DOGS FOR THE MOORS. 15 



their bad breeding and nose after a week's shooting. To 

 assist the judgment of the uninitiated, I have given 

 accurate likenesses of the three best pointers I ever had. 

 I know some faults might be found in them, but they 

 have all the main requisites. 



If your dogs are well bred, the great secret of making 

 them first-rate on the moor is, never to pass over a fault, 

 never chastise with great severity nor in a passion, and 

 to kill plenty of game over them. There are two faults, 

 however, to which dogs, otherwise valuable, are some- 

 times addicted ; these give the sportsman great annoy- 

 ance, but may often be more easily corrected than he is 

 aware. One is the inveterate habit, contracted through 

 bad breaking, of running in when the bird drops. Of 

 course, if a dog is known to have this trick, he can be 

 broken of it by the trash-cord and spiked collar; but 

 many gentlemen buy dogs before shooting over them, 

 and commence their day's sport without these appendages. 

 They are thus obliged either to couple up the dog or 

 run the risk of having any birds that remain, after the 

 pack has risen, driven up, and those that have fallen 

 mangled by him. I have seen dogs most unmercifully 

 flogged, and yet bolt with the same eagerness every 

 shot. It was easy to see the reason: the dog was fol- 

 lowed by the keeper, endeavouring to make him " down ;" 

 there was thus a race between them which should reach 

 the fallen bird. 



The plan to adopt with a dog of this description is, 



