THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

PRESENTED BY

PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND
MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID

FOREST AND STREAM SERIES, No. 2.

PRACTICAL

f RAINING;

OR,

TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

S. T. HAMMOND,

KENNEL. EDITOR OF "FOREST AND STREAM.

NEW YORK:
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING COMPANY,

39 PARK RO W.

1882.
COPYRIGHT, 1882, FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING* Co,

NOTE.

The system of dog training described in this book is a
new one. Its fundamental principles were adopted by
the writer thirty years ago ; the details of the method,
as here given, have been developed and perfected by
him during that time. His own success with it has
encouraged the belief that its publication would be •wel-
comed by the thousands of Air* ican sportsmen who
own and handle field dogs. This belief, it is a pleasure
to say, has been confirmed by the marked favor accord-
ed to the successive chapters as they appeared in the
FOREST AND STREAM, from which journal they are here
reprinted.

This system is humane and rational. It is also prac-
tical and efficient. Dog training differs essentially from
dog breaking, both in method and spirit, and also in
what may be accepted as the test of all systems, namely:
the results attained.

The pages of this book contain no theories. They are
a plain, simple record of the plan which has been tested
by the writer in the field, year after year. He believes
that the same plan may be followed by others with
equal success. It is, therefore, with the fullest confi-
dence in the merits of this system of Dog Training vs.
Dog Breaking, that it L submitted to the public.

The story of "My Old Dog Trim " is added, because
from his day the author dates his conversion to the
belief that training is better than breakingo The sketch
of "The One-Eyed Grouse of Maple Run" is also given,
that the reader may have in it some of the "reasons for
the faith that is in us," when we advise the introduction
of the youngsters to the haunts of this royal bird.
These sketches are also given as illustrative of some of
the pleasures enjoyed in the field in the companionship
of a well-trained dog. S. T. H,

FOREST AND STREAM OFFICE, March, 1882.

TRAINING VS. BREAKING.

CUAPTEK I.

T^TEARLY all writers upon the subject of dog training ap-
J-N pear to think that there is but one course to pursue.
That all knowledge that is not beaten into a dog is worthless
for all practical purposes, and that the whip, check-cord and
spike-collar, with perhaps an occasional charge of shot or a
vigorous dose of shoe leather, are absolutely necessary in
order to perfect his education.

It may appear presumptions for us to advocate a departure
from the beaten path, but as we have had some little experience
in the past thirty years, and as many sportsmen who should
be good authority have seen our dogs at work, and have
unanimously united in pr dse of the manner in which they
acquit themselves in the field, we have thought lhat per-
haps a description of our method of training might prove in-
teresting. It will be so at least to the new beginner. The
main object that we have in view is the amelioration of the
present condition of "man's best friend," and should the per-
usal of these lines cause even but one to follow the coursa
here marked out, we shall feel amply repaid for our labor.

We have ever been possessed of a great love deep down in
the heart for our canine pets, and this love is the main spring
that governs all our actions toward them. We do not wish
to be understood as meaning that we never use the whip for
•we believe with the wise king of old that the rod should not
be spared when it is needed. What we do mean is this :
There is no dog worth the raising — we are speaking of point-
ers and setters — that cannot and will not learn all that it is
necessary for him to know without a single blow being struck
or a single harsh word being spoken. We are very well
aware that this humane course will entail a little more labor,
and that a vast deal more patience is required than when de-
pendence is placed upon the whip and boot-heel to enforce

rt 7 /L Q ~Z -> "7

2 TRAINING V3. BREAKING.

your commands, but the intelligent and cheerful manner in
which your pet obeys your slightest word or motion will
much more than compensate you for the extra time that you
have devoted to his education. There is nothing that so
mars our enjoyment when in the field as to see the cringing
form of a noble animal cowering in fear of a whipping,
which nine times out of ten he does not deserve half so much
as his master.

We do not claim absolute perfection for our system nor that
you can by adopting it invariably succeed in turning out a
well trained, well behaved dog, for we know that with dogs
as well as with men we often find one who for lack of brains
will never amount to much, no matter what pains we take
with him.

In selecting a puppy there are many things to be taken in-
to consideration. In the first place we must be sure that both
sire and dam are first class field performers. This
we consider of the utmost importance. They must also
be possessed of endurance, and must be reasonably intelli-
gent. The more ancestors of this type that our pup caa
boast the better will he suit us. He must also have life and
ambition; indeed we care not how high strung he is, for al-
though he may not submit to restraint quite so readily as
his sleepy brother, yet when you once have him under sub-
jection he will not only mind more quickly, but he will da
his work better and much more of it. Of course he must be
well formed, and we should like him to be of good color and
coat, but these last are not indispensible as we much prefer
good performance to good looks.

Having selected our pup, we will take him home when he
is fcix to eight weeks old, and at once begin his education.
Many writers will tell you that your dog should be much
older before you begin to instil into his mind even the rudi-
ments of knowledge. If you are going to pursue their sys-
tem of instruction, we should advise you by all means to put
off the evil day as long as possible ; but if you are to follow
our plan, begin at once ; not a moment is to be lost. In the
first place you want to secure his affection and entire confi-

FIRST LESSONS. 3

deuce. This will be the first lesson, and nothing more should
be attempted until you have completely won his heart and
taught him to place the utmost confidence in you. At this
tender age his mind is easily impressed, and will long retain
the ideas now formed ; and it will take but a few days to
teach him to iove you with all his heart. If possible, give
him a good roomy pen on the ground, with a warm, well-
sheltered house or box in which to lie. Do not forget that
he will be very lonesome for a few days, and therefore glad
to see you often ; and you cannot better employ your time
than in paying him a visit every half hour for the first day or
two. Always, when you go to see him, have a bit of some-
thing for him to eat that he will relish. As you approach
the pen you should invariably blow upon your whistle the
note that you intend to use to call him in. "VVe sound a long
note for this purpose, beginning loud and gradually dying
away. This, with a short, sharp note to attract attention, is
all the signal that we ever sound upon the whistle ; the last we
do not use until his education is further advanced. By asso-
ciating this long note with something good to eat, it will soon
become fixed in bis mind that when he hears it he must run
to you as fast as he can. We much prefer to have two pups, for
it takes no more time to teach them both than it does to teach
one, as they will learn from each other ; and if one is in-
clined to be dilatory we withold his reward, and he, seeing the
other one enjoying his customary allowance while he is him-
self deprived of his share, at once comprehends the true
reason and will be on hand the next time.

Do not fail to abundantly caress him and speak kindly
words, and never under any circumstances, no matter what
the provocation, allow yourself to scold or strike him, as this
is entirely at variance with our system, and is sure to result
in the defeat of our plans. Should he jump upon you with
his dirty feet, or tear your clothes with his sharp teeth, do
not get angry and cuff him, but gently yet firmly pi ice him
upon the ground or unclasp his jaws from your garments,
consoling yourself with the thought that in a short time you
will have him so well in hand that he will know better than

4 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

to commit these faults. Be very gentle with him at all times;
carefully study his disposition, and learn all of his ways that
you may the more readily understand just how to manage
him. You should be in perfect sympathy with him and
humor all his whims and notions and endeavor to teach him
that you truly love him. In a short time you will find
that this love will be returned ten fold, and that he is ever
anxiously watching for your coming, and never so happy as
when in your presence and enjoying your caresses.

After a few days you may begin to train him, but do not
be in a hurry about it, as nothing is gained by haste. • Be
very careful now, and do not ruin all by an undue haste ; go
very slow, carefully feel your way, and, above all things,
exercise an unwearied patience ; and if at any time you find
the strain upon your nerves growing a little too tense, leave
him at once and wait until you are perfectly calm before re-
suming the lesson.

There is one thing, of the utmost importance, that we wish
to particularly impress upon your mind before we go any
further. Do not allow yourself under any circumstances to
speak to your pupil in anything but your ordinary tone of
voice. There is nothing that is mere annoying when shoot-
ing than to have a companion continually yelling at the top
of his voice to his dog, and generally without any effect.
Now, such yelling is worse than useless, fo-r if your dog is
properly trained in the first place, he will readily mind your
lightest word. For your own comfort, then, and for the
pleasure of whoever may accompany you upon your shooting
excursions, use nothing but gentle tones when you issue your
commands. When this very disagreeable habit of shou'ing
is once commenced, you will soon find that a still louder tone
is demanded, and had you the lungs of a Stentor, it will not
be long before your resources will be exhausted, and you will
vainly sigh for thunder tones to voice your words of com-
mand.

The first thing that we endeavor to teach a pup, after we
obtain his love and confidence, is to stop at the words To
ho. This is a very important point, and comparatively

FIRST LESSONS. 5

easy to teach him. He should be very hungry when you
commence these first lessons, as his eagerness for the food
will cause him to pay you close attention ; and when he un-
derstands that as soon as he performs his task his reward is
sure, and that he cannot have it before, he will anxiously
strive to do whatever you may require of him. You should
begin by giving him a taste of a piece of meat, then secure
a firm hold upon his collar, and place a small piece upon the
ground in front of him. He will struggle with all his strength
to get at it, but hold him steadily, and do not say a word
until he becomes partially quiet ; then move his nose a little
nearer, and, in your ordinary tone of voice, say To ho,
with a falling accent upon the last syllable. Do not repeat
the words just yet, and when you do be very careful that
your voice is not strained and unnatural; we always ac-
company this word with the right hand raised warningly, for
it may often happen that we wish our dog to come to a halt
at some distance from us, and by accustoming him to the
gesture he will soon learn to stop a3 far as he can see you.
Most sportsmen use this signal to mak3 their dogs charge,
but as we shall show further on, when we come to it, the
other plan is much better. After a few seconds the dog wil]
become more quiet, and you can n peat the words. Now
carefuly watch him, and as soon as his attention is fixed upon
the meat, and he looks at it steadily for a second, release
your hold and cluck to him as a signal that he can now have
it, and at once praise and pet him, and give him to under-
stand that he has done something wonderful, and that you
are pleased with him. We should have stated before that, from
the first, whenever you place his food before him you should
always cluck to him, as he will thus learn the meaning of
the sound, and understand when he hears it that all restraint
is removed.

After the first trial do not try him again until the next
time that you feed him; for should you force him he may
grow weary and fail to respond with that cheerfulness and
alacrity that is so pleasing to see. You must be very care-
ful that he does not get at the meat until you give him per-

6 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

mission, for he must understand that you mean business
every time, and that he cannot have it until he becomes per-
fectly quiet and hears your signal. After a few lessons of
this kind, if you have managed right, you will be surprised
to see the improvement that he will mako and the zest with
which he will enter into the spirit of it. You can soon leava
him free, and he will readily point at the word ; and with
proper care he will soon learn to point when the meat is
thrown to quite a distance from him. Of course you will
understand that the distance must be increased very gradu-
ally, and implicit obedience exacted every time. Should he
move so much as one step after you give him the word, you
must in3tantly place him as near as may be in his former
position, at the same time repeating the word ; and this must
be done gently yet firmly until he becomes steadfast. Too
much importance cannot be attached to this; indeed, it i3
the groundwork of our whole system ; and unless you
thoroughly instill into his mind the knowledge that you
mean just whit you say, and must be obeyed to the very
letter, and that he cannot vary the fraction of an inch from
the rule that you have laid down, it wi 1 not be of any use to
continue further, for under our system — or any other — it will
be utterly impossible to turn out a we'll trained animal unless
we strictly adhere to the above rub and exact implicit obe-
dience every time.

After he once undertstands that he must mind, your task
is half accomplished, the rest is comparatively easy, and
you will indeed find it a labor of love to perfect his educa-
tion.

In giving these first lessans do not re nove him from his
pen, as new surrounding 3 will serve to distract his attenti m
from the business on hand, and your task will be all the
harder. Indeed it is much better to avoid all training out-
side the pen until your pupil is well established in whit you
have taught him. Should it not be convenient to have a pen
for him, any good sized room or inclosure that he cannot get
out of, will answer for training purposes. Do not allow any
spectators in these first lessons, as you want his undivided

FIRST LESSONS. 7

attention. We know that there is great satisfaction in show-
ing off the little fellow's accomplishments to one's friends,
but until you are quite sure that he will obey when strangers
are near, it is much better to practice him alone than to have
him go back on you before folks where you might feel a
little delicacy about enforcing your commands.

CHAPTER II.

OANINK ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

WHILE teaching our pup to charge, his other lesson
must by no means be neglected, but plenty of prac-
tice must be sandwiched in until he appears to thoroughly
understand the meaning of To ho, and will readily stop at
the word or upraised hand. When he is reasonably perfect
in this, you can vary the lesson by placing the food upon
your knee, as you sit by him, and bringing his noss very
close to it, and after a while, as he improves, you can lay the
morsel upon his nose and he will soon learn to hold perfectly
still and retain any attitude that you may place him in. As
he advances in knowledge, you should take a piece of meat
of good size, that he cannot swallow, and carefully open hh
mouth — this you caa do by clasping your hand around his
muzzle and gently forcing the thumb and fingers between
his jaws— and placing the piece therein, at the same time
commanding him to To ho. Do not remove your hand from
his jaws, but hold him lightly yet firmly ; for although the
chances are in favor of his understanding what is wanted,
and obeying readily, still it is necessary to retain the grasp
as we are not through with him yet ; and should the taste of
the meat prove too tempting and he undertake to bolt it,
you, having a good hold of him, can at once open his mouth
and secure the meat. As soon as he comprehends what you
require and remains perfectly quiet, gently force open his
mou h and take the meat from him, at the same time telling
him to " drop," and at once reward him with a piece of some
other kind of meat, thus teaching him that he cannot eat the
first piece, nor even mouth it, but must deliver it safe into
your hand. We generally use a piece of tough, partly-
cooked beef for the trial, and are very particular in our first
lessons of this kind to reward him \vith a bit* of liver or
something entirely different from the large piece. The utility
of this lesson we will explain further on, only remarking

THE CHAIX. 9

here that we consider it of vital importance that our pupil
should be thoroughly trained in this, for we think it to be
one of his most necessary lessons, and too much time cannot
be expended in perfecting him in this branch of his educa-
tion. He should become so perfect in this that he will take
the smallest bit of meat in his mouth and ho'd it perfectly
still, without the slightest movement of his jaws, and deliver
it readily into your hand without reluctance.

You should accustom him to the restraint of the chain
very early in his career, fcr the longer you wait the harder
will be the task ; he should be chained up two or three times
each day, fcr a little while only at a time, taking care that
he is perfectly quiet when you loose him. Should he be very
restless and uneasy, you must soothe him with kind words
and pet him until he becomes quiet, and on no account un-
fasten him until he ceases his struggles and remains calm for
a little while, thus teaching him that howlings and strug-
glings will not set him free. B? very careful to see that he
cannot break his collar nor slip it over his head, nor break
his cbain, for it is of the utmost impor lance that your lessons
should be thorough, and that at no time should he get the
idea into his head that there is any possible course except
implicit obedience to your wishes. Great care must be taken
at all times, in all his lessens, that he is not kept under
restraint for too long a time, but the increase of time must
be none the less sure, although very gradual and almost im-
perceptible. Much will depend upon his disposition in this,
which, if you have carefully s'udied, you will be able to
manage, so that he shall not brcome disgusted and be an un-
willing pupil. At the slightest indication that he is getting
weary of instruction, you must let up a little and pro-
ceed slower, but with such care and good judgment that
he shall not mistrust the reason; and if you pursue the
proper course and manage him rightly, you will l-e amply re-
paid when he comes to maturity in witnessing the intelligent
and cheerful manner in which he will obey your commands
and submit to long continued restraint without a murmur.

We accustom our pup from the first to the society of

10 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

fowls, and if possible procure a brood of chickens for him
to associate with. We greatly prefer game fowls for this
purpose, for we think they are possessed of stronger scent,
thus being more attractive to him, and making him all the
more eager to investigate them, while the mother being much
more brave in their defense than a common dunghill will at
his first attempt to chase or worry them give him a lesson
that he will never forget. Upon the occasion of his first in-
troduction to them, do not allow him to mistrust that you
have planned the interview, but let him accidentally come
upon them while a1; play ; he may not cha?e, but the chances
are that he will make a rush for them. Do not stir, but
calmly say, To ho, and leave the rest to the old hen.
Should he hear you and stop, you must caress and praiee
him. Should he "point" them, do not enourage, neither
must you prevent him, but take no notice of it, for
should he find that it was pleasing to you he might form
habits that would not always prove satisfactory. On the
other hand, should you discourage him he would perhaps
think it was wrong to point, so that the best way is to
leave him alone, and let him point to his heart's content,
thankful that he has the instinct, and content to patiently
await the proper time to so direct this wonderful gift that
its display shall minister to your pleasure and afford you
abundant enjoyment

There is one other point to which we wish to call your
attention while we are upm the subject. If you have
hunted much you have undoubtedly seen dogs that would
point rabbits and perhaps chase them. Now, that our pupil
may not be guilty of such indiscretion, when old enough
to take the field, we will proceed to so train him that he will
never pay them the slightest attention. We always obtain,
if possible, a pair or more of our common wild rabbits ; if
these cannot be had the tame variety will answer. Then we
build them a hutch alongside the puppy's pen, with a hole
communicating just large enough for them to pass through,
that they may visit him at their pleasure and readily escape
should he be loo familiar, and our word for it you never

POINTING FUR. 11

need fear tbat your dog is pointing a rabbit. We once pur-
chased for a song a magnificent dog, which was entirely
worthless from this cause. Although he had an excellent
nose, and was perfectly staunch, he would point every
rabbit that came in his way, and would "draw" on their
trail, and you could never make sure but he was leading
you after one of these pests instead of a bird. We took
him home and placed him in a large yard, with several of
his bob-tailed friends, and left him to his fate. He pointed
them steadily all the afternoon, and refused to leave them to
eat his supper. What he did during the night we cannot
say, but when we visited him in the morning, although he
was lying down, he was still staunchly pointing, but appar-
ently very tired. He did leave them long enough to eat his
breakfast, but as soon as it was down he immediately re-
sumed his work. This went on for nearly a week before he
appeared to weaken, and before the close of the second
week he evidently had had enough of it. We then took
him into the field, taking pains to go where rabbits were
plenty, but not once did he pay them the slightest attention,
nor was he ever known to notice them again. For the
same reason we like to have cats about the house that our
pup may become well acquainted with them before he com-
mences hunting.

