"The subtle dog scours with sagacious nose
Along the field, and snuffs each breeze that blows;
Against the wind he takes his prudent way,
While the strong gale directs him to the prey.
Now the warm scent assures the covey near;
He treads with caution, and he points with fear.
The fluttering coveys from the stubble rise,
And on swift wing divide the sounding skies;
The scatt'ring lead pursues the certain sight,
And death in thunder overtakes their flight."--GAY.
This dog has been crossed and re-crossed so often with the fox-hound,
the setter, and the old Spanish pointer, that the originality of the
present breed may be questioned, especially as the pointer has been
less noticed by writers on dogs than any other of the species. How
well do I recollect in my early youth seeing the slow, heavy,
solemn-looking, and thick-shouldered Spanish pointer, tired with two
or three hours' work in turnips, and so stiff after it the next day,
as to be little capable of resuming his labours. And yet this dog,
fifty years ago, was to be met with all through England. How different
is the breed at the present time! By crossing with the fox-hound, they
have acquired wonderful speed, and a power of endurance equally
surprising, while their shape is beautiful and their sense and
animation strongly marked in their intelligent countenances.
The old pointers were either nearly white or variegated with large
liver-coloured patches. We now see them either completely
liver-coloured, or of a flea-bitten blue or grey, or else black, with
fine sterns showing much blood, and extremely thin ears. There can be
no doubt but that the crosses by which they have obtained the
qualities and appearance I have mentioned, render the task of breaking
them in to point, back, and drop to charge, one of no small
difficulty. These habits, having been acquired in the original breed,
had probably become hereditary; but the mixture with dogs which had
not these inherent qualities, has introduced volatility and impatience
not easily to be overcome. It is also a fact, that if a pointer,
notwithstanding this disposition, should at last become perfectly well
broke in, or, as it is called, highly broke, he loses much of his
natural sagacity. His powers of endurance are, however, very great. A
friend of mine, an ardent sportsman, had a pointer crossed with a
foxhound, and it was the only one he had. Day after day he took this
dog out with him, from day-break till late in the evening, and he
never flagged or showed fatigue. It was calculated that he could not
traverse less than one hundred and twenty miles each day. This dog
showed extraordinary sagacity. While hunting in a large fallow field
he made a point, and then slowly and cautiously proceeded, closely
followed by his master. In this way he led him over a good part of the
field, till it was supposed the dog was drawing on the scent of a
hare, which had stolen away. At last he set off running as hard as he
could, made a large circuit to the left, and then came to a point
immediately opposite to his master, who then advanced and put up a
covey of birds between him and the dog.
The following is a proof of the perfection to which pointers may be
brought. The friend above referred to went out shooting with a
gentleman celebrated for the goodness of his breed. They took the
field with eight of these dogs. If one pointed, all the rest
immediately backed steadily. If a partridge was shot, they all dropped
to charge, and whichsoever dog was called to bring the bird, the rest
never stirred till they were told to do so. Dogs thus broke in are of
great value, and bring large prices; from fifty to a hundred guineas
have been given for a good dog.
Pointers frequently show extraordinary sense, especially in their own
peculiar vocation. Thus a pointer has been known to refuse to hunt for
a person who had previously missed every bird the dog had found. He
left him with every mark of disgust, nor could any coaxing induce him
to continue with his unsportsman-like companion.
Three pointers were taken out grouse-shooting in Ireland. They were
all of the same breed, or rather nearly related to each other, one
being the grandmother, the other her daughter, and the third her
granddaughter. The latter, who could get over the ground quicker than
the others, put up first one pack of grouse, and then another, for
which faults she was flogged again and again. Having done the same
thing the third time, the steady old grandmother was so provoked, that
she ran at the culprit, knocked her over and over, and did not cease
to attack her till she had driven her home. The authenticity of this
anecdote need not be doubted. It is a proof of the extraordinary sense
of a dog, and is corroborated by a fact already mentioned in the
introductory remarks (p. 33), of one dog attacking another for having
misconducted himself.
Some very bad shots went out partridge-shooting, attended by a very
good, old, steady pointer. After shooting for some hours with very
little success, they began to amuse themselves by firing at a piece of
paper stuck on a post. The disgust of the old dog at this proceeding
may be imagined--he ran home.
