OH. xvii.j WATEB SPANIELS. 305 



WATER RETRIEVERS (on WATER SPANIELS) 



TO RETRIEVE WOUNDED, BEFORE PICKING UP KILLED WILDFOWL. 



553. This a knowing old dog will often do of his own 

 accord ; but you must not attempt to teach a young one 

 this useful habit, until you are satisfied that there is 

 110 risk of making him blink his birds. You can then 

 call him off when he is swimming towards dead birds, 

 and signal to him to follow those that are fluttering 

 away. If the water is not too deep, rush in yourself, 

 and set him a good example by actively pursuing the 

 runaways ; and until all the cripples that can be re- 

 covered * are safely bagged, do not let him lift one of 

 those killed outright. If very intelligent, he will before 

 long perceive the advantage of the system, or at least 

 find it the more exciting method, and adhere to it with- 

 out obliging you to continue your aquatic excursions. 

 (For advice about water retrievers, see 90 to 95.) I 

 have placed this paragraph among the " refinements " in 

 breaking ; but I ought, perhaps, to have entered it 

 sooner ; for if you are fond of duck-shooting, and live 

 in a neighbourhood where you have good opportunities 

 of following it, you should regard this accomplishment 

 as a necessary part of your spaniel's education. 



554. In your part of the country none of these extra, 

 or, as some will say, always superfluous accomplishments 

 may be required ; but if you consider that a pupil of 

 yours attaining any one of them would be serviceable, 

 be not deterred from teaching it by the idea that you 

 would be undertaking a difficult task. Any one of 

 them, I was nearly saying all of them, could be taught 



* In deep water diving birds will of course beat the most active 

 dog. 



X 