We should have mentioned before that the pup should be
let out of his pen for a good run, at least twice a day, and
if he will remain about the house and not stray away, we
should much prefer to let him run all the time, for the more
exercise that he gets the belter will it be for his strength
and endurance in the future, and the less he is confined the
better will it be for his courage and confidence.

While our pup is yet yourg he should be taught to love the
sound of the gun. This can be easily accomplished if the
proper course is pursued. In the fir.4 pla.ce we take a couple
of old tin pans, and while his attention is attracted by
something that interests him we strike them together, lightly
at first ; and if he appears to be afraid we are very careful not
to add to his fright by a repetition of the noise anywhere

12 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

near him, but take the pans to quite a distance from bis pen
and leave them, and wait awhile before trying again. When
it is time to feed him we go to the pans, and while sounding
our whistle, as before described, to let him know that we are
coming, we give a stroke just loud enough for him to hear
plainly, and at once proceed to his pen and give him his
feed. By pursuing tbis course for a few days, and gradually
goiag a little closer every time, he will become accustomed
to the sound, and learning that the noise is connected with
our coming, and also his dinner, he soon gets used to it, and
in a short time will stand the racket without flnching. When
he has become so accustomed to the noise that he shows no
signs of fear at quite a loud crash it is time to try him with
the gun. In order to do this understand ingly you will re-
quire an assistant. Let him take the gun loaded with a light
charge of powder and stand at some little distance— say forty
or fifty yards away — and be ready at your signal to fire.
You will now enter h's pen, and after he gets a little quiet
call him to you and put a piece of meat before him and bid
him Toho, at the same time raising your hand as a signal for
the gun. Carefully watch him, and should he display any
sign of fear the experiment must be repeated as with the
pans. There is no need of your presence only to notice how
he behaves, and you can dispense with your assistant, unless,
as will probably be the case, he does not mind the report,
when the gun can be brought nearer, and you can make
another trial. Great Cire must be taken not to frighten him
with too loud a discharge, nor should it be too close to him,
until he gets used to it. By piying close attention to him
when under fire, you can read Jy teil how far it will do to go,
and by properly conducting your cxp3riment you can soon
teach him to love the sound of the gun, even when fired over
his head ; indeed we have cured in this way some of the
worst cases of gun- shy ness that we e Vv r saw. Comparatively
few dogs are gun-shy, and it is with these only that thos3
precautions are necessary. After your pup has been care-
fully accustomed to the noise do not lay the gun aside as
soon as you have accomplished your object, but let him hear

SOUND OF THE GUN. 13

the eound occasionally until his education is complete, taking
good care that the discharge of the gun is at once followed by
something pleasing to him — his dinner, for instance — or let it
be a prelude to giving him his liberty, thus giving him to un-
derstand that the noise means something, and soon the noise,
or even the sight of the gun, will cause him pleasurable emo-
tions that he will never forget.

CHAPTER III.

OHABGE !

will take it for granted that, after a week cr two Of
daily practice, our pupil has so far advanced in his
education as to be rearonably proficient in his performance
at To hot and we will now take another step and try him
with something new, and endeavor to teach him the meaning
of the word charge. As this word is in constant use among
sportsmen the world over, we always teach our dogs its
meaning; but for our own use we greatly prefer a low
breathed Sh! It is just as effective and far more quiet, es-
pecially when you take your dog into company, for instead
of attracting the attention of every one in the room by
commanding him to charge, you cai give him this signal,
and scarcely one even of those nea- est you ^ ill notice it.
We have used this for more than t wen y years, and can
heartily recommend it. Most persons train their dogs to
charge at the upraised hand. We do not quite like this, and
have never adopted the custom, for it very seldom occurs
that you wish your dog to drrp at any great distance from
you, but should you from any cause wish your dog to remain
quiet when he is at a distance, how much better it is to teach
him to come to a full stop at the raising of your hand, and
remain upon his feet when he can see you and be ready to
obey your next signal. Even at the discharge of the gun or
rise of the bird, we greatly \ refer that the dog, instead of
charging, should instantly stup and stand up, where he can
readily see what ii going on. There are many arguments in
favor of this course that we will not mention until we get
further on.

We will now take our pupil in hand and see if we can
teach him to "charge." Place one hand upon his shoulders
and neck and the other upon his hips, and gently, yet
firrniy, force him to a recumbent position, at the same time
repeat the word charge, prefaced with the low ah—. Do not

CHARGE! 15

forget to use only your natural tone, at the same time the
word must be Bpokm in a decided way that cannot be mis-
taken for entreaty instead of command. This word must
not be spoken more than once, and given with a falling in-
flection ; keep him in position un'il he ceases struggling and
his muscles relax. After a second or two, if he zemains
quiet, lernove your hands and allow him to get up. By
using the words " hold up " or "get up " in this connection
he will soon learn their meaning ; but do not do this until he
appea' s to understand what you want of him, and on no
recount, EO matter how long the struggle continues, should
y. u repeat the word, nor let up on him one particle, for
everything depends on first impressions, and as sooa ts your
pupil finds that his struggles to escape avail him nothing, and
that relentless as fate you are bound to conquer and accom-
plish your purpose, he will at each successive lesson be more
willing to yield. To this persistent painstaking and un-
wearied perseverance in sticking to our point until our object
is accomplished do we owe much of our success in training.

We must again repeat that all this time you must keep
perfectly cool, and must suffer no sign to escape you of anger
or impatience ; for if you cannot control your temper you
are not the one to train a dog, and had better resort to the
breaking process at once.

Great care should be taken to place the pup in a natural
position. When you force him down see that his hind legs
are squarely under his body and his fore-legs advanced well
in front, with the head resting between or upon them, and
always insist upon this position.

In the first few lessons it is not necessary to keep him in
position more than a second or two, but be very careful tint
he understands that you are to be thejudgi of the proper
time when he may get up. As he grows older the time can
be very gradually extended, according to his disposition.
Should he be very nervous and excitable, great care must be
had that he d ?es not get heart-broken with unnecessary and
long continued restraint.

Do not expect that he will at once become perfect in any.

16 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

thing that you may teach him, but possess your soul in pa-
tience and allow and encourage him to act out his puppy
ways and to play and frolic to .his heart's content, always ex-
cepting, of course, the few moments that you devote to his
lessons. Above all thing?, carefully refrain, from anything
that looks like restraint in your ordin iry intercourse with
him, and endeavor to instill into his mind that you are his
loving friend, and that nothing suits you better than to see
him thoroughly enjoy Mmself. We have found by experi-
ence that dogs are very much like men in some respects.
They both are possessed of a superabundance of steam that
must have vent somehow, and it is much better to get rid of
the surplus while your pupil is of too tender an age to work
any serious harm, than tobott'e it up for escape in the future,
when added years and knowledge are very proie t3 turn the
current into dangerous channels. How much better it is to
a'low your boy to chase the gaudy butterfly and to encour-
age him to renewed efforts and let him learn for himieif,
that even if he is successful in securing the object of his de
sire, that the chase is futile and will not pay for bruised
and tired limbs and soiled and torn clothes — how much bet-
ter this than to keep him unwill ng at your side, with his
young heart almost bursting to essay the trial and sowing
the seed that in a few years will ripen and cause him a1, the
first opportune moment to break, not for butterflies now,
but in a wild chase for forbidden pleasures that the restraints
of his childhood make doubly dear. Do not think that we
are moralizing ; we are only illustrating. Therefore, when
your pupil gives chase to the "butterflies of youth," do not
check him, but rather urge him on, that he may the sooner
discover the fallacy of the pursuit. In the meantime consols
yourself with the thought that he is working off his surplus
steam and will all the sooner settle down to the real duties of
life and do you no discredit by wild escapades in his mature
years.

There is one thing that we consider of paramount impor-
tance—our pup must staunchly point when he is from fcix to
ten weeks old. If he will not do this naturally and of hij

CHARGE! 17

own free will, quickly dispose of him to some one who is not
so particular, and try again. Although his breeding may be
of the best and the chances in favor of his pointing in the
fuiure, still there are so many elements of chance in raising
up dogs that we should strive to eliminate at least all of the
doubtful ones. We have yet to see the dog that would make
a gamy point at this tender age who would not fulfill the
promise in his riper years; while "t)>e woods pre full of
them " that, having passed their youth without displaying
this, "heaven born gift "still make no sign. It is not
necessary that he should be tried on game bird*— al-
though this is desirable — but any bird will answer the
purpose; a fowl or chicken will *b first-rate, or
almost anything that will attract liis attention so that
he makes a staunch point. Do not force this upon him, but
merely give him a chance to discover the bird or chicken
himself, and if he has this instinct implanted within him you
may depend upon his showing it. Many pups who will
staunchly point at this age may, perhaps, a few weeks or
months later, shovrnosign; give yourself no uneasiness on
this account, for you know that the instinct is there and, al-
though it may be dormant f r a while, you can rest secure
that it will return in proper season.

Do not forget during all your lessons, and while at play
with him, to pet and fondle him ; but do not allow him to
jump upon you at any time. Whenever he does this you
should at once firmly remove him and he will soon learn that
this will not do. You should also talk to him -not baby
talk— but use intelligent, rational language, just such as you
would use in talking to a ten year old boy, and you will be
surprised to see how soon he will understand your conversa-
tion. We are well aware that many persons will ridicule
this, and will claim that a dog should be taught just as little as
will answer to make him understand his duties while in the
field, and that what they term " fancy training " is a positive
injury to his usefulness. We have no sympathy with these
views, for nearly all of the pleasure derived from our shoot-
ing trips is in witnessing the intelligent manner in which our

18 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

pets perform their duties, and well satisfied are we that tie
more varied their accomplishments and the rmre developed
their reasoning faculties, the more en j oy ment will they afford.
That many writers of renown disagree with us upon this
point is true ; and formerly, while perusing the finished pro
duetions of their able pens, we have be^n haunted by linger-
ing doubts that after all perhaps they were right and that our
system was open to serious objections ; but after a tramp
over the stubble or through the covert with these same writ-
ers, and witnessing tho delight with which they gazed upon
the performance of our dogs, and listening to the lavish en-
comiums which ttey bestowed upon their good behavior, we
have been confirmed in the faith that our system is not radi-
cally wrong, to say the least. Many sportsmen whom we
have met in the field insist upon c )ngratulating us upon the
wonderful good luck that we have had in obt lining such in-
telligent animals. That they are intelligent is plain to be
seen ; that they are naturally more so than thousands of
others we cannot believe, for we have had considerable ex-
perience with many strains of both pointers and setters. Of
pointers we have owned the "gazelle- eyed," satin-coated,
light weight bemlies, and many of the different s'rains and
crosses up to the lumbering Spaniard ; and of setters we have
cultivated the "wi'd Irishman," as well as his more staid
English and Scotch brothers, together with many animals of
our grand o'd native stock, and Lave ever found them all en-
dowed with faculties that needed but proper training to
develop them into intelligent companions as well as first class
"killing "dogs.

We will now return to our pupil, whom we have given
quite a rest — and continue our lessons, ever remembering thnt
we must "hasten slowly," and not over-burden his youthful
days with care and sorrow by too frequent or long continu d
restraint. Unless he is very dull and stupid, or inclined to
be refractory, or worse than all, sulky, a very short time is
sufficient to give him all the instruction and practice needed,
indeed the shorter the time occupied in his lessons at this
tender age the better, provided you succeed in obtaining an
intelligent obedience to your commands.

CHARGE! 19

You should be pretty well acquainted with his disposition
by this time, and be able 1o form an opinion as to whether it
will pay to keep him or try again. We are very loth to ex-
pend much time with a dull or stupid one, and a sour or
sulky disposition we abominate, and dispose of such as soon
as may be. We are best suited when a pup is full of life
and shows that he has a will of his own, We care not if he
be headstrong, even willful, so that he is full of life and ac-
tion, for we have ever found that these high-strung animals
are not only possessed of greater intelligence than their lesi
sensitive companions, but as a rule they are na^re killing
dogs, to say nothing of the greater pleasure that they afford
bjr their superior style of going. Should his temperament
appear to be what you desire, thankfully proceed with your
pleasurable task.

You must be careful when you commence his lesson that
you do not cross him by beginning when he has something
of importance upon his mind that will distract his attention
from the business on hand ; if he is busy with a bone, or
engaged at play or his mind appears to be preoccupied, leave
him quietly alone until he is disengaged, and then go on with
the lesson ; by pursuing this course you will secure his un-
divided attention, and not only save time, but much wear
and tear of your stock of patience, it will be time enough
to teach him that he must leave his bone or cease his play at
your command when he is a little older and a little further
advanced in his education ; at the same time should you un-
thinkingly order him to do anything while he is engaged,
you must see to it that the order is obeyed at all hazirds, for
it will never do to play fast-and-loose with him, nor to allow
him to get the idea into his head that he can ever have his
own way, when you desire the contrary. After you have
taught him to charge readily without the aii of your hand to
force him down, you can gradually increase your distance
from him when you give the order ; and if you are very
careful to make him instantly obey you, and do not allow him
to take even a single step after the command is given, he
will soon obey the order as far as he can hear your voice.

CHAPTER IV.

THE WHISTLE AGAIN!

"VTTHEN our pupil has become so well established in the
* * knowledge of what is required of him that he will,
when at quite a distance from you, instantly slop at the
signal of the upraised hand arid retain his position until given
permission to move, we will advance him another step, and
teach him the meaning of that other sound of the whistle,
that we have mentioned as being used to attract his atten-
tion. We always use for this purpose two very short, quick
toots, with the second one folio wing the first instantly. As
the meaning of this signal is entirely different from the one that
he has become accustomed to, so should the sound be also so
different that he can never mistake the one from the other,
n^r for an instant be in doubt as to what is required of him
when he hears the sound of the whistle.

As much depends upon first impressions, we will take good
care that we start right, and tbat we let him hear the first
sound of this signal at an opportune moment, and as we
wish to teach him that this sound is only to attract his at-
tention, we will be very careful that he is not looking to-
ward us, but wait until he is at some little distance from us,
and looking the other way. At the same t;me care must be
taken that he is not particularly engaged about anything
that would t;nd to distract his mind. At just the right
time you should sound the signal in a short, sharp, quick way,
but only loud enough for him to hear distinctly, and he will
at once look around to learn what this means. At the in-
stant he casts his eye in your direction, raise your hand as a
signal for him to To ho. Be very sure that your hand is raised
at the proper time, for, as we have remarked before, first im-
presssions are very important, particularly in this lesson, and
he should instantly see and obey your signal, thus learning —
if this course is always pursued — that the two short blasts
mean nothiBg in themselves, and are only a warning to call

HIE ON! 21

h's attention to something of importance that you wish him
to do.

You will find it necessary to vary this or he will come to
associate this signal with your command of To lio, and at
once stop when he hears it. Now we wish to train him so
thoroughly in this that, when we come, a little later, to
teacli him to quarter his ground, he wiU not slacken his
speed at the sound, but merely turn his head in your direc-
tion, and quick as a flash obey whatever signal you may
give him ; therefore, when you repeat this lesson, instead of
raising your hand for him to stop, command him to charge.
Of course you will see that he is near enough to hear you
plainly. Perhaps it will be as well at the next trial to sound
the long note as soon as he looks around, and call him in,
not forgetting to abundantly caress and praise him when he
performs his task in a pleasing manner. We think it a very
good plan to always have in our pocket something good for
him to eat, and when he minds this long note and comes in
quickly, we reward him with a bit of something substantial
as well as with fine words. This system of rewards must
not be carried too far nor practiced too often, but used oc-
casionally when he performs his duties in a satisfactory
manner ; especially when he comes in at the sound of the
whistle quickly and cheerfully, a little piece of meat will at
least have no tendency to slacken his speed when next be
hears this signal. This instantaneous, almost electric obedi-
ence and cheerful alacrity is most pleasing to witness, espe-
cially when hunting in company with others whose dogs
may not be quite up to the standard in this respect. There-
fore no pains should be spared to so perfect our pupil in
this, so that when we come to practical work in the field his
actions shall cause us no disquiet nor reflect discredit upon
our skill as his teacher.

