SHEPHERD S DOG 



The Irish Setter is very^ similar to the English animal, but has larger legs 

 in proportion to the size of the body, and is distinguished from its Enf^lish 

 relative by a certain Hibernian air that characterises it and which although 

 conspicuous enough to a practised eye, is not easy of description. 



While at work, the Setter has a strange predilection for water, and this fancy 

 is carried so far in some Dogs that they wiU not go on with their work 

 unless they can wet the whole of their coats once at least in every half-hour. 

 If deprived of this luxury they pant and puff with heat and exertion, and are 

 quite useless for the time. 



It seems that the Setter is a less tractable pupil than the pointer, and even 

 when taught is apt to forget its instructions and requires a second course of 

 lessons before it will behave properly in the field. Owing to the rough coat 

 and hair-defended feet of the Setter, it is able to go through more rough 

 work than the pointer, and is therefore used in preference to that animal in 

 the north of England and in Scotland,^where the heat is not so great as in 

 the more southern countries, — where the rough stem of the heather would 

 work much woe to a tender-footed Dog, and where the vicissitudes of the 

 climate are so rapid and so fierce that they would injure the constittrtion of 

 any but a most powerfully built animal. 



This Dog, as well as the foxhound and harrier, is guided to its game bv 

 the odour that proceeds from the bird or beast which it is follo^ving ; but the 

 scent reaches their nostrils in a different manner. 



The foxhound, together with the harrier and beagle, follows up the odorous 

 track which is left on the eartli by the imprint of the hunted animal's feet 

 or the accidental contact of the under-side of its body with the ground. 

 But the pointer, Setter, spaniel, and other Dogs that are employed in finding 

 \dctims for the gun, are attracted at some distance by the scent that is exhaled 

 from the body of their game, and are therefore said to hunt by " Body-scent,' 

 in contradistinction to the hounds who hunt by " foot-scent." The direction 

 in which the wind blows is, therefore, a matter of some consequence, and is 

 duly taken advantage of by even* trood sportsman. 



SHEPHERDS DOG. 



The !Most useful variety of the canine species is that sagacious creature 

 on whose talent and energy depends the chief safety of the flock. 



This animal seems to be, as far as can be judged from appearances, the 



107 



