 Section 18 of the American Book of the Dog. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Jamie Fiddler. The American Book of the Dog, G.O. Shields Editor. Section 18, The Sussex Spaniel by A. Clinton Wilmerding. The Sussex is one of the many varieties of the land spaniel. In color, he is of a golden liver, not over symmetrical in appearance, nor always graceful in gait and action, but a substantial worker, a valuable companion in the field, as a rule of good retriever on either land or water, and gifted, as are all the sporting spaniels, with a wonderful sense of smell. This breed is not so often met within this country, as are the Field or Springer, the Cocker, Clemmer, and Irish Water Spaniels. In fact, it appears as if, but a matter of a few years when the few pure specimens that we have will die off, and the breed become practically extinct so far as we are concerned, unless further acquisitions are sought from the other side and more interest taken in this useful dog by our spaniel fanciers and breeders. It is perhaps an unfortunate condition of things that the few specimens here have not been kept religiously apart from the other breeds, instead of being indiscriminately bred with them. This, however, may be overlooked when we realize the rarity of the breed and the difficulty and expense entailed in mating them, when scattered as they are throughout the country. Then, too, with but one or two exceptions within our memory, their classification at bench shows brings them under the head of Field Spaniels, which title frequently embraces all the larger spaniels, over twenty-eight pounds, accepting the Irish Water. Clemmer, Sussex, and Springers often competing together in this class. Hence, it is not to be wondered at that with but few of the breed and the slight inducement offered to breeders, the disposition has been to breed to the winning blacks among the Springers to perpetuate strength, length, and flatness of coat. Among the early breeders in England and owners of the Sussex appear such men as S.W. Marchant, who at one time claimed to be the only owner of the pure Rose Hill Strain, J. Fuller of Rose Hill Sussex, Rev. W. Shields, Lord Middleton, Lord Derby, Honourable Captain Arbuthnot, H. Saxby, Phineas Bullock, and others. These men were certainly pioneers in the breed and always stanch up holders of it. Among the purebred dogs of early date, we leaned several well-known names that figure liberally in the pedigrees of many of our present prize winners, especially so with the field spaniels or Springers. To this ancestry may be attributed much of the strength, bone, and substance of our present dogs. In tracing out the family tree of a majority of the leading dogs of today, particularly of the Jacob Stock, we find the old and familiar names of Burdette's Frank, Marchant's Rover, Burgess's Beb, Old Beb, Mousley's Venus, Bachelor, Bob, Bess, Bounce, etc., etc. These were all said to be of the pure Sussex breed. In the field, this dog is a strong and cheerful worker of great pluck and energy. As a rule he is not silent, although there are frequent exceptions to this. He generally gives tongue when approaching game. In many parts of our shooting territory they should be particularly useful and valuable, in spots where the setter or pointer cannot penetrate. The Sussex being powerful and short of leg and with all well protected by a thick flat coat will fearlessly press his way through the densest briars and undergrowth and ultimately reach and flush the fur or feather secreted therein. It seems but fair that this much neglected breed should receive the assistance of the Spaniel Club and like the cockers, the springers, and the plumbers be brought into public notice and prominence as the others have been through the efforts of this club. The values of the points and a description of the dog will at once make themselves clear in the following standard for the breed from the dogs of the British Isles edited by the late J. H. Walsh, Stonehenge, and adopted by that protector and guardian of the Spaniel, the oldest specialty club in America, the American Spaniel Club. Skull, 15. Legs in feet, 10. Eyes, 5. Tail, 10. Nose, 10. Color, 10. Ears, 5. Coat, 5. Neck, 5. Symmetry, 5. Shoulders and chest, 10. Back and back ribs, 10. Total, 100. The skull, value 15, should be long and wide, with a deep indentation in the middle and a full stop projecting well over the eyes, occipit full but not pointed, the whole giving an appearance of heaviness without dullness. The eyes, value 5, are full, soft, and languishing, but not watering so as to stain the coat. The nose, value 10, should be long, 3 inches to 3 and 1 half inches, and broad, the end, liver colored, with large open nostrils. The ears, value 5, are moderately long and lobe shaped, that is to say narrow at the junction with the head, wider in the middle, and rounded below, not pointed. They should be well clothed with soft, wavy, and silky hair, but not heavily loaded with it. The neck, value 5, is rather short, strong, and slightly arched, but not carrying the head much above the level of the back. There is no throatiness in the skin, but a well marked frill in the coat. Shoulders and chest, value 10. The chest is round, especially behind the shoulders and moderately deep, giving a good girth. It narrows at the shoulders which are consequently oblique, though strong, with full points, long arms, and elbows well let down. And these last should not be turned out or in. Back and back ribs, value 10. The back or loin is long and should be very muscular, both in width and depth. For this lighter development, the back ribs must be very deep. The whole body is characterized as low, long, and strong. Legs and feet, value 10. Owing to the width of the chest, the four legs of the Sussex Spaniel are often bowed, but it is a defect, notwithstanding, though not a serious one. The arms and thighs must be bony as well as muscular, knees and hocks large, wide, and strong, pesterns very short and bony, feet round, and toes well arched and clothed thickly with hair. The four legs should be well feathered all down, and the hind ones also above the hocks, but should not have much hair below this point. The tail value 10 is generally cropped and should be thickly clothed with hair, but not with long feather. The true Spaniel's low carriage of the tail at work is well marked in this breed. The color value 10 of the Sussex Spaniel is a well marked but not exactly rich golden liver, on which there is often a washed out look that detracts from its richness. This color is often met with in other breeds, however, and is no certain sign of purity in the Sussex Spaniel. The coat value 5 is wavy without any curl, abundant, silky, and soft. The symmetry value 5 of the Sussex Spaniel is not very marked, but he should not be devoid of this quality. End of section 18 Section 19 of the American Book of the Dog This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Tom Mack Tucson, Arizona The American Book of the Dog Geo Shields Editor Section 19 The Field Spaniel by J. F. Kirk The Field Spaniel is the modern name given to the larger breed of land spaniels or springers to distinguish them from water spaniels and the smaller land spaniel or cocker. The name is not especially happy as to choice in as much as his work is principally confined to cover shooting where he is particularly useful in finding and raising the woodcock, partridge, or pheasant and is rezoned that and popularity consist in his special excellence and adaptability for such work. In the English Kennel Club Stud Book under the head of Field Spaniels are included springers and cockers except such as have special classes assigned to them that is clumbers and Sussex Spaniels. Thus there are many varieties having distinct and separate characteristics admitted and recognized under the comprehensive cognomen of Field Spaniel but the intention of scope of this article is to treat of that most popular and handsome variety known as the Black Spaniel. Before going into the points and qualities of this engaging and beautiful breed a short glance into his history and elements will enable the reader to trace the fact that he is at present displayed on our show benches to the admiration of all lovers of sporting dogs. He is of comparatively modern origin. A stupid prejudice as it seems to the writer exists in the minds of many worthy old sportsmen that deterioration is the most evident fact to them in comparing modern Spaniels with the wonderful dogs of their day. This is pure nonsense and arises from a kind of halo of glory which we are all apt to surround the memories of our young and enthusiastic days. From personal recollection and good opportunities of comparison extending over nearly forty years I feel positive that the handsome setters which old Lavorac used to bring with him to any native Highland moors would not receive more than a VHC card at our modern shows. And so with Spaniels the dogs of thirty or even fifteen years ago cannot be compared with the cracks of the present day. In candidly admitting this fact however I am quite free to confess that there's a strong tendency on the part of modern breeders to exaggerate fancy points and as a consequence an undue appreciation is apt to be given in the cultivation of the different breeds to abnormal excess in the admired species that differentiate each class from its kindred and allied breed sometimes at the expense of more useful characteristics. For instance Spaniel confirmation is essentially long and low and this has created a rivalry amongst breeders to produce the longest and lowest. Now there's a limit to the length and lowness which is clearly defined as a point where an exaggeration in those respects interferes with the necessary activity and ability to work with sufficient ease and vigor in a rough country. In England the clumber which is the longest, lowest and heaviest of the Spaniel tribe is only particularly useful in pheasant preserves where rides are cut through the cover and where strong plotting dogs are required. In examining the old authorities we find that there were numerous varieties of sporting Spaniels and that each appears to have been selected in bread for the special peculiarities of game and shooting that prevailed in certain districts. In Sussex the large and handsome golden liver breed was especially prized. In Wales and Devon the smaller liver and liver and white cockers were especially suited par excellence for the sport in those countries. While farther north and in the Midland counties the black and tan Spaniels were the favorites. After the introduction of dog shows in England about 30 years ago the blacks appeared to have monopolized most attention and several breeders of historical renown succeeded in improving by judicious selection and cross the very beautiful black Spaniel till he fairly eclipsed all competitors for honors. More recently a highly successful experiment of crossing him the highly esteemed