to read the complete article
252 – January/February, 2022

By Lee Connor

It is quite hard for us nowadays to imagine just how popular the Smooth Fox Terrier once was.

Sadly, he is now quite a rare sight in the US and in his English homeland. However, there once was a time when the “Gentleman Terrier” reigned supreme.

The first dog shows in England took place in Birmingham, Newcastle, and London between 1859–65, together with an annual show for Foxhounds in Yorkshire.

Tom Wootton, Mr. Gorse and Mr. Stevens, along with a few other breeders, set to work to vie with these huntsmen and subsequently produced the smart Smooth Fox Terrier which, in looks, was far superior to the rather rough-looking hunt terriers.

And it was these refined, ‘gentlemanly’ looks that subsequently attracted public attention.

This period coincided with the Industrial Revolution, then in full spate in England, where towns and cities were growing almost overnight. The new working classes became interested in these showy terriers, maybe as a reminder of the rural life they had to abandon.

Likewise, these plucky little dogs also became embraced and admired by the middle and upper classes of society.

There was an opening for a universally popular breed, and the Smooth Fox Terrier availed himself of the opportunity–his progress from the stable and the servants’ quarters to the drawing room was rapid.

Click here to read the complete article
252 – January/February, 2022

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=221754

Posted by AnthonyA on Feb 4 2022. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.