Chapter III · — The Varieties of the Dog — Second Division (continued 3)

The breaking-in or subjugation of pointers and setters is a very important, and occasionally a difficult affair; the pleasure of the sportsman, however, depends on it. The owner of any considerable property will naturally look to his keeper to furnish him with dogs on which he may depend, and he ought not to be disappointed; for those which belong to other persons, or are brought at the beginning of the season, whatever account the breaker or the keeper of them may give, will too often be found deficient.

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The Otter Hound

used to be of a mingled breed, between the southern hound and the rough terrier, and in size between the harrier and the fox-hound. The head should be large and broad, the shoulders and quarters thick, and the hair strong, wiry, and rough. They used to be kept in small packs, for the express purpose of hunting the otter.

Two hundred and fifty years ago, otter-hunting was a favourite amusement in several parts of Great Britain. Many of our streams then abounded with this destructive animal; but, since the population are more numerous, and many contrivances are adopted to ensnare and destroy otters, few are now to be found.

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The Turnspit

This dog was once a valuable auxiliary in the kitchen, by turning the spit before jacks were invented. It had a peculiar length of body, with short crooked legs, the tail curled, its ears long and pendent, and the head large in proportion to the body. It is still used in the kitchen on various parts of the Continent. There are some curious stories of the artfulness with which he often attempted to avoid the task imposed upon him.

There is a variety of this dog; the crooked-legged turnspit.

Footnote 1:

Historical and Descriptive Sketches of British America

, by J. Macgregor

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Footnote 2:

Journal Historique du Voyage de M. de Lesseps

, Paris, 1790. 2 vols. — tome 1.

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Footnote 3:

Clarke's

Scandinavia

, vol. i. p. 432.

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Footnote 4:

The migratory sheep, in some parts of the south of France almost as numerous as in Spain, are attended by a

goat

, as a guide; and the intelligence and apparent pride which he displays are remarkable.

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Footnote 5:

Trimmer on the Merinos

, p. 50. See also the Society's work on Sheep.

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Footnote 6:

Annals of Sporting

, vol. viii. p. 83.

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Footnote 7:

"The Ettrick Shepherd has probably spoken somewhat too enthusiastically of his dog; but accounts of the sagacity and almost superhuman fidelity of this dog crowd so rapidly upon us that we are compelled to admire and to love him."

Hogg's Shepherd's Calendar

, vol. ii. p. 308.

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Footnote 8:

Jesse's Gleanings

, vol. i. p. 93.

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Footnote 9:

Buffon's Natural History

, vol. v. p. 314.

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Footnote 10:

Travels in Scotland

, by the Rev. J. Hall, vol. ii. p. 395.

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Footnote 11:

Annals of Sporting

, vol. v. p. 137.

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Footnote 12:

Mr Beckford at one time determined to try how he should like the use of beagles, and, having heard of a small pack of them, he sent his coachman, the person he could best spare, to fetch them. It was a long journey, and, although he had some assistance, yet not being used to hounds, he had some trouble in getting them along, especially as they had not been out of the kennel for several weeks before. They were consequently so riotous that they ran after everything they saw, sheep, cur dogs, birds of all sorts, as well as hares and deer. However, he lost but one hound; and, when Mr. Beckford asked him what he thought of them, he said that they could not fail of being good hounds, for they would hunt everything.

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Footnote 13:

Beckford on Hunting

, p. 150.

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Footnote 14:

The Horse and the Hound

, by Nimrod, p. 340.

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Footnote 15:

The Horse and the Hound

, by Nimrod, p, 332.

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Footnote 16:

Daniel's Foxhound

, p. 205.

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Footnote 17:

The Horse and the Hound

, by Nimrod, p. 355.

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Footnote 18:

Beckford's Thoughts on Hunting

, p. 95.

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Footnote 19:

Mr. Beckford gives the following excellent account of what a huntsman should be:

"A huntsman should be attached to the sport, and indefatigable, young, strong, active, bold, and enterprising in the pursuit of it. He should be sensible, good-tempered, sober, exact, and cleanly — a good groom and an excellent horseman. His voice should be strong and clear, with an eye so quick as to perceive which of his hounds carries the scent when all are running, and an ear so excellent as to distinguish the leading hounds when he does not see them. He should be quiet, patient, and without conceit. Such are the qualities which constitute perfection in a huntsman. He should not, however, be too fond of displaying them until called forth by necessity; it being a peculiar and distinguishing trait in his character to let his hounds alone while they thus hunt, and have genius to assist them when they cannot."

Beckford on Hunting,

Letter ix.

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Footnote 20:

Blaine on the Diseases of the Dog

, p. 140.

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Footnote 21:

See

Hints to Young Masters of Fox-Hounds

—

New Sport. Mag

., vol. viii. p. 174-290.

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Footnote 22:

Traité de la Folie dex Animaux

, tom. ii. 39.

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Footnote 23:

Mr. D. Radcliffe.

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Footnote 24:

The late Lord Oxford reduced four stags to so perfect a degree of submission that, in his short excursions, he used to drive them in a phaeton made for the purpose. He was one day exercising his singular and beautiful steeds in the neighbourhood of Newmarket, when their ears were saluted with the unwelcome cry of a pack of hounds, which, crossing the road in their rear, had caught the scent, and leaving their original object of pursuit, were now in rapid chase of the frightened stags. In vain his grooms exerted themselves to the utmost, the terrified animals bounded away with the swiftness of lightning, and entered Newmarket at full speed. They made immediately for the Ram Inn, to which his lordship was in the habit of driving, and, having fortunately entered the yard without any accident, the stable-keepers huddled his lordship, the phaeton, and the deer into a large barn, just in time to save them from the hounds, who came into the yard in full cry a few seconds afterwards.

(

Annals of Sporting

, vol. iii. 1833).

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Footnote 25:

The author of the

Field Book

says that he saw an extremely small pointer, whose length, from the tip of the nose to the point of the tail, was only two feet and half an inch, the length of the head being six inches, and round the chest one foot and three inches. He was an exquisite miniature of the English pointer, being in all respects similar to him, except in his size. His colour was white, with dark liver-coloured patches on each side of the head, extending half down the neck. The ears, with some patches on the back, were also of the same colour, and numerous small dark-brown spots appeared over his whole body and legs.

This beautiful little animal had an exquisite sense of smell. Some of the same breed, and being the property of the Earl of Lauderdale, were broken-in and made excellent pointers, although, from their minute size, it could not be expected that they would be able to do much work. When intent upon any object, the dog assumed the same attitude as other pointers, holding up one of his feet.

(

The Field Book

, p. 399).

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Footnote 26:

Another writer in the same volume gives also an interesting account of the management of the setter.

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