There is one word more that our pupil should early become
accustomed to, and it will be well to introduce its use almost
at the beginning. This is the word On. You can use this
word alone or, as many prefer, you can say Go on or Hie on.
Either or all are well enough, and your pup will learn the

22 TRAINING vs. BREAKING

meaning just as quickly even should you indiscriminately
use all three, as it is the word on every time, and even if
you should paraphrase it, as a well known sportsman is in
the habit of doing, and order you dog to Git on, it will make
DO difference.

Let us charge you once more to be sure and issue all your
commands in a decided manner, and always in your ordinary
tone of voice; and do not fail to deliver each one with a
falling inflection, for we never yet saw the man who issued
his orders with a rising inflection but was sadly bothered to
have them obeyed. By using this word, or any < f the above
variations, when you cluck to him to take his food, he will
soon understand its meaning if the word instantly follows
the cluck. Probably he will get the two mixed at first, but
as you practice him at To ho, he will soon learn what it means;
for as he improves in this and becomes steady, b.3 should be
taught to point at gradually increased distances, and the
word On should be used to move him up ; and in a short
time, if this is properly managed, he will carefully and
steadily "draw" on a piece of meat for a long distance.
Great care must be had that you do not confuse him by
seemingly contradictory orders, for he now tbinks that your
cluck and On mean one and the same thirg, and in order to
teach him the diff rence you must omit the cluck when you
wish him to advance, and omit the On when you wish him to
eat the morsel before him. This can be readily accompli -hed
by placing the meat four or five feet from him, and after he
has pointed it a short time tell him to Go on, and when he
is close to it make him To ho once more ; and then cluck to
him as a signal that he may have it. We always partially
omit the On after the cluck, as soon as he appears to under-
stand its meaning, only using it enough to keep him from for-
getting it, and as soon as we begin to teach him the difference
we are very careful not to use either one in place of the
other, until he has the lesson well learned and appears to
thoroughly understand both signals, when we can safely mix
them again ; for oftentimes when shooting we may wish to
move him on, especially when trailing ruffed grouse when

COMING- TO HEEL. 23

the capture of the bird depends upon our absolute silence,
at least so far as words are concerned ; therefore he should
be taught to advance at the sound of the cluck as well as
the word On.

When well accustomed to the restraint of the- chain, he
should be taught to come to heel and qui-tly walk by your
side. We greatly prefer that our dog should keep this pcsi-
tion with his head just opposite our legs, where we can see him
without turning around, instead of having him behind us.
In order to teach him this, quickly and well, you should procure
a stick, about t*o feet long and an inch in diameter, and
fasten a snap at one end of it. This you can easily accom-
plish with the aid of a bit of leather. NJW spring the snap
into the ring in his collar and take a little walk with him.
We generally manage a few of these fir^t lessons at his usual
meal time by placing his dish of food at the proper distance
before we take him in hand. He should know nothing of
his dinner until you lead him to it. When all is ready lake
a firm hold of your end of the stick and walk along at your
usual gait, coax:ng him to follow. Be sure and have the
stick at the right angle to keep him ju=t where you intend
to have him go. After one or two s'eps, and when you have
got him well under way, you must say He I to him, and re-
peat the word once or twice as you walk alonj:. You can-
not expect that his behavior will be entirely faulile-ss upon
the first trial, but no matter how he takes it, lead him
straight to his dinner and at once unfasten him and let
him eat. After a few lessons of this kind, he will
become perfectly reconciled, and you can gradually ex-
tend your walk and occasionally omit giving his food
at the end, and he will soon learn to keep his place
without the aid of the stick. Then you can extend
your walks, taking care to be very gradual in the increase
of time, and to be very sure that he implicitly obeys you and
does not leave his place for even so much as a second's time,
until you bid him go on. If this lesson is thoroughly — now do
not smile at my frequent repetition of this word, for it is a
word that we are very fond of, and one tha*; we wish to

24 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

thoroughly impress upon your mind as being of (he greatest
importance in perfecting our pupil in Ms education — if this
lesson is thoroughly learned, you will be spared much trouble
and worry in the future. Should you have occasion to walk
the streets, you will not be obliged to whistle at every turn,
and perhaps to wait and search for your dog, but you wlil
know just where he is and what he is doing. Then how
much better is it, when you come to the practical application
of the knowledge, which you have been to so much trouble
to impart, and take your dog into the field, to have him
quietly retain his position by your side instead of rushing
wildly around at his own sweet will, and compelling you to
shout yourself hoarse and to unstring your nerves in a con-
tinual struggle to keep him within bounds, thus placing you
at a double disadvantage, for the continual nois3 not only
frightens the bird?, causing them to rise out of shot, but the
constant worry of mind and strain upon the nerves is a very
prolific source of unsteadiness in shooting.

Do not neglect giving your pupil plenty of prac ice at all
his lessons, as well as the one just commenced ; not weary-
ing nor long continued practice, but just enough to keep
him well up to his work. If you have a spare moment give
him a little turn at To ho, ever aiming at perfection ; and be
sure to see that he does his work well, and never allow him
to perform his task in a careless or slovenly manner. You
should also practice him at Charge, until he will not only
obey the order readily, but retain his position in a perfec ly
quiet manner until you shall bid him Hold up.

He should be made to Charge when you are out walking
with him ; and taught to remain quiet, while you walk
around ; and in a short time you can go quite a distance,
even out of his sight, and he will patiently await your return.
Your orders should be given at unexpected times, when he
is not looking for them. By this course you will teach him
to be always ready to obey, no matter when nor where he
may hear the signal. He should also be taught to hold his
position at To 7w, while you walk around and away from
him ; for it frequently happens, when trailing birds, that you

STRANGERS. 25

wish to go round to avoid a mud hole or brier patch, and if
your dog has been well trained in thi?, by witnessing one in-
telligent performance of this p' easing accomplishment, you
will be more than repaid for all labor expended in teaching
it to him.

Many dogs will pay no attention to strangers, and appear
to care for no one except their masters. Should your pup
be inclined to notice others, and give you any trouble in this
respect, you can very easily teach him better, by having some
one call the dog to him, and give him a few light cuts with a
switch ; and by changing your assistant every time, and ad-
ministering two or three doses of this, he will give you no
further trouble. If your assistants will fondle him a little
before administering the~switch, the pup will all the sooner
find out that it is better to have nothing to do with others
than yourself, and will not bother you later by running to
every one who may notice him.

CHAPTER V.

QUABTERIXC.

WHAT is more pleasing to the eye of the sportsman
than the evolutions of a well-trained dog as he
systematically quarters his ground ? With what satisfaction
and pleasure we gaze upon his graceful motions as with head
high in air he gallops across the wind, ever turning at the
signal or the promptings of his own good judgment, and
crossing just in front covers the whole ground ! Pardonable,
indeed, is the pride of the sportsman who possesses such an
animal, for well we know how rare it is to see this per-
formance in perfection.

Many dogs seem to possess a sort of instinct for this, and
without any special training will quarter their ground very
fairly ; while others appear to have no inherent sense of the
matter, but will beat straight ahead in whatever direction
they are started, and neither turn to the right nor left, nor
stop until they find scent, or are recalled by the whistle.
Should your pup prove to be of the former class, thank your
lucky stars for the kindly fortune ; but relax not your efforts
to so train him that his performance shall be faultless. On
the other hand, should he display no aptitude for this, do not
despair, for with proper training he can be taught to acquit
himself very fairly, so well, in fact, that his performances will
compare favorably with those of a large majority of other
do;s that he may meet in the field.

Before commencing his lessons in quartering our pupil
should fully understand the meaning of the word " On," and
readily move forward on hearing it. He will also have ac-
quired some knowledge of the meaning of the motion of your
hand as indicating the direction that you wish him to take
from the practice that you have given him at " To 7u>." For
when you have thrown the piece of meat for him to point,
te has noticed that this motion is invariably in the direction
that he saw the meat thrown, and as he is possessed of

QUARTERING. £7

reasoning faculties of no mean order, he has figured it all out
and has arrived at correct conclusions in the matter, and you
will find upon trial that he will readily start in the direction
you wish him to take at the first wave of your hand.

While instructing him in this b anch of h's education we
may as well improve the opportunity to get his "head in the
dr where it belongs, for when we get in the field with him
we shall find this accomplishment to be very desirable ; in-
deed, I always adopt th s plan from the first in his practice
at "To ho" unless he is caturally high-headed ; and even then
it can do no harm. You must be sure that he is well ad-
vanced in the lessons already taught before you attempt to
teach him this. Then when he is very hungry take him into
a large yard, or still better into some open field where you
will be frte from interruption by any one, and having pro-
vided yourself with two kinds of meat (as mentioned in his
first lesson at "To ho"} and also wi h two or three sticks
about two feet long and as thick as your finger and sharpened
at each end, you are ready to commence operations. You
should always enter the field from the leeward side a 3 in
actual hunting ; and after making your pupil ch.a-ge, you
will walk away from him about twenty yards. Do
not go dircc ly up wind but diagonally across; thus,
if the wind is west you will go to the northwest or south-
west, as you may prefer ; and after impaling a piece
of meat upon the end of one of the sticks, set the other
end in the ground just firm enough to remain in position.
I think that it is better to set it in a bunch of grass or low
bushes, that it may be hid from his sight, as it is time to
teach him that he must depend upon his nose. If there are
no bushes handy you can easily carry with you a few leafy
-twigs, or if in winter a few pine boughs, and stick down
one or two in front to hide it from view. In this way place
one or two more pieces at some little distance from the first
one and also from each other, taking care to put them so
that you can work up wind toward them, and be sure that
you do not forget their location.
Now return to your pupil and praise and pet him for his

28 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

good behavior in remaining quiet, and reward him with a bit of
the same kind of meat that is on the stick. After he has eaten
it, and is intently watching for more, take another piece of
the same kind and let him smell cf it ; and then make be-
lieve throw it in the direction that you wish him to go, which
should be at an angle from the meat upon the stick ; thus, if
the stick is northwest from you, make the motion toward
the north, which will take him across the wind and also bring
him near enough to the meat to smell it when he gets opposite it.
Carefully watch him and the very instant that he strikes the
scent you must make him To ho; then walk UD to him and
praise and pat him, but make him hold his position while
you advance and pick up the stick and take the meat there-
from and put it in your pocket, taking good care that he hai
a good view of the whole performance. Now abundantly
reward him with praise and give him a piece of the other
kind of meat to eat.

After a few moments' rest you can prcceed to look for
the next piece in the same manner, and if he shows no sign
of weariness you can continue to the third. Beyond this I
do not think it advisable to go at the firtt lesion, nor even so
far if he shows the least sign of having had enough of it.
Indeed, in all his lessons and practice it is much better to stop
far short of satiety than to weary and perhaps disgust him
with too lorg continued application. Your own good judg-
ment will generally tell you when to stop, and you will find
that five minutes', or even one minute's practice, that leaves
your pupil in a happy frame of mind induced by the bestowal
of your well merited praise is much better than an hour's
that finds you both fagged out and disheartened by the fail-
ure to accomplish satisfactory results. "We have learned by
experience tbat the shorter the time devoted to his lessons
the better, provided that he is practise i every day, several
times if you like, and a satisfactory performance of his task
obtained.

After a few lessons of this kind, if he goes through the per-
f jrmance in a satisfactory manner, you can venture a little
further and try him with a turn by making the motion in the

QUARTERING. 29

wrong direction. Be very easy and go careful now, for much
depends upon starting rLhr. When all is ready wave your
hand in just the opposite direction from the one that you
have been accustomed to, and when he has taken two or
three strides, sound the two short notes with your whistle,
and at the instant he turns his head toward you, wave your
hand in the other direction and proceed as in former lessons.
Should he be loth to turn, you must use good judgment and
get him used to it without getting him discouraged ; per-
haps by making him To lio when he refuses to turn, and then
sending him in Ihe new direction you will get safely over the
difficulty. But it is seldom that you will have any trouble
if you have puisued a proper course in his earlier lessons and
thoroughly instilled into his mind that he must obey. We
have been often surprised to see how readily our pup would
at the first trial turn and take the direction indicated, thus
showing that our efforts to make him feel confidence in us
and that he could implicitly trust us, were crowned with
success, and that instinctively as it were he obeyc d the motion
of our hand, although thinking that the meat was in the
opposite direc ion.

After you once get this first turn accomplished the rest is
comparatively easy, but do not hurry him as nothing is
gained, and much may be lost by undue haste ; and you will
find that if you drill him in this until he is reasonably per-
fect before going any further, that when you co:ne to try
him with the second turn, he will all the more readily com-
prehend and obey. If at the successive steps in these lessons
you are through with each one before attempting the next,
you are sure to find your r jward for your patient labor in the
great satisfaction that you will experience when you cast him
loose among the birds and witness the practical illustration
of your wisdom and success as a teacher that he will be sure
to afford you.

It is better to confine his beat to quite narrow limits at first,
as this will keep him near you and make it easier for you to
check him at once, should his performance be faulty. Three
or four strides will generally be found sufficient, and in some

30 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

cases even less will be found enough, and occasionally we
may have a pupil whose natural ap;itude for this may be in-
dulged from the first and a s ili wider range allowed him ;
but in either case the range shou'd be circumscribed until he
appears to understand what is required, and to readily and
cheerfully obey your signals and the different motions of
your hand. This very important accomplishment cannot be
taught in a week or a month, indeed you will do very well if
you succeed in obtaining fair work out of him in a year ; not
but long before this time he will beat his ground in a manner
that will cause even old sportsmen to pronounce him a prod-
igy, but as we are striving for perfection, we will not be
satisfied with a mediocre performance, but continue persever-
ingly to practice our pupil until he will not only regularly
quarter his ground in front of us and instantly obey each
signal, but will wheel of his own accord when he reaches a
a proper distance or comes to fence, hedge, or stream that he
should not cross. This knowledge that he must not cross a
fence or hedge without orders is of great importance and
easily imparted by working him along a fence after he has
learned to beat his ground and turn at the signal. He will,
after a few lessons, understand what you desire and readily
keep within bounds. Should he at any time transgress and
go through or over the fence, care must be taken that he re-
turns at once, and at the precise spot where he went through.
This is of great importance, for if he is allowed t:> return at
any other point the chances are that he will fail to realize that
he has done wrong ; but if you insist on his returning at the
exact place, he will at once understand that something is
wrong and will be more careful in the future.

While our pup is yet young he should become accustomed
to the water ; most young dogs will take to it readily ; but
should he appear to have any fear of it he must be handled
with care and gradually made acquainted with it in such a
manner as shall not frighten him. When he has acquired
some little knowledge and you begin to take him out for a
walk with, you, you should visit with him some small stream
or shallow pond and sit down on the bank and give him time

QUARTERING 31

to get acquainted with it. If he shows no inclination to wet
his feet you will find it a very good plan to hold a piece of
meat over the water where it is but an inch or two deep, and
where he cannot get it without put' ing his feet in it. By
carefully working him in this way he will soon learn that it
will not hurt him ; and in a short time he will fearlessly
wade across the shallow stream wi'.h you and soon, if the
right course is pursued, he will venture anywhere. You
should never throw him in no matter how much you may feel
disposed to do so, but rather let him find out for himself that
water will not hurt him, and he will soon lose all fear.

CHAPTER VI.

EETEIEVING.

"OETRIEVING is an accomplishment that nearly ail sports-
J- u men place ahigh value upon, and even its opponenta gen-
erally become quick converts to the practice as soon as they are
fortunate enough to own a dog that is well-trained in this
almost indispensable branch of canine education. We have
often been amused at the sudden change in the mind of
some of these out-spnken adversaries of the practice upon
their acquisition of a really good retriever. How quickly their
fears that it will make him unsteady vanish ; how soon their
beUef that it will ruin his nose takes flight, and henceforth
the system has no stronger advocate until they get another
worthless animal. We do not propose to argue the question
here as to whether retrieving is detrimental to the dog or
not, but will, instead, state that it is our firm belief that if
our dog is properly trained in the first place, and kept up to
his work as he should be, no possible harm can accrue either
to his nose or steadiness; and that in no single instance
where evil results have ensued was it the fault of the practice
or the dog, but entirely the fault of the man ; for the dog is
certainly not to blame for breaking shot and chasing the
wing-broken bird when his master sets the example. Neither
should he be blamed for repeating the indiscretion. Here we
can see that the check cord and spiked collar could be used
to very great advantage, but we should by no means test its
efficacy upon the neck of the dumb animal.

We will now resume our lessons, reserving further remarks
upon this very important subject until we come to actual
work in the field. We do not think it advisable to commence
teaching our pup to retrieve until he has shed his puppy
teeth, and his permanent set are pretty well grown ; for until
this time his mouth is generally more or less inflamed, and
his first teeth are sharp as needles ; and we may not hope to

RETRIEVING. 33

succeed in achieving that dainty, delicate mouth— that is so
indispensable to the good retriever — as certainly as we shall
if we wait until his gums are hardened and he has become
somewhat accus oined to his new teeth. He will also .have
acquired all the more experience with the added days, and
will all the more readily understand what you require. We
shall now derive no little benefit from our so-called "fancy
training." In fact, should our pupil possess no natural taste
for retrieving, we shall find it almost indispensable ; and
should he prove never so hard-headed and never so hard-
mouthed, we may rest assured that with the help of this
same fancy training we shall be able to bring him safely
through, and that no doubting fears will disturb our mind
when we send him for his first bird.

