t 48 ] 



CHAPTER YIII. 



SPORTING DOGS 



THE BEST DOG FOR SHOOTING PURPOSES IN CHINA. 



pEW questions relating to shooting matters in this part of the world have been, or 

 are, more frequently the subject of discussion than the apparently very simple, and 

 certainly the very natural, one " What is the best kind of dog for general sporting purposes 

 in North China?" With the multiplicity of answers the inquirer will find himself 

 perplexed; and the reason is not far to seek, for partiality, which is an ever-changing 

 sentiment, must necessarily influence the nature of the reply to what is, after all, a very 

 sentimental inquiry. The real fact is that there can be good dogs of all kinds, but there is 

 the tendency in the owner who loves his dog to " be to his virtues very kind and to his faults 

 a little blind," and to consider him perfection when probably he is but a very second class 

 performer in the field. Differences of opinion naturally enough exist as to the most suitable 

 dog for this country, and as every individual supposes himself to possess the best dog in 

 China, of whatever breed or character it may chance to be, those differences are likely to 

 continue. However, the following suggestions are offered as an attempt at a reasonable 

 solution of the question. 



In China, as elsewhere, the four descriptions of dogs in ordinary use are retrievers, 

 spaniels, setters and pointers, but I am inclined to add a fifth, the fox terrier, over whom a 

 marvellous amount both of enjoyment and sport may be obtained. They are placed in 

 this order merely that the analysis of their merits and demerits may the more easily be 

 followed, and that the reasons for the preference of the one kind of animal over the other 

 more clearly shown. It is not intended here to do other than glance at some of the more 

 prominent of a dog's points, for this question in all its fulness may be found discussed in the 

 standard works of Stonehenge, Rawdon Lee, Idstone, Dalziel, Gordon Stables and Pathfinder 

 amongst many others. 



RETRIEVERS. 



It will be only necessary here to take note of one kind of retriever, the black flat- 

 coated kind, for the objections that may be raised against him as a positive nuisance when 

 the seeds are ripe to fall can only be intensified when applied to the curly-coated description. 



Admitting to the fullest that a retriever may be a wonderfully sagacious dog and 

 capable of affording lots of sport, yet the following objections will be found to weigh 

 against him and long haired dogs generally. 



