[ Sporting Magazine ]
The Sporting Magazine (1792 - 1870) is considered the first general sporting magazine, though in its later decades it gave considerable emphasis to fox hunting. But it published all manner of sporting-related material, from news stories to poetry to calendars of upcoming sporting events. The subtitle of this magazine was "Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chace, and every other Diversion interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize and Spirit." [more at Wikipedia]
The March, 1863, issue carried an installment of "Here's Sport Indeed," a sporting memoir by Lord William Lennox (1799 – 1881), a British military officer and writer, principally on sporting and high society topics. In this chapter we get some thoughts on sporting dogs. Lennox's thoughts on crossing Newfs with gun dog breeds was an idea that had a fair bit of currency among sporting writers in the early- to mid-19th Century:
With respect to the best breed of retrievers many sportsmen differ: some contend that a cross between a pure Newfoundland dog and the setter (the old English springer) is by far the best, and for this reason: the Newfoundlander being from his short large head and expanding nostrils the clearest smelling dog in existence, must rank the highest. The Newfoundlander, too, possesses great strength and courage, and his wide palmated feet adapt him admirably for swimming, a most desirable accomplishment for this species of dog, as birds, especially wildfowl, have so often to be fetched from the water. The setter has also high courage and a fine nose, and his roughness of coat, as well as habit and constitution, render him more fitted to amalgamate with the Newfoundland, and produce a good dashing animal, than any other dog. (217)