THE IRISH SETTER 291 



keenness lead him to cover an immense amount of ground, where 

 the slower and more mechanical Pointer would fall far short of his 

 number of finds at the end of a day's work. 



An amusing confirmation of this occurred at the field trials 

 in Ireland several years ago. The Irish Setter Puppy and All- 

 aged Stakes were first run off, and occupied three whole days, 

 when on the fourth day the All Comers Stakes were opened. 

 The first brace put down were very fine and celebrated Pointers, 

 who quartered their ground in good style, but in rather limited 

 beats. A well-known writer on sporting dogs happened to be 

 present in his capacity as reporter, and remarked, with a sigh 

 of relief : " Now that is what I call proper going. My eyes 

 are sore watching those red devils like flashes of lightning over 

 the mountains for the past three days." The Pointers were taken 

 up after an extended trial, in which they found once. 



Again, on snipe the Irish Setter is perfectly at home, and it 

 is really wonderful to see the dog, who a moment before was 

 galloping at full speed over the moor, when he comes to a marsh 

 or a patch of likely rushes, slow down and adopt a pace more 

 like a cat creeping on a mouse than anything else, and when 

 this has been thoroughly searched, resume, no doubt what to some 

 would appear, his wild career over the heather. 



The " Veteran Sportsman " quoted at the beginning of this 

 article goes on to say, comparing the Irish Setter with the Pointer, 

 that " they are certainly more difficult to break, and when broke 

 are most apt to run wild and unsteady if not frequently hunted." 

 This was written a hundred years ago, and has become a sort of 

 stereotyped opinion of the character of the dog, for which probably 

 his environment was more to blame than his temperament. Most 

 certainly, if not hunted regularly and with due attention to 'the 

 correction of faults, the same remark is applicable to all breeds. 

 All sportsmen and writers on sporting dogs are well aware that 

 one day's careless handling may undo the training of months; 

 and, for some inexplicable reason, Irish gamekeepers are notoriously 

 bad breakers and handlers. Now, if to bad handling be added 

 scarcity of birds, and consequently fewer opportunities of teaching 

 and fixing the lessons taught, an explanation at once appears of 

 the very few really highly trained dogs seen, which would reasonably 

 enough give rise to the idea that they were apt to run wild and 

 unsteady if not frequently hunted. 



With proper preliminary handling when young, chiefly for dis- 

 cipline, a well-bred Irish Setter, after three or four days on a moun- 

 tain, will have learned his work so well as to be entitled to his 

 place with the regular team ; and after a couple of seasons appears 

 to know when he is out with the gun for business or out on a 

 walk for pleasure, in the latter case frequently transgressing the 