Sussex breed has brought fame and funds as the result to the most intelligent and persevering breeders of the present day. Thus we see that the popular modern black Spaniel is a product of judicious and skillful crossing of various breeds. The Reverend W.B. Daniel whose rural sports published during the first decade of the century in every sportsman's library being the work of a thorough connoisseur and keen critical observer. A Spaniel cannot be too strong. A Spaniel cannot be too short on the leg. A Spaniel cannot be too high courage. Thus we see that extremely short heavy limbs are no modern innovation as some claim. I'm inclined to think however that if the good and Reverend old gentleman lived in our day he was inclined to cry quote halt you've got them short enough in the leg and heavy enough in the bone and too many of your prize winners are too crooked and clumsy for any sporting purpose end quote and he would be right the modern tendency is to breed them too heavy in bone and body and consequently too heavy in unwieldy for use. I refer of course to the English prize winners few indeed of this type have been seen our Spaniels as seen on the show benches are generally absurdly wrong in the opposite direction a leggy Spaniel is an abomination but we must come to a clear comprehension as to the line to be drawn between long legs and no legs now a short-legged dog which every Spaniel should be does not mean of necessity a crawling thing that requires to be helped every obstacle of foot are too high I have seen a Sussex Spaniel bitch measuring only 15 inches full height at shoulder and 40 inches from tip of nose to set on of tail able to get over a six foot fence with ease and work a tubby built 18 inch dog to a standstill in half a day's work why because she had grand supple shoulders, powerful loins and quarters and stifles and hocks the possession of which gave her what Fox Terrier men call liberty while he though of greater muscular development and short coupled was tied in cloudy in action if with length of body and shortness of limb are combined freedom of shoulder action straight front legs and powerful sickle hocks and stifles with wide and muscular loins you have a dog surprisingly active for his inches in stone then whom no modern writer knew better what a Spaniel should be speaks of the low long and strong Spaniel now I insist on it that if your field Spaniel has not this confirmation he cannot be called a good one the next distinguishing characteristic of a good specimen is his stamp of head including muzzle eyes ears and expression the general contour and profile of the face and skull should resemble the shape of a reduced Gordon setter but with longer lower hanging and more heavily feathered ears darker eyes and rather clear cut muzzle the faults to be avoided are heavy chumpy newfoundland heads high set on ears full eyes and throaty necks on the one hand and attenuated tapering muscles with shallow lips and flat narrow brainless skulls fishy eyes too light in color showing limited intelligence and uncertain temper on the other good temper intelligence, docility and courage must be plainly indicated in the expression of the head and face another very important matter also is that the nose should be large moist and widespread showing the possession of high capacity for keen scent another necessary mark of a good field spaniel is the coat the flatter and straighter the coat lies to the body the better but it must not be thin and open and the heavily coated ones are often inclined to be wavy especially over the neck and rump it must be of good soft texture and very bright and glossy a harsher texture of coat is generally dull in color but some very excellent spaniels have rather strong hair and this may be as is by their owners contended an indication of the strength of constitution it is certainly quite becoming when brilliant and straight but the tendency of such coats is to be scant open the feather should always be long and straight or slightly wavy very heavy on ears back of four legs under the belly and behind the thighs as well as between the toes which gives the feet great protection a great deal of interesting contention and discussion has periodically been occasioned by the interbreeding of cockers and springers and I have been asked to give my opinion to the line of distinction to be drawn between the field and the cocker spaniel well the actual difference is mainly one of size and proportions and also of temperament field spaniels range from 28 to 45 pounds in weight some exceed this lighter limit but I think this is not desirable cocker spaniels should waive from 18 to 25 pounds or as the standard defines even 28 pounds field spaniels should be proportionately lower heavier in bone and generally slower and longer in body cocker spaniels proportionately higher but strong in muscle more active and copier in build while both classes should display the essential characteristics of the sporting spaniel more dash and energy and general eagerness which their more active build and smaller size indicate are expected from the smaller breed and on the other hand a closer range stricter obedience to signs and whistles and the same diligence in work should be looked for in the larger and heavier breed the cocker may be shorter in head and body but should exhibit a well formed muzzle showing a well developed nose with lips well pendant and in both breeds the ears should be long in leather and with good feather set low on the head especially so with the larger breed it is esteemed a point of beauty in field spaniels to have the peak of the occupant well marked and rising in a distinct point above the origin or highest set on of the ears which must fall close to the head and hang flat to the cheek or side of the head the height that shoulder of a 22 pound cocker should not exceed 12 inches and 11 inches would be better a 28 pound dog may go to 13 and a half inches but not more a field spaniel of 45 pounds should not exceed 15 inches at the shoulder and a smaller one say 35 pounds should be 14 inches or less straight legs in front should be insisted on especially in the cocker breed but not to the extent that obtains in fox terriers a narrow front is not desirable and a good depth of chest and well rounded barrel with ribs well developed toward the loins which should be muscular and strong are particularly required the high and quarters should be muscular and the first and second thighs and hocks well bent and so arranged as to give Vera spring to the movement cowhawks or hocks out turned are objectionable the feet are of great importance and should be strong and well furnished with heavy solid thick pads horny soles and knuckles well sprung and held close together not splay footed or spreading a pendant is the standard for the modern field spaniel or springer adopted by the American spaniel club with scale points for judging value head 15 legs and feet 15 ears 10 body and quarters 20 neck 5 coat and feather 15 shoulders and arms 10 tail 10 total 100 points general appearance considerably larger, heavier and stronger in build than the cocker the modern springer is more active and animated than the clumber and has little of the sober sedateness characteristic of the latter he should exhibit courage and determination in his carriage and action as well as liveliness of temperament though not in this respect to the same restless degree generally possessed by the cocker his confirmation should be long and low more so than the cocker intelligence obedience and good nature should be strongly evident the colors most preferred are solid black or liver but liver and white black and white black and tan orange and orange and white are all legitimate spaniel colors head value 15 long and not too wide elegant and shapely and carried gracefully skull showing clearly cut brows but without a very pronounced stop occupied distinct and rising considerably above the set of the ears muzzle long with well developed nose not too thick immediately in front of the eye and maintaining nearly the same breath to the point sufficient flu to give a certain squareness to the muzzle and avoid snippiness or wedging of face teeth sound and regular eyes intelligent in expression and dark not showing the ha nor so large as to be prominent or goggle-eyed ears value 10 should be long and hung low on the skull lobe shaped and covered with straight or slightly wavy silky feather neck value 5 long graceful and free from throatiness tapering toward the head not too thick but strongly set into shoulders and brisket shoulders and arms value 10 the shoulder blades should lie obliquely and with sufficient looseness of attachment to give freedom to the forearms which should be well let down legs and feet value 15 the forelegs should be straight very strong and short hind legs should be well bent at the stifle joint with plenty of muscular power feet should be of good size with thick well developed pads not flat or spreading body and quarters value 20 long with well sprung ribs strong slightly arching loins well coupled to the quarters which may droop slightly towards the stern coat and feather value 15 the coat should be as straight and flat as possible silky in texture of sufficient denseness to afford good protection to the skin in thorny coverts and moderately long the feather should be long and ample straight or slightly wavy heavily fringing the ears back of the forelegs between the toes and on back quarters tail value 10 should be strong and carried not higher than the level of the back end of section 19 recording by Tom Mack section 20 of the American Book of the Dog this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org read by Michelle Fry Baton Rouge, Louisiana the American Book of the Dog G.O. Shields editor section 20 the Cocker Spaniel by J. Otis Fellows the Spaniel is one of the oldest breeds of dogs in existence and several other and later breeds owe some of their best qualities to crosses on this breed so far as known the Spaniel is, as the name indicates, a native of Spain from there he was introduced into England and by crossing into breeding and manipulation several strains have been thrown off from the original parent stock Dr. John Kias writing in 1576 says quote, there be gentle dogs serving the hawk, the first of the Spaniel, called in Latin Hispaniolus there are two sorts viz, the first find at the game on the land, the other find at the game on the water such as delight on the land play their parts either by swiftness or by often questing to search out and to spring the bird for further hope of advantage or else by some secret sign and privy token beret the place where they fall the first kind of such serve the hawk the second the net or train the first kind have no peculiar names assigned unto them save only that they be denominated after the bird which by natural appointment he is allotted to take for the which consideration the cocker is thus named as spoken of hereafter such be