POINTING NATURAL TO DOGS 195 



immediately where he stood. There is a great deal of 

 unnecessary cruelty often practised — too often, I fear — in 

 breaking young pointers. The best bred will, as a matter 

 of course, require the least trouble, but with all patience 

 and good temper must be practised extensively, to attain 

 the desired end of willing obedience. 



The pointer is not so entirely an artificial animal as 

 many have been led to suppose ; for pointing or setting 

 his game is natural to every sporting dog, although in a 

 very modified degree, I have seen greyhounds, even in 

 an enclosed country, when passing by the side of a hedge- 

 row, stand suddenly still upon winding or seeing a hare, 

 and after remaining a minute or two, as if rooted to the 

 spot, dash at their game. Spaniels and terriers I have 

 seen do the same thing scores of times, with rabbits or 

 game in a bush. Fox-hounds I have also witnessed draw 

 upon a fox in short covert, and after standing a moment 

 or two, spring into and catch him in his kennel. I had 

 once a greyhound which would stand partridges almost 

 as well as a pointer, but a friend to whom I had mentioned 

 the subject doubting it, I took the dog out into a field 

 close to the house, where he found a covey of birds. 

 The dog stood them in beautiful attitude, with head and 

 tail erect, and having brought down a brace right and left, 

 I presented them to my astonished companion. If two 

 dogs meet in a road, coming from opposite directions, 

 they will crouch down first, then draw upon each other, 

 as a pointer does towards his game, then crouch again, 

 or stand erect for some time before making a spring. 

 This habit is natural to all dogs and other animals of a 

 carnivorous nature. Lions, tigers, cats, and foxes 

 approach their prey in the same manner. 



