POINTS OF THE CHOW CHOW: HEAD--Skull flat and broad, with little stop, well filled out under the eyes. MUZZLE--Moderate in length, and broad from the eyes to the point (not pointed at the end like a fox). NOSE--Black, large and wide. (In cream or light-coloured specimens, a pink nose is allowable.) TONGUE--Black. EYES--Dark and small. (In a blue dog light colour is permissible.) EARS--Small, pointed, and carried stiffly erect. They should be placed well forward over the eyes, which gives the dog the peculiar characteristic expression of the breed--viz., a sort of scowl. TEETH--Strong and level. NECK--Strong, full, set well on the shoulders, and slightly arched. SHOULDERS--Muscular and sloping. CHEST--Broad and deep. BACK--Short, straight, and strong. LOINS--Powerful. TAIL--Curled tightly over the back. FORE-LEGS--Perfectly straight, of moderate length, and with great bone. HIND-LEGS--Same as fore-legs, muscular and with hocks well let down. FEET--Small, round and catlike, standing well on the toes. COAT--Abundant, dense, straight, and rather coarse in texture, with a soft woolly undercoat. COLOUR--Whole-coloured black, red, yellow, blue, white, etc., not in patches (the under part of tail and back of thighs frequently of a lighter colour). GENERAL APPEARANCE--A lively, compact, short coupled dog, well-knit in frame, with tail curled well over the back. DISQUALIFYING POINTS--Drop ears, red tongue, tail not curled over back, white spots on coat, and red nose, except in yellow or white specimens. N.B.--Smooth Chows are governed by the same scale of points, except that the coat is smooth. * * * * * As to the weight, bitches scale about 30 lbs., but dogs are heavier. Ch. Shylock weighed 47-3/4 lbs., and Red Craze 38 lbs. CHAPTER XI THE POODLE The Poodle is commonly acknowledged to be the most wisely intelligent of all members of the canine race. He is a scholar and a gentleman; but, in spite of his claims of long descent and his extraordinary natural cleverness, he has never been widely popular in this country as the Collie and the Fox-Terrier are popular. There is a general belief that he is a fop, whose time is largely occupied in personal embellishment, and that he requires a great deal of individual attention in the matter of his toilet. It may be true that to keep him in exhibition order and perfect cleanliness his owner has need to devote more consideration to him than is necessary in the case of many breeds; but in other respects he gives very little trouble, and all who are attached to him are consistent in their opinion that there is no dog so intensely interesting and responsive as a companion. His qualities of mind and his acute powers of reasoning are indeed so great that there is something almost human in his attractiveness and his devotion. His aptitude in learning is never denied, and many are the stories told of his marvellous talent and versatility.