called dogs for the falcon, the pheasant the partridge and such like the common sort of people call them by one general word namely Spaniels as though this kind of dog came originally and first of all out of Spain the most part of their skins is white and if they be marked with any spots they are commonly red and somewhat great there with all the hair is not growing in such thickness but that the mixture of them may easily be perceived we are to choose him by his shape beauty metal and cunning hunting his shape being discerned in the good composition of his body as when he hath around thick head a short nose a long well compact and hairy ear broad-eyed lips a clear red eye a thick neck a broad chest short and well knit joints round feet strong claws good round ribs a gaunt belly a short broad back a thick bushy and long-haired tail and all his body generally long and well haired he is small with a wanton playing tail and a busy laboring nose and to give his master warning of what he senteth he doth it by whimpering and winnys making him adapted for covert shooting they vary in size from 14 to 20 pounds in weight the doctor then describes other varieties of the spaniel family as follows that kind of a dog whose service is required in following upon the water partly through a natural towardness and partly by diligent teaching is endowed with that property this sort is somewhat big a measurable greatness having long rough and curly hair not obtained by extraordinary trades but given by nature's appointment yet nevertheless friend guestner I have described and set him out in this manner pulled and knotted from the shoulders to the hind most legs and to the end of his tail which I did for use and customs cause that being as it were made somewhat bare and naked by the shearing of such superfluity of hair they might achieve more lightness and swiftness and be less hindered in swimming so troublesome and needless a burden being shaken off this kind of dog is properly called aquiticus a water spaniel because he frequented and hath recourse to the water where all his game and exercise lieth where upon he is likewise named a dog for the duck because of that quality he is excellent we use them also to bring us our bolts and arrows out of the water missing our mark where at we directed our level which otherwise we should hardly recover and often times they restore to us our shafts which we thought never to see touch a handle again after they were lost for which circumstances they are called inquisitors searchers and finders further on the good doctor to the delicate neat and pretty kind of dogs called spaniel gentle or the comforter in latin mellotocus or totes of which he writes there is besides those which we have already delivered another sort of gentle dogs in this our English soil but exempted from the order of the residue not withstanding many make much of those pretty puppies called spaniel's gentle and though I'm supposed that such dogs are fit for no service I dare say by their leaves they be in a wrong box end quote thus it will be seen that the cocker is one of the oldest and bluest blooded strains of the spaniel family he was the friend and companion of nobility in an age when few other dogs were thus honored stone hinge in his book dogs of the British Isles says quote the cocker can scarcely be described in as much as there are so many varieties in different parts of great Britain he may however be said in general terms to be a light active spaniel of about 14 pounds weight on the average sometimes reaching 20 pounds with very elegant shape a lively and spirited carriage in hunting he keeps his tail down like the rest of his kind works it constantly in a most rapid and merry way alone he may be known from the springer who also works his but solemnly and deliberately without the same pleasurable sensations which I displayed by the cocker the head is round and the forehead raised muzzle more pointed than the springer and the ears less heavy but of good length and well clothed with soft wavy hair which should not be matted in a heavy mass the eye is of medium size slightly inclined to water but not to weep like toy dogs body of medium length and the shape generally resembling that of a small setter these dogs are well feathered and the work for their feet and legs requires them to be strong and well formed the coat should be thick and wavy but not absolutely curled which lasts shows the cross with the water spaniel and that gives too much obstinacy with it to conduce to success in covert shooting the color varies from plain liver or black to black and tan white and black white and liver white and red or white and lemon different breeds are noted as possessing some one of these in particular but I am not aware that anyone is remarkable as belonging to a superior race end quote an old work on the dog condensed from Stonehenge's British Rural Sports and the farmer's calendar contains the following description of spaniels quote field spaniels are divided into two principal groups the springers are large variety used for all sorts of covert game the cockers kept more especially for wood cocks to follow which they must be of a smaller size the springer is again subdivided into the clumber Sussex Norfolk and other strains while the cocker includes the shire and Welsh varieties as well as many other strains without special names the cocker spaniel is a much smaller dog than the springer seldom exceeding 18 pounds in weight for bitches and 25 pounds for dogs he is much more active than the springer and of any color more or less marked with white and closely resemble each other in other respects they are nearly mute but whimper slightly on a scent and when broken they distinguish each kind of game by the note they give out especially the woodcock of which they are very fond Mr. AW Langdale a prominent English authority quoted by Vero Shaw in his work on the dog says of the cocker quote smaller than their brethren the springers they work in a totally different style and in a hedgerow are cops with a thick underwood are invaluable they like the springers are not noisy but when they do give tongue it is of such a silvery note as to warm the ardent sportsman's blood cocker's run into all sorts of color from lemon and white orange and white and orange most generally seen in whales to the liver and white liver and tan and Roan generally seen south and the black and pan of the north end quote in undertaking to write an article on the cocker spaniel I may say that I am no novice in this field I have read them for 35 years spaniels that I read won prizes at the first bench shows in America and since 1881 we have won over 1200 prizes it was I that first advocated a club to improve the spaniels of America I was selected by the breeders of America as one of the committee to frame the cocker spaniel club which is the oldest specialty club in America the club organized in 1881 is still alive with a large number of members and is now called the American spaniel club before 1881 anything and everything that looked like a spaniel was called a cocker they were generally liver liver and white in color long-legged snippy-headed dogs without any fixed type all that was required of them was to hunt and they certainly could do that the cocker soon improved under the American spaniel club standard but they were not content with a long low dog but must have the longest and lowest the standard was made by practical men of wide experience with cockers in the field and of course they made a standard for a dog fit for work but a lot of dude judges who never fired a gun or saw a cocker at work step into the ring and spoil the whole thing by giving prizes to dogs that are cripples practically unfit for field work the worst the dog is deformed the more prizes he can win I know I am right in the stand that I have taken against the longest and lowest abortion and others know it prominent breeders professional breakers practical sportsmen editors of sportsmen's journals and many others who love a cocker often write me to endorse the position I have taken but what good I can do is all spoiled by the non sporting dude judges for the general purpose dog there is nothing that can compare with the cocker spaniel he can take the place of the pointers setter hound or retriever is not too large for the house makes a good watch dog and can be taught as many tricks as a poodle but to secure a concentration of power and endurance he must have a short back with immense loin for the weight of the dog his legs must not be too short but straight and well boned and the feet must be firm and cat like not splay footed loose and flabby as we too often see them nowadays until 1887 we imported or owned about all the good field and cocker spaniels that crossed the pond Bob the third Benedict Beatrice Dash Hindu Creole Bob Jenny Dandy Dinah Miss Oboe the second Newton Abbott Lady Oboe Junior Young Oboe Burdette Bob Bonanza Bobo et cetera the Jacobs strain was useless for fieldwork the Tharo or Oboe strain not much better as they had never done any work in England the Burdette or Bolton Beverly were the best of all crossed with native stock they are hard to beat in the field in the early days of dog shows Mr. F. Burdette the first secretary of the Birmingham dog show had a breed of cockers collected near Latter Worth England where they had been bred for many years by an old family named Footman they were unrivaled in appearance as well as at work taking every prize for which they competed they were black and tan in color after Mr. Burdette's death most of them were sold to Mr. WW Bolton Beverly York England and on pass on I wish to say that Mr. Bolton is the oldest Cocker Spaniel breeder in the world as well as the greatest authority Mr. O. S. Hubble while visiting in England in 1873 purchased a pair of Mr. Bolton for which he paid $900 they were a bow and blanche with rich tan markings Blanche wept October 1874 eight puppies one of the litter Belle was presented to Mr. A. C. Waddell she died in my kennel in 1886 but I had several litters from her by champion Hornell Dandy Bullock's Spaniels as exhibited originally were very beautiful but by no means typical for the very good reason that they were crossed with the Irish Water Spaniel to get the immense feather and ear so much admired in the early days of dog shows in England but which so deeply impregnated the strain with the fatal top knot and rough coat that it has never been altogether eradicated this strain was also crossed with the Sussex and own brother to the famous Flirt and Nelly Blacks was the pale liver color George who made it with his sister Nelly and produced one of the very best looking Sussex Spaniels ever exhibited this will surely account for the eccentricities of color cropping up now and again in the progeny the tendency being to reproduce the original color of their ancestors the color or odd color is often intensified by the oboe cross as no one can say how this strain was