DOGS ADAPTED TO SPORTING IN AMERICA. 221 



to break than the Setter, and less inclined to grow rank 

 for want of work. I will admit this with certain limita- 

 tions, viz.: that the Pointer, from his general quiet dispc^ 

 sition and lack of that dash and fire peculiar to the Setter, 

 is an easier dog for an inexperienced man to handle, and 

 for the same reason he will not show so wild at the first of 

 a season after months of neglect; but for an experienced 

 breaker, or any man that studies his dog's nature, I think 

 the Setter's dash is an extra attraction, and my own ex- 

 perience after breaking a number of both breeds, shows 

 me that the Setter is less likely to be sullen in disposition, 

 and is generally a more willing worker in the training 

 field than the Pointer. As for rankness, that is the fault 

 of the owner alone, for if he will give his dog reasonable 

 exercise and keep him under control, or, if he cannot do 

 this will slip the chain each day and give the dog a few 

 moments yard work, he will find there is no difficulty in 

 securing prompt obedience and steady work the first day 

 he takes the field. If a man cannot do this he should put 

 his dog into the hands of a steady, reliable trainer, who 

 will do it for him; and if he will do neither, as I said be- 

 fore, it is his own fault if he has a wild dog at the opening 

 of the shooting, and I do not believe in condemning the 

 dog for his master's fault. 



There remains yet one point to be brought forward in 

 favor of the Setter, viz.: retrieving. I claim the Setter as 

 a better general retriever because he will retrieve from 

 water, while as a rule the Pointer will not. It frequently 

 happens that a sportsman gets a day's Duck shooting, but 

 has so little of this that it will not pay him to keep a reg- 

 ular Duck dog, yet when he can slip away to the Chesa- 

 peake, or to some of our noted inland resorts of water- 

 fowl, he wants a dog to bring his birds from the water. I 

 have both heard of and seen Pointers that would face 

 cold water, and even break their way through thin ice to 

 retrieve, but where you find one which will do this you 

 will find a hundred that will not enter the water at all, ex- 

 cept in warm weather. On the other hand, the Setter can 



