Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

of medium size. Muzzle broad, with its outline square in front, not receding as in the hound. Flews manifestly present, but not pendent. The head should be well set on the neck, with a peculiar form at the junction only seen in the pointer. The neck itself should be long, convex in its upper outline, without any tendency to a dewlap or to a "ruff," as the loose skin covered with long hair round the neck is called. The body is of good length, with a strong loin, wide hips, and rather arched ribs, the chest being well let down, but not in a hatchet shape as in the greyhound, and the depth of the back ribs being proportionately greater than in that dog. The tail, or "stern" as it is technically called, is strong at the root, but suddenly diminishing it becomes very fine, and then continues nearly of the same size to within two inches of the tip, when it goes off to a point looking as sharp as the sting of a wasp, and giving the whole very much the appearance of that part of the insect, but magnified as a matter of course. This peculiar shape of the stern characterises the breed, and its absence shows a cross with the hound or some other dog. The shoulders are points of great importance in the pointer, as unless they are well-formed he cannot last throughout the day, and, moreover, he can neither stop himself nor turn quickly in his work as he ought to do. Hence, a long, slanting, but muscular blade is of vast importance, united to a long upper arm, which again requires for its existence an elbow well let down below the chest, and a short fore arm. This low position of the elbow is not generally sufficiently insisted on, but in pointers and setters it is all-important, and it will be seen to be particularly well shown in the portrait annexed.

Plenty of bone in the leg, well clothed with muscle and tendon, a strong knee, full-sized ankle, and round strong foot, provided with a thick sole, are also essential to the wear and tear of the fore quarter, while the hind requires muscular haunches and thighs, strong well-bent stifles, large and strong hocks, and the hind feet of the same character as those described for the fore feet. The colour should be principally white, in order that the dog may readily be seen either among heather, or in clover or turnips, as the case may be. Liver-coloured or black pointers look very handsome, but it will be found that great inconvenience attaches to them, as they will often be lost sight of when pointing in either of the above kinds of beat. White, with black, liver, yellow, or lemon-coloured heads, are the most prized; and of these my prejudice is in favour of the last, from having had and seen so many good dogs of that colour. A spot or two on the body, and any number of ticks, are not considered objectionable, particularly the latter, which are generally admired. Some breeds are distinguished by having numerous white ticks in the colour, especially when there are large patches on the body, the marks on the head being usually free from them. Black and white pointers have sometimes also the tanned spots over the eye, and the edges of the black on the cheeks tinged with tan; but this is supposed to indicate a cross of the foxhound, and no doubt in many cases with truth; yet I fancy that if a yellow and white pointer is put to a black and white one, the tan will show itself occasionally without any admixture with the hound. The coat of the high-bred pointer is short and soft to the touch; but for hard work, especially on

the moors, a dog with rather a wiry coat, and well clothed with hair on the legs and feet, should be preferred; but these will show rather more hair on the stern than is thought to be characteristic of high breeding; yet let the stern be ever so hairy, there ought to be the same small bone and pointed tip as in the engraving.

THE PORTUGUESE POINTER

Resembles the Spanish in general form, but is furnished with a bushy stern, and looks like a cross with the old-fashioned spaniel.

THE FRENCH POINTER.

This is rather a nondescript animal, as he varies greatly throughout France, being in some districts very similar to the Spanish dog, while in others he has evidently been crossed with the poodle, and resembles that dog very closely. Indeed, the poodle itself is often broken and used as a pointer, but he is incapable of long-continued work; and such is also the characteristic of the French dog, though perhaps superior in this respect to the Spanish breed. Many English pointers are now used in France, and indeed the great majority of good sportsmen in that country have them more or less

pure.

THE DALMATIAN AND DANISH DOGS.

The Dalmatian dog is a handsome well-formed dog, standing

[graphic][merged small]

about 24 or 25 inches high, and resembling the pointer in his shape, but usually having his ears cropped, as shown in the engraving. He is beautifully spotted with black on a white ground, his chief merit consisting in the nearly uniform size of the spots (which should be from about an inch in diameter), and in their distinctness from the white in which they are imbedded; and being remarkably fond of horses, and of road-work with them, he has been long employed in this country to accompany our carriages as an ornamental appendage; but this fashion has of late

years subsided.

Hence he is here commonly known as "the Coach Dog;" but in his native country he is used as a pointer in the field, and is said to perform his duties well enough.

The small Danish dog is smaller than the Dalmatian; but, being spotted in the same way and characterised by the same fondness for horses, they are generally confounded under the term "Coach Dog." The Great Dane resembles the Boarhound. See page 86.

[graphic][subsumed]

"SAILOR," a perfect specimen of the Setter; bred by Mr. Tustin of Worcester.

THE SETTER (ENGLISH, IRISH, AND SCOTCH).

The setter is commonly supposed to be the old spaniel, either crossed with the pointer or his setting powers educated by long

H

« AnteriorContinuar »