SAGACITY OF COLLIES AND SETTERS 281 



These dogs, from being constantly at the side of their 

 masters, became marvellously clever, and understood 

 every sign made to them by him. Collies, again, 

 learn not only to carry out the behests of their masters 

 in a wonderfully intelligent manner, but even to antici- 

 pate their wishes, being ever on the alert to please 

 them. I have known many a setter equally sagacious, 

 and able to perform feats which were the admiration of 

 others who had from time to time observed their gradual 

 training carried out by making them think for them- 

 selves and use their own reasoning powers, instead of 

 being always on the look-out for the whistle and whip- 

 cord. 



One may be often mistaken in one's judgment of 

 dogs ; frequently dogs which are shy and most unlikely 

 prove to be possessed of more than ordinary intelligence. 

 Their powers often lie dormant until called into action 

 by being trained and taken notice of. 



I have tried crossinor various breeds of doofs from 

 time to time, and have not always been successful 

 in obtaining what I required. In a terrier and retriever 

 cross I found that if too much of the terrier prevailed 

 the progeny turned out wicked ; and if, on the other 

 hand, there was too little of the blood, nose-power was 

 deficient. Out of several failures, the best cross I 

 ever shot over was that of a collie and terrier, which 

 produced a dog of exquisitely fine nose, and all the 

 characteristics of the best retriever. The dog I refer 

 to at the present time belongs to a keeper of Major 

 Rose, of Kilavarock, Nairn, but is now worn out from 

 the results of a very bad attack of distemper and rheu- 

 matism. This dog combined all the good qualities of 

 the very best retriever : his mouth was tender, he was 



