Page:The power of the dog.djvu/159

 the exception of a moustache on the upper lip; and about a third of the body is also stripped, two pompoms, however, being allowed on each side of the back.

Until some fourteen years ago, the commonly accepted colours were black or white, but when a red came on the scene as the result of a union of two blacks, the colour question at once assumed importance, and now we may have, in addition to the shades mentioned, blue, mouse grey, silver grey, cream or apricot, tan, smoke, chocolate, brown, pale fawn, etc. During the same period the miniature Poodle has received a great impetus. That is, officially, a dog measuring not more than fifteen inches at the shoulder, although as a matter of fact the aspirations of breeders is to get below this maximum. Strange to say, the large dog of recent years has been getting bigger, until we may have one weighing as much as sixty pounds, measuring at least six and twenty inches. The weight of of a miniature may come down to about fifteen pounds, which is sufficient to prevent him being weedy. It is to be hoped that no serious attempts will be made to reduce this to any material extent.