THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL. 293 



inasmuch as he can be made to perform the duties of Pointer, Setter, Retriever, 

 and Spaniel; but, as his name implies, he is peculiarly fitted by temperament 

 and by a water-resisting coat for the arduous duties required by a sportsman 

 whose proclivities lie in the direction of wild fowl shooting. In this branch of 

 sport they have no equal, being able to stand any amount of hardship; this, 

 combined with an indomitable spirit, leads them into deeds of daring from 

 which many dogs would shrink. Many are the feats recorded of their pluck, 

 sagacity, and intelligence. For a well bred and trained specimen no sea is too 

 rough, no pier too high, and no water too cold; even if he have to break the 

 ice at every step, he is not discouraged'; and day after day will repeat the ardu- 

 ous task, As a companion for a lady or gentleman the Irish Water Spaniel has 

 no equal, while a well-behaved dog of the breed is worth a whole mint of toys 

 to the children. He will allow the little ones to pull him about by the ears, 

 will roll over and over with them, will fetch their balls as often as thrown for 

 him, and will act as their guard in times of danger. 



So good an authority as Mr. J. H. Whitman, of Chicago, 

 says: 



I have no hesitation in saying to the sportsman who desires a really first- 

 class retriever for wild fowls, there is none superior, if equal, to the Irish Water 

 Spaniel for retrieving ducks, brant, geese, etc., from land or water. I never 

 saw a dog that seemed to enter into the sport with more zeal, and on whom 

 cold water had so little effect. I have seen them retrieve ducks when ice 

 would form on their coats on reaching shore; still they were always ready to 

 go. I never saw more intelligence in any breed of dogs; they can be taught 

 tricks as easily as a Poodle. They soon learn that a duck shot dead and 

 falling in the water can be retrieved at any time, and where two are dropped, 

 one dead and one wounded, the Irish Water Spaniel invariably goes for the 

 wounded one first. There is no dog that is so natural a retriever or so easily 

 broken as the pure Irish Water Spaniel. 



I would advise parties owning one of these dogs that 

 they expect to use as a retriever on game, not to teach him 

 any tricks, as I have always observed that a trick-dog was 

 good for nothing else. 



In training the Irish Water Spaniel for shooting pur- 

 poses, you should first instill into his mind obedience, and 

 when that is fully accomplished your dog is broken, as it is 

 as natural for him to retrieve, from land or water, as it is 

 for a Pointer or Setter to point. I have my dog broken to 

 go as soon as the shot is fired. In this way I lose few, if 

 any, wounded birds; while, on the contrary, if the dog is 

 broken to drop to shot, your wounded duck or snipe often 

 gets away before the dog is ordered on. 