Oar pupil should be well up in all his lessons by this time,
and so perfect at To ho that he will not only " draw " on a
piece of meat one step at a time, but he must be also so well
trained that when you cluck to him as a signal that he may
eat it, he will, after taking it in his mouth instantly, at your
command of To 7io, hold it perfectly still and deliver it into
your hand without any hesitancy. If this has been thoroughly
taught him, one-half your task in teaching him to retrieve
is accomplished, and you will find it an easy matter to com-
plete his education ; for you will have no trouble in inducing
him to take a single step toward you when he has the piece
of meat ii his mouth ; and by using great care that you do
not tax his patience too much by an undue haste to perfect
him too soon, he will, in a short time, readily take two or
three steps, and with proper care and good judgment on your
part he will soon learn to readily bring you the smallest bit
of meat from across the yard, and to deliver it into your hand
intact.

We must again caution you to go very slow, and to be
satisfied with a very little progress. In this lesson especial
care must be had that each successive step is well and
thoroughly learned before proceeding any further. Thus, when
you have succeeded in getting him to take a step or two
toward you, do not try him at a longer distance until he has

34 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

had considerable practice at this, and will readily come il e
step or two at the word " bring; " or you can use the word
"fetch " if you prefer, but do not use more than one of them,
at least until your pupil is further advanced. Of course
you will have taught him to come to you when called, long
before this, and by prefacing your call with the word bring,
or fetch, it will not be long before he will understand its
meaning ; but until he does understand it and comes readily
at the word you sho^d cot increase the distance.

There is a great difference ii do:s in learning this ; some
of them will give ycu scarcely any trouble and from the first
appear to know just what you want and take delight in
bringing cnything you may throw for them ; while others
seem to b3 stupid and will never bring anything of their own
accord. The first is a natural retriever and will be easily
taught, and also easily spoiled. The last, although harder to
teach, will make nearly as good a retriever as the former if
the proper course is pursued. We very much dislike that a
pup should retrieve before his mouth is all right and his per-
manent teeth well grown ; for this propensity, if indulged
before this time is very apt to give you a hard-mouthed dog.
Hence, for this reason, we never encourage a pup to bring
anything while at play. In fact he should never for a
moment be allowed to think that he is u; play while under
instruction in any of his lessons, for there is nothing that is
so conducive to bad behavior and disobedience as this.
Therefore, make him realize that when you require him to do
anything you mean work and not play.

Do not forget that he must never be allowed to eat the
piece of meat that he has held in his mouth or brought 'to
you, but that he must be rewarded with something different.
This is a very important point, and you will find it very use-
ful in perfecting the delicate mouth that we all admire so
much. You must also insist upon instant obedience to your
command to drop. This can be obtained at the outset by
practice with your hand, clasping his muzzle as we have be-
fore described, and this must be resorted to should he show
the slightest inclination to hesitate or roll the morsel around

RETRIEVING. 35

in his mouth ; for we are aiming at perfection and must be
satisfied with nothing short.

When our pupil has become S) proficient in this that he
will pick up a piece of meat and bring it a few steps and de-
liver it safe into your hand, you should take a piece of cloth
and loosely wrap up the meat inside of it, and commence as
in the first place by putting it in his mouth and proceeding as
in your first lesson at this. He will proba^y unders'and
what is required and very soon perform as well with this as
he did with the bare m~at ; but should he not like this, you
must proceed with the same painstaking perseverance that
we have endeavored t ) impress upon your mind a 3 being of
the utmost importance, until your end is attained. You will
find that a p'ece of old cotton cloth that is clean and about as
large as your two hands will answer admirably. You should
let him see you wrap it around the meat, that he may the
more readily understand your object, and if he gives you any
trouble you must be very careful that you do not try to force
him too fast. Perhaps you will find it expedient to leave the
meat partially exposed until he understands what is wanted.
Or you can merely tie a shred ot the cloth to it for a while,
and very gradually increase the amount until you have it en-
tirely covered. Your knowledge of his disposition will aid
your judgment in so timing his lessons and in so conducting
any new experiments that he shall not become disgusted nor
sulky, thus givirg you no end of trouble. Your aim should
be to so handle him that his lessons shall prove a source of
enjoyment, and he be ever anxious to receive your instruc-
tions. This you can easily accomplish by a proper system of
rewards when he does well, and by lavishing upon him un-
stinted caresses and praise when giving his lessons. To
bring about this result you may find it advantageous to be
charry of your caresses at other times and to reserve your
words of praise for your hours of practice : but this will be
necessary only in extreme cases.

When our dog brings in his birds in the faultless manner
that we have been at so much trouble to teach him, we shall
want to see him deliver them into our hand in the same fault-

36 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

less style. And to secure that end we will teach him to come
with his captive directly in front of us and to sit on his
haunches with his head well up and quietly await our
pleasure. Proceed to do this by calling h'm up in front of
you, and placing one hand upon his hipsand the other under
hi3 chin, gently, yet firmly, force his hind parts down while
you hold up his head, at the same time telling him to " sit."
This will be enough for the first lesson, and by continuing
in this manner he will soon sit at the word, and then you
can give him the order every time that he brings the piece of
meat, taking care that he sits directly in front of you every
time and remains quiet for a second or two before delivering
it ; and in a short time he will become so accustomed to this
that he will do it of his own accord. We prefer that our
dog should bring his birds in the good old-fashioned way, by
taking them well into his mou'h. Tlrs becomes a necessity
when the bird is only wing-broken, and to our mind it is far
more preferable at all times. Especially is it so when among
close lying birds ; for with the bird in his mouth, back away
from his nose, he will not be nearly so apt to flush game that
may be in his path. Still we have tra:ned dogs to fetch the
bird by one wing, which is easily done by taking half a
dozen of the stiff wiug feathers of any game bird, or if those
cannot be had, those of a fowl will answer. These should
be braded together and then sewed in p'a^a with stout pack
thread. 1 his braiding and sewing is to give him a held
with his teeth so that he will not be obliged to grip them, thus
giving him a hard mouth. This should be regularly used
after he has learned to bring his piece of meat. Perhaps it
would be well to tie a bit of meat to it at first, and, when he
will bring it readily, a small stone that will weigh two or
three ounces should be attached to it, and as he improves
you can gradually add to the we;ght until it approaches the
weight of the bird, say nearly half pound. Care should bo
taken to make the feathers fast to the stone so that they will
not come apart. We do not recommend this st> le, but as
many think that it is quite an accomplishment, we give our
method, which has proved succcs;f ul. Shou'd you wish to

RETRIEVING. 37

adopt th:s cours3 you should confine your practice entirely
to this bunch of feathers, and when he brings it readily you
should vary the performance by attaching different ar-
ticles instead of the stone— your knife, for instance, or a
bunch of keys or a bit of wood, and by always making him
bring by taking the feathers in his mouth, he' will readily
learn to bring his birds in the same manner if you show him
how with a few of his first ones by placing the wing in his
mouth, or perhaps the mere showing him the wing will be
sufficient.

Should you decide for the old-fashioned way, you should
procure a soft ball. We have found a ball of lampwicking
to be the best possible thing that could be devised— it is soft
and just about the right size. Th:s shouM be stitched
through and through, so that it will not unravel, and after
he brings his bit of meat in good shape you can try him wi'h
this. You will find that the best plan to pursue is to com-
mence at the beginning, and place it in his mouth as you did
the first piece cf meat, and to pursue the same course by
asking only one rr two steps, until he gets accustomed to it.
And be sure and do not try to accomplish too much at once,
but go no faster t 'an your pupil's progress will warrant.
When you think that it will answer to order him to pick it
up and bring it to you, watch him very closely, and if there
is going to be any troubla, and he does not seem inclined io
pick it up readily, you must instantly go to him and place it
in his mouth, and be content to let him bring it this way for
this time, and wait until he is very hungry, and then try
him by tying a piece of meat to the ball, and he will soon
learn what is required and give no further trouble. When he
brings his ball readily, you should procure some feathers —
from the body of a game bird if possible, but those of a
fowl will do very well — and commence by sewing two or
three of them en the ball; and as he becomes accustomed to
them you should add more until the surface is entirely
covered. This will accustom him to feathers, and he will
not refuse to take a bird in his mouth as we have known
some dogs to do that were really good retrievers. We should

38 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

not advise you to require your pupil to bring anything
except bits of meat and this ball ; until he does this in good
form end appears to fully unders'and what you require.
Then you should gradually accustom him to bring other
articles — a half sheet of newspaper crumpled into a baii
the s'ze of your fist is a good thing to practice him on,
always remembering to commence with any thing new, by
first carefully placing it in his mouth and requir'ng him to
bring it but a step or two the first time. This may fieem
needless to you, but you will find it necessary with some
dogs, and we have ever found that the best results have been
obtained by strictly following this course, no matter how in-
telligent our pupil may be, nor how willing to bring anytmng
that you may wish him to.

CHAPTER VI.— CONTINUED.

EETEI LYING.

Q1HOULD you desire that your dog become proficient in
N-} the fancy department of this accomplishment, there is no
end to the tricks that you may teach him ; but until he is
fairly proficient in bringing his bit of meat and ball, you
should confine your prac lice strictly to these; for although
he may understand you and readily bring anything that you
may ask him to, you will find it the better way to go slow
and sure, ever bearing in mind that anything that is worth
your while to teach him, should be taught ia a thorough
manner, that he may not forget it should it happen that he
should go a few days without being call-.d upon to perform
it.

We like our dog to carry, as well as to fetc\ and deliver
his bird to our companion who has shot it ; and we wish him
so well trained that he will carry any article and lay it down
at the word "drop" 'in any place that we may designate.
This he may be taught to do understandingly if you pursue
the proper course with him. To teach him this, you will re-
quire an assistant, who should be one of jour own family, or
some one that the dog 13 wdl acquainted wi h. When you
give the first lesson, your assistant should be a few feet from
you. Calling your pupil to you, give him his ball and bid
him " carry" it, at the same time motioning with your hand
in Ihe direction that he is to go. Your assistant should not
say a word, but should merely hold out his hand for the ball,
and when the dog delivers it, I e should praise and pet him a
little, while you shou'd make make much of him, and if he
has performed the task in a pleasirg manner, reward him
with a bit of meat. After a few lessons of this kind, the dis-
tance can be gradually increased and he will soon carry as
far as he can see your assistant. If there ia any difficulty in
getting him started right, let your assistant take the ball and

40 TRAINING «?. BREAKING.

send him to you, until he understands what is wanted, which
he will do after a few lessons. Of course, you have told him
to "drop" every time that he delivers a iy thing to you, andas
he knows the meaning of the word, it will be an easy task to
teach him.to lay down his ball or bit of meat in any place
that you may wish him to. In order that he may learn to
do this in a proper manner and readily drop his burden at
the word, and instantly leave it without regret and come to
you, we will commence at the beginning and give him tho
ord« r for the first time when he is close to us, and with our
hand extended as if to take it. As soon as he opens his
mouth the hand should be instantly removed and the article
allowed to drop on the ground. At once praise and pet him
and give him to understand that this is all right. On no ac-
count must you pick up the article or he may be led to think
that he should have delivered it into your hand as usual, nor
should you allow him to pick it up, but at once call him
away and interest him with something else. This will be
enough for the first lesson. This should be repeated until
he appears to understand what is required, before you at-
tempt to increase the distance. Your pupil must be made
to understand that when, he hears the order to drop he must
instantly lose his hold, and leaving the article, at once obey
whatever signal you may give him. You should so teach
him that when coming in with anything that you have or-
dered him to bring he will at the word drop it and wheel at
the motion of the hand in any direction that you m&y indi-
cate. You will derive no little benefit from this accom-
plishment should you ever get in a <l hot corner " on a duck
pass, and not only save yours: If much worry, but also spare
your dog much labor, by bidding him drop his dea 1 bird and
first secure the wounded one, which may make good its es-
cape unless attended to at once. The same thing often oc-
curs in quail shooting, and many birds are lost that might bo
brought to bag, did your d g but understand this fancy
training.

The careful reader will readily understand that our so-
called "fancy training" u in reality not so useless as some

RETRIEVING. 41

would-be critics would have us believe ; but is a part of our
system whereby we not only bring out our pupil a " killing"
dog but we make of him an intelligent companion and elevate
him to our own sphere, as it were, and by the wonderful de-
velopment of his reasoning faculties we not only greatly in-
crease his capacity for intelligently entering info the enjoy-
ment of the ever changing phases of our woodland sports, but
we greatly add to our own pleasure in witnessing the mar-
velous manifestations of reason and intelligence that he will
display in his encounters with some wary patriarch of the
forest, whose tricks and subterfuges wi.l outvie the wily
strategems of a Tallyrand.

There are many things that you can readily teach your
pupil after you once get him fairly started on the road, for
the more you teach him and the mere pains you take with
him the more readily will he understand what you wish.
You must use great caution when you begin teaching him to
bring anything that is new to him ; and be very sure that he
will understand your orders before you issue them. This
point is worthy your careful consideration and you should
strive to make yourself perfectly understood at all times.
This you can easily do by closely watching his disposition
and the workings of his mind as he performs his tasks. Some
dogs are possessed of remarkable reasoning faculties and ap-
pear intuitively to understand just what you wish, while others
are slow to learn and require more time to develop their
latent powers. From personal experience we are well satis-
fied that the former requires to the full as much painstaking,
careful handling as the latter in ordtr to perfect his educa-
tion, and make of him a steady, reliable dog. Therefore, un-
less you wish to see exemplified the truth of the old saying
"quick learned, quick forgotten," go slow, and be very sure
that every step in ecch lesson is well 1 arned before yon
advance any further. You should never ask your dog lo
bring anythingthat will tax his powers too severely, especially
should this rule be observed until his education is complete.
Your judgment will tell you better than to bid him bring
the crowbar or a piece of custard pie ; you should likewise

42 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

refrain from asking him to bring you anything that is hard
or bulky, at least until he has arrived at maturity and is well
established in all his lessons. Many good retrievers are
ruined by allowing them to bring articles that they are
obliged to grasp hard in order to hold on to. For this reason
we never allow our dog to bring our knife nor anything of the
kind, for just so sure as this is allowed just so sure will the
dog acquire the habit of pinching his birds.

We once owm d one of the best retrievers that we ever
saw. In an evil hour we bade him carry into the house
the earthen plate from wh:ch he had eiten his dinner.
After this it became the regular thing for him to do at every
meal, but alas that dainty, delicate mouth, which had been
our pride and boast, wasgone forever, and after this every bird
that he brought that was not stone dead, would show the
marks of his teeth. We are well aware that there is a great
difference in dogs in this respect, and that we occasionally
see one that will bring anything that he can drag along and
at the same time he will hardly ruffle a feather of a strug-
gling bird ; but for fear that you may not possess such a para-
gon we advise you to be very careful about trying any ex-
periments that may ruin your dog, especially when there is
no practical benefit to be derived that is at all commensurate
with the risk that you run. Your hat and gloves and slip-
pers, you can safely allow him to bring you, and it will take
but little time to teach him this if you carefully follow the
instructions that we have given. You can even teach him
by constant practice to distinguish between them so that
when you send him for either one he will make no mistake,
but, understanding your order, bring the arlicle you wish.
In order to teach him this you should first accustom him to
bring each article and at the same time to take pains to teach
him its name. Take, for instance, your hat, and after plac-
ing it in his mouth, bid him "bring the hat," and be sure
to use the same language every lime that you practice him
at this. The same course should be pursued with the gloves
or any other article that you may wish. After he ha3 had
practice enough to bring readily the article des'red you can

RETRIEVING. 43

place several articles close together. Put your hat and gloves
with his ball and other light articles, then order him to bring
the hat, should he pick it up at the fir st trial, as he is very
likely to do, you must praise and pet him, and as you talk
to him you should speak the word "hat" in older to im-
press upon his memory the meaning of the word. Th's
should be done in an intelligent manner, perhaps by saying
he " is a good dog to bring the hat," just as you would talk
to a boy. Should he pick up his ball, or any other article,
at once tell him to "drop," and repeat the order for the hat
and do not allow him to bring you anything els?. After he
brings the hat readily every time, you can change to some-
thing else, your gloves for instance; but until he has learned
the meaning of the words and brings the articles readily, do
not place the hat near them, nor where he can see it, as it
may confuse him. When he has become accustomed to the
gloves you can place the hat with them and he will soon un-
derstand which to bring. This course should be pursued
with each article, and in a short time he will understand the
meaning of the words ; and when you send him for any ar-
ticle that you have thus taught him the name of, he will
seldom make a mistake. While teaching your pupil to re-
trive, you should never allow yourself to become careless-
nor let him do this work m & slovenly manner. Always in-
sist upon a perfect performance of his task, f r if he is once
allowed to depart from the accustomed manner that you have
taught him he is sure to get the impression that this is right
and pleasing to you, and you will have a harder task to set
him right than you would to have kept him straight
in the first place ; and worse than this, he will be
be very liable to become confused and fail to understand
just what you want; therefore, firmly insist upon implicit
obedience to your ordesr, and never allow yourself to deviate
one iota from the course that you have marked out.

