THE RETRIEVER. 231 



To train a Retriever properly is rather a difficult task, demanding the greatest patience 

 and perseverance on the part of the instructor. It is comparatively easy to teach a Dog to 

 fetch and carry a load, but to teach him to retrieve in water is quite a different matter. On 

 land the Dog can see the object from some little distance, but in the water his nose is so nearly 

 on a level with the object for which he is searching, that he can only see a very little distance 

 ahead, and must learn to guide his way by the voice and gesture of his master. 



It is said that the greatest difficulty in the course of instruction is to keep the Dog from 

 the water-rats, which are found so abundantly on the banks of rivers and ponds, and which 

 afford such powerful temptations to a young and inexperienced animal. 



Another obstacle in the tuition is the natural propensity of the Dog to bark when he is 

 excited ; and as a young Dog is excited by almost everything that crosses his path, he gener- 

 ally tries his teacher's patience sorely before he learns to be silent and not to disturb the 

 game by even a low whine. Again : the natural instinct of the Dog tells him to eat the animal 

 which he has found, and it is not until he has been duly instructed that he learns to bring the 

 game to his master without injuring it. July and August are the best months for teaching 

 the Retriever, because the water is then comparatively warm, and there is no risk of disgusting 

 the animals by forcing them into an icy bath, or of bringing on disease by overmuch exposure 

 to a cold wind while their coats are wet and themselves wearied. 



In order to keep the Dog from closing his teeth too firmly upon the game, he should 

 always be made to lay down his spoil at his master's feet, or to loosen his hold as soon as his 

 master touches the object which he is carrying. If the prey be snatched from his mouth, he 

 instinctively bites sharply in order to retain it ; and when he gets into so bad a habit often 

 damages the dead game so much that it is quite useless. Whenever a Dog is sent to fetch any 

 object he must on no account be permitted to return without it, as, if he should once do so, he 

 will ever afterwards be liable to give up the search as soon as he feels tired. 



There are many other little difficulties in the training of the Retriever, some of them inci- 

 dental to the Dog, simply because it is a Dog, and others belonging to the character of the 

 individual animal. One great point to gain is, to make the Dog understand that the birds 

 which he delights in fetching are killed by the gun and not by himself. Until he fully under- 

 stands this lesson he is apt to dart off in chase of a bird as soon as he sees it, or perceives its 

 scent, and to chase it until it is out of sight, just as we may see puppies chasing sparrows 

 half over a field, barking at them as if they were to be caught as easily as if they were so many 

 mice. 



The smaller Retriever is produced by a cross of the terrier with the beagle, and in many 

 points is superior to the large black Retriever. Should a larger animal be required, the pointer 

 is employed in the cross instead of the beagle. 



They are very quiet Dogs, and when on their quest do not make so much noise as the 

 larger Retrievers, so that they are especially useful when the game is wild. The kind of 

 terrier which is employed in the crossing depends on the caprice of the breeder, some persons 

 preferring the smooth English Dog, and others the rough Scotch terrier. Being small Dogs, 

 they can be kept in the house, and become very companionable, so that when they go to their 

 regular work they feel more love and respect for their master than would have been the case 

 if they had been kept in a kennel, or sent to a cottage on board-wages. 



Spaniels can be taught to retrieve, and will perform their task nearly as well as a Retriever 

 itself. A thoroughly well-taught Dog is almost invaluable to the sportsman, and will com- 

 mand a large price. If possible, the animal should in every case be taught by the person who 

 intends to use him in the field, as neither the Dog nor its master can learn each other's ways 

 without some experience, and without this knowledge neither can work well, or feel sure of 

 the co-operation of the other. 



These animals are also valuable for retrieving, because, like the smaller Retrievers, they 

 are capable of sharing the house with their master, and are therefore more amenable to his 

 authority, and more likely to follow out his wishes, than if their intercourse were restricted 

 to the hunting-field. The peculiar and very unpleasant odor of the skin, which is found to 

 exist in almost every kind of Dog, can be removed by careful and periodical washing a prac- 



