THE BIG DOGS 1 55 



indispensable to him. He is an aristocratic 

 personage, both dainty and dignified, and, in 

 fact, he is said to possess almost human char- 

 acteristics. His coat should be short, neither 

 woolly nor too fine. He should be treated 

 like a reasonable being, for he is extremely 

 sensitive to injustice and cruelty. 



The setters are, in the opinion of many dog- 

 lovers, the most beautiful and noble of their 

 kind. In considering the varieties of a race 

 noted for its subserviency to man, it is truly 

 refreshing to come upon one with a reputa- 

 tion for independence of character. When to 

 that quality is added strong individuality, un- 

 usual intelligence, and a beautiful coat of long 

 red hair, the attractiveness of the red Irish 

 setter is explained. In color he is either a 

 rich mahogany red, of which there are two 

 shades, or a golden chestnut, without black. 

 White may be allowed on chest and toes, a 

 little on the forehead, or a narrow stripe on 

 the face, but nowhere else. His ears should 

 be set on low, and hang close to the head. 



The way a dog carries his tail is of the 

 greatest importance in the eye of the fancier; 

 the Newfoundland may let his hang, and the 



