62 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



previously said, some gunners advocate cross-bred dogs for 

 wildfowling. If we had no suitable breed for the purpose, 

 cross-breds would be required ; but in time these cross-breds, 

 with care, would become established types, and might be 

 termed breeds, which is exactly what has taken place in 

 the past. As we already have, however, what we want, this 

 breeding nowadays would be unlikely to receive universal 

 attention, and a new breed would therefore never become 

 general. This state of affairs is exactly what does happen ; 

 consequently the present-day cross-bred animals never reach 

 the top of the tree as a rule. 



Since a new breed of dog cannot be instituted in a short 

 number of years, especially now that we have very suitable 

 breeds for all special purposes, this circumstance is not 

 regrettable. We may all know that various breeds of useful 

 dogs have through the ages past been bred and modified for 

 particular purposes, and, as these purposes have slightly 

 altered or remained constant, so accordingly has the wise 

 breeder selected his animals. The average lifetime of man is 

 not of sufficient duration to originate and well establish a 

 breed of dogs — one that is noticeably different in appearance 

 from our present breeds. Even if a man could breed some- 

 thing new within the limits of his life, I very much doubt 

 whether he could produce animals of higher perfection in 

 working than the existing types. 



All these things being considered, the question resolves itself 

 into this : can any cross-bred animals supersede the working 

 abilities of those animals which have a long line of special 

 breeding behind them, and this, of course, all for the one par- 

 ticular purpose? If cross-bred dogs can do so, then all our 

 careful breeding is of no use, and has no object. If otherwise, 

 then why advance the idea of cross-breds ? I have gone 

 rather fully into this point in the hope that it may rid the 

 young sportsman of the many unfounded and, in short, silly 



