6 THE dog; and how to break him. 



■\vitli every probability, to be the origin of the 

 setter; but, then, it is a question whether the 

 setter was not known in Britain previous to the 

 discovery of NeAvfoundland. Where was the first 

 existence of the splendid old English talbot? 

 Utterly unknown. Whence was originally ob- 

 tained the noble Irish wolf-dog? No one can tell. 

 Who will venture to say that these are varieties 

 of the sheep-dog ? or who, hearing it so stated, 

 will give credence to what appears so very impro- 

 bable ? That the pointer was first brought from 

 Spain, the pug-dog from Holland, the Italian grey- 

 hound from the country from which it takes its 

 name, and that the setter and spaniel are perhaps 

 indigenous to England, and the Skye terrier to 

 the western islands of Scotland, may be all very 

 true. We will take for granted that it is so ; re- 

 main satisfied with the animals as they are 

 already fashioned to our hands ; and inquire no 

 fiu'ther respecting their remote ancestors, though 

 we shall be somewhat particular relative to the 

 immediate descent of dogs to be trained for the 

 gun. 



TRAINING DOGS FOR THE GUN. 



Well-bred dogs will generally require very little 

 instruction or correction of any kind ; they will 

 set and back of their own accord at a Acrv early 



