122 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



can never tell, it is safest to proceed thus for a few days, and 

 meantime the puppy may have fresh short runs at intervals of 

 an hour or two. This refers to highly broken puppies, and not 

 to the wild, sport-spoiling sort. The former are never so good 

 as when they have the keen edge on ; the latter are never 

 worse than with it on. Such dogs are too wild to be of use 

 all the morning, and too tired all the afternoon, so that the 

 points one has to make sure of in purchasing pointers and 

 setters are 



Absence of gun-shyness. 



Steady pointing. 



Freedom from chase. 



Dropping to wing, gun, and hand. 



A fair amount of ability to go, with a prospect of staying 

 when in working condition. 



A good nose. 



Answering to whistle. 



With these qualities good sport will be assured, although 

 the most particular will require in addition good backing. It 

 is the quality most often absent in good puppies, and luckily 

 can most easily be dispensed with. There are hundreds of 

 shooters over dogs who never saw good backing, as most people 

 are satisfied when the dog behind takes up an attitude of 

 steadiness, and they do not ask unpleasant questions as to its 

 nature. In practice a double point is often as good as a back, 

 and it is not difficult to understand how some people may get 

 to prefer that the dog behind is on the spot. For one thing, he 

 is then safe from doing undetected damage, and is ready to 

 assist in roding out close-lying birds as soon as his companion 

 needs help. 



Between this and the most striking field trial backing 

 there is a happy middle course, which used to be considered the 

 most perfect, and is so now, but it would be unfair to expect it 

 when strange dogs meet each other at field trials. It consists 

 in a perfect sympathy with the pointing dog, so that the animal 

 which has not got the scent feels it through the " thought 

 reading" of his companion. One cannot suppose there is 