We have ever found that all intelligent dogs &re very prone
to look to their masters for guidance and instinctively to
take their cue from them as to their behavior. You should
take every advantage of this trait, and by cool and collected

44 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

behavior, under all circumstances, strive to impart to youi
pupil a steadiness that will ever be to you a source of pride.

This trait is especially to be cultivated when trying to
make a careful, tender-mouthed retriever. You should
always handle with the greatest care any article that you are
teaching him to bring. There appears to be something in
the careful manner in which you handle the object that is
potent to impress upon his mind a corresponding carefulness
in taking hold < f it that is not apparent when tke object is
roughly thrown upon the ground ; and we have frequently
taken pains to go, and with ostentatious care lay the article
down instead of throwing it, and have in this way succeeded
in obtaining the best of results, especially when our dog was
a little inclined to be rough or hard-mouthed.

There is one rule that we have carefully observed for many
years, and we can assure you that it is well worthy your con-
sideration. "We never allow a pup to retrieve a bird his first
season, until we have first handled it, and found that it "was
stone dead. You should allow him to point it for a short
time and then daintily pick it up ; and, after smoothing out
the feathers very carefully, lay it down in front of him,
taking- care that he can see your every motion. Now retreat
a few steps and very quietly bid him "bring dead." By
pursuing this course you will improve, not only his mouth,
but his steadiness as well ; and also give him a chance to be-
CDme acquainted with the difference in the scent between a
live and a dead bird; and so render him less liable to make a
mistake by pouncing upon a close-lying bird that chances to
be near where he has marked the dead bird down.

Having intimated in the first chapter that we are in favor
of using the whip when ft is needed, we will biiefly explain.
As we have before stated we never use the whip until our
pupil's education is complete, and there is no occasion to re-
sort to it even then, unless our orders are willfully disobeyed.
When we find that our pupil is willful, and deliberately re-
fuses to perform his task, we seek occasion to give him a
lesson that he will never forget. We are very careful to
select an occasion for punishment when the order disobeyed

RETRIEVING. 45

is of a passive character, like To ho or Charge, as better re-
suits are obtained than when the command is of an active
nature. Provided with a heavy whip, we take the oppor-
tunity when our pupil is very much engaged about something
that will be pretty sure to cause him to disobey, and give
him the order to Charge. If we are positive that he plainly
understands and willfully refuses to obey, we instantly take
him by the collar in such a macner that he cannot bite nor
breakaway, and repeating the order, strike him once with
all our force. Retaining our hold, we calmly wait without
speaking, long enough to slowly count ten. We then repeat
the order end blow simultaneously. This we continue until
our judgment tells us that he has had enough. You may
depend upon it that a dozen blows thus administered will ac-
compl'sh more in the way of reform thsn a hundred
thrashings as generally inflicted, for your pupil not only
knows why he is punished, but he has plenty of time between
the strokes to reason it aU out, and he will surely come to the
conclusion that you really want him to charge when you give
the order ; and that the best thing that he can do is to in-
stantly obey. Unless he is uncommonly stubborn you will
find that one or two such whippiLgg will last him his lifetime.
5Tou must be very careful to issue your commands in your
ordinary tone of voice ; and on no account must you display
the least sign of aiger or impatience ; and as soon as you are
through with the punishment you must speak a few kindly
words to him in order to let him understand that you are
still his loving friend. As soon as he recovers a little, you
should repeat your order, while he will at once obey, when
you must pet and praise him without stint, thus indellibly
impressing upon his mind that the way of the canine trans-
gressor is hard and that obedience will bring a sure reward.
We very much dislike to punish a dog ; but if this has to be
done, we greatly prefer that the lesson should be givenbefcre
we take him into the field, as the knowledge thus imparted
may prevent the necessity of resorting to this extreme when
among the birds.

I

CHAPTER VII.

IX THE FIELD.

N the preceding chap'ers all of cur work has been of a pre-
liminary charac'er. We have expended much time and
patience in order to perfect cur pupil in the rudiments of the
edtication-tbat is so indispensable to that pride of the sports-
man's heart, a g x>d dog. Long ago we thought our pet was
just about perfection in the performance of his duties and
have anxi usly awaited the coming of the crisp October daya
that we might put to the test our hopes, and, by actual trial
in the field, demonstrate how much of wisdom pertains to
the course tbat we have pursued. Do we live amon:; the
forest -crowned hills, the home of the lordly ruffed grouse ;
long ago we have located several broods cf these regal bird?,
and as we have paid them an occasional visif, how our blood
has warmed up, how our nerves have thrilled as we fondly
dreamed cf the spirt in r tore for us when the falling leaf
should proclaim that

The hunter's glorious days have come,

The best of all the year ;
When through the woodland shales we roam

With royal sport to cheer.

Should our home be toward the setting sun on the broad
prairio, whose vast expanse teems with numberless broods of
the toothsome chicken, with ever-growing delight and satis-
faction have we wi'nes=ed from day to day the added
strength of the whirring pinion, and with ever-increasing
impatience at laggard time's slow flight have we awaited the
dawn of the auspicious day that brings such wealih of joy to
the sportsman's heart. Or, perchance, our hopes of happi-
ness are turning to the pride of the stubbles, the gamy, beauti-
ful quail. How eagerly have we beaten the feeding grounds,
and as the merry bevy, with tumultous roar, have burst upon
our sight, how have we, with throbbing pulse, watched the
flitting wings, aid cirefu'ly marked their flight as they

/JV THE FIELD. 47

settled in the friendly cover or upon the distant hillside.
What visions of lithe bounding forms suddenly transformed
into living statues, mingled with flashing brown sprites, the
crack of the gun, and the cloud of fleecy feathers floating in
air. have filled us with anticipated satisfaction, as we thought
ef the pleasure in store for u§ when the early fiosts should
caii us forth to the field. Or do thoughts of that long-billed
aristocrat of birds, "woodcock the magnificent," alone en-
gage our thoughts. Well, we know their sure abiding place,
and as we have paid them our devoir and seen them dart
'through the openings, and heard their querulous whistle,
how have we thought that the sere and yellow leaf would
soon be here to bring to us most royal sport. Do not look
upon this as a digression, for we dearly love the pursuit of
every one of these favorites; and we hope that you, dear
reader, like ourselves, will so train your dog that, no matter
where your lines are cast, your pleasant sport is sure.

Our favorite sport since childhood has been, the pursuit of
that best of all game birds, the magnificent ruffed grouse,
and we have ever found, when our dog was anywhere near
perfect in circumventing this most wily bird, that but few
days, or perhaps hours, of practice were required to make
him equally adept In the pursuit ot any of the others. Many
writers pronounce this beautiful bird unfit to train a dog
upon ; they rail against his subtle cunning, and are unstinted
in condemning his swiftness of wing; and they will give you
columns in disparagement of his preternatural wisdom,
which they miscall wildness, and earnestly advise you to
keep your young dog away from the ruffed grouse's haunts.
Notwithstanding the evident sincerity of these writers, we
must beg to differ from their views, and can only regret that
their knowledge of the habits of this king of birds is not
equal to their skill in framing sentences for his vilification.

Having decided to give our pupil his first practical lesson?
with this most potent instructor as our co-worker, let ue
" Me away to the fields with eager dog and trusty gun," ana
test the f-port so long anticipated. Our pupil should be kept
at heel until we reach the usual haunt of the birds, when he

43 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

should be encouraged to go on. Let him go where he please^
taking care only to keep him within bounds and al ways
under your eye, that you may see just what he is doing. Do
not bother him with any orders, if you can possibly avoid it ;
above all, do not make him beat each particular corner that
you may think desirable, but rather allow him to take the
lead and to have his own sweet \7ii1, content to follow him
until he IHS gained some little insight and become some-
what accustomed to ths new life just opening before him.
See with what eager p'eisure he explores the h'dlen mys-
teries of the covert, h >w his every graceful motioa tells of
joy ; how his sparkling eyes mirror his delight ; but look,
and proudly fe ;st your eyes upon the welcome sight, he has
discovered that something is in the wind and tin
" heaven bora instinct " within has froz3a him rigid as tb.3
reck by his side. Choke down tbat rising lu:np in your
throat ; quiet the quick throbbing* of your heart ; aad,
while blessing your good fortune, be cool and collected, for
never more need of cool, deliberate action than now. Your
dearest foe is tear, and faltering eye or trembling hand will
insure his triumphant escape and cause you unwelcome dis-
comfiture. Do not hurry, but, with deliberate haste, walk
forward and force a lise; calmly now, and, as though on
parade and about TO shoot at a chip tossed in air, coo!y
bring y^ur gun into position, glance along the trusty bar,
rels and, with " eye of faith and finger of instinct," "cut
loose," and fortune grant your aim be true ! The chances
are greatly against your obtaining a clo e shot "at the first
rise, unless among young and unsophisticated birds ; but
shoot you must, nevertheless, even should the flashing form
be far beyond your reach or, as very often happens, entirely
out of sight, for we have not done with him y«.t ; and mo t
potent is the Bound of gun and whistle of the hurtling lead
to drive from his crafty brain the wisdom that causes him to
shun our close acquaintance. Should your shot prove deadly
and the conduct of your dog be all that you could wish, with
a loving pat and kindly words, lead your pet straight to
your victim and as soon as his semidve nose locates t.h«

IN THE FIELD. 19

bird, at OEce pet and praise him -without stint and talk to
him as to an intelligent companion. After a few seconds
you should p!ek up the bird in a dainty manner, and while
carefully smoothing out the fca hers, allow the dog to snuff
the grateful perfume, but on no account let him mouth it,
nor poke his nose among the feathers, thus teaching him
that the greatest care must be taken that not a feather should
be displaced.

When your pup first shows sign that he has scent, do not
on any account speak to him nor make any sign, but allow
him to act his own pleasure. Should he go through the try-
ing ordeal to your satisfaction, congratulate yourself that yon
are possessed of a wonder; should his earnest inclination
overpower his innate sense of duty and cause him to become
unsteady and flush the bird, you must at once call him in
and place him as near as maybe in the exact position that he
fxjcupied when he should have pointed, and commanding
min to to-/wt give him to understand that you are displeased
with the performance. If you have killed the bird, and can
readily find it, you will add to the f orc3 of this lesson if you
oblige him to retain his position while you go and bring it
to him, and as ycu hold it a foot or two from his nose, repeat
your command of to-Jio. This, you will find, will cause
him to be more careful in the future. Should he become
demoralized at the rise of the bird ard give chase, do not
despair, but calmly say to-7i\ and if he disregards the com-
mand, let him go, and be thankful that he has ambition, con-
soling yourself with the knowledge that in a short time you
can eradicate the fault, while the virtue will remain and
afford you great satisfaction in the future. When he re urns
you should at once replace him in the position from which he
broke, and make him to-ho for a short time, while you talk
to him abouf the enormity of the cffence. It is EOt advis-
able to shoot wh<n he starts to chasi>, as should you kill, he
may seize the bird and handle it too roughly for his future
good. Ntither does the sound cf the gun exercise a steady <=
ing influence upcn his excited nerves. Above all else, do
not fail to keep perfectly cool yourself under all circumstances,

50 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

and to issue all your commands in your ordinary tone of
Voice, f_r there is nothing so conducive to unsteadiness in
your dog as his knowledge of the fact that you are demoral-
ized, and he is sure to becjme possessed of this knowledge
almost before it is apparent t:> you. Therefore earnestly
strive to retain your self cjntrol, for without that you can
never succeed in turning out a steady dog.

Should your bird escape the first onslaught, let no common
occurrence prevent you from immediately following him up.
Do not undertake this in a half hearted manner, but put your
•whole soul into the work and rest not until you have again
routed him. Give him a shot as he rises, and if he again es-
capes be not discouraged, but with renewed efforts try him
again, secure in the knowledge that, can you but find and
keep him moving — although he may be the wisest and, con-
sequently, the wildest grouse of them all — at last your
reward is sure; at last, utteily demoralized by the relentless
p rsistency of your pursuit, he has changed his tactics, and,
q iietly crouching on the ground with feir a id trembling,
waits for you to pass. Fatal mistake ! The keen-nosed dog,
more eager at each successive defeat, again bcc >mes statues-
que aud unerringly indicate! the bird's hiding place. N >w is
the supreme moment. With nerves of steel — hardened by
the excitement of the long continued chase— you literally kick
him from his retreat and cooly bring him down. What sat-
isfaction is in ycur heart as you smooth his b aut'f til plum-
age. What light is in your eye as you gaz2 upon his plump
form. What pride is yours a3 you complacantly view the
noble prize so gallantly won. A glance at the speaking coun-
tenance of your four-footed friend tells you that he, too, is
happy ; and, our word for it, a few diys among these craf y
birds will do more to develope the hunting sense of an intelli-
gent animal than thrice the time devoted to the pursuit of any
other game.

CHAPTER VIII.

IN THE FIELD.

HOW rare it is to see a stric;ly first-class dog. Good ones
we may find in abundance ; but the paragon, who has
no failings and all the virtues, is — although often heard of —
seldom seen. Glancing back through the many years that
we have ardently followed the delightful sports of the field
we can call to mind but few among the many dogs that we
have seen afield that come up to our standard of excellence,
and thos?, almost without exception, received their early
training amcng the ruffed grouse. There is something per-
taining to the pursuit of these must canning birds that is po-
tent to sharpen the wits and develop the intelligence of your
dog that you will fail to find accompanying the pursuit of any
other game. It is for this reason that we endeavor to give
our dog his first lessons in the field upon this bird. We are
well aware that more than one writer of renown strongly
condemns this best of birds as totally unfit to train a dog
upon, taking the ground that they are so very difficult to
bring to bag ihat the dog becomes discouraged. We know
that the reverse of this is true, for we have given scores of
youngsters Iheir first tuition among these noble birds, and
we have yet to see the one who showed the fir^t indication of
anything of the kind ; on the contrary, we have ever found
that — after one or two successful encounters with these most
wary birds — no matter how long and unsuccessful the chase,
our pupils ardor was not checked in the least, but seemed to
IEC ease with each successive defeat.

As we have before rematked, it is better that nothing be
said to ycur dog upon his first introduction to gime, at least
so long as he does nothing wrong, as this is an entirely new
experience to him, and should you bother him with orders he
may become confused and fail to perform nearly as well as
he would if left entirely alone.. Great care must be taken

52 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

that he be not kept too long at work. We have ever found
that the best results were obtained -when we have taken our
dog home after an hour or two, or even sooner, when his per-
formance had been satisfactory. We have of ten taken him
home at the end of a few minu'eseven, when everything had
gone just right and we had by abundant praise and cares?e 3
impressed indellibly upon frs mind that h:s behavior wa?
pleasing to us, thus leaving him to pander over the matter in
a happy state of m nd that would cause him to look forward
with eager anticipation to future enjoyment of other blissful
hours among the bird?, instead of goinr on and, possibly, be-
ing obliged to t ike him off at a time when something of a
disagreeable »ature had occurred that would exert a depress-
ing influence upon his suscc ptable mind and, perhaps, cause
him to dread or, at least, to feel indifference about repeating
the performance. After one or two outings, and he has be-
come s unewhat accustomed to the new experience, you
can safely commence to teich him as to what ha may and may
not do; you can in a measure control hn range and dictate a3
to the direction that y)u wish him to take, using great car 3
that you do not restrain him too much at first, bu*; very
slowly and by easy slepa gradually teach him to look to
you for guidance ; and if you pursue th.2 proper course In
will soon obey your lightest word as readily as when taking
his regular lessons at home. Thnresu't cm be obt lined in
this manner much sooner and much bat'er than by tying
tocon'rolhirn and to make him do everything jus1: right
from the start, only bear in miad that when you do o-d}r
him to do anything insist upon prompt obedienc3 eve-y time.
Among the first things that you should endeavor to instil
into his mind is the knowledge that he must "work to the
gun. " This can be very easily accomplished if you will pursue
the proper course. la the first place, under no circumstan-
ces should he be allowed to flush the birds. Not so much
perhaps that it will make him unsteady, for many dogs can
be taught to flush their birds to order without detracting
from their steadiness, but such a course we have ever found
decidedly unsteadies the wary grouse and renders them less

IN THE FIKLD. 53

liable to lie close than when they are walked up by the hunt-
er. This is a'so the case, although in less degree, with the
quail. With the woodcock we d> not believe that it makes
much difference, yet we would ad visa under all circumstan-
ces, no matter how great the temptation, your dog be not
allowed to fl ish his bird, for many really g }bd dogs are
ruined by this practice, besides, as a rule, the more kill-
ing, as well as sp jrtsmanlike way, is to walk up your
bird. This practice you will fi-d will soon make you a
better shot than you can ever hope to be if you constantly
keep in ihe openings and trust t ) the chances there to be
obtained. Your dog will also improve much faster if you
pursue this course, for he will instinctively realize that you
are with him body and soul, and consequently he will
put forth his best efforts and soon learn the gra':d secret of
" working to the gun." This very valuable trait is rarely
found in a dog unless the gun has first set the example by
working to him. Ponder this well and try to realize what
the thoughts of your dog must be when you ]eave him on hia
point and, sneaking off to one side, or perhaps to his rear
cut of sight, bid him put up the bird w^ich he knows full
well by experience will fly into the cover instead of out. We
always require our dog while young to staunchly hold his
point until ordered on. He will easily learn to do this if you
steady him a few times and do not allow him to stir until
you are beside him. This, if rightly managed, will prove a
very killing trait, but unless the proper course is pursued
your dog is apt to acquire the very bad habit cf making false
pcints. Great good judgment is required to so conduct his
training in tbis that it may prove a source of pleasure instead
of disappointment. Your knowledge Of his disposition will
aid you in adjpting the right course to accomplish the de-
sired result.

