I have seen it--and, being
practicable, it is at least worth trying; for if you succeed, you, as
before--292--make one dog perform the work of two; and, besides its
evident advantage in thick cover, if he accompany you in your every-day
shooting, you will thus obtain, in the course of a season, many a shot
which your other dogs, especially in hot weather, would pass over. If,
too, the retriever hunts quite close to you, he can in no way annoy his
companions, or interfere with them, for I take it for granted he will be
so obedient as to come to "heel" the instant he gets your signal.

FOOTNOTES:

[49] Of course, a regular retriever is absolutely necessary when a team of
spaniels is hunted, none of which are accustomed to retrieve.

[50] Regular retrievers are never used in America except on the Chesapeake
bay for fowl-shooting.--H.W.H.

WATER RETRIEVERS--OR WATER SPANIELS--TO RETRIEVE WOUNDED BEFORE PICKING UP
DEAD WILD FOWL.

302. 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 no 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 recovered 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 without obliging you to continue
your aquatic excursions. For advice about water retrievers, see 81 to 85.
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 neighborhood where you have good
opportunities of following it, you should regard this accomplishment as a
necessary part of your spaniel's education.

303. 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 a dog wi