THE DOG-TRADE.
THE approach of the shooting-season has, as usual, caused a marked increase in the activity of the Dog Exchange. How comes
it that in not one of the " City letters " of the morning or evening journals do we find the transactions in this important market quoted ? It is far more truly a "'change" than the corn-exchange of Mark Lane ; for in the latter, the whole business is mere buying
and selling, while in the former, at least among the regular dealers, it is literally a succession of transfers. It is also a much wider
field of speculation ; for, instead of being confined to a narrow lane, the whole metropolis is filled with dog-venders and dog- fanciers.
There is a marked increase in the activity of the Dog Exchange— that is, for the home market. The foreign dog-trade is much the same throughout the year ; and has been of late, whatever may be the case with other branches of our commerce, decidedly on the in- crease. Both the exportation and importation of dogs has aug- mented rapidly of late years, in consequence of the more intimate
connexion between the members of the London and Brussels and Amsterdam Dog Exchanges. The transfers of each of these cities
are found to be more safe investments in either of the others than at home. The foreign trade in dogs has been rendered, as appears from certain recent reports of the Police-courts, by the aid of the steam-packets, not only free but easy. Prejudiced people are still apt to look on it as discreditable, on account of the manner in which the property in the animals is at first acquired ; but this feeling must vanish before the conviction that it is favourable to the pro- gress of what has been called " humanity to animals." Before the foreign dog-trade was permanently established on its extensive scale, the dog-dealers had frequently no other way of disposing of the poor creatures which bad fallen into their hands, than by kill- ing them in order to sell their skins—and the carcass at a low rate to sausage-makers. Now, any tender-hearted dowager of London who has lost her poodle, may rest pacified by the certainty, that he is, if a dog of figure, parts, and breeding, enjoying his accus- tomed luxuries under the fostering care of some kindred spirit at Amsterdam, the very paradise of poodles. This must be a conso- lation even in the agony of bereavement,—unless, indeed, the good lady be as selfish as some heroic lovers, who would rather have the object of their affections dead than alive and happy with any man but themselves.
The increased activity of the Dog Exchange at this season is entirely occasioned by the sudden influx of an incalculable number of animals, which are passed off under the general designation of pointers and setters. At other seasons, the animals exposed for sale by the itinerant venders of London are generally puppies ; the full-grown being more safely disposed of abroad. In general, they are spaniels, resembling (if not of the King Charles breed) French poodles and Sky terriers, daintily set off with light-blue ribbons round their neck. The setters appear in their native Cockney cos- tumes. But the pointers (call them pointers) exposed for sale in August, have black leather straps round their necks—partly be- cause, having arrived at the years of discretion, tbey are apt to be aware that they are not in the hands of their true owners, and partly because it has a more out-of-doors and workman-like look.
The merchant, too, affects a costume approaching to that of a gamekeeper, or at least a poacher,—though, being for the most part genuine town-bred, he looks the character little better than the poor animals he hawks about do that of pure thoroughbred dogs of game.
Although the dog-trade, foreign and domestic, has increased con- siderably of late years, it must, unless the structure of our language much mislead us, have always been one of the leading branches of our national commerce. " Dog-cheap," the phrase for a good bargain—" gone to the dogs," an expression used to indicate bank- ruptcy—and similar phrases, show that, while each merchant had a line of business which might more emphatically be called his own, the dog-trade was constantly uppermost in the minds of all.
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