As soon as you observe that he has scent command him
to To ho, and keep him on point until you are nearly beside
him, when, without stopping, you must cluck to him to go
on, accompany irg the cluck with a wave of the hand,. and
walk just behind him until he again stops. Should he be

54 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

unwilling to move on at your first order, you must not stop,
neither should you pass by him, but keep stepping, even if
you have to put your feet in the same place, and again
cluck, or perhaps you may have to speak to him. Should
he still remain staunch, the chances are that the scent is
strong, and that the game may be close by, in which case
you should advance and flush the bird, and, if the conduct
of your dog has been irreproachable, kill if you can, but
on no account must you shoot unless his behavior has
been all that you could wish ; for one of the most impor-
tant lessons to impress upon his mind is that, just so surely
as he does not perform his pirtin a proper manner, just
so surely no birds will be the result. DJ not forget, if his
performance has been worthy, to pet and praise him, while,
on the other hand, if no bird has been found, you should
return behind him and order him on, and let him know that
this is not the prop:r way, but that h.3 must move on until
he is near the bird. This is rather a delicate matter, and
often requires nice discrimination to determine just what to
do, for there is not a second to be lost in deliberation, and
instant action should be taken ; for if you hesitate your
dog may become addicted to making false points or pot-
tering, and, rather than this, it will be far better to score
an occasional flush. Should he flush a bird by moving up,
even if you have ordered him on, you must instantly check
him, and bring him back to the place where he should have
remained staunch, and keep him at To ho a short time, while
you chide him for the offence. After a few lessons of this kind
— perhaps, even, on the second occasion— you should order
him on a little before you reach his side, and at each succeed-
ing time you should d) this still further away, until he will,
at the motion of the hand, move on when you are at
quite a distance from him. If he is possessed of a reason-
able amount of intelligence, and you pursue the proper
course, he will soon understand just what you wish, and
always stop at the first indication of scent and look a1:
you for the signal to go on, instead of following up the
trail, perhaps out of your sight, and oftentimes causing

IJT THE FIELD. 53

you no end of trouble to find him. He will aiso soon
learn to move on of his own accord when the scent is not
just to suit, provided he knows that you can see him and are
coming his way. This accomplishment is invaluable when
shootirg in th'ck covert, or beating the snipe meadows,
while it can work no possible harm either on the prairie or
stubble. Of course, we cannot give instructions that will
cover every case, as there are S3 many different circum-
stances connected with the events of a single day, and the
dispositions of the different animals are also so widely dis-
similar that it is impossible for us to give anything more
than a general outline of the course to be pursued. We
take it for granted that the reader of ordinary intelligence
who has followed us thus far has gained some idea of
our system, and that his own good tense, coupled with
the intimate knowledge that he must possess of the dispo-
sition and intelligence of his pupil, will safely tide him
over any minor difficulties that may occur.

I

CHAPTER IX.

WORKING* IN COMPANY.

N the previous chapters we have carefully refrained from
saying anything about the great benefit to be derived
from having a trained dog to assist you in perfecting your
pupil in his lessons. We have purposely pursued this course
in order to show the new beginner that he can safely rely
upon his own resources, and surely bring his pupil through
all right, without any assistance. Nevertheless we have ever
found that an old dog th:t ia well trained and steady is of
great importance in perfecting tie pupil in the rudiments as
well as the higher branches of his education; and we can-
not forbear devotirg a little space to the subject. In the
first p!ace our canine co-worker should be thoroughly
trained and quick to obey ; he must also be very intelligent
and and of a good disposition. You should let the two asso-
ciate together from the first, and th:y will soon become at-
tached (o one another, unless the old dog ia unusually surly.
We do not recommend that the pup should receive any guid-
ance from the o'd dcg until he is sufficiently grounded in his
lessons to understand what is required of him. Thus, in
teaching him To ho, after he will go through the perform-
ance fairly, wo take the old dog into the pen with him, and
after they havj had a little time at play we take the pup ia
our arms, and making sure that he sees all that is going on,
we place two pieces of meat on the ground about two fe:t
apart, and, calling up the old dog, make him, at the word
To ho, point one of the pieces. We then walk around a
little, with the pup still in our arms, taking care that he can
see the performance all the time. We then place the pup
with hiu nose within a few inches cf ths second piece, ana
telliDg him to To ho, make him wait a few seconds, and then,
cluck as a signal that they can each eat their piece. Thi?
has a wonderfully steadying effec!; upon the pup, especially

WORKING IN COMPANY. GT

\vhen you come to prolong the time a little, for he, seeing
that the old dog is perfectly staunch and steady, will SOOD
learn to emulate him. He will also acquire the very import-
ant habit of remaining steady when in the company of other
dogs; this we consider of great importance, and under all
circumstances we accustom the pup to doing his work in the
presence of his companions, even if we have to impress the ser-
vices of a cur and chaia h'm in one corner of the pen. If this
latter course has to be adopted, it .is not necessary that it
should be commenced until our pupil is somewhat advanced
in his education, as the only object in view is to accuatom
him to perform his duties in the presence of other dogs, and
to lay the ground work of that steadiness when amon %
strangers that is so pleasing to see. So particular aro we in
this, that we invariably train our pup to point a piece of
meat and stand perfectly staunch, while his c Dmpanion takes
the bit and cuts it. This he will readily learn to d3 if you
immediately reward him with another pieca. If he is well
trained in this he will not annoy y u by going to pieces
should half a dozen dogs rush in upon the bird that he is
poi: ting.

After our pup is well acquainted with the old dog and
has become accustomed to the chain, they should be coupled
together for a short time each day until h.3 gets used to is.
We shall find further on that this will be a great help to ui.
The coupling chain should be short with two good swivels.
Most persons make a mistake in having the coupling chain
too long. Four inches is plenty long enough when your
dogs are anywhere near of a size, and you will generally find it
long enough under any circumstances. Should th.9 old dog
be very high headed the chain can easily be lengthened an
inch or two. After they go well together and our pupil hai
learned the meaning of To ho and minds fairly, you will
find that it will be of great benefit to him to practice him
when coupled to the old dog, for the example of the latter will
steady him, which is a matter of great importance, and
once his mind is thoroughly impressed with the idea that hs
must hold his p:sition, even when in fjar that his com-

58 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

panion will secure the tempting morsal, it will be com-
paratively easy to keep him up to his work. He will also
learn to remain quiet at charge with much less trouble to
you if coupled to the old dog. As he grows older and you
commence to lengthen the lime that he must remain in this
position, we should by all means recommend this course ;
indeed we have found that the services of a well trained,
steady dog are invaluable all through until our pupil's educa-
tion is complete. As we have before remarked the as-
sistance of the old dog should never be called in requisition
until cur pupii has been taught his lesson and is somewhat
proficient in its psrformance, then he can understandingly
view the old dog as he performs the task, and if he is reason-
ably intelligent he will soon learn to imitate his steadiness.

We stall also find, if our pup is inclinsd to work too close
to us when quartering his ground, that the example of the
old dog will soon cause him to increase his range. We much
prefer that our pup should range freely of his own accord,
but should ho not quite please us in this, we coupb him to
the old dog and practice them together until we obtain satis-
factory results. Great caution must be observed in ttla and
the lessons must not be too frequent nor too long continued,
or our pupil will lose his independence and f or ja the \ ery bad
habit of looking to his companion to cut out the work which
will seriously detract from his usefulness in the field.

As it is very desirable that our dog should possess a fair
amount cf speed, we should so conduct his exercise that
when we come to cut him loose in the field he will not potter
and poke, but at once strike a slashing gilt and witn head
well up, take to his work like a veteran. Many dogs can
never become fast, but if you have followed the instructions
in selecting your pup that we have laid down, and have
secured a well formed one with plenty of life and spirit,
there will be no trouble in bringing him out a fairly speedy
animal ; indeed, we have taken in hand old dogs that were
decidedly slow, and ia a few weeks, by judicious manage-
ment, have succeeded in turning them out astonishingly fast.
Of course, we cannot give instructions that will enable yo:i

WORKING IN COMPANY. 59

to infallibly produce a speedy animal, but if you will in-
telligently follow our plan, you can in most cases succeed in
accomplishing your purpose. Do not forget, in your anxiety
for speed, that a fast dog with a slow nose is nearly worth-
less ; therefore, before you attempt to force the pace, you
should thoroughly satisfy yourself that your pupil's olfactory
organs are all right ; you can form a nearly correct opinion
upon this point by carefully watching him while he is at play,
and taking note of each time that he "winds" anything
that attracts him, and paying close attention to tbe distance
he is from the object. This, though not an infallible test,
will generally give you a very good idea of his powers.
Should he appear to have a quick sensitive nose and you de-
sire to quicken his gait, try the following plan, and our word
for it, if you pursue the proper course, you will be astonished
at the improvement he will show in a few lessons. When
commencing these lessons you should select for exercise
ground a large open field, and if the surface is undulating, it
will be all the better, fcr when the old dog dif appears over
the knolls it will mako the prp all the more eager to join him.
When you arrive at the ground you should let the old dog go,
and keep tbe pup close Lt heel until ho gets quite impatient,
taking great care net to overdo the matter by keeping him
under res' rain t t3O long, nor on the other hand should you
let him go until he 13 in the proper frame of mind to put
forth his best efforts when he hears the welcome signal. If
ycu have acquired such knowledge of his disposition and
temper as ycu should have done, you will bo sure, by closely
wa'ching him, to hit upon just the right instant when his
impatient feelings are at their greatest height to give him the
word to go on. If this order is given in an eager tone, ac-
companied with a quick step or two forward, you will find
that your pupil will at once start with an eager rush and put
forth Ms best efforts to catch the old dog. You should care-
fully watch him, and as soon as he slacks his speed, call him
in at once and keep him at heel until he is again impatient,
when you can repeat the performance. If this course is
understandirgly pursued, your pupil will soon learn that in

60 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

order to have his liberty he must not potter, and he will in a
short time astonish you wi;h his greatly improved gait. The
speed of almost any dog can be improved in this way, but
the best results are obtained when your dog is possessed of a
high strung nervous temperament. With such a one prop-
erly handled marvelous improvement is sure to follow.

You will also find that the example of the old dog will be
productive of much good, when you commence accustoming
your pup to the sights and sounds of the street, you wiil be
spared much trouble in way-wising him bj coupling them
toge'her when taking a walk through tho streets, especially
if you are in a city where each sight and sound is new to
your pupil, for he will not only see that his companion is un-
concerned and thereby acquire confidence, bat he will S3on
learn that he cannot bolt should anything strange occur, and
in a short time he will become steady and behave like a
Yeteran.

Backing is an accomplishment that affords us much pleas-
ure— in fact, one-half of our enjoyment, when shooting over
a brace of dogs, is in witnessing tho faultless performance of
a well-trained animal, as he instantly honors the point of his
companion. This accomplishment is inherent in many dcgs,
and is as natural to them as the instinct of pointing. Yet,
there are many first-class animals who will not back a com-
panion's point, but will work forward uitil they obtain the
scent. This is always unpleasant, and often not only mars
our enjoyment of the sport, but the praclice is very apt to
unsteady the other dog, especially when the dag that should
back thrusts his nose a little ahead, which he is very prone
to do. The dog that will remain perfectly steady and
staunch while his companion repeatedly practices this, is, in.
deed, a treasure, and worthy f lircr treatment. That your
dog will not be the cn3 to commit so serious a fuult you
can rest assured, if you have carefully followed our instruc-
tions ia his early training and will intelligently handle him
when he first goes into the field with a companion. As we
have often remarked, first impressions play a very important
Dart in the future behavior of your d >g, therefore you

WORKING 1N-COMPANT. Cl

sbould be very careful that nothing occurs that -will give him
any wrorg ideas. The first time that you take him out with
another dog, they should be well acquainted, if possible, or
at least have time to play together until they becjme some-
what used to each other. You should be accompanied by a
friend, who should have the care of the other dog, while you
keep your pupil close to heel until the other dog finds and
comes to a point. Be very careful now, and as soon as your
dog catches sight of him, raise your hand and bid him To 7io,
and on no account must you stir so much as a finger, but re-
main perfectly quiet and staunch, as though you were also
backing, until your companion has flushed the bird. Tour
example will have much to do in perfecting his steadiness,
and you will find that after a few lessons of this kind — even
should he possess no natural inclination to back — he will
understand what is required, and instantly bick of his own
accord as soon as he catchss sight of a companion's point.

CHAPTER X.

CONCLUSION.

WB have given in the preceding chapters, as well as we
were able, the outlines of the course that for more than
a quarter of a century we have successfully pursued in pre-
paring our d°gs for lives of usefulness, and we believe, yes,
we know, that if any one — we care not how wedded he may
be to the force system — will but give our method a fair trial,
henceforth the whip and check cord will form no part of his
kennel appurtenar ces, for not alone does our system exercise
an ennobling influence upon our pupil, thus making him
much better qualified to become our companion, but the
better, finer feelings of our own nature are not blunted and
brutalized by the cruel associations necessarily present when
the lash is applied to the shrinking form, nor is our enjoy-
ment of the p'eisures of the field marred by constantly-
recurring struggles with the sharer of our sport, who should
be our obedient as well as loving friend. As tha Hon.
George Ashmun occe remarked to us : " The humane system
and the force system both accomplish the result of bringing
man and dog toward the same plane, the one by elevating
the brute, the other by lowering the humane creature."

In all our lessons we hive endeavored to impress upon the
reader the great importance of carefully studying tha dispo-
sition of his pupil in order that he might intelligently apply
their teachings. We have also tried to show the paramount
nee ssity of a very cautious advance at each successive step.
Yet so very important a matter do we deem this that we can-
not forbear again calling your atteLtion to it, and again
cautioning you to use the utmost care in all your lessons,
and to so manage that your dog shall not become over-
trained, for this, although quite common, is a very serious
fault, and one that will require a !ong time to overcome, if,
indeed, you can ever quite eradicate it ; and in order to
secure that cheerful, willing obedience that is so desirable, it
will be far better that you should devote plenty of time to

CONCLUSION. 63

the proper development of your pupil than by undue haste to
bring him out only partially trained or CD wed and dis-
heartened by a too close or too long continued drilling at
tasks that should be his delight instead of dread. In perfect-
ing our pupil in his work in the field, great .care must be
taken that he always peforms his task in a faultless manner,
and no thought of present enjoyment should allow you for
an instant to relax tl.at constant surveillance and watchful
Cire that you have bestowed upon him while practicing him
at home. There is no more prolifio cause of the unsteadiness
and disobedience exhibited by so many of the dogs we meet
as the overlooking of the little faults that scarcely appear
worth noticing. As we have before remarked, anything
that is worth the doing is worth doing well, and in co'hing is
this more apparent than in the education of your dog. We
don't mean by this that you should be constantly nagging
him and breaking his heart with an incessant repitition of
commands, but that when you do give an order you should
see to it lhat it is at once obeyed, and to the very letter.

Especially shcuU he be restrained from manifesting any
unsteadiness or uneasiness, when in the presence of crippled
birrls. This can only be accomplished by a faithful adher-
ence upon your part to the rules that you have established to
govern his conduct and by a religious setting of the example
that you wish him to follow, as any excitement upon your part
or undue haste to secure the bird is sure to be impressed
upon his susceptible mind and cause you no end of trouble
in the future. Better by far that you should lose a dozen
lirds than that your dog should become unsteady.
When it is possible, we always shoot a cripple before our
young dog, and we have ever found that this course, es-
pecially -vrben he cruld see the performance, exercised a
steadying iLfluence upon him, and also taught him to love
and have confidence in the gun. After sufficient experience
in the field, and when your dog appears to understand just
what you require of him, he may safely be allowed to cap-
ture the fluttering bird, with no fear that it will cause him to
become ur steady or depart f;om the teachings of his early

64 TRAINING vs. BREAKING.

days, for the course that we have pursued has wonderfully
developed his reasoning faculties, and there will be no trouble
in easily teaching him to comprehend that when ordered to
retrieve a crippled bird, n^ license is thereby granted him to
indiscrimately rush for every one that starts. When once
we have our dog under the perfect control that it has been
cur aim to achieve, it is comparatively an ( a?y matter to keep
him up to his work, as our knowledge of his disposition and
his knowledge of our method will render an ( ccasional word
all that will be required.

Having brought teacher and pupil safely afield, we
shall now regretfully take our leave of them, trusting that
not entirely in vain have been our labors, and that some at
least of the new recruits to the vast army of sportsmen may
be induced to follow the course here marked out, and by their
success encourage others to try our humane system of training.