produced and when papers and letters were sent to Mr. Farrow about the red and buff puppies got by silk and oboe the second he was silent as an oyster I do not object to the reds and buffs myself for Hornell Velda above was the best cocker ever seen in America and Branford red jacket a red and Hornell Dick above although of different type are as good as any we have many of the oldest strains of cockers were lemon red and brown or these colors were more or less intermingled with white in 1861 I bought a buff cocker from a sailor at Port Colburn she had been stolen in England was buff colored and the exact image of Velda the real old fashioned is not often seen nowadays the present generation of fanciers never saw them and surely never used them a field they simply don't know what they were what they ought to be as to the absurdly long body and low formation which I hold to be not only a deformity but altogether contrary to the true formation and type it must also be against the very utility of the breed Mr. J. E. Hossford of Washington DC in an article in the American field speaking of the good qualities of the cocker says there is something about this breed of dogs that at once appeals to our sympathy and no man can own one and not feel constantly on the alert to defend it from abuse slander or misrepresentation there is no other breed of dogs that will win one's affection so completely and hold it so firmly a new spaniel puppy may never replace in its owner's heart some favorite old setter or pointer but it will be sure to find a place there and hold it too against all comers when the shooting season closes the pointer and setter are laid up in ordinary until the approach of the next season if owned by the right man they are regularly exercised and carefully groomed every day and their grateful master never tires of relating their wonderful prowess in the field they rest on their laurels contentedly not so with the little cocker he and his game have no closed season he seems to know intuitively a thousand and one little tricks and ways to please, entertain and surprise his master in and out of season he is constantly at work in a busy, merry, unobtrusive way he knows your words better than you do yourself and governs himself accordingly if you want him he is right here before you wagging his tail and looking at you intently as if to say I'm ready for anything if you don't want him he is away in some corner quietly dozing or apparently sleeping but always on the alert he is never troublesome he is always able to take care of himself and to do a great deal else besides he is the most noble and faithful guardian of your property and person while he is in your possession chickens do not scratch the flower beds and wallow around the front porch rats do not come into the cellar nor strange cats into the backyard your peaches and melons ripen they are stolen and burglars do not tamper with your locks and window catches if anything goes wrong about the place the little cocker is almost always the first one to notice it and the almost human way in which he comes and tells you of it touches certain cords in the heart which do not vibrate too often they are the handiest little companions of the whole dog race they ask for but little room little food and little care yet in return they give a value tangible only to those who know how to love and appreciate a good and faithful dog their worth cannot be told in dollars and cents nor compared with other standards I know of no other breed of dogs so generally useful and worthy of man's companionship at all times and places in town or country although I have not had personal experience on all game yet from close study of their ways and methods and a knowledge of their great intelligence I am sure they would not be out of place whether one hunts ducks or squirrels coons or rabbits partridges, pheasants woodcocks or wild turkeys and I was not at all surprised to read in a recent number of the American field that one of our best known sportsmen have found them very serviceable while hunting deer I know the cocker and I am not afraid to say that he can make himself more or less useful on any game that is hunted and unless a sportsman confines himself to some game to which another breed of dogs is better adapted there is no more useful dog for him to own than a bright active intelligent cocker spaniel now let me ask why are they not more popular why are not thousands instead of hundreds sold every year when they can be utilized at all times and kept in city or country in the house or outdoors at an office or a hotel why are they counted by ones and twos to a county here and there while every town has almost as many setters pointers and hounds as there are men and boys who shoot it is simply because the merits and good qualities of the cocker are not known to the masses it is because our favorites have not been advertised and pushed to the front as the other breeds of sporting dogs have and a cocker breeders and cocker owners would institute field trials for cockers thousands of sportsmen would come and see them run who are now ignorant of their usefulness then we should see the noble little dog take his place at the front where he belongs end quote and not only as a field dog does the cocker excel but as a pet a house dog a companion for children or adults without a rival when desired for this purpose alone he may be bred down to twenty pounds or under no dog is more affectionate than the cocker and none has so many ways of showing his affection none is more faithful as a guardian of persons or property and none more quiet unobtrusive are cleanly in his habits in training for the house or field be gentle but firm and patient as soon as a dog knows what you want he will do it himself never under any circumstances use a whip or speak harshly to a cocker you can coax him to do anything but he will not stand the whip it is only a matter of patience to teach a cocker to do anything that a dog can do they can almost talk I now own two that can sing and they will accompany any instrument that is played the small dog seem to learn tricks and forgets my son taught a little cocker forty two distinct tricks in a year this little dog was better and quicker than any two messenger boys in the country was also a master hand on woodcock and roughed grass a friend of mine has a handsome black and tan cocker Neptune by name who considers himself the chosen friend the guardian, the nurse the messenger of the family when his master comes into the house after an absence of a few hours the little dog is beside himself with joy he leaps, dances, and rubs against the man and in various ways shows his delight when his master sits down the little dog will, if invited leap upon his lap rub and caress him in a perfect ecstasy of joy and then without waiting for a command he will leap down, run and get the man's slippers and bring them to him as much as to say my friend, put these on and be comfortable if the master lies down on the sofa, the dog lies beside him either on the sofa or on the floor as directed and anyone who approaches him while asleep is warned by an angry growl and a show of ivory that the atmosphere about there is unhealthy for intruders if the master move uneasily or moan in his sleep nep is up in an instant peering anxiously into his face and showing the most intense anxiety for his charge this same delight is shown when any member of the family returns from even a temporary absence and the same solicitude and care are bestowed upon any member of the family who lies down during the day at night nep seems to think it is his duty to guard the room of his young mistress he sleeps just outside her door and anyone who attempts to approach it gets into trouble at once there are no small children in this family but when friends call and bring children the little dog is delighted beyond measure he at once takes charge of the little folks and not even their own mother is allowed to punish them in his presence after caressing and romping with them a few minutes he sails away, gets his ball brings it and in all but words invites his playmates to a friendly game they throw the ball through the halls he retrieves it at their feet and looking up at them besieges them with his great dark eyes and eager excited motions to throw it again he plays hide and seek with them as enthusiastically and as skillfully as any one of their own number some member of the party holds him and blinds him by placing his long silky ears over his eyes when the signal is given and he is released he races through the house with the speed of a greyhound for a few moments in a kind of general search then he cools down and goes about his work more systematically he approaches looks at and smells of each child in the room even if there be a dozen of them apparently in order to learn which one is missing then he starts on a tour of the rooms and halls searching for both foot and body scent and soon locates the fugitive no matter where he or she may be the little children frequently step into a closet and close the door but nep finds them all the same and having smelt at the threshold until sure he is right sets up an emphatic barking that soon brings the hidden treasure laughing and screaming into the light once when playing this game with him a little girl hid on top of the piano nep hunted her through all the rooms and finally decided that she was in the parlor he ran sniffing and yelping eagerly from side to side of this room looking in and behind every chair finally he took up her trail and followed it he found the chair from which she had stepped onto the piano leaping into this he stood up with his feet on the back of it and this enabled him to see the little miss perched on the center of the lid his barking the most excited and vigorous was well-nigh drowned in the shouts and screams of laughter in which all the spectators old and young joined nep carries notes and packages up and down stairs and anywhere about the house thus saving his master and mistress many a step these charges he always delivers to the person to whom he is sent and it is useless for anyone else to try to get them from him in wrapped when the postman rings the bell nep goes down gets the mail and delivers it safely to his mistress what is he worth? what do you imagine it would take to buy such a friend if you owned him his weight in gold but that wouldn't buy him his owner would soon sell one of his own children as nep and yet any well bred cocker may be taught these things if only a reasonable amount of time effort, patience and horse sense be devoted to the task in breeding I do not try to have one dog correct faults in the other but try to have both as perfect as I can get them I do not object to in and in breeding as it fixes the type and I have never yet seen any bad results from it such as deformities or loss of capacity to learn after the bitch has been bred I give her exercise until she is ready to help I always give