In further proof of the dislike a pointer will show to a bad shot, I
will adduce the following anecdote mentioned by Captain Brown. A
gentleman, on his requesting the loan of a pointer-dog from a friend,
was informed by him that the dog would behave very well so long as he
could kill his birds; but if he frequently missed them, it would run
home and leave him. The dog was sent, and the following day was fixed
for trial; but, unfortunately, his new master was a remarkably bad
shot. Bird after bird rose and was fired at, but still pursued its
flight untouched, till, at last, the pointer became careless, and
often missed his game. As if seemingly willing, however, to give one
chance more, he made a dead stop at a fern-bush, with his nose pointed
downward, the fore-foot bent, and his tail straight and steady. In
this position he remained firm till the sportsman was close to him,
with both barrels cocked, then moving steadily forward for a few
paces, he at last stood still near a bunch of heather, the tail
expressing the anxiety of the mind by moving regularly backwards and
forwards. At last out sprung a fine old blackcock. Bang, bang, went
both barrels, but the bird escaped unhurt. The patience of the dog was
now quite exhausted; and, instead of dropping to charge, he turned
boldly round, placed his tail between his legs, gave one howl, long
and loud, and set off as fast as he could to his own home.
I have seen a pointer leap on the top of a high gate, in going from
one field to another, and remain steadily there till I came up to him.
He had suddenly come on the scent of birds, and made his point from
his uncomfortable situation on the gate. Captain Brown also relates a
nearly similar instance of the stanchness of a pointer, which he
received from a friend of his. This gentleman was shooting in
Scotland, when one of his dogs, in going over a stone wall, about four
feet high, got the scent of some birds on the other side of the wall,
just as she made the leap. She hung by her fore-legs, appearing at a
distance as if they had got fastened among the stones, and that she
could not extricate herself. In this position she remained until her
master came up. It was then evident that it was her caution for fear
of flushing some birds on the other side of the wall, which prevented
her from taking the leap, or rather, which was the cause of her making
this extraordinary point.
Mr. Daniel, in his "Rural Sports," mentions the circumstance of two
pointers having stood at one point an hour and a quarter, while an
artist took a sketch of them.
A dog of the pointer kind, brought from South Carolina in an English
merchant vessel, was a remarkable prognosticator of bad weather.
Whenever he was observed to prick up his ears, scratch the deck, and
rear himself to look to the windward, whence he would eagerly snuff up
the wind, if it was then the finest weather imaginable, the crew were
sure of a tempest succeeding; and the dog became so useful, that
whenever they perceived the fit upon him, they immediately reefed the
sails, and took in their spare canvas, to prepare for the worst. Other
animals are prognosticators of weather also; and there is seldom a
storm at sea, but it is foretold by some of the natural marine
barometers on board, many hours before the gale.
The following circumstance serves also to prove the extreme stanchness
of a pointer. It is related by Captain Brown:--
"A servant who used to shoot for Mr. Clutterbuck of Bradford, had, on
one occasion, a pointer of this gentleman's, which afforded him an
excellent day's sport. On returning, the night being dark, he dropped,
by some chance, two or three birds out of his bag, and on coming home
he missed them. Having informed a fellow-servant of his loss, he
requested him to get up early the next morning, and seek for them near
the turnpike, being certain that he had brought them as far as that
place. The man accordingly went there, and not a hundred yards from
the spot mentioned by his companion, he, to his surprise, found the
pointer lying near the birds, and where he probably had remained all
night, although the poor animal had been severely hunted the day
before."
For the following instance of the sagacity of a pointer, I am indebted
to Lord Stowell. Mr. Edward Cook, after having lived some time with
his brother at Tugsten, in Northumberland, went to America, and took
with him a pointer-dog, which he lost soon afterwards, while shooting
in the woods near Baltimore. Some time after, Mr. and Mrs. Cook, who
continued to reside at Tugsten, were alarmed at hearing a dog in the
night. They admitted it into the house, and found that it was the same
their brother had taken with him to America. The dog lived with them
until his master returned home, when they mutually recognised each
other. Mr. Cook was never able to trace by what vessel the dog had
left America, or in what part of England it had been landed. This
anecdote confirms others which I have already mentioned relative to
dogs finding their way back to this country from considerable
distances.
Lieutenant Shipp, in his Memoirs, mentions the case of a soldier in
India, who, having presented his dog to an acquaintance, by whom he
was taken a distance of four hundred miles, was surprised to see him
back in a few days afterwards. When the faithful animal returned, he
searched through the whole barracks for his master, and at length
finding him asleep, he awoke him by licking his face.
Pointers have been known to go out by themselves for the purpose of
finding game, and when they have succeeded, have returned to their
master, and by significant signs and gestures have led them directly
to the spot.
The mental faculties of pointers are extremely acute. When once they
become conscious of their own powers, and of what is required of them,
they seldom commit a fault, and do their duty with alacrity and
devotion. Old pointers are apt to hunt the hedgerows of a field before
they begin to quarter the ground. I have seen dogs severely rated and
punished for doing this, but the cause is obvious. They are aware that
game is more frequently to be found in hedgerows than in the open
ground, and therefore very naturally take the readiest way of finding
it.
