XIV MANAGEMENT OF DOGS 133 



hereditary, and one come of good parents scarcely requires any 

 breaking, taking to it naturally as soon as he can run about. 

 It is almost' impossible to make some dogs useful in this way, 

 no teaching will do it unless there be a natural inclination — a 

 first-rate retriever nascitur non fit. You may break almost any 

 dog to carry a rabbit or bird, but it is a different thing entirely 

 to retrieve satisfactorily, or to be uniformly correct in distin- 

 guishing and sticking to the scent of the animal which is 

 wounded. 



In the same way pointing is hereditary in pointers and 

 setters, and puppies of a good breed, and of a well-educated 

 ancestry, take to pointing at game as naturally as to eating 

 their food, — and not only do they, of their own accord, point 

 steadily, but also back each other, quarter their ground regularly, 

 and in fact instinctively follow the example of their high-bred 

 and well-brought-up ancestors. For my own part, I think it 

 quite a superfluous trouble crossing a good breed of pointers 

 with fox-hound, or any other kind of dog, by way of adding 

 speed and strength, — you lose more than you gain, by giving 

 at the same time hard-headedness and obstinacy. It is much 

 better, if you fancy your breed of pointers or setters to be 

 growing small or degenerate, to cross them with some different 

 family of pointers or setters of stronger or faster make, of which 

 you will be sure to find plenty with very little trouble. It is a 

 great point in all dogs to allow them to be as much at liberty 

 as possible ; no animal kept shut up in a kennel or place of 

 confinement can have the same use of his senses as one which 

 is allowed to be at large to gain opportunities of exerting his 

 powers of observation and increase his knowledge in the ways 

 of the world. Dogs which are allowed to be always loose are 

 very seldom mischievous and troublesome, it is only those which 

 arei kept too long shut up and in solitude that rush into mischief 

 the moment they are at liberty ; of course it is necessary to 

 keep dogs confined to a certain extent, but my rule is to 

 imprison them as little as possible. Mine, therefore, seldom 

 are troublesome, but live at peace and friend.ship with numerous 

 other animals about the house and grounds, although many of 

 those animals are their natural enemies and objects of chase : 

 dogs, Shetland ponies, cats, tame rabbits, wild ducks, sheldrakes, 

 pigeons, etc., all associate together and feed out of the same 