her a quiet place to help in with plenty of room the bitch always seems to do better alone but care must be taken in cold weather that the puppy shall not get chilled cocker spaniels are always docked I do it when the puppies are from one to two weeks old before they can move around much then the wound heals quicker the operation is painless let one person hold the puppy's tail on a block of wood while another with a sharp chisel and a mallet removes just half of the tail all well bred cockers are natural hunters and retrievers and their senses of sight and smell are more acute than those of either the setter or pointer captain McMurdo told me that when breaking setters and pointers he always had his little cocker bitch at heel and he could tell by her actions when near game although the setters and pointers ranging ahead would give no notice of it when a cocker is under control he is trained he should be taught to stop instantly and to come in promptly he will always work his ground thoroughly but must not range out of gunshot because he flushes his game and if this be done too far from the gun you lose your chance for a shot I do not train my dogs to drop to shot or wing but always to stop and at the word I think this is important for while you have the dog under better control at a close charge in such a position he does not have a chance to use his eyes I have often seen them stand on their hind feet and jump up to see where the bird has gone the cock shooting here is in tall corn would cock dogs I do not train to drop to shot a wing but let them go for all their worth then the bird will top the corn and you can get a fair shot a writer in land and water gives some excellent advice regarding the training of spaniels and I cannot do better than to quote a few paragraphs in his own words he says most people are contented if a dog will work within gunshot and push out the game for him to kill almost any mongrel with the necessary practice and experience will do this but I assume that the sportsman takes a pride in his dogs likes to have good looking and well bred ones and if he wishes to shoot in comfort and in good form when he uses spaniels it is quite as necessary to have them well trained as any other breed of sporting dog I will therefore give such directions as experience has taught me are useful I know no dog that more repays the trouble of breaking yourself that is if you have the requisite knowledge and patience then the spaniel who from the natural love and affection he has for his master more than any other dog should be more ready to work for him than anyone else the spaniel's natural love of and ardor in hunting require a firm hand over him until he is matured there is an old saying that the spaniel is no good until he is nearly worn out there is a great deal of truth in this and the spaniel's enthusiasm must be largely reduced before he can get down to cool earnest work I recollect an old bitch that belonged to a Devonshire sportsman that was so cunning that she used to catch as much game as he shot when the old man died I bought the bitch as she had a great reputation but she was far too much of a pot hunter for me I could have backed her against a moderate gun any day spaniel's get very knowing in working to the gun after a few months and it is astonishing what efforts they will make to maneuver the game out to the shooter I have seen numberless instances of this particularly in hedge road shooting when I have frequently seen a clever old dog on winding game not make a rush at it which would have had the effect of sending it out on the other side but pop through the fence and push it out to you this as I have said is only acquired by experience and a young vigorous spaniel will sometimes push up the game irrespective of lending any aid to the gun a really good spaniel even when he is busy questing and bustling about should always have an eye to the gun and to work to it instead of for himself and his own gratification and amusement you cannot well begin too early to train young spaniels to get their noses down and to hunt close to work thoroughly every bit of ground and every hole and corner that can possibly shelter ahead of game this is what the spaniel is required to do when he is grown up and in order to inculcate this habit in him and to discourage him in what he is so prone to do namely go ahead you should begin by flinging small bits of meat or boiled liver into small patches of turnips in the garden or small patches of thick bushes or any kind of covert that will cause him to seek for it with his nose and not with his eyes by no means enter your young spaniels to rabbits if you can avoid it they take to them naturally when they get the chance and there is no fear of their not having the opportunity soon enough enter them to wing the game by all means and for this purpose get an old cock cut one wing and put him in a small patch of thick covert never take young spaniels into large or thick where they can get away from under your eye confine your working ground to small bits of covert patches of turnips bushes bits of gorse anything in fact where you will be likely to have thorough control over them and where they are in reach of an attendant whom you should always have with you to turn them to your whistle I have founded a first rate plan to take them out on the sides of rivers and ponds where there are lots of more hens and plenty of sedges and rushes let them hunt in the rushes till they are tired and a morning's work of this kind will do them more good than anything I know of they soon become fond of the work it teaches them to hunt close and they are perfectly under the control of yourself and assistant teach them early to drop to hand and shot and spare no pains about it this is a part of the spaniel's education which is generally neglected I know many men who instead of making them drop to shot make them come to heal using the words come around or heal it answers every purpose and as it brings every dog to you and he has to work right away from you again when he gets the signal it has its advantages in keeping them under control but on the whole we prefer the dropping to shot and wing instantly it is difficult to make a spaniel drop to fur and if you can keep him from chasing merely putting up hairs and rabbits but not following them after they are started rest satisfied that little more is necessary or desirable I once saw an interesting thing of this kind I was shooting with a gentleman near South Hampton in one of his coverts to a team of small plumbers we were both standing in a ride and saw a charming little bitch feathering near us toward the ride just as she got to it out popped a rabbit and scuttled down the ride followed out of the covert by the bitch but as soon as she cleared the wood and was in the ride close on to the rabbit which she had not seen till then down she dropped entirely of her own accord she had not seen either of us neither did we know that we were each observing this pretty bit of work until we compared notes a few minutes after and agreed that we had never seen anything better it is rather difficult to describe but to me it was worth all the afternoon shooting and it made an impression at the time which is as fresh as ever now she was I need scarcely say thoroughly broken if it is desired to make young spaniels take water and they show any disinclination to it the best plan is to take them to a stream which you can wade through walk through to the other side and they will probably follow you at once if they do not walk straight away from the opposite side and go out of sight they will come after making a little fuss about it if you have not a suitable shallow stream but are obliged to make use of a deep river for your purpose get an attendant whom they do not know to hold your puppies while you go around by a bridge out of their sight and come down opposite to them and follow the instructions I have given above remember many young dogs have at first a great fear of getting out of their depth all at once but will freely dabble into a shallow stream so that it is best to lead them on by degrees once having got off their legs and finding that it is an easy matter to swim there will be no further trouble always choose warm weather for this teaching there is however no better plan of teaching them to take to the water than letting them hunt more hands as to whether spaniels should be taught to retrieve or not will depend on what your requirements are the number you use and so on if you own but one dog by all means take all the trouble you can to perfect them in this business and for this purpose you should choose your wealth from a strain that retrieves naturally if you work three or four spaniels together unless they are thoroughly broken they all want to retrieve and it is often the cause of much trouble nothing looks worse than to see several dogs all tugging at one bird except perhaps the bird itself afterward if your dogs are sufficiently broken and under command and will drop to shot or come to heal and you can direct either one of them to find the wounded game while the others remain down or at heal you can let them take it in turn which shall be allowed by the owner and honor of recovering the wounded but how rarely one sees spaniels so well under command is this in the case of a team of spaniels I think it better that they should not be allowed to retrieve and this duty is better confined to a regular retriever it is a good plan with young spaniels to walk around a covert towards evening when pheasants are out at feed in the stubbles having an attendant with you to prevent them getting in a zigzag way about the stubbles you can generally give them plenty of practice in this way and enter them well to the scent of winged game if your puppies do not readily return to your whistle but show a disposition to go on turn your back upon them and go the other way which will generally have the desired effect and a rage or a crack of the whip from your attendant will greatly aid it if a puppy is too fast put up a four leg in his collar or tie a strap tightly around one hind leg just above the but neither of these must remain long without changing or you will produce swelling and inflammation apart from the pleasure and satisfaction there is in shooting to dogs of your own breaking there is this advantage that they learn to understand your ways and to know thoroughly your every look and motion while you at the same time perfectly understand them in selecting young spaniels to break if you do not breed your own be most particular in getting them from a good working strain of a sort that a friend of mine designates as savage for work to work spaniels in thick large woods you should go always with them to work them or send someone they are accustomed to work with or they will become wild or slack end quote a writer in the American field also gives the following good points on this subject I have had an extensive experience in