Retrieving should be taught the same way as for a retriever proper, and if it precedes the work of entering upon the finding of live game, the latter will be all the easier for the breaker.
Wild spaniels in very thick cover are of more use than a highly broken team. Where the covert is so thick that a worker of spaniels cannot get into the thick parts, his highly broken dogs will not go there either, because they have learnt to keep near to him. In this case, four or six couples of wild spaniels to hunt up wild pheasants, woodcock, and rabbits, make beautiful sport, but they usually need several whippers-in to keep them somewhere in the neighbourhood of the shooters.
A friend of the author’s was once expatiating on the improved methods of pheasant shooting, and explaining that the last generation knew nothing of the charms and the art of killing driven birds, when, at that moment, wild spaniels on the hill above us flushed four cock pheasants, they came at us swerving through the trees down hill at a cannon-ball pace, and four shots did not touch a feather. Yet this was the old style of pheasant shooting—at least in that district, and it was on record there that the last generation were first-rate performers in covert and out. Amongst other birds they killed flighting duck and sometimes flighting teal also at night, all of which, including the down-hill rocketers from the spaniels on the hillside, are out of all proportion harder to kill than the best birds that ever flew across the open and flat ground from one covert to another, however the latter have “sailed” and “curved” in their flights.
By mutual consent, after missing the cocks, we changed the subject of conversation.
It has been said that field trials have brought some good dogs to the front, and enabled those who go to trials to judge for themselves of the merits of individuals and of races; but they have also done injury in one direction. There may be differences of opinion amongst sportsmen on how spaniels should be judged at field trials, but there can be no question that the use of field trials as a mere show dog advertisement is misleading and objectionable. As these remarks are written, there is an advertisement of spaniels appearing in which it is stated that the owner’s breed has won “800 field trial and show prizes.” What the author knows of the breed is that upon one occasion they won a prize at a field trial,—a prize that was ear-marked for the breed,—and won it because competition was weak and limited. That they have won 799 show prizes is not denied. But if this is the way to advertise show dogs, then the sooner field trials are dropped the better in the true interests of sport. In this direction lies the danger to sporting interests; and little differences about means and methods of judging are of comparatively no importance. A variety of judges have acted under a large variety of rules, and to the credit of the former, and in spite of the latter, the best dogs have nearly, or quite always, got the stakes. But there is also a tendency amongst judges to give the smaller prizes and certificates of merit because a dog has done no harm, although he may not have done any good.
If it is correct to absolutely disqualify a dog for ranging beyond gun-shot and for chasing game (and it must be so in the interests of sport), then, on the ground that every dog can be broken but not a tenth of them are worth breaking, it is also essential to disqualify a dog that cannot find game.
It is because the latter has not always been done that these remarks are necessary. The quantity of game left behind unfound by the dogs that have won minor prizes has surprised not only the author, but others also who have come to visit these trials once, and no more. On the other hand, the best winners have always been the best finders that passed the not very severe breaking standard, as indicated above, and that is obviously right.
GROUSE THAT LIE AND GROUSE THAT FLY
The shooter who wants grouse driving and he who wishes for shooting over dogs are by no means best suited in the same districts. The distribution of grouse must be mentioned before any just estimation of the causes of the different manners, habits, and instincts of the grouse can be formed.
The birds have one special altitude which suits them best in each locality, but this particular altitude differs with latitude and longitude.