An interesting exhibition of clever dogs took place in London in the
summer of 1843, under the auspices of M. Leonard, a French gentleman
of scientific attainments and enlightened character, who had for some
years directed his attention to the reasoning powers of animals, and
their cultivation. Two pointers, Braque and Philax, had been the
especial objects of his instruction, and their intellectual capacities
had been excited in an extraordinary degree. A writer in the "Atlas"
newspaper thus speaks of the exhibition of these animals:--M.
Leonard's dogs are not merely clever, well-taught animals, which, by
dint of practice, can pick up a particular letter, or can, by a sort
of instinct, indicate a number which may be asked for; they call into
action powers which, if not strictly intellectual, approximate very
closely to reason. For instance, they exert memory. Four pieces of
paper were placed upon the floor, which the company numbered
indiscriminately, 2, 4, 6, 8. The numbers were named but once, and yet
the dogs were able to pick up any one of them at command, although
they were not placed in regular order. The numbers were then changed,
with a similar result. Again, different objects were placed upon the
floor, and when a similar thing--say a glove--was exhibited, one or
other of the animals picked it up immediately. The dogs distinguish
colours, and, in short, appear to understand everything that is said
to them.
The dog Braque plays a game of dominoes with any one who likes. We are
aware that this has been done before; but when it is considered that
it is necessary to distinguish the number of spots, it must be
admitted that this requires the exercise of a power little inferior to
reason. The dog sits on the chair with the dominoes before him, and
when his adversary plays, he scans each of his dominoes with an air of
attention and gravity which is perfectly marvellous. When he could not
match the domino played, he became restless and shook his head, and
gave other indications of his inability to do so. No human being
could have paid more attention. The dog seemed to watch the game with
deep interest, and what is more, he won.
Another point strongly indicative of the close approach to the
reasoning powers, was the exactness with which the dogs obeyed an
understood signal. It was agreed that when three blows were struck
upon a chair, Philax should do what was requested; and when five were
given, that the task should devolve on Braque. This arrangement was
strictly adhered to. We do not intend to follow the various proofs
which were afforded of the intelligence of the dogs; it is sufficient
to say that a multiplicity of directions given to them were obeyed
implicitly, and that they appeared to understand what their master
said as well as any individual in the room.
M. Leonard entered into a highly-interesting explanation of his theory
regarding the intellectual powers of animals, and the mode he adopts
to train and subdue horses, exhibiting the defects of the system
generally pursued. His principle is, that horses are not vicious by
nature, but because they have been badly taught, and that, as with
children, these defects may be corrected by proper teaching. M.
Leonard does not enter into these inquiries for profit, but solely
with a scientific and humane view, being desirous of investigating the
extent of the reasoning powers of animals.
It does not appear possible that dogs should be educated to the
extent of those of M. Leonard, unless we can suppose that they acquire
a tolerably exact knowledge of language. That they in reality learn to
know the meaning of certain words, not merely when addressed to them,
but when spoken in ordinary conversation, is beyond a doubt; although
the accompanying looks and movements in all likelihood help them in
their interpretation. We have known a small spaniel, for instance,
which thoroughly understood the meaning of "out," or "going out," when
spoken in the most casual way in conversation. A lady of our
acquaintance has a dog which lives at enmity with another dog in the
neighbourhood, called York, and angrily barks when the word York is
pronounced in his hearing.
A well-known angler was in the habit of being attended by a
pointer-dog, who saved him the trouble of a landing-net in his
trout-fishing excursions. When he had hooked a fish and brought it
near the bank, the dog would be in readiness, and taking the fish
behind the head, would bring it out to his master.
A writer, who endeavours to prove the existence of souls analogous to
the human in animals, relates the following remarkable fact, of which
he was himself an eye-witness. He says:--
"I was with a gentleman who resides in the country, in his study, when
a pointer-dog belonging to him came running to the door of the room,
which was shut, scratching and barking till he was admitted. He then
used supplicating gestures of every kind, running from his master to
the stair behind which his gun stood, then again to his master, and
back to the gun. The gentleman now comprehended something of his dog's
meaning, and took up his gun. The dog immediately gave a bark of joy,
ran out at the door, returned, and then ran to the back-door of the
house, from whence he took the road to a neighbouring hill.
