FISHING DOGS by Richard Coppinger, circa 1996

Book Report: FISHING DOGS is a quick read, but don’t go too fast or you will miss the sly, witty sense of humor of the author delivered with rich rollicking adrollment of men who are natural fishermen. Coppinger is a biology professor in Massachusetts. He has written & lectured on dog behavior extensively. Some of his articles have appeared in LIFE, DOG FANCY, NATURAL HISTORY, SMITHSONIAN magazines.

The book is a guide to the “History, Talents & Training of the Baildale, the Flounderhounder, the Angler Dog & Sundry Othe Breeds of Aquatic Dogs also known as Canis piscatorius.” This book is the epitome of the biggest “fish story” and FINALLY brings to light what fisherman have always thunked to themselves when pursuing the scaled of game.

The history of the hunting dog has been verily documented in one context or another for over 10,000 years. However much less is known about the Fishing Dog, a spin-off unnatural selection of hunting dogs. The author claims that a fisherman without a fishing dog is like “a fisherman shooting oneself in the waders.” Fishing dog breeds addressed are Baildales or Ballast Dogs, Bilge Pups, Sushihounds, Monsoon Dogs, Gyro Dogs, Bowplunks, Maine Bow Dogs, Mat Dogs,  Flounderhounders, Punting Dogs, Duckheads, Log Dogs, Bassin Hounds, Stringer Spaniels, Fish Spotter Dogs, Angler Dogs, Tippups & Pike Pointers.

Subject content revolves around narrating the history of “dogs from wolves, the perils of cross-breeding, the strange habits of hunters & the statistical probability of finding a good fishing partner after the age of forty. There is lots of good information about training the various kinds of fishing dogs & there is a lot that the discerning hunter can take home to his own hunting dog.

PERTINENT QUOTES taken word for word….

I quickly became amazed at how much has been written about hunting dogs while almost nothing has been written about fishing dogs. Almost everything about these dogs is by word of mouth. Eventually I talked to dozens of breeders & sportsmen about their fishing dogs and I was forced to come to this conclusion; you don’t hear about fishing dos because all the fishing dog breeds have been successful, therefore there’s no need to register them with the American Kennel Club.

Field trial records are, unfortunately, unreliable, having been lost (or perhaps stolen by disgruntled breed club secretaries. It is an age-old tradition in dog breeding to lose the breed records, so the dogs’ attributes live on in delightfully unreliable oral renditions & do breeds attain a status closely supported by cultural mythology.

Breeders of purebred dogs are people who preserve nature’s major anomalies. But dog breeders discovered a way to put life into modern evolution; adaptation is passé, maladaption is an au courant. Strive not for perfection of form, but take tiny maladaptive characteristics & improve them.

Hungarian breeders have perfected coats on their dogs, so nothing can get through them except some specialized smells. The Puli & Komondoor have such perfect coats that you can’t get a snarl out.

Many famous breeds have obscure origins. Most of these now famous but once obscure dogs are hunting dogs. I think this is so because hunters don’t realize what they have if it is working. It is only when the dog is no good & they have to get it registered that they look for origins.

It is exciting to see a Pike Pointer work. He stands in the boat, sticking his head over the side & underwater. When his tail stiffens & starts to vibrate & his front leg draws up against his chest in a point, you know right where the fish is.

Good dogs look where they are pointing, where-as bad dogs point where they are looking. Most hunters don’t seem to be able to tell the difference.

Crossbreeding is a favorite topic for the wee hours. Not because the phone rates are cheaper, but because this is one of the subjects people don’t want to be seen talking about.

Many wee-hourers have another crossbreeding motive in mind, namely, the all-purpose dog. The result of crossing two breeds, they reason could be a dog that does both jobs; a kind of two for one deal.  However a floating mat dog crossed with a stringer spaniel seems to be a natural, until you realize the dog can’t walk home. You’d feel pretty dumb carrying a dog home with fish stuck to it. Fat-tailed stringers would be sought after for their beaver-like qualities & a Maine bow dog crossed with a floating Mat Dog might look rather fetchingly like hemp on the bow of a tug boat, even though it would be impossible for the dog to fetch anything.

Order from Abe Books for darn near dirt cheap

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=Coppinger&sts=t&x=31&y=14