1 82 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



coming that it was determination and not excitement that made 

 this old dog run in. When a cord was put on him, he would not 

 move under similar circumstances. He was eventually cured, 

 but it was a tough job, and was not done by cord or whip-cord. 

 Forty years ago the curly-coated dogs were the best 

 workers, and one could make sure of getting good dogs 

 regularly. For instance, about that time the author bought 

 a brace of curly puppies from Mr. Gorse, of Radcliffe-on- 

 Trent, then the most noted exhibitor of show dogs. Both 

 took to work naturally and quickly, and could in their first 

 season be trusted to get runners in turnip-fields of 100 acres 

 each. Ten years later, the author bought one of the late Mr. 

 Shirley's flat-coated heavy sort, but, although no trouble to 

 break, it was heavy in mind and body. Mr. Shirley entered 

 the own brother of this dog at the field trials at Sleaford ; there 

 was no other competitor for the prize. Had there been 

 another entry, it is impossible that Mr. Shirley could have won, 

 for a more lumbering and clumsy performance was never seen, 

 although the task set was only that of picking up a dead 

 bird and not a runner. But Mr. Shirley improved the next 

 generation considerably. He had a very handsome dog to which 

 the author was anxious to raise some puppies. With this 

 object in view, an exchange was made for a defeated bitch 

 called Jenny, then belonging to Mr. Gorse, before mentioned. 

 He took a second prize Birmingham winner of the author's 

 breeding in exchange. But Mr. Shirley objected to the 

 breeding programme, so that another course had to be adopted, 

 and Jenny raised some first-rate working dogs. Then she was 

 disposed of by the author to the late Mr. Shirley, and by him 

 bred to the dog which had been denied to her when the author's 

 property. Her name was changed from " Jenny " to " \Visdom," 

 and she became the founder of the Wiseacre family of show 

 retrievers. She presented them with those long heads physically 

 that some people declare are far from " long " figuratively. 

 Wisdom, or Jenny, herself was certainly a fool, and the origin 

 of her long and narrow refined head was probably what is 

 known as a "sport," for it was not to be seen on any other 