training cockers and have always found them exceedingly tractable and anxious to learn I use the same methods for yard breaking that are commonly used for setters the cocker is a natural retriever and readily fetches to hand my old dog jip I trained with great care and had him completely under my control he would charge at word or sign as far as he could hear or see me and would obey the motion of my hand in sending him in any direction he was obedient to whistle so that when in motion one whistle would stop him and when stopped one whistle would start him in whatever direction I motioned one long whistle would call him to my feet he would follow to heal anywhere when a year old I took him out for woodcock the first time he was ever in cover I had not been on woodcock ground ten minutes before he gave voice I knew that meant birds and immediately gave one short sharp whistle which brought the dog to a stop taking a good position I gave one more whistle when he started quickly giving voice and flushed a woodcock which my friend shot calling to jip to fetch he obeyed instantly bringing the bird in tenderly we hunted about four hours raised nine woodcocks and shot seven jip found them all and retrieved every dead bird never failing to obey me and never flushed a bird until ordered to go on always giving me warning of the presence of a bird by giving voice I have been unfortunate in not living in a partridge country since I was a boy and for that reason have never trained a cocker for a partridge hunting still I believe I can take any one of my cockers and hunt partridges woodcocks but my friends who use cockers for partridge hunting usually allow the dog to tree the birds all the experience I have had with cockers on partridges was when a boy and without any trouble I had my little spaniel trained so he would circle about a bird giving voice as he ran gradually drawing the circle smaller until he flushed the bird which would seek refuge in the nearest tree and quote for fuller and more complete instructions on this subject I would commend to my readers a little book called the spaniel and its training by D. Bolton Harold it is an excellent work and is invaluable to owners of spaniels I would advise anyone about to purchase a cocker to get a puppy and train it for his own use the best worker I ever owned was trained on the street going to and from my shop by a dog that will mature at about twenty six or twenty eight pounds a cubby dog that stands about fourteen inches at the shoulder with head of medium length good straight legs and hard round feet avoid the long headed long bodied and short crooked legged dog as you would a serpent for it is a physical impossibility for them to do good work also avoid a dog with a light colored eye for my part I always prefer a bitch as they learn easier are more faithful and never want to roam in quest to sexual pleasures following is the American spaniel clubs standard for cocker spaniels general appearance value ten head fifteen eyes five ears ten neck and shoulders ten body fifteen length five legs and feet fifteen coat ten tail five total one hundred a cocker spaniel must not weigh more than twenty eight pounds nor less than eighteen pounds general appearance symmetry etc value ten a cocker spaniel should be eminently a well built graceful and active dog and should show strength without heaviness or clumsiness any of the spaniel colors is allowable but beauty of color and marking must be taken into consideration head value fifteen should be a fair length muzzle cut off square tapering gradually from the eye but not snippy skull rising in a graceful curve from the stop and with the same outline at the occiput the curve line being flatter but still curving at the middle of the skull the head should be narrowest at the eyes and the broadest at the set on the ears and viewed from the front the outline between the ears should be a nearly perfect segment of a circle the stop is marked and the groove runs up the skull gradually becoming less apparent till lost about halfway to the occiput this prevents the domed King Charles skull and there should not be the heaviness of the large field spaniels but a like graceful well balanced head jaws level neither under shot nor pig jaw teeth strong and regular eyes value five round and moderately full they should correspond in color with the coat ears value ten lobular set on low leather fine and not extending beyond the nose well clothed with long silky hair which must be straight or wavy no positive curls or ringlets neck and shoulders value ten neck should be sufficiently long to allow the nose to reach the ground easily muscular and running into well shaped sloping shoulders body value fifteen ribs should be well sprung chest of fair width and depth body well ribbed back short in the coupling flank free from any tucked up appearance loin strong length value five from tip of nose to root of tail should be about twice the height of shoulder rather more than less legs and feet value fifteen the four legs should be short strong and bone and muscle straight neither bent in nor out at elbow pasterns straight short and strong elbows well let down the hind legs should be strong with well bent stifles hocks straight looked at from behind and near the ground feet should be a good size round turning neither in nor out toes not too spreading the soles should be furnished with hard horny pads and there should be plenty of hair between the toes coat value ten should be abundant soft and silky straight or wavy but without curl chest legs and tail well feathered there should be no top knot or curly hair on top of the head tail value five usually docked carried nearly level with the back at work it is carried lower with a quick nervous action which is characteristic of the breed this ends section twenty the Cocker spaniel section twenty one of the American book of the dog this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Tom Mack Tucson, Arizona the American book of the dog G.O. Shields editor section twenty one the Chesapeake Bay dog by George W. Kirsted for the past dozen years much has been written pro and con in regard to this truly American dog American at least in name and characteristics and I am inclined to believe in origin strange to say of all that has been written and said scarcely any two writers agree as to the general makeup and appearance of the typical Chesapeake on this account it is extremely difficult to handle the subject properly and it is almost dangerous to advance ideas and ask that they be accepted as authority having always stood on the results of my own investigations and experiences on this subject and having met in the press or in the judges ring representatives from every kennel of Chesapeakes in the United States only to see them carry off the field of battle or from the show bench only such empty honors as were left after all higher honors were bestowed upon the strain of Chesapeakes which I champion I fully appreciate the fact that a great deal might be quoted that has already been written by men to whom I give all due respect but fear would be of little benefit to the reader and it might only confuse the uninitiated. If you will stop for a moment and recall all you have heard and read on the subject of Chesapeakes I will ask did not the relator with two or three exceptions tell what some friend had seen heard or experienced in regard to them and tell little or nothing of his own observations and experience I know nothing by experience in regard to Chesapeake Bay dog's work on the open waters of Chesapeake Bay and do not intend to discuss the subject from that standpoint but from the standpoint wherein lies my experience on marshes lakes slews and rivers west and north of the Ohio River I contend that a dog that does good work in this locality can and will do good work on the open waters of the bay or in any other ducking waters and I further contend that a dog to do good and satisfactory work in this locality must have marked characteristics such as are so far as I know not possessed by any other dog than the Chesapeake it was owing to this fact that I became interested in the study and breeding of these dogs 15 years ago during all the subsequent years I have had the best of opportunities to study their weak and their strong points as well as their history in all these years of breeding I can say I did not breed for profit alone from the first I was convinced that I was not laboring in vain but for a noble purpose my motto was breed for the advancement of the Chesapeake Bay duck dog and for the benefit of sportsmen to this I attribute my success and success surely has been the result of my efforts there is not today the Chesapeake Bay dog in the west of anything more than local note that does not owe his or her origin to the Sunday Nelly strain of which I have the honor of being the originator as duck retrievers these dogs have no superiors is a question yet unsettled by public trial as to whether their equals have been produced there is no breed of dogs whose history extends back so far as that of the Chesapeakes of which so little is known by the general public and the origin of which is so closely veiled in mystery no such breed was known in the United States until near the end of the 18th century there is no question as to the fact that the breed originated along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries and that it derives its name from this fact from the best authorities obtainable we learn that about the year 1807 the ship Canton of Baltimore, Maryland fell in at sea with an English brig in a sinking condition bound from Newfoundland to England the crew were taken aboard the Canton also two puppies a dog and a bitch the English crew were landed on their native soil and the two puppies purchased from the captain for a guinea apiece and taken to Baltimore the dog puppy a dingy red in color was called Taylor and was given to a Mr. John Mercer of West River the bitch was black was called Canton and was given to Dr. James Stewart of Sparrow Point these dogs were compactly built not so large as the Newfoundland hair not long but thick and wavy they individually attained great reputations as duck retrievers and it is said of them that they would follow a cripple for miles through ice and a heavy sea and if successful in a capture would always bring it back to their owner the dog sailor became the property of a gentleman of wealth and was taken to his estate on the east shore of Maryland where his progeny is still known as the sailor breed there is no positive proof that there were ever any dogs produced from the union of these two sailor and Canton neither is there anything to show the production from them the natural supposition is that there was and it is to these two dogs that we feel we can give credit for the now famous breed of Chesapeake Bay duck dogs there is now to be met with a great variety of what are called Chesapeake Bay duck dogs but my opinion is that