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Show Deterlor tlon of the Mastiff. In nn article entitled "Dogdom's 'Four Hundred,'" by It. P. Mayhow, In Everybody's, tho writer deplores tho mastiff's loss of prestlgo: "Somo breeds there are," ho writes, "thnt havo been driven Into obscurity obscur-ity by tho unbridled crnvlng of breeders breed-ers for particular properties. Most lamentable of theso la tho caso of tho mastiff, who, 15 or 20 years ago, wns tho king of tho heavy brigade. Size and ma-slvo bends becamo the alpha and omega of the breeders. In-crenso In-crenso In s' j resulted In lumbering, overfed npathetlcs, and could not get out of their own way and only by an effort co'd support their catfish carcasses on mrawllng legs nnd splay feet. And I., tho Intensity of deslro to produco mnsslvo heads tho hither end of tho wretched animal was forgotten, for-gotten, nnd paralyzed or semi paralyzed par-alyzed hindquarters wero tho result. Hjcco tho downfall of tho mastiff nnd, In n mensure, of tho St. Hernurd. Their former position In tho dog world Is now occupied by the Great Dane, deerhound and tho Russian wolfhound." |
