120 British Dogs. 



has, within the last few, trained some (and seen others at work) of my 

 pointers by champions Eap, Pax, Chang, Macgregor, and Bang; and 

 although he willingly admits their superior pace and style, yet he fails to 

 detect any increased range of nose over that he has been accustomed to 

 in good dogs he used very early in his sporting experience. 



There is no doubt whatever that the modern pointer, owing to his 

 increased pace, and through being able to endure (by his better formation) 

 more hard work with less fatigue, is of more service to the sportsman ; 

 still there is room for improvement in him. What we want is to make 

 him as much superior in nose as he is beyond his ancestors in pace. This 

 as yet we have not accomplished. Of course increased pace allows of 

 more ground being hunted in the same time, and this of itself is a great 

 advantage ; and it is this alone, in my opinion, that gives the modern 

 fast pointer the advantage over his slower rival. To illustrate what I 

 mean I may say that I have often put down my field trial winner Eomp with 

 good-nosed slow dogs (local celebrities, too), and owing to her terrific 

 pace, she could always take and keep the outside beat ; consequently 

 her chances of finding game were much increased, and she invariably beat 

 them " hands down." But it was only her^>ace, not her nose, that gave 

 her the advantage. The dags she could easily beat were her equals in 

 nose. I have attended field trials for the last five years, and in no case 

 have I seen any pointer exhibiting an increased range of nose over that I 

 have seen in other good dogs. 



A fear has often been expressed that, by breeding for pace, the staunch- 

 ness of the pointer would be detrimentally affected. I am pleased to say 

 I do not find this to be the case. He is now, in this respect, all that a 

 sportsman can wish for. 



As the pointer and setter are used for identically the same purpose, it 

 may be expected that I should say something as to their relative merit. 

 It is always an invidious task to draw comparisons, and in this case I 

 think it especially so ; for each breed has a host of admirers, who are 

 ready to swear by their favourite's superiority. 



As we are all too apt to be influenced in our opinion by our surround- 

 ings, and by our likes and dislikes ; and, further, to generalise from a few 

 instances that we may have had occasion to take knowledge of, I shall 

 content myself by pointing out that sportsmen of great experience, both 

 in the past and present, agree that the setter is the better adapted for 



