306 MODERN TRAINING. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



THE TRAINING OF SPANIELS. 



As compared with the setter and pointer, the spaniel has 

 a limited sphere of usefulness, and his manner of hunting 

 to the gun has not so many complex details as the working 

 of setters and pointers. 



The admirers of spaniels argue that the pointers' and set- 

 ters' comparatively great range makes them less desirable 

 for cover shooting as compared with the spaniel; but such 

 is only partially true, they are naturally much greater 

 rangers, but they can be educated to work their ground as 

 closely as the spaniel and, for the matter of that, to flush 

 birds without pointing, or can be trained to flush them to 

 order. On the other hand, the spaniel cannot take the set- 

 ter's place as a finding dog. His usefulness is limited to 

 such sections as have an abundance of game or such dense 

 cover as precludes the use of setters, cover which is very 

 rare. His small size and short legs enable him to take 

 the thickest cover with ease. In beating out narrow strips 

 of cover, as in long narrow runs, in woodcock or ruffed 

 grouse shooting, where one gun on each side, or a gun 

 on one side, can command the width of the run, the cocker 

 is useful. In the large areas of cover, as in ruffed grouse 

 shooting, where the shooter must himself enter, the spaniel 

 is then inferior to the setter. As he is out of sight and does 

 not point his birds, many shots will be lost. 



In the ruffed grouse and woodcock sections, setters are 



