THE CHESAPEAKE BAY DOG. ?8l 



becoming really wet. A real Water Spaniel gives himself a good sb.ake 

 as soon as he leaves the river, and is dry in a very short time. This oil, 

 although useful to the dog, gives forth an odor very unpleasant to human 

 nostrils, and therefore debars the Water Spaniel from enjo)dng the fire- 

 side society of its human frie«ds. 



Some people fancy that the Water Spaniel possesses webbed feet, and 

 that its aquatic prowess is due to this formation. Such, however, is not 

 the case. All dogs have their toes connected with each other by a strong 

 membrane, and when the foot is wide and the membrane rather loosely 

 hung, as is the case with the Water Spaniel, a large surface is presented 

 to the water. 



The Water Spaniel is of moderate size, measuring about twenty-two 

 inches in height at the shoulders, and proportionately stout in make. 

 The ears are long, measuring from point to point rather more than the 

 animal's height. 



The Chesapeake Bay Dog is very much prized by the duck-shooters 

 of Maryland. There are three breeds — the Otter, with very short hair 

 of a tawny color ; the Red, with long hair ; the Curly, with curly hair 

 of a reddish-brown hue. The average height is about twenty-five 

 inches. 



The Retriever (Plate XVI). In America all shooting-dogs are 

 broken to retrieve ; in England this duty is assigned on land to a cross 

 between the Newfoundland and the Setter, or between the Water Spaniel 

 and the Terrier. 