Upon carefully reviewing our very pleasant task, we are
painfully impressed with its many shortcomings and imper-
fections ; the most serious of these i? the failure to express
the ideas that we wish to convey in a satisfactory manner.
Although to the best of our ability have we endeavored to
impart the knowledge gained by a large experience, yet we
feel that we have but crude!) and imperfectly accomplished
our purpose. There appears to be an indescribable, in-
tangible something lacking which our pen is unable to portray

There is a mysterious and subtle power, inherent in some
and only gained by others with long experience, that enables
its possessor to exact an instant and willing obedience from
the lower animals by a single word or look that others cannot
compel by vociferous commands or even by blows. We
have always noticed that those who possessed this peculiar
gift appeared intuitively, as it were, to understand the nature
and disposition of the animals under their care, and that
there was invariably an almost electrical and harmonious
sympathy between them. Would that we could reveal the
secret of this mysterious power ; then could we lay aside our
pen with pride in the belief that we had laid at the feet of
the sportsmen's shrine a worthy offering.

THE ONE-EYED GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN.

SOME years ago we penned the following art'cle, which
we reproduce here in order to give our readers some
idea of the pleasures and perils which so endear to us the
pursuit of "that best of all game birds, the lordly Ruffed
Grouse."

First let me describe the locality wh<re these incidents
transpired, that you may the better understand some of the
evolutions that I shall endeavor to explain. I feel entirely
competent to give a description of the run, as even now,
after the lapse of thirteen years, every rock, tree and shrub ;
every bubbling spring, each turn and twist of the little brook,
even to its every merry dim; le and minature cascade with
its gleesome music, is so indelibly engraved upon the tablets
cf my memory, that I have only to mount .the wings of
thought, and the entire scene in all its loveliness is before
me. Here, at the extreme upper end, is a gigantic rock,
maple, whose leaves on this golden October day are gorge-
ous in their bright array. Just at its foot a silvery sprirg
gushes forth, whose sparkling waters are quaffed by many a
weary one, as the well-worn path and smooth, white rock at
its side attest. This fountain is the commencement of the
little brook that I mentioned. For the first quarter mile of
its course there is an occasional young maple, while upon
each side, for four or five rods, beautiful ferns invite the
shy woodcock to their grateful shade. For the next twenty
yards, there is an abrupt fall of as many feet, whose steep
sides are covered with an almost impenetrable growth of
witch-hazel, which is now in bloom — notice the pleasing
contrast between those sprays of lemon colored blossoms and
the dark green of that hemlock that towers in a perfect cone,
thirty feet above them — mark well thb same hemlock — for
under its umbrageous branches, a dastardly deed was at-
tempted that recoiled upon the would-be perpetrator in a
manner that afforded us heartfelt satisfaction. I will resume

66 THE GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN.

the tale farther on. At the foot of the fall, and for nearly
a mile in length— by a quarter to ha'f a mile in breadth
— the ground is nearly level and covered with a rank growth
of alders, growing in bunches, a few feet apart, between
them the grass is green the whole year round. This lovely
spot is appropriately called " Woodcock's Delight." What
thrilling emotions fill rny heart as, in fancy, I gaze upon its
many mazy aisles. It seems but yesterday that I, a happy
youth, was rambling through these silent shades ; what d3-
licious, glorious hours were these, what blessed communings
with the God of Nature, prized by me far more than the
famous bags of woodcock and grouse that I nearly always ob-
tain here. The scene remains the same ; but, alas ! my
beautiful friend of the querulous whistle is gone, I fear for-
ever, slain by the ruthless hand of him who should protect,
instead of destroy. Slain by him who, disguised as a sports-
man, steals in mid-summer upon the callow brood, and mur-
ders, ay I murders every one ; murders the enfeebled and
often sick mother-bird and her unfledged chicks. May the
curse of all true sportsmen rest upon you ! The wrath of the
hunter's God already abideth with you, for he suffers not his
beautiful charges to roam in the places you have desecrated
and laid waste. Excuse this digression, as my heart is
broken with the utter desolation that abounds. Down a
gradual descent of a few yards, covered with a dense growth
of hazel, below the beautiful spot that I have just
described, we come to a similar piec3 of ground of some
twenty acres in extent, that is fl -wed in winter and
spring, to furnish motive power for a rickety old paw-
mill. There are no trees nor brush, except a fringe of wil-
lows a few yards in width entirely around the edge of the
now dry pond. Below the mill a rocky gorg^, grown
up with hemlock, leads us down a descent for a hundred
yards or more, when we come to a level open meadow,
bordered upon one side by a splendid grove of magnificent
white oats that covers full fifty acres. Across the meadows
and two hundred yards away there is a tangled thicket of
scrub-oak, overgrown wi:h briers. At the lower side of

THE GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN. 67

both grove and thicket sunny knolb, partially covered with
birches, trend obliquely down stream, me eting on the banks
of the brook some five hundred yards below. From here to
the river, about a mile away, there is a beautiful cover,
nearly a mile in width, of alders and birches, with an occa-
sional maple and walnut tree. This cover ends on the bank
of the river, in a narrow grove of immense hemlocks. Trust-
ing that you will retain enough of my rather tedious descrip-
tion to follow us through our ardous and long-winded chase,
we will shoulder our guns and start for Maple Ran. But
first allow ine to introduce you to my companion— old Tom
Rood, as thorough a sportsman as it has ever fallen to my
lot to encounter — a peifect gentleman, a first-rate shot and
well skilled in all that pertains to woodcraft. Tom is pos-
sessed of an abundance of this world's goods, and spends
most of his time in the forest, as his nut-brown phiz and
wiry frame attest. When he is not shooting or fishing he is
abroad communing with nature. There is a vein of poetry
and also a flight tinge of superstition in his make-up that,
with his overflowing cheerfulness, make him one of the
most entertaining companions that I Lave eves met. Oar
present trip originated with him, as he had the day before,
while resting on the bank of the river, a1; the mouth of the
brook, seen, to use his words, a "spectre partridge" (ruffed
grouse). While lying at full length on the grass, this bird
had flown across the river and alighted within a few feet of
him. As he looked up, at the slight noise she made, she
walked up within two yards of his head. Examining her
closely, he discovered that on the side toward him her eye
was gone. Just as he had noticed this, she turned her head,
and Tom solemnly averred that her good eye was as large
as that of an ox ; and far more brilliant than the purest
diamond, her feathers were of a pale cream color, her ruff
was light cherry, as was the band across her tail. Taking
this in at a glance, and wishing to secure so unique a speci-
men, he reached for his gun, when this spectre bird slowly
sank into the ground, and Tom, awe-struck, left the uncanny
spot and started for home. When nearly a hundred yards

68 THE GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN.

away, he heard a roar that caused him to look back, and
there was the spirit, going like a streak, up the run. You
should have heard Tom tell the story, and have seen the
weird look in his eyes as he described the scene. Always on
hand when sport was to be had, I readily joined him, as, un-
doubtedly, this was a wary old bird, that would show us some
fun. We soon arrived at the place where he had seen her last, and
commenced a chase, the like of which I never expect to see again.
We little thought, when we started the dogs, that beautiful
morning, and gaily followed them, so full of life and hope,
our exuberant spirits welling forth in lively joke and quick
repartee, that evening's shade would find us a weary, used-
up pair, wending our way homeward with halting steps, and
no word of cheer to lighten the path. I will not anticipate,
but try and be calm while I recount the story of our sorrow?.
Our dogs, Start and Stop, soon found a trail, and taking our
usual places — Tom on their right flank and I on the left — we
slowly moved on, up tne run. The scent soon became hot,
and the dogs re fuse I to advance another step. We went
ahead to raise the bird, and had gone some distance beyond
the dogs, when, with a thunderous roar close to my ears,
this spook of a bird rose behind me. I whirled around and
catching my foot in something, down I went full length, a:*d
as it is my practice to shoot when a bird rises near enough,
my gun went off just as I struck the ground, happily without
doing any damage. "First knock-down for the spectre,"
cried Tom, who appeared to enjoy the sport even more than
I did. As he had caught a glimpse of the bird, and was
sure that it was the one we were looking for, we turned short
to the left and followed on her course, which led toward the
upper corner of the cover. The dogs soon struck her trail
and worked it up nearly to the corner, and came lo a full
stop. Tom, being the nearest, went on the outside, and I
walked toward him, expecting of course that one of U3
would get a sure shot. I could not raise the bird, and went
back to the dog?, and at the word, they moved on up to the
wall, and came to a point at a hole that led through to the
other side. I got them over the "wall, and they roaded

TEE GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN. 69

her several rods in the open lot a few feet from tin wall. I
•was in the cover opposite them, and was suddenly startled by
aloud cry of "mark" from Tom, accompanied by a few
forcible words, expressive of his disgust. I heard no rise
and went over to htm to see what it all meant, when
he expLined that the bird had ri?en some twenty rods away
withoui making the slightest nri?e, and flown down en the
outside as far as he couM see. We were both of us beginning
to get interested, and followed on in pretty good order, con-
sidering that we had been oufgeneraled at every turn. Tbe
dogs, after considerable work, found her trail in the open
lot, aid followed it some distance, when we saw her rise a
long way ahead ; and swing to the left for a birch knoll that
I have already described as leading up to a scrub oak and
brier cover. She was not near enough for me to see very
distinctly, but I could readily see that ste was of a very
light color. Sanding Tom ahead to cut her off, should she
attempt to make for the briers, I took the dogs and beat up
tbc knoll, and soon had a beautiful point from Start that was
handsomely backed by Stop. I knew by the ea^er way old
Start's jaws were quivering that the bird was close by, and,
stepping in ahead of him, was disgusted at seeing nothing
but an ordinary grouse fljunder up and make off; but as the
lulling passion was ever strong, I pocketed my chagrin, and
drawing a bead on him, brought him down. At the report
of the gun our one-eyed friend rose twenty rods away, and
knowing that it was sure death to attempt the briers, flew
across the open meadows and went for the white oak grove,
and I lost sight of her amorg the tops of the tallest trees. In
vain we beat the whole cover in that direction, we could
get no trace of her. Concluding that she had "treed," we
commenced thumping each tree in the vicinity where I had
seen her last, and soon routed her. She pitched down from
the top of a tall tree like a ro3ket revised, and not until
within two or three feet of the ground did she alter her
course. She received our fire with a cool complacency tbat
was not fcha-ed by us, and skimming tlong close to the
ground across tin rn?adow, we saw her swing into the hated

70 THE GROUSE OP MAPLE RUN.

brier cover. Ordinarily we did not beat this covf r, as it was
not only terribly thick, but the briers were fearful. But we
were afterthis bird, "with all that this implies," and did
not stop to count the cost ; bu^, after taking a few moments'
rest, and eating our lunch, boMly faced the music, and
were soon forcing our way through the tangled mass. The
dogs soon found her trail and commenced reading, and for
more than an hour we followed this goblin bird before we
could force her to rise, which she finally did quite unex-
pectedly close by Tom, and just as he lad stooped and was
forcing his way through a par'.icularly bad bunch of briers.
He gamely struggled to an up-ight position and delivered his
fire, but could not tell whether both eyes were open or shut ;
as, when he commenced to straighten up, a brier caught him
ju3t under his right eye, and plowed a ghastly furrow across
his face, and half cut off the lower portion of his ear. When
I j ined him I could not forbear saying :

11 First blood for the spectre."

A grim smile lit up one side of his face— the other side
was covered with gore, and I was doub'ful if he greeted my
pleasantry with more than half a smile. As our bird had
flown straight for the mouth of the rocky gully, we soon
came to water, and after binding up our wounded* as wdl as
we could, we once more " returned to the charge." Toiling
up the steep and slippery ascent, we flushed her from be-
hind a rock, which she kept betwetn her and us until well
out of shot. Thinking that she would keep on as far as the
hazel gully, we made a detour to avoid the terrible ascent,
and skirted the edg 3 until we came to the old mill, when,
each taking a side of the pond and beating the fringe cf wil-
lows, came together at the head of the pond. We hunted
up the hazel gully, and over a large portion of alder cover,
bringing to bag several grouse and woodcock, but eaw no
sign of our especial friend. On our return, we met a man
who said that he had just started a white partridge from the
wheel-pit of the old mill, and it had gone down the run. Al-
though nearly night, with one accord, and without a word,
we both wheeled and headed down the gorge. When near

TEE GROUSE OF MAPLE BUN. 71

the lower end the dogs came to a staunch point. Thinking
that the bird would go for the briers again, I clambered up
the side, and had just reached the top, when this fiendish
bird, with a malignity of purpose that I have never seen
equaled, started and flew straight for my head. Tom could
not see me, but I saw him raise his gun and I threw myself
flat on the ground, just in time to catch half a dozen pellets.
I had supposed that he was shooting fine shot, but was now
ready to make oath that each one was bigger than a pump-
kin. The bird was unharmed, and flew directly over me.
She did not see me until within four feet of my head, and I
shall never forget the scared expression of that bird's coun-
tenance. The tuft on her head rose right up like the clown's
hair in the pantomime, and, convulsively bsating the air with
her wings, she, knowing what to expect, cringed and
quivered in mortal fear. Springing to my feet, I deliberately
sighted her across the barrels and pulled the trigger. No re-
port followed, and, upon examining for the cause, I found
the main spring broken. I must confess that things looked
a little shaky, and I was almost persuaded that we were, as
Tom now insisted, pursuing a myth. It was now sunset,
and, crest-fallen and weary, we turned our faces toward
home. The only words spoken by either of us were a mu-
tual good-night, when we parted at the fork of the road,
t\ at led to Tom's house. We even forgot that we had any
birds, and omitted our usual quarrel, of each trying to make
the other take the game. Sadly 1 traversed the short dis-
tance home, and letting Start into the kitchen where I knew
that he would be well cared for, I silently stole up to my
room and went supperless to bed.

I was up bttimes the nex1; morning, and after an early
breakfast, shouldered my spare gun, whistled for Start, and
took the road for Maple Run, firmly resolved to bring home
that bird or perish in the attempt. When I, came in sight of
the fork of the road, there stood Tom leaning on Lis gun
waiting for me. " I knew that you would be here," said he,
"although nothing was said about it, for the manner and
tone which 3 ou (ai 1 good night assured me tha1; your heart

73 THE GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN.

was in the right place, and that you had enlisted for the
war." We made straight for the oak grove, and crossed the
meadow at the foot of the gorge, and climbing the bank to
where I had last seen her, took her course and entered the
briers. We found plenty of birds, and had kill d several
before we found the trail of cur slippf ry friend. At last the
dog struck a trail that led straight away for a long distance,
and we rightly conjectured that we were now on the right
track. With every nerve at its utmost tension, our guns
tightly grasped, and eye and ear strained to catch the first
signal of her presence, we carefully picked our way through
the briers until we came within a few roi's of the lower
right hand corner. Leaving Tom with the dogs I retraced
my steps a short distance, and noislessly crawled to the
edge, and taking a position twenty yarJs out in the open,
silently advanced toward the corner, and had reached within
fair gun-shot of it, and was congratulating myself that I had
her sure, when, hearing a slight noise at my right, I turned,
and, just out of shot, siw this confounded bird silent as a
ghost, flitting away straight out into the open. I watched
her a long distance and saw her alight on the top of a stone-
wall. I called Tom and explained the si'uation to him, and
was much amused to see the wild, half- scared expression of
his eyes as he said :

" We will stick to her as long as she has a fea'her left, but
I know it is of no use, she will half kill us with her tom-
foolery, and fiaally vanish in a cloud of smoke."
I added : "Or sink into the ground again."
This shot had its desired effect, and, after a brief look at
the situation, we decided that I should go so far around that
she could not see me, and get between her and the cover near
the river that she would undoubtedly make for, while Tom
was by a flank movement to send her to me, and after I had
killed her we were going back into the briers, to attend to a
number of birds that we had started there. I went around,
and carefully keeping out of sight behind a favoring knoll, I
reached the wall some three or four hundred yards below
her, and crawling behind a rock, laid down and peered over

THE GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN. 73

the top of it, obtaining a good view of the whole per-
formance. Tom by this time had obtained an offing, and
was bearing down straight for her. When within a hundred
yards of her, be commenced singing at the top of his voice,
that well-known hymn : »

" On Jordan's stormy Dinks I stand,"

and, as the wind was right, I could distinguish every word,
and was thoroughly enjoying the music, as Tom was gifted
with a grand voice, when I saw him suddenly bring his gun
to his shoulder, and then, with a half turn, he went down all
in a heap. Knowing that the bird had started, I strained my
eyes to get sight of her. I soon saw her just over the wall
coming straight for me. Waiting until she was within shot,
and, knowing that I had a dead sure thing on her this time,
I sprang to my feet, and, facing the way she was going,
brought my gun to my shoulder and coolly waited until she
should get past me. Glancing in her direction, I was thun-
derstruck to find that she was nowhere to bs seen. A strange
unearthly feeling of awe crept over me, my hair commenced
to rise, my knees knocked together and I felt that I was in-
deed in the presence of something supernatural. This feeling
lasted but a second or two, as, upon looking down the wall,
I saw this phantom, a hundred yards away, rise from under
its protecting shelter and disappear over the top of the al-
ders. 'Feeling that I was deeply wronged, I sadly turned to-
ward Tom for sympathy, and was surprised to see him sit-
ting on the ground and beckoning for me to come to him.
When I got there I found that he had sprained his ankle
so badly that he was ucable to stand. With shamefacedness
and many expressions of heartfelt sorrow that he should have
so far forgotten himself as to even think of so unsportsman-
like an act, Tom confessed that the singing was to charm the
bird so that he could get near enough to shoot her before she
started. Just as he raised his gun to fire, one foot went in-
to a hole and, said he, "I received the reward justly my
due."

