Of other kinds of shooting it is not necessary that I should write much, for if you can shoot easily and well under the circumstances I have spoken of, you will be able to fire at anything with a fair and reasonable chance of hitting it. One form of shooting is both difficult and interesting, and that is catching wood pigeons on the return flight in the evening. Many a time have I waited an hour or more for a few shots, though often returning home empty-handed after all. But when successful, I have had the greatest possible pleasure in getting only one or two pigeons, which have been due to really creditable shooting.
Dogs and dog-breaking. This is a subject on which I can speak with enthusiasm, and with a certain amount of practical knowledge. Everyone knows that in these days landowners have to consider all ways possible of utilising their land, and of making money. Some years ago our home farm came back on our hands in a very poor state. Never very good land, the last tenant who had been insolvent for years, had not been able to afford to keep the stock required, much less to use artificial manures. My father and I decided to take it in hand ourselves, and to use it partly as a game farm and partly as ground on which to break our dogs. The cultivation of the farm was carried on in such a way as to form covert for all sorts of game, and I may say that by care and personal management, the farm is now one of the most profitable on the estate. We always had some good retrievers, and we decided to increase the size of our kennels, and to raise and break a certain number of retrievers and setters for the market. My father and I reckoned that there was now a real market for good thoroughly broken retrievers. I had seen enough of keepers and their ways with dogs, to feel sure that very few of them understood and cared for dogs, and I determined to see to the breaking process myself.
We have never shown, because we think the show bench and judging ring are not good for dogs which are really meant for business, but we use many of the leading prize strains. "Dinah," the best retriever I ever had, and a bitch which seems to have the power of transmitting her virtues to her descendants, is a black retriever of a well-known strain. She is a model of intelligence and a beautiful worker. She watches the birds fall, and is wonderfully good in marking the spot where they come to the ground. No bird ever escapes her, unless it goes to ground, as pheasants will sometimes, and you can call her up at any moment. I attribute her obedience and docility to the fact that she has been my constant companion, for retrievers cannot be too much with their owners, and the first thing in training is to make friends with the puppy, and get him thoroughly in hand before his field education begins. Nothing is more fatal than a headstrong disposition, which I am convinced is often the result of bad treatment. "In for a penny, in for a pound," seems to be the reflection of a retriever, when looking back at his raging master and evidently understanding that he will be beaten in any case, he goes off for an entrancing chase after a hare, thus perhaps spoiling half a day's sport for you. And vice once contracted is most difficult to eradicate, indeed it was my bitter experience on this point which led me to undertake the education of my retrievers myself.
As soon as I had attained to some skill in shooting, it was my custom to take my gun with me whenever I went out for a walk. Now, there is a small river which runs through our grounds, and at a part of its course feeds a number of ponds in which probably were fish stews in the time of the monks, who were our predecessors. There are one or two small islands on these ponds. One day I had out with me a new purchase, a good-looking black dog. He came to heel, and retrieved a rabbit I shot, fairly well. It so happened, however, that not far from the river an old cock pheasant got out of the hedgerow, and as it was late in the season and we had done covert shooting, this was a chance for me, so I fired and hit him. The bird, however, went on, towered and fell into one of the ponds. Directly I gave the word off went my dog, and I began to think I had got a treasure. He went straight for the water, plunged boldly in, and swam direct to the bird, but then to my horror, he went off to the island, and taking the pheasant ashore proceeded to eat it.
It was then and there that I determined to break my own dogs, and such success attended my first efforts that we have since done it on a large scale. "Dinah" was my first attempt. It so happened that a friend of ours who used to breed retrievers for show purposes, took me to see a wonderful litter of champion-bred puppies. There were eight, all black except one which had a white star on her chest. This last, the owner said, he was going to drown. "Oh! give it to me," I said, moved to pity for the little round sleek victim. "Well, if you will take it away now, you can have it." So I carried off "Dinah," and brought her up by hand. From very early years I was able to teach her obedience, and to fetch and carry, being greatly helped in her training, by her affection for me. She has always lived in the house, and consequently understands a great deal, and I had but little trouble with her. Her lessons in seeking for hidden bits of meat were a delight to her, but I was very careful never to allow her to chase. I believe if a dog once does this, it is most difficult to cure, and that the vice is always liable to break out again.
I break all the dogs to my own voice and whistle, being attended by a kennel boy who manipulates the check cords. As to punishment, I carry a small dog whip, the crack of which is generally sufficient. If a young persistent offender requires a blow, three stripes will be found enough, but my experience is that if I cannot break a dog without beating, he is beyond my powers. The great secret of breaking, however, is companionship, my retriever for the time being never leaves me, and I have the kennel dogs in my company as much as possible. Above all, I always take them out for a run, at least once every day.
The cardinal rules for retriever breaking are:
(a) To get the dog thoroughly obedient and under control.