18 JANUARY 1930, Page 16

British sportsmen have always been, perhaps, a little narrow in

their choice of dogs ; and the artificiality of much partridge and pheasant shooting has further narrowed their narrowness. A good many dogs (and even cats) can be taught to become good retrievers and have good noses. I know of just one sportsman who relies solely on poodles. His view is the com- mon one—has it any foundation ?—that they are the cleverest of all dogs, that they have at least as shrewd a nose as spaniel or retriever, and that they an easily be trained to retrieve quickly and faithfully. It would doubtless cause some amusement if a man appeared at a fashionable shoot with a poodle at his heels ; but then we are a very conventional people, especially in the domain of sport.

W. BEACH THOMAS.