if the pedigree of some of these were obtainable you would find that a cross or two has been made on either the Spanish and it is in this way that I account for the different types to be seen the reason this cross breeding has been resorted to is that the Chesapeake Bay dog with an authenticated pedigree is not to be met with every day and especially since the close of the late civil war which made such devastation in the southern states while there are a number of dogs used for breeding purposes and their produce sold as Chesapeake Bay dogs which do not even reproduce themselves much less transmit the qualities claimed for the Chesapeake Bay dogs yet there are and have been for years dogs used for breeding the progeny of which can be depended upon to reproduce themselves and transmit this with their other good qualities and this I consider the best evidence obtainable that the Chesapeake Bay duck dog does now exist in purity and that it is as distinct a breed as the setter pointer or any other breed though much fewer in numbers many breeds of dogs have a tail of mongrels hanging to them which is in some cases larger than the breed itself and unhappily the Chesapeake Bay dog happens to be one of the cases where the tail is trying hard to wag the dog for years this promiscuous breeding to which we have attributed the different types of dogs to be seen which are called Chesapeake Bay dogs was kept up along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and to obtain specimens that would conform to the description of Sailor and Canton was well not impossible still they did and do now exist and the sportsmen of today can thank OD folks JJ Turner and one or two others in the West for their perpetuation and production of the most perfect specimens that are now obtainable the correspondent of the American field who signs Banshee gives this as his idea of the correct type of this breed the genuine and true type of the Chesapeake Bay duckling dog should not be taller than a medium size setter though a great deal heavier in the body short legs long neck rather appointed nose running back into a broad head reminding one very much of the other with rather small ears set up high on the head its face having a very quick bright and intelligent expression with short straight hair without a wrinkle in it from one and one fourth to one and one half inches long in its longest places very short about the head and legs under this short straight hair by opening it you will find a kind of fur about a half inch long end quote the characteristics of the Chesapeake Bay dog that especially commend him to wild foul shooters are first his good hard common sense there is no retriever so cool headed and quiet as the Chesapeake and for this reason he does not use up his strength foolishly going after he knows not what and many times nothing you have all seen hot headed dogs do this frequently your Chesapeake has the strength and power to go where he will and he has the will to go where your duck falls be it through ice mud rice beds or what it may he will get there when he does get there if the duck proves to be a cripple he has the stick tuativeness to follow until he picks up Mr. Cripple he also has a nose that does not require him to go chasing all over the marsh in hope of running on to the duck he goes directly to it and retrieves it many men are of the opinion that the Chesapeake depends largely on sight to secure his game it is a mistake an idea his nose is equal to that of either the setter or pointer Dr. James Norris of Baltimore Holland writing of the intelligence and sagacity of a noted dog of this breed says there are many wonderful exploits attributed to this famous animal which passed the supposed bounds of animal instinct and enter the domain of human reason and although substantiated by living witnesses I would hesitate to repeat them lest they might be pronounced at least apocryphal there is one of his performances but so frequently imitated by some of his offspring that I will relate it when retrieving ducks after a successful shot over decoys he would not only pass the dead but those that were severely wounded and pursue those that were only slightly hurt and that human reason alone would teach that unless immediately pursued would escape after securing these he would collect the remainder deposit them at his master's feet and assume his position his eyes barely above the front of the blind gazing as eagerly and intently as the sportsman at the approaching game end quote the chesapeake has a coat the like of which is possessed by no other known breed it must be seen to be appreciated in color it is dead grass or sedge a reddish brown or brownish red not liver color is from half an inch to an inch and a half is very dense and wavy not curly in the fall of the year it looks as much like an old faded out buffalo robe as anything one can imagine like all other haired animals the chesapeake dog takes on a fall or winter coat with this new coat each fall comes what we shall call a filling coat that in great measure protects the skin from coming in contact with the water they will come out of the water give one or two shakes and I will define any man to find one of them wet down to the skin or even take them before they shake and you cannot this filling coat can be detected best by taking a clip of the coat and looking at the butt end of it there seems to be something about it say what you can but you can't describe it for there is no other dog's coat that looks like it acts like it in water they are intelligent and quick to catch your meaning and when they do they never forget show them once or twice what you want them to do and they will never forget it as companions they are perfect for the reason that they are fond of one master and will know no other person there seems to be no limit to the amount of endurance they possess for example I will cite the dog Monday by Sunday out of Nellie this dog went into the hands of a market shooter on the famous Kankakee Marshes in Indiana at the age of about 15 months for nine years worked an average of four days out of seven from the time the ducks came in in September until they left when the marshes froze up his work was done for a man that averaged a thousand ducks every fall we have an actual record of this dog having retrieved over 11,000 ducks yet Monday is no exception to the rule as to the matter of endurance one of these dogs will last the most ardent duck shooter with ordinary care 8 to 10 years the general utility of this dog is a strong point in their favor especially where a man keeps but one dog while I claim they are the best duck retrievers on earth this is not their only virtue the best all-round dog a man can keep about his place I use my Chesapeakes for jumping pheasants and quails treeing squirrels running rabbits and in fact all sorts of upland shooting and I know others who do likewise as coon dogs they have no equals at the shakeout as they never turn tail as guardians of property they are equal to the mastiff and have not the objectionable features of the bulldog to substantiate these assertions as to the general utility of these dogs I deem it but just to quote from a few autograph letters I have received from brother sportsmen in regard to them Muscatine Iowa November 9 1886 Dear sir I presume you are always glad to hear of the doings of the Chesapeake so I write you a word or two about puppy Jack he is growing very fast and seems full of life and health and yet is as dignified and watchful as a mastiff I took him out hunting with a fine setter bitch a week ago not expecting to ask him to do any work but only to get used to the sound of a gun he watched Nellie bring out one or two ducks and then we shot three mud hens to try him Nellie brought two and Jack one then we let one of the boys go down to the lake and shoot mud hens at various points out of our sight making a circuit we came to the lake a mile below and shot a mud hen or two to warm him up and then walked up the bank of the lake which is full of water lilies etc now we couldn't see the mud hens killed by our companions and didn't know where to look for them and Nellie made no sign to get any of them but Jack did not miss one going without a word of command he was 50 yards out into the lake and in one instance making three trips and bringing a bird each time this may not be new to you but I must confess I have never heard of such work in a young dog and no one here has he seems to love the water and will from choice break the ice along shore to play in the water his magnificent coat being an absolute protection against cold or wet my children are perfectly delighted with him my wife never saw so nice a dog and I well I wouldn't look at $100 of any man's money in exchange for him he is watchful, plucky and strong embodies all I could ask in a massive or a newfoundland and has so many other excellent qualities that if he is a fair sample of the breed and I presume he is I wonder that anyone would prefer the breeds single virtues to this omnibus dog when I ordered him I thought I was getting a good retriever but I find that besides retrieving better than any dog I have ever seen he also excels in virtues not claimed for him Fergus falls Minnesota September 23 1885 Dear sir I have been in the field every day since receiving the Chesapeake puppy I received him at Crookston September 2nd took him immediately out of the box fed him and while sitting on the express office steps with a number of my friends the puppy saw a piece of paper blowing along the road and without a word went and got it laid it down at my feet and crawled up into my lap I took him into my wagon and the same day carried him out in the country 25 miles returned in two days and took him out with me shooting mallards with a number of my friends who wanted to see more of him and the first mallard I shot was in a small shallow pond of mud and water not deep enough to allow him to swim the puppy was at heel when the duck fell and I did not intend to send him for it alone but without a word he started out felt his way timidly at first reached the duck which was a monster took hold of its body first and tried hard to lift it out of the mud in the water but could not then he took hold of its wing and tried to carry it but of course would step on it he finally became discouraged laid it down and commenced to cry I at once waited out and helped him bring it in and you never saw a prouder dog in all your life or perhaps a prouder man all this was done without a word of command and entirely at his own free will I would not allow him to do much work as he is too young but he has never refused anything that I have asked and I can only express my opinion of him by saying he is a dandy very intelligent he is easy to control and I now have only to point my finger at him to make him down and on my third trial he would creep behind me on a sneak on ducks note by author this puppy was whelped May 31 1885 and was less than