290 TEST OF NOSE- PO WER 



whether a dog has a good nose or not is to work 

 him with another dog which is known to be perfect 

 in that respect, and if the owner of the dog to be 

 tried does not possess such an one, either pointer or 

 setter, he should borrow some well-known dog. If the 

 latter is not procurable, the next best thing to do is to 

 watch the dog on trial, and if he throws up his head on 

 finding game, and moves confidently up to the birds 

 before settling on his point, the chances are that he is 

 a good dog. If, on the contrary, he keeps pottering 

 and poking about the birds with his nose close to the 

 ground, and even then comes to his point as stiff as a 

 gun, it may be assumed that he is not only underbred, 

 but will turn out a hedge-potterer. A dog which is a 

 close ranger on a moor is to be avoided ; such dogs 

 may do well enough for shooting where fields are small 

 and the covert thick, but on the moors they are an 

 abomination, and a bold, free-hunting dog will find four 

 times as many grouse as a slow, poking one. 



I have ever found that pointers possess truer noses 

 than setters in dry weather, and have constantly known 

 them obtain points in the hot, dry days of August, 

 when setters have altogether missed the birds, and 

 were more on the look-out for water than game. 



Setters will not work in such weather without water, 

 and therefore pointers are preferable for dry moors. 

 They are, however, more liable to suffer in their feet 

 than setters, as they are less protected by hair, and the 

 heather more easily penetrates it ; but I have found 

 pointers invaluable in dry weather, when setters have 

 been well-nigh useless. When birds get scattered 

 pointers show their superiority over setters, especially 

 on bad-scenting days ; but in wet, cold, drizzling 