"His master and I followed him. The dog ran, highly pleased, a little
distance before us, showing us the way we should take. After we had
proceeded about forty paces, he gave us to understand that we should
turn to the left, by pressing repeatedly against his master, and
pushing him towards the road that turned to the left. We followed his
direction, and he accompanied us a few paces, but suddenly he turned
to the right, running round the whole of the hill. We still proceeded
to the left, slowly up the ascent, till we were nearly arrived at its
summit, the dog in the meantime making the circuit of the hill to the
right. He was now already higher than we were, when he gave a sudden
bark, and that moment a hare ran before the muzzle of his master's
gun, and, of course, met her fate."
A gentleman had a pointer so fleet that he often backed him to find
birds in a ten-acre field within two minutes, if there were birds in
it. On entering the field, he seemed to know by instinct where the
birds would lie, generally going up to them at once. His nose was so
good, that with a brisk wind, he would find his game a hundred and
fifty yards off across the furrows. He could tell whether a bird was
hit, and if so would retrieve it some fields off from where it was
shot. He would never follow a hare unless it was wounded. He would
point water-fowl as well as all birds of game, and has been seen
pointing a duck or a moor-hen with the water running over his back at
the time. Nothing seemed to spoil this dog, not even rat and otter
hunting, in both of which he was an adept, as he knew his business;
and although he would rattle through a wood, he was perfectly steady
the next minute out of cover. He has been known to continue at a point
two hours. In high turnips he would contrive to show his master where
he was, standing sometimes on his hind legs only, so that his head and
fore-quarters might be seen. On one occasion he came at full speed so
suddenly on a hare, that he slipped up, and fell nearly on his back.
In this position he did not move, and it was thought he was in a fit,
till the hare jumped up and was killed, when the dog righted himself.
So steady was he in backing another dog when game was found, that he
once caught sight of a point at the moment of jumping a stile, and
balanced himself on it for several seconds till he fell. Once when
hunting with a young pointer, who had only been taken into the field
two or three times, in order to show him some birds before the
shooting season, the following occurrence took place. The old dog
found some birds in the middle of the field, and pointed them
steadily. The puppy had been jumping and gambolling about, with no
great hunt in him, and upon seeing the old dog stand, ran playfully up
to him. He was, however, seized by the neck, and received a good
shaking, which sent him away howling, and his companion then turned
round and steadied himself on his point, without moving scarcely a
yard. This anecdote is extracted from Hone's "Year Book," and the
writer of it goes on to say,--"What dog is there possessing the
singular self-denial of the pointer or setter? The hound gives full
play to his feelings; chases, and babbles, and kicks up as much riot
as he likes, provided he is true to his game; the spaniel has no
restraint, except being kept within gun-shot; the greyhound has it all
his own way as soon as he is loosed; and the terrier watches at a
rat's hole, because he cannot get into it: but the pointer, at the
moment that other dogs satisfy themselves, and rush upon their game,
suddenly stops, and points with almost breathless anxiety to that
which we might naturally suppose he would eagerly seize. The birds
seen, the dog creeps after them cautiously, stopping at intervals,
lest by a sudden movement he should spring them too soon. And then let
us observe and admire his delight when his anxiety--for it is
anxiety--is crowned with success--when the bird falls, and he lays it
joyfully at his master's feet. A pointer should never be ill-used. He
is too much like one of us. He has more headpiece than all the rest of
the dogs put together. Narrowly watch a steady pointer on his game,
and see how he holds his breath. It is evident he must stand in a
certain degree of pain, for we all know how quickly a dog respires.
And when he comes up to you in the field he puffs and blows, and his
tongue is invariably hanging out of his mouth. We never see this on a
point, and to check it suddenly must give the dog pain. And yet, how
silent he is! how eager he looks! and if a sudden hysteric gasp is
heard, it ceases in a moment. Surely he is the most perfect artist of
the canine race."
Some of my readers may like to know that the best breaker of pointers
I have yet met with is Mr. Lucas, one of the keepers of Richmond Park.
He perfectly understands his business, and turns out his pointers in a
way which few can equal.
In August 1857, a gentleman residing at Ludlow, in Shropshire, had a
pointer bitch, which produced seven puppies. Six of them were drowned,
and one left. On the servant going the next morning to give her some
milk, she found, besides the puppy, a hedgehog, which had been in the
garden some years, most comfortably curled up with them. She took it
away, but my informant being told that it had got back again, he went
to see it. The pointer was licking it, and appeared quite as fond of
it as of her own puppy. He again had it removed, the bitch following,
and whining with evident anxiety to have it restored to her. This was
the more remarkable, as on previous occasions she had tried to kill
the hedgehog. This strange affection can only be accounted for by an
abundant flow of milk, which distended and hurt her, occasioned by her
other puppies having been destroyed, and she, therefore, seized on the
hedgehog to relieve her, however incongruous it might be to her former
feelings towards it.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: THE SETTER.]