The Pointer. 125 



The forelegs should be straight and strong, the arms muscular, the 

 elbows well let down, and coming down well under the body, not out at 

 elbow or pigeon-toed. The pastern should be short and well developed. 



The feet should be of proportionate size to the dog, and either round 

 or cat-shaped, or pointed like that of the hare. I have seen dogs with 

 both kinds stand any amount of work without going lame, therefore for 

 use I think there is no difference ; but for show purposes the round foot, 

 with well arched toes, looks the smartest. 



The shoulders should be long, thin, and sloping backwards ; great 

 attention should be given to them, as a dog with a thick loaded, straight 

 shoulder, will have a cramped, stilty, laboured gallop. 



The chest should be deep, and not wide, the ribs well sprung from 

 backbone, and not shovelling at the brisket. 



The body should be long and powerful ; a weak, tucked up body is a 

 great defect, indicating lack of constitution, and a dog without a good 

 constitution is not capable of enduring consecutive hard work. The 

 back ribs should be deep, and the last rib as near the hip bone as 

 possible to get it. Much length from last rib to hip gives an appearance 

 of a slack weak loin. 



The loin should be slightly arched, very wide, strong, and muscular. 

 It is upon the hind legs and thighs that a dog chiefly depends for his 

 propelling leverage. If they are weak and ill formed the dog is a poor 

 " stayer." The thighs should be very long and muscular, well developed, 

 with a prominent second thigh. The stifle fairly bent, and slightly in- 

 clined outwards. The hocks large and strong, and coming straight with 

 thigh, not in, or cow-hocked. The hip wide apart and well up, at least 

 as high as the line of back, even when the dog is in good condition. The 

 dogs with wide, ragged hip bones are generally dogs with speed and 

 endurance. 



The tail should be short, but not shortened, fine at tip and strong at 

 root. It should be set on just below the line of back, and not too low 

 down to make the dog look " goose-rumped." It must not be curled 

 over back like the hound's, nor yet drooping like the Clumber's. It 

 should be carried in a lively manner just above the level of the back. 



Symmetry is, as far as I can define it, a perfect unity of proportion of 

 all the points before enumerated, so as to present the beautiful outline 

 that is so pleasing to the eye. A perfect adaptability of each part of the 



