Retrievers are now by far the most popular gun-dogs in this country,
whereas in America they are considered useless, with the exception of a
few that are kept exclusively for duck shooting, and which are called
Chesapeake Bay dogs, and are a distinct breed from any we have in
England. Ninety-nine-hundredths of the work of English retrievers is on
land, and although a retriever can hardly be called perfect unless he
will hunt in water, and get a winged duck if that be possible, yet it is
absolutely impossible to have a dog that is perfect in everything (or so
it appears), and therefore a shooter exercises a wise moderation in his
demands when he insists on perfection in one department rather than
moderation in all.
People purchase and use retrievers for either one or more of several
reasons:—