422 DOGS USED FOR SPORT. 



to be light colored, so that the animal may be readUy distinguished 

 from the grass, herbage, etc., as no doubt the dark colored dog is 

 very attfactive to the eye in the house, but cannot be seen so easily 

 in the field, thereby causing much annoyance to the sportsman. 



The pointer we should never teach to retrieve as a rule. 

 Pointers are, or ought to be, used for open field shooting only, as 

 their delicate organization, thin skin, slight coat, and having no 

 hair between their toes, prevents them retrieving successfully 

 through scrub oaks, thick cover, swamps and water. Nine times 

 out of ten a shooter will tell his pointer to charge after he has just 

 fetched a snipe or cock out of a heavy watery swamp, to the con- 

 trary TiotwithslaTiding ; the dog having comparatively little cloth- 

 ing will take cold. It is true that a high-blooded pointer will go 

 anjTwhere, but not without ill eifects to his person, such as draw- 

 ing blood and otherwise injuring his physique. We think it is 

 quite sufficient for the pointer to stand his dead bird. Pointers do 

 not make as good retrievers as setters for the reasons stated above, 

 and moreover if most of the celebrated retrieving pointers be 

 traced back one or two generations, it will very likely be found 

 that the grand dam or grand sire was a setter, which will account 

 for this inherent retrieving propensity. 



We consider the spHt nose a decided objection in either setter 

 or pointer, but particularly in the latter as indicating impurity of 

 breed. It probably originated with the old Spanish breed of pointer, 

 and now crops out occasionally where there is ^ixed blood. If it 

 were merely a freak of nature, as some contend, it could not be 

 transmitted or reproduced as it undoubtedly is when dogs possess- 

 ing it are bred from. The word " dropper " is used to designate the 

 cross between setter and pointer only, and a very good word it is. 



Points for the Show Bench, as given by the Fancier's Gazette 

 are: 



Head should be moderately long, narrowing from the skull ; the 

 skull not too prominent above the eyes, as this gives a heavy ap- 

 pearance ; rather deep in the lip, but not any flaw, or very slight 

 nostrils open, with level jaw ; eyes moderately bold ; ears thin, set 

 in to the head, just where the skull begins to recede at the sides 

 of the head, hanging flat on the cheek ; throwing the ears back sc 

 as to show the insides has a bad appearance, and too often indi- 

 cates a cross ; neck medium in proportion to head, and body rather 