four months old at the writing of the above letter speaking of the courage of the Chesapeake Mr. Poineer says their pluck and courage is indomitable and the more incessant the shooting the more fierce and determined they are in their work and woe unto the dog against too near them when they are after a duck upon several occasions when shooting late in the season they tested their courage when everything was frozen up but a few open holes in the deep lakes these holes being kept open by the ducks congregating in such large numbers that the water could not freeze the shooting at such a place can be imagined three and four guns would be kept warm at such times I have seen one Chesapeake Bay dog do all the retrieving and every time he brought a duck he had to climb on the ice other dogs in the party got scared or froze out and could not be induced to go in I never saw a Chesapeake refuse to go it matters not how cold the weather might be a stiff current with running ice or any obstruction is all the same to them quitting is not in their vocabulary Irish water spaniels and other retrievers have been tried beside them on Chesapeake Bay and invariably have quit from the above quotations the reader may infer that the Chesapeake needs little or no training while this is true to a certain extent it is just as necessary to subject him to your will as if he were a setter or a pointer my plan in handling the Chesapeake has been to make him my companion as much as possible he will naturally take the retrieving as soon as he can run allow him to follow his inclination in this matter and indulge him on every possible occasion teach him to deliver in hand and thus avoid the possibility of losing winged birds after your dog has brought them to the boat or blind by the time he is four or six months old he will be doing all sorts of retrieving for you about the house when four or six months old if this period comes in the fall take him to the shooting grounds it is to be supposed that in his companionship with you he has mean time learned to love the gun shoot your duck and see to it that you are unfavorable rather than unfavorable ground for your puppy to see it fall go with him for the first one if he gives you time to do so if the fall be a favorable one the chances are you will have no occasion to go from this time on if you use judgment in your shooting for a few outings you will have little or no trouble it will be but a short time until you find you have only to look for ducks coming and your dog will look after those you knock down and when he once goes at his work in this way do not interfere with him by trying to make him come into the blind or get down in the boat out of sight his coat and color provide for this and he appears to be aware of the fact I am a strong believer in natural instincts and I insist that to have a dog do his work satisfactorily he must do it for the love of the sport rather than because he is forced to do it I have never yet seen a forced retriever that could be depended upon at all times they are liable to become sulky at times and when they do the owner is liable to get in the same mood then the sport is over for that day at least the chances are this trouble will be avoided I would not be understood as saying that all that is necessary is to buy one of these puppies grow him up to six months take him to the marsh and you have a thorough retriever for ten years to come far from it the first six months it may be ten or twelve months of his life are to be a continuous period of breaking and training not a breaking all jammed into one week or two but continuous little by little and when the six or twelve months are passed you will be surprised to see how much your puppy will do for you and how little trouble he has been in my opinion dog breaking is the thing in which no stated rules can be followed the most necessary thing is first fair material on which to work and then lots of good hard common sense on the part of the trainer a few words on breeding may be of interest first of all if you wish to be successful do not attempt crossbreeding by this I mean do not attempt to improve the breed of Chesapeakes by an infusion of other blood such as Cedar, Spaniel etc these experiments have already been made and with the worst possible results for instance on the Irish Cedar result a litter of all black puppies on the English Cedar result a litter of all colors but the desired one on the Irish and English Spaniels result dark liver and black the predominating colors as a rule large ears and so rattle headed that nothing could be done with them a second cross on the half breeds no better results than the first for my breeding stock I always select from the litter with a view to producing the color desired I make it a rule to breed a bitch inclined to white to a dog inclined to black and vice versa by this I mean a bitch that showed a lighter shade of color at the end of hairs then close to the skin and the dog whose coat showed as dark or darker at ends than at the skin I do not think it advisable to mate an extra light colored bitch or an extra dark bitch with an extra dark dog the happy medium is what I always try to strike as to breeding stock I have never failed to get good results as to color when these rules were observed I have known litter thrown in other kennels that contained two and three cream white puppies I have known of dark livers and blacks in all these cases it was no fault of breeding of either the sire or the dam but simply the result of improper blending of colors and color I consider one of the essential points of the Chesapeake I have known the eyes to be decidedly off color both too light and too dark from the same improper cause breeding of Chesapeakes is just like breeding any other class of dogs a deal of good hard common sense must be used to obtain the best results to overcome a weak or objectionable feature you must counterbalance it with the opposite feature and it may take two or three or even more generations to eradicate it these dogs are not early developers as to form seldom coming into perfect form and coat under 18 months or two years on this account I would advise not breeding under this age another advantage to be gained by late breeding is you have time to have a dog fairly well broken and then if he or she proves a successful sire or dam you are so much the gainer the bitch should have entire freedom from the time of service until the puppies are weaned Chesapeake puppies as a rule are hardy and easily raised they're seldom being a frail one among them at the age of three to five weeks they should be separated into yards with not more than two to the yard as they are savage fighters and are liable to ruin one another I have known nearly the entire litter to jump on one of their number and literally tear it to pieces I may say here that if you are ever so fortunate as to own a Chesapeake dog you will not be likely under any circumstances to be called upon to take his part in a fight as he will be able to do that himself unless be set by several big dogs at once he will generally be found capable of taking care of himself in the field, the marsh, on the road or in a fight and will be to the man that attempts to chastise you or yours in his presence in the writing of this article I have tried to avoid anything that might confuse the reader especially the controversial points in regard to the different types and lest some may not clearly understand me on this subject I have to reaffirm that there is but one true type of Chesapeake Bay duck dog and he has the thick heavy wavy coat the future of the Chesapeake Bay dog is somewhat uncertain and yet I can see no reason why with the number of good specimens now distributed all over the north and west this breed should not rapidly increase in numbers and in popularity especially so since the willing rather than the forced retriever is becoming more and more the choice of sportsmen every day standard and points of judging the Chesapeake Bay dog value head including ears, lips and eyes fifteen stern four neck six symmetry and quality six shoulders and chest fifteen coat and texture sixteen back quarters and stifles fifteen color eight legs elbows hocks and feet fifteen total one hundred points head broad running to nose only a trifle pointed but not at all sharp eyes of yellow color, ears small, placed well up on the head face covered with very short hair neck should only be moderately long and with a firm strong appearance shoulders and chest shoulders should have full liberty with plenty of show for power and no tendency to restriction of movement chest strong and deep back quarters and stifles should show fully as much if not more power than four quarters and be capable of standing long strains any tendency to weakness must be avoided ducking on the broad waters of the Chesapeake Bay involves at times facing a heavy tide and sea and in cases of following wounded fowls a dog is frequently subjected to a long swim legs elbows hocks and feet legs should be short showing both bone and muscle with well webbed feet of good size four legs rather straight and symmetrical it is to be understood that short legs do not convey the idea of dumpy formation elbows well let down and set straight for development of easy movement stern should be stout somewhat long the straighter the better and showing only moderate feather symmetry and quality the Chesapeake Bay dog should show a bright, lively, intelligent expression with general outlines good at all points in fact a dog worthy of notice in any company coat and texture short and thick somewhat coarse with tendency to wave over shoulders back and loins where it is longest nowhere over one and a quarter to one and a half inches long that on flanks legs and belly shorter tapering to quite short near the feet under all this is a short woolly fur which should well cover the skin and can readily be observed by pressing aside the outer coat this coat preserves the dog from the effects of the wet and cold and enables him to stand severe exposure a shake or two throws off all water and is conducive to speed in swimming color nearly resembling wet sedge grass though towards spring it becomes lighter by exposure to weather a small white spot or frill on the breast is admissible color is important as the dog in most cases is apt to be outside the blind consequently too dark is objectionable the deep liver of the spaniel making much greater contrast therefore it is to be avoided the weight of dog should be 60 to 70 pounds and bitches 45 to 55 pounds the height should be about that of a medium size setter but heavier in body and shorter in legs the foregoing descriptive list and scale of points was drafted by a committee appointed by the American Kennel Club in the winter of 1884 and 1885 for judging these dogs while I do not agree with the committee in some few minor points in general the list and scale are safe ones to follow and to section 21 reading by Tom Mack