108 SIZE TRAINING. 



his ears broad and hanging, his eyes full and lively, his nose short, his lips like 

 unto a hound's, his neck thick and short, his shoulders broad, his legs straight, his 

 chine square, his ribs with a compass (hooped,) his buttocks round, his thighs 

 brawny, his bi-lly gaunt, his pasterns strong and dew-clawed, and his fore feet 

 long and round, with his hair, in general, long and curled, not loose and shagged ; 

 for the first sheweth hardiness and strength to endure the water, and the other 

 much tenderness and weakness. 



The size of the Water Spaniel should be a medium between the Springer and 

 Cocker, but perhaps with more general length than the latter, as we have observed, 

 that dogs with a reasonable length, swim with greater speed. The education of 

 this dog, is an affair of considerably more consequence than that of the land 

 Spaniel ; nevertheless such is the natural docility and kindness of this whole race, 

 that with judicious management, their training is rather a matter of diversion and 

 amusement than of difficulty, if pursued for a sufficient length of time, with 

 kindness and patience, and with the avoidance of every thing like unnecessary 

 severity. 



The first objects in training the Water Spaniel are, to teach him to fetch and 

 carry, and to give him a. lender mouth. Without the first qualification he can be 

 of no use, and with it, if hard mouthed, half his usefulness is lost : for in bringing us 

 the fowl he will so tear and deform them, that they will be scarcely fit for the 

 table. It matters not how early the puppy be taken in hand, or rather the earlier 

 the better, provided his lessons be not too long and oppressive, so as to damp his 

 ardour and impede his growth. Particularly, he ought not to be compelled in this 

 early state, to swim any great length, or to remain too long in the water at any 

 time, far less in cold weather. There is one very sound and wholesome rule of 

 the old school, applicable indeed to the training of all animals in teaching 

 always to use the same words to denote the same things. The words short and few : 

 for example down / hie on ! back ! hie ! lost ! dead silence being the order 

 in Fowling, the necessity is obvious for but a few comprehensive words. The last 

 of these commands is of the most consequence, and always the most difficult to in- 

 culcate in the mind of the dog, and being perfect in that particular, is the highest 

 qualification of the Water Dog : the old proverb, that too many Cooks spoil the broth, 

 is perfectly applicable to this case ; for it frequently happens, when a puppy of 

 this description is trained in a family among several young men, each ambitious 

 of shewing his skill as a dog-breaker, that the spaniel is confused and frightened, 

 and seems to comprehend no part of his business correctly. An animal should 

 have but one teacher, in order to qualify him for any number of masters in future. 



The routine of instruction is mighty simple, and which we have personally, 

 practised with the utmost success. Take the youngster to the side of a river, or 

 piece of Water, not encumbered with heavy weeds, nor bounded by high and 

 difficult banks. Some of the best bred puppies will take the water instantly upon 



