Choosing a Shooting Dog 179 



Anyhow, a setter of good class generally over- 

 heats himself in August or early September 

 chicken shooting by beginning at a pace too fast. 

 He either pumps himself out or loses his nose. 

 The pointer usually regulates his speed better 

 and gives a more killing day. He does not begin 

 with a gait beyond his capacity to stand the hot 

 weather. On the prairie the setter's only advan- 

 tage is that his feet stand the cutting effect of the 

 dry grass much better. 



In the quail season the comparison is reversed 

 and, all things considered, the setter is the more 

 useful dog in average quail country, the pointer s 

 one decided advantage here being his indifference 

 to the always recurring bur troubles of the setter. 



This all goes to the question of relative effi- 

 ciency. A man can get his fun and sport with a 

 cocker or any dog which he fancies and knows 

 how to handle. Maybe, if we Americans devoted 

 more attention to the pleasure of trying the spe- 

 cial qualities of different dogs and less to mere 

 shooting, field sport would really be better worth 

 while. As the sport goes, however, the rule 

 stands that the devotee would for all American 

 upland game better use a tolerably fast and busy 

 setter or pointer, or depend on his own fieldcraft. 

 The cocker and other sporting spaniels are en- 

 gaging little fellows, among the brightest, most in- 

 telligent and affectionate of dogs. They quickly 



