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Show SPORTS Beagle? English pointer? Brittany spaniel? An expert answers the hunter's questio- n- Which Dog Is Best for What Game? By ERWIN A. BAUER is stirring your pet dog IFrestlessly these days, it may be that his latent hunting instinct is rising. This is the hunting season, and mil-lienniu- ms ago all dogs were natural hunters. factor is extremely important today as people move to centers of population. Nearly all of the bird dogs are particularly affectionate and adaptable to family life indoors. The recent surge in popularity of at least one breed, the medium-siz- e Brittany spaniel, is one answer to the demand for a house dog combination. This breed is eager and exciting in the field. He is happy with children and is sma". enough not to be a nuisance in a home. Brittanies also double as good watchdogs and as attractive decorations when sleeping by the dog-hunti- When they were domesticated, they were bred to specific hunting tasks, and today there are dogs for all kinds of hunting on all kinds of terrain. The question for th hunter is which dog is best for what game? Generally speaking, there are three kinds of hunting dogs : the "bird dogs," the hounds or trailing dogs, and the retrievers. Bird dogs are those trained either to flush or to point feathered game. This category includes all the setters, pointers (see cover), and spaniels the handsome canines pictured on postcards, calendars, and old sporting prints. But they are rugas well as phoged and togenic. Some owners of tiny cocker spaniels may be surprised to learn that their house pets are first cousins to some of the best hunting dogs ever developed. In reg'ons where such game birds as pheasants, bobwhite quail, or grouse are numerous, a man's best bet is one of the bird dogs. Southern quail hunters prefer English pointers and English setters. Northern pheasant hunters are showing prefd erence for German ed red-blood- ed fireplace. The most abundant game animal in the United States is the cottontail rabbit. And any rabbit hunt anywhere is twice as rewarding in the company of a good beagle or two. Beagles are trailing dogs which means they follow a game animal by scenting its tracks and among the smallest of all hunting breeds. They are also among the most cheerful, friendly companions, and the favorites of this writer. Beagles take to chasing rabbits as naturally as breathing, and most of them require a minimum of formal training. That last point will help to explain why they are the most popular of all sporting dogs. The other breeds of trailing dogs, short-haire- pointers. Ruffed grouse hunters are more interested in individual dogs which can "handle" grouse in dense cover and no matter what the breed as long as it will point game. Many bird dogs of all breeds will retrieve game when it is shot Although it may seem inconsistent,' most dogs can be roth excellent hunters and house pets. That II Family Weekly, October , Mt T4 ' nJ k j The beagle: A It trading dog and pet. or hounds, are larger and seldom as merry as their cousins the beagles. They seldom prove to be good house dogs. But for hunting raccoons or foxes, a good redbone, n Walker, Plott, or hound will be worth its weight in black-and-ta- solid gold. For the past two decades the number of purebred, registered (with either the American or United States Kennel Club) sporting dogs has been rapidly increasing. Foremost among these are the retrievers the Labra-dorgoldens, Chesapeakes, and water spaniels. The Labrador is now immensely popular, even with dog owners who do not hunt. He is highly intelligent and has been trained for everything from pulling sleds to rescue work. " 1 Or Brittany: affectionate retriever. s, Retrievers were developed origi- for waterfowl hunting over water. That is still the main use, although many retrievers also double as bird dogs during the upland game seasons. Some are able to trail animals. In other words, these are potentially the most versatile of all the sporting dogs. According to Bill Boatman, a national authority on field dogs, "Labs come the closest to being complete hunting dogs. Good ones can do it all." Any retriever's main function is to retrieve ducks and geese which have been shot down over water. This means plunging into cold water and swimming, perhaps for long distances, against a tide or current. Such a dog must have courage and stamina to spare. For the best performance in the field, any hunting dog must be in good physical condition. The animal should be lean and enjoy plenty of exercise the year around. Overweight dogs tire quickly and lose interest in hunting. So do dogs which remain inactive in their kennels until opening day rolls around. Too much food and too little activity have ruined nally many potentially good field dogs. Remember that exercising your pooch is a good way to get yourself into shape for the hunting season. Training any field dog is done best and most quickly by professionals. But any dog owner with patience can do just as well and have the time of his life dointt it. The best advice is to get a good book on modern training methods for his ular breed. One final word from Bill Boatman to every sportsman who goes afield this fail with a canine companion: "Every dog should wear a collar, preferably of some bright color which is conspicuous in the autumn foliage. The collar should contain the dog's name, the owner's name, address, and telephone number. The finest dogs sometimes stray or get lost and this small precaution can save a good deal of grief for both the owner and his best friend." 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