Dog Articles
Past and Present:
Pointer
So far we
have spoken of dogs which when used for hunting purposes are usually
supposed to catch and kill the game which they follow. We now come
to a class of hunting dogs which are not expected to kill the game,
but to help their masters to kill it, or to retrieve it after it
has been killed.
In the
very front ranks stand the Pointer and the Setters - English, Irish,
and Gordon - and which is the best is largely a matter of individual
taste.
The chief
duty of each is to scent out the game (usually such birds as
Partridge, Grouse, and Quail), and, when near enough, point out to
the gunner the spot where it lies concealed. As the hunter
approaches, the birds rise and are shot on the wing. Very often the
dogs are trained to pick up and bring in the game after it is shot.
The
Pointer is smooth coated, and his name suggests his business.
This most
popular of upland hunting dogs has undergone many changes in
standard as to size, conformation, and color. But certainly no
‘strain’ has been more successful, nor stamped its virtues more
generally upon following generations of pointers, than the famous
‘graphic’ Pointers of 20 years, ago, and it is one of the
best of these that was used as a model.
The
working Pointer should be a lean, hard-limbed, and well-muscled dog
of about 60 pounds weight, though 10 pounds either way would meet
the preferences of different fanciers. He must be keen of eye and
nose, obedient, teachable, and staunch. Many otherwise fine Pointers
lack the courage of their convictions, and it is easy to spoil a
good dog either by too gentle or too rough handling.
Colors are
legion; white should predominate, with liver, lemon, or black
distributed in almost any fashion, according to taste. No finer
upland bird dog exists, and his endurance and energy are things to
marvel at.
As in all
working dogs, the ‘tools of his trade’ must be right. Soft, spready
feet, weak legs or back, small or ‘snipy’ nose are all vital
defects. The head is shaped very like that of a setter, but should
be wider across the ears. A good, square profile is essential, with
a well-defined stop. The tail, strong and full at the base, should
taper rapidly and be as straight as possible.
The breed
is so popular and so widely used that there is little difficulty in
getting well-balanced pointers.
The
continental ‘Pointing Griffon’ is a type of growing popularity, with
little to commend it above the better-known field dogs except its
novelty. It may be described as a wire-haired Pointer, whose coat is
rough and quite long, particularly over the eyes and on the muzzle.
It has a terrier-like expression that is rather prejudicial to the
impression it makes upon one familiar with the frank, loyal look of
a Setter or Pointer.
Source:
National Geographic 1919
Recommended Reading
Dog Training
Mastery - An Owners' Manual
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