The Irish Setter - Its History & Training (A Vintage Dog Books Breed Classic)

Colonel J.K. Millner

Description

THE IRISH SETTER ITS HISTORY AND TRAINING By Colonel J.K. Millner. A VINTAGE DOG BOOKS CLASSIC REPRINT Originally published in 1924, this was the first book to be solely devoted to the Irish Setter. It is now extremely rare and very expensive in this first edition. VINTAGE DOG BOOKS have now republished it using the original text and photographs, as part of their CLASSIC BREED BOOKS series. The author was a well known judge and breeder, his dogs winning many prestigious prizes during his long career. He was also an experienced shot, and used his Irish Setters to good effect on the grouse moors of Scotland. One hundred and twelve pages contain six detailed chapters: - The Author's Statements. - Some Old Strains - The Setter up to Dog Show Times. - Irish Setters of the Nineteenth Century. - The Irish Red Setter Club. - Training. There are a number of excellent photographs of famous dogs of the day and also some of their pedigrees. The Publisher has also added an additional gallery of famous dogs at the rear of the book. This is a fascinating read for any Irish Setter enthusiast or historian of the breed, but also contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Many of the earliest dog breed books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. VINTAGE DOG BOOKS are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Sujets

• Sport
• Autres sports
• Tir
• Obedience training

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 12 octobre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781447492603
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Irish Setter
It s History and Training
By
COLONEL J. K. MILLNER
Vintage Dog Books Home Farm 44 Evesham Road Cookhill, Alcester Warwickshire B49 5LJ
www.vintagedogbooks.com
Read Books 2005 This book is copyright and may not be reproduced or copied in any way without the express permission of the publisher in writing.
ISBN No. 1-84664-000-8
Published by Vintage Dog Books 2005 Vintage Dog books is an imprint of Read Books
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Vintage Dog Books Home Farm 44 Evesham Road Cookhill, Alcester Warwickshire B49 5LJ
THE IRISH SETTER
ITS HISTORY AND TRAINING

PETTIGOE. SIRE ARA. 78 V IN KENNEL CLUB STUD BOOK. DAM CLAREEN. 8 V IN KENNEL CLUB STUD BOOK . Winner of Challenge Certificate for best Irish Setter Dog at Birmingham Dog Show, 1923 .
THE IRISH SETTER
ITS HISTORY AND TRAINING
BY
C OLONEL J. K. MILLNER
W ITH AN I NTRODUCTION BY S. W. CARLTON
LONDON H. F. G. WITHER BY 326 HIGH HOLBORN, W.C. 1924
MANUFACTURED IN GREAT BRITAIN
INTRODUCTION
H AVING been requested to write a few lines of introduction to this valuable book on the Irish Red Setter, I do so with some trepidation, and it would be presumptuous on my part to enter into the genealogy of this breed indigenous to the Emerald Isle, or to offer criticism of the Author s very interesting outline of the origin of this delightful animal.
My only excuse for doing so rests entirely on the fact that for many years I have bred and shot over them, and have had opportunities of observing their merits in the field. Further, my own dogs have been subjected to the closest scrutiny by the Author in his capacity as judge, sometimes to my advantage and oft-times to the contrary; yet I have always felt satisfied with the verdict, and I am only repeating what is common knowledge when I affirm that his awards were always accepted, whether in one s favour or otherwise, with profound respect.
So far as I am aware this is the first book which has been solely devoted to the Irish Setter, and it is certain to arouse keen interest in those who have been closely in touch with this particular breed; the literature dealing with the Red Setter s life history is peculiarly scanty and unauthentic.
Colonel Millner has succeeded in crystallizing his observations and experience of a lifetime devoted to the interests of this particular breed, which otherwise might have been lost. It often happens that the most experienced and expert fail to give us the benefit of their unique knowledge, no doubt often refraining from doing so through natural diffidence.
The Red Setter, the national gun dog of Ireland, has no doubt descended from the Red and White breed mentioned by the Author; great perplexity exists, however, as to how and by what means this was brought about, and evidence is lacking. A peculiar and noticeable feature, however, points in a certain direction, and that is, the Irish Red Setter displays great adaptability to retrieve in addition to its setting birds. This suggests, in my opinion, that the early parti-colour variety or breed has at one time been crossed by a whole-coloured sire of the retriever breed, hence the throw back and tendency of the dark bloom often noticeable in some litters. Many dogs exhibited are more often on the dark side than the reverse.
The standard laid down by the Irish Red Setter Club rather gives colour to this point, and one of the breeder s difficulties is that they require the colour shall be a rich golden chestnut with no trace whatever of black, no lighter and no darker. The remaining white has seldom, if ever, been eliminated, and here again it is allowable on chest, throat or toes, or a small star on forehead, or a narrow streak or blaze on the nose or face not to disqualify.
With these exceptions the Red Setter must be devoid of white. It is possible the red and white Setter could again be revived as a distinct breed by breeding back through the springer Spaniel by careful selection, as it must not be lost sight of the history of the Red Setter is not a very long one, moreover the all-red variety has some disadvantage in not being easily seen in the heather without the addition of a white collar.
In Colonel Millner we have a veritable combination of all that applies to the art of shooting, both in his prowess with the gun and man s great companion the dog, for no greater pleasure is there to the true sportsman than to watch the Red Setter quarter his ground. To the Colonel s lot fell the distinction in 1882 of winning the Kennel Club Derby with his bitch Airnie, the first Irish Red Setter to win the blue ribbon. His contributions to the breed have been many and various, winning prizes too numerous to mention.
In the seventies he visited the United States three times in teams to shoot against America, and in 1876 in one of these matches he made fifteen bulls -eyes in fifteen shots at 1,000 yards; this was with a muzzle loader and powder horn. He also placed ten bulls -eyes in ten shots for championship of the United States, also the Gold Medal 1908 at the Olympic Games in England by placing eighteen bulls -eyes in twenty shots at 1,000 yards.
These are only one or two instances of his complete mastery of the rifle. Deer, buffalo, elk, antelope and other big game have fallen to his rifle, and to the writer s knowledge the shot gun is as efficiently handled as the rest of the matters he takes in hand. In the art of angling the Colonel is an adept, and the state of his native country has no doubt been a source of great disappointment to one so devoted to country pursuits, in company with his Setters.
In conclusion my experience has been that where there is a great deal of rough ground such as exists in the Highlands, and a scarcity of birds, the Irish Red Setter is infinitely superior to any other dog; his stamina in all weathers is exceptional, hunting continuously and covering a great deal of ground.
For preference the pad of the foot should be small and well hardened by regular road walking before the season commences; the wet heather is very trying to their feet as they are such wide rangers and galloping most of their time. Properly broken, as the Author advises, they make delightful dogs and seldom display any vice.
S. W. C ARLTON .
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION BY MR. S. W. CARLTON
I.
THE AUTHOR S STATEMENTS
II.
SOME OLD STRAINS
III.
THE SETTER UP TO DOG SHOW TIMES
IV.
IRISH SETTERS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
V.
THE IRISH RED SETTER CLUB
VI.
ON TRAINING
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
P ETTIGOE
E RRIS
T HE R AMBLES OF B OB AND D UCHESS
T HREE R ED AND W HITE S ETTERS
C HAMPION G ARRYOWEN
I RISH R ED S ETTER C LUB S F IELD T RIALS , 1915
C LAREEN
B REENAGH