THE PRACTICE OF DEER-STALKING 153 



found deerhounds given to whine when in presence 

 of deer, but that is a minor fault. 



On the whole, and without going into the relative 

 merits of other breeds of dogs, such as retrievers, 

 lurchers, or even terriers, many of which are excel- 

 lent trackers, I have come to the conclusion that 

 nothing beats a collie for general use on the hill. 

 He is possessed of instinct, one may almost call it 

 sense, in a higher degree than any other breed, and he 

 is more tractable he will run by sight or by scent, 

 loose or on a cord he will keep close to his master, 

 requiring no gillie to lead him he can be taught to 

 lie down, and will even learn to crawl when necessary, 

 at any rate his motions are those of an animal who 

 knows that he is trying to approach his prey un- 

 observed. But the chief merit in a collie over all 

 other dogs for following a wounded deer consists in 

 his wonderful faculty for distinguishing between the 

 track of a wounded and that of a cold stag. This 

 gift comes only by practice, and perfection in this 

 respect must not be expected in a dog under three 

 or four years old. As speed is an essential quality, 

 and this begins to fail after a dog is six or seven 

 years of age, it will be seen that the life of a collie at 

 his best is but short. 



I have had in my possession (or rather, my stalkers 



