Caesar of Notts – The King’s Wire

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100 – August, 2020

By Amy Fernandez 

It’s no secret that Terrier popularity has taken a nosedive in recent years. In truth, this downward trend has gone on for decades. As expected, there’s a gazillion theories to explain it. Here’s what I think. First off, I’m looking at this from the perspective of a diehard purebred lover, and therefore discount those “adopted” pseudo- terriers paraded around by “woke” dog lovers every weekend. I am referring strictly to the genuine article, the kind of Terrier that’s built for business, so you better enjoy that. And there was a time when breeds like that ruled America. Airedales, Wires, Scotties, Irish, those were THE most popular breeds for decades.

People couldn’t get enough even though living with one was sort of like walking around with a bottle rocket. This can be great fun, but you better know what you’re doing. It’s that appreciation for real Terrier spirit that seems to have disappeared from cultural expectations. These aren’t “furkids” needing “dog nannies”, oh no, these breeds have clear agendas and overwhelming personalities.

It’s no coincidence that they’ve found favor with so many historical heavyweights. FDR and Fala for example. Can you imagine FDR coming home after a rough day of Churchill and Stalin looking for a canine rag doll needing to be cuddled and handfed? Probably not.

But my all-time favorite example is Caesar, the adored Wire Fox Terrier owned by King Edward VII. Edward became the bookmark of the brief but emblematic Edwardian Era, reigning for barely ten years from 1901-1910. And by the time he ascended to the throne at age 59, he’d carved out a remarkable career of decadence and scandal. His reign did, however, coincide with the early modern purebred dog movement. The Royal family was a high profile presence at early dog shows. Various Royals exhibited several breeds regularly and, as expected, crowds flocked through the gate for a glimpse of “the royal pets.” It goes without saying that Edward was born into a dog-loving family. His parents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, were often suspected of preferring their dogs to their children. Who knows?

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100 – August, 2020

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Posted by AnthonyA on Aug 21 2020. 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.