As we were near the highway, I went over there and had
to wait but a few minutes when a team came along. We took

74 THE GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN.

down the fences and soon had Tom safe in the wagon. Al-
though he was suffering excrutiating torture, I never
saw him more cheerful. Joke and story came from his lips
in a continual stream, and he kept us in a roar all the way
home. We got him in the house and, after bathing his foot
in hot water and seeing him comfortable, I turned to go,
when he said :

" I shall have to ride to-morrow and you had better come
here and ride over with me."

(Supposing that he was joking, I took my leave. The next
morning I got an early start and went to his house to see how
he was. I was greatly surprised to find his team at the door
and to see him hobbing down the steps, using his gun as a
cane, crying as he saw me :

" Come on 1 1 had a vision last night and feel that this day
will witness the humiliation of our ghostly friend, notwith-
standing your superstitious belief in her invulnerability."

Thinking that his grit was of the "real old sort," I helped
him get in the wagon. We drove to the saw-mill, and, leav-
ing Tom in the wagon, where he could command the ap-
proaches, I took the dogs and started down the run. I had
gone but a short distance when I met a man who said he had
started a white partridge several times without getting a
shot, and that she had gone up the run, and was probably in
the big alder cover. I explained the situation to him, and,
joining our forces, we prepared to move on the enemy's
works once more. Going back to Tom, we sent him round
to the lower end of the cover, while we beat up the fringe of
willows and the hazel thicket. When Tom arrived at his
post we heard him shout, and when we came up learned that
he had started her close to the edge, and that her course was
still onward and upward. Sending Tom to the upper end
beyond the big hemlock, to a knoll, where he C3uld overlook
the whole ground, we separated a few rods and beat up to-
ward him. We had gone half way up before we found her
Irail. I soon heard her rise some distance ahead, and saw
her as she came up over the alders, make straight for the
hemlock, and alight in its branches. A moment later our

THE GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN. 75

ears were saluted with the heavy report of a gun from under
the tree, followed by a prolonged succession of unearthly
shrieks and yells, that maie my hair fairly rise. Knowing
that some one was in serious trouble, wo started upon a run
to see what was the matter. I had gone but a few steps
when I caught a glimpse of a ghostly streak passing over-
head. Throwing my gun well ahead of it, I pulled the
trigger, and was overjoyed to hear that welcome sound so
dear to the sportsonn's heart — a gentle thud as she struck
the ground. With quickening pulse I listened to the convul-
sive nutter with which our gallant spirit-bird gave up her
ghost. I did not go back for her, but hastened in the direc-
tion of those blood-curdling yells that did not cease until we
struggled through the thicket into the open space under the
hemlock, where we found an overgrown lout of a boy hanging
head downward on the slippery ledge, with one foot caught
in a crevice of the rock. We released him unharmed, and
went up the bank into the open where we found Tom hold-
ing his sides and laughing like one possessed. As soon as
we came to him he turned with flashing eyes upon the
culprit, and, shaking his long, bony finger at him, exclaimed :

"Served you right — shon at a poor defenseless partridge
up a tree, will you ? The next time you cat such a capar I
hope "

"That you will sprain your ankle," added I, to the evident
discomfiture of Tom.

At this juncture old Start made his appearance with the
bird in his mouth. When Tom saw her he exclaimed— and
sticks to it to this day — that the dog caught her— and that
none of us were smart enough to run! 3 a single one of her
beautiful feathers. SHADOW.

MY OLD DOG TRIM,

"I T is with mingled feelings of pleasure and regret that I take
•*• up my pen to write the biography of my old dog Trim,
alas I long since translated to the happy hunting grounds.
Peace be with him, and may his future be as pleasant as the
days spent on earth. May he find in those spirit woodlands
numberless ruffed grouse, and obtain for a companion some
congenial human spirit to roam with him their grateful
shade until I shall come. Then will his cup of happiness
ever overflow, and the reward so well earned here be his.

Trim was rather an ordinary looking-pointer, of the old
Spanish type. His sire came from Cuba, and was said to be
from stock that had been kept pure for more than a hundred
years. He was so staunch that he was worthless for hunt-
ing, as the first scent of garne that he struck would invariably
freeze him stiff, and nothing could stir him except brute
force. I have frequently flushed and killed the bird to his
point, and after gathering it, and showing it to him and
vainly trying to induce him to move on — he all the while
perfectly rigid— I have taken him by the collar and dragged
him many rods away, only to have him, invariably, as soon
as I let go of him, rush back to where he found the scent,
resume his point to stay there, unless forced away, so long
as the least vestige of taint was in the air. I have known
him to remain for hours, as I several times left him to his
fate, and would seldom see him until the next morning. I
bred him to a very good-looking lemon and white bitch, very
fast and a good fielder, but rather too delicate for rough
work. The result was a fine litter of eight. I selected the
subject of the sketch and christened him Trim. He was the
best dog the world ever produced, and the best one that I
ever saw. Hold on I I believe I have got that standard
quotation a little mixed, but as it is gospel truth let it stand.

MY OLD DOG TRIM. 77

I had no end of trouble with him in his early days, as he
did rot take kindly to the course of instruction that I con-
sidered indispensable to his future well doing ; it was
literally a course of sprouts to him. After many trials, and
much tribulation, I succeeded in teaching him to retrieve —
when he had & mind to. I had no trouble in teaching him
to charge, as that appeared to be his forte. He was the most
listless pup that I ever saw, and could discount the original
"lazy dog." I should have been utterly discouraged had I
not seen him, when but nine weeks old, make several beauti-
ful points on small birds ; and on rare occasions I had seen
him let himself out in wonderful bursts of speed. I was
hungering and thirsting for a dog that would point his game
in the same beautiful gamey style, and get around in the
same lively manner, and so was very patient with him,
hoping, almost against hope, that he would sometimes brace
up and repay me for my trouble. I kept him until he was
nearly a year old, when my mother, who had suffered long
but not always in silence, emphatically told me that she
would stand it no longer; Trim must go. Fallowing close
upon this dictum was a long list of his sins of omission and
commission, the former consisting mainly in omitting to get
up from his favorite place before the fire when any one was
coming, and this performance had just ended, with herself
as principal actress, in a wild whirl of dress goods and a sad
mixing up of woman, dog and big arm chair. There was a
light in her eye that I did not dare disregard ; therefore, the
next morning, early, I took Trim about three miles from
home, to a farmer friend— who had vainly asked me for him
several times, as he was overrun with woodchucks, and
thought that the dog would rid him of the pests. I left him
with him upon conditions that he should use him well, and
return him to me in the fall when I commenced hunting.
He thankfully received him and promised to take the best of
care of him, and return him safe.

I must confess that my feelings on my homeward journey
were far from agreeable. I had done a dishonorable act ; I
had foisted upon my unsuspecting and guileless farmer friend

78 MY OLD DOG TRIM.

a worthless cur. How should 1 ever look him in the face
again I On account of this feeling, I did not go to see Trim,
and it was more than a month before I saw the farmer. It
was with conscious blushes and a deep feeling of abjection
that I responded to his cheery, "How fare you?" and was
much surprised when he proceeded to laud Trim to the
skies. "Why," said he, "I haven't fed him a mouthful
since he has been there ; he catches a woodchuck every day,
and sometimes two, and don't eat anything else." I took an
early opportunity to pay Trim a visit, as, notwithstanding
his many faults, I had a warm place in my heart for him.
I shall never forget the human expression of his eyes as he
looked up to me when I spoke his name. My eyes were full
of tears, and I put my arm around his neck, and did not
speak for some time, and was just thinking that the farmer
and his wife would think that I was foolish when he said :
"Mary, I never saw such an expression in any eye, dumb
or human, but once before in my life, and that was up under
the big elm when I asked a certain little woman a certain
little question, and she laid her head on iny shoulder and
looked just as that dog did ; I really believe he's got a soul,
and I don't wonder that the boy sets such store by him."
This was many, many years ago, but the scene was
impressed indelibly upon my memory, and oftentimes, with
mental vision, I see that loving glance.

At the urgent request of the farmer I let Trim remain
with him until the middle of November, when I brought him
home and took him out for a hunt. If possible he was
lazier than ever, and I had hard work to keep him with me;
he would lie down and I could hardly start him. After a
while he seemed to understand that it was either travel or
trouble, and he followed at heel with a dogged look that did
not augur very well for future usefulness. He paid not the
slightest attention to the other dog, and when I killed a bird
he took no notice of it whatever, and continued to act in this
manner during several trips. One day when I saw him walk
through a bevy of quails and the birds rose all around him,
and he took no more notice of them than if they had been so

MY OLD DOG TRIM. 79

many flies, I was utterly discouraged. On my way home
I was thinking it over, and the more I thought the less I
liked it, and I made up my mind that I would take him out
the next day and shoot him. When I started out in the
morning I told my father that I should leave Trim in the
swamps unless he showed some signs. It was hard to make
up my mind to this, but my patience was entirely exhausted,
and I was hearlbroken with his apathetic disposition. I
hunted through the forenoon with fair success, and hai eaten
my lunch and was just ready to start when my other dog
came to a point, right in the path ; I walked in aheidaud
flushed a bevy of quails that fl3W straight down the cart-
path, about thirty rods, and scattered in some low brush on
the hillside. I followed and picked up several of them,
when I happened to think that I had not seen Trim for some
time; I whistled, but to no purpose, and started back ex-
pecting to find him, asleep, where I Lad eaten lunch, but
when I got into the path, and looked up it, I was never
more astonished in my life than to see tLis brute of a Trim
on a staunch point, where the birds first started from. My
mind was in a perfect whirl ; I was completely dazsd, and it
was some little time before I stirred from my tracks. There
was this dog, that had followed me around for two weeks
with head and tail down, and had never in the whole time
shown the least sign of intelligence, now wid3 awake, every
hair bristling with excitement, his head well up, tail straight,
and a magnificent sight as he stood in the open, just at the
top of rising ground, his form outlined upon the clear sky,
his jaws quivering with excitement, and every angle and
curve of his body expressing eager desire. Here at last was
the fruition of my 1 ^ng cherished wish for a dog that would
make a stylish, gamey point. I walked up to him, and with
many a loving pit and kind word endeavored to make him
understand that I was in full s;mpathy with him, and that,
thenceforth, I was his loving friend. It was laughable to see
the other dog perform; although one of the best dogs to
back that I ever owned, he was undoubtedly so much tur-
priscd to see Trim point, that he forgot all about it, and with

80 HY OLD DOG TRIM.

a quizzical glance out of the corner of his eye up to me, he
walked up to him wagging his tail, and for half a minute
looked at him with such a comical expression that I could
not help laughing ; then ho touched his nose to him ao if to
see if he were alive, and moved a step in front and suddenly
froze in his tracks. I had supposed, until now, that Trim
was pointing the old scent where the birds rose a half hour
before, but knowing that the old dog would not do this, I
began to think that there was more to the circus than ap-
peared in the bills, so I stepped in, ahead, when up rose a
quail that had been left. With a mental prayer that I might
.be loaded with straight powder I pulled the trigger and had
the satisfaction of seeing the bird tumble. More than pleased
with the whole performance, I loaded up and ordered the old
dog to fetch, when Trim, with a rush like the swoop of an
eagle, fairly distanced him, and picking up the bird returned,
at a two-forty gait, and laid it in my hand without ruffling a
feather. To say that I was happy does not express more
than half of it ; I was nearly delirious with joy, and I fear
that I cut some foolish capers and said many silly things. It
was nearly an hour before I felt steady enough to continue
my hunt. Somehow I did not expect to ever see him make
another point, and was very agreeably surprised, when I
ordered the old dog on, to see Trim take the gait of a race-
horse and quarter his ground like a veteran. He soon struck
scent, and made a another beautiful point; the old dog
backed him this time without any misgiving ; I walked up
to him and gave him a loving pat, when he moved on and I
followed closj to him for a quarter of a mile, and such
beautiful roading I never saw before; he never showed the
least doubt or hesitancy, but, with his head high in the air,
followed the birds through brake and briar patch, and finally
brought up at the edge of a small clump of bushes. After
admiring his beautiful pose a moment I kicked the bnshes,
when up rose a full bevy of quails. I think that the excite-
ment that I had gone through had unnerved me, as I did
not harm a feather with either barrel. Taking a little time
to recover my balance, I followed them up, and found them

MY OLD DOG TRIM. 81

among some scattered birches. Trim behaved beautifully,
of his own accord he took the wind, and with head up, Le
would unerringly locate every bird.

I had always considered the old dog as first rate, and he
was a hard dog to beat, but he was just nowhere. Trim
found all the birds and pointed them in grand style ; his
every movement was beautiful to see ; talk of the poetry of
motion ; here it was exemplified. Every stride was a stanza,
and every point that he made was a whole volume. It was
with feelings of deep, heartfelt satisfaction that I wended
my way home. I felt as though I was walking on air; I
had visions of glorious sport in the future ; henceforth I
should feast my fill, and enjoy to the full that ecstatic feeling
of almost perfect bliss that only he can know who has a per-
fect dog.

When I told my father in glowing language the result of
Trim's last trial he did not entirely disbelieve me, as he knew
that I always carried my little hatchet ; but expressed a
strong desire to go out wiih me the next day and ses this
paragon, and judge for himself. The next morning we were
early afoot and soon arrived at the covert. Giving Trim
the word he was off like a shot ; we were in an alder run^
some fifty yards in width, with a broad ditch running tho
whole length ; Trim was covering the whole ground, leaping
the ditch at every turn. We had proceeded some distance,
when, just as he rose to clear the ditch, he struck scent, and,
as ho had not fairly extended himself for the leap, in he went
neck and heels. When we got there we could only see the
top of his head and the end of his nose ; the rest of him had
sunk in the mud with which the ditch was filled ; but he had
not broken his point ; he was rigid as marble. After a little
trouble I succeeded in getting across to where I could reach
him, and, grasping his collar, I landed him on the bank and
scraped the mud from him. He never moved a muscle, bu%
if anything, was more ligid than before. I stepped in to
raise the bird, supposing that there must be one close by,
when Le carefully moved forward; we had gone but a few
s'eps before I noticed that his style was altogether different

82 MT OLD DOG TRIM.

from that of the day before ; then he was magnificent ; now
he was glorious. Notwithstanding his bedraggled condition,
he was a most beautiful sight and something wonderful to
behold, as, with heai high in air, his eyes protruding from
his head, his mouth partly open and froth covering his lips,
he followed the trail as I have often imagined the lordly lion
moves en his prey ; there was no noise and his every motion
was perfect grace, and when, at last, he caine to a stand and
refused to advance another step we stood some time without
speaking, drinking in with our eyes the wonderful picture.
I broke the weird spell by advancing a few steps, when, with
a mighty roar, up rose four or five ruffed grouse. Catching
a glimpse of one that started to fly back, I whirled, and
throwing my gun in his direction made a snap shot, and was
rewarded by hearing that soul-satisfying thud as ho struck
the ground. Quickly loading, I bad? Trim seek dead; he
was off like a flisb, and soon returned with the bird. 1
never saw a dumb brute express more pleasure than he;
circling round me, with arched neck, he proudly canied the
bird, and tried plainly to express his ;py and to make me
understand that this was his game. lie was very loth to
give up the bird, and after I had taken it he seemed so dis-
appointed that I let him have it again, which pleased him
very much, and he started off hunting with the bird in his
mouth. We were very muc'a amused to see him perform,
and were greatly astonished to see him come to a point, still
holding the bird in his mouth. Walking up to him he com-
menced roadicg, and followed the bird more than a hundred
yards and finally brought him to bay in a corner. As I
walked in ahead, the bird rose and I succeeded in bringing
him down. After loading I attempted to get the bird still in
his mouth, but he did not want to give it up, and to seo what
he would do I ordered him to seek dead; he soon found
it, and dropping the one he had he picked up the one just
kilkd and brought i", to me. and, before I had a chance to say
a word, was off and brought me the other one and gave it up
readily. We concluded that hs thought that the first bird
was some rare specimen, and the only one that he would

MY OLD DOG TRIM. 83

ever see, and he was therefore not going to lose sight of it,
but finding that the "woods were full of them" he thought
that I had better carry it. These were the first ruffed grouse
that he had seen and I made up my mind that, although he
loved them so well, he would prove their deadly foe— a
prediction, I am happy to say, that was abundantly verified
on many occasions in after years. They were emphatically
his game, and although he was a remarkable quail and wood-
cock dog, and appeared to take great delight in their pursuit,
their was not that earnestness, that high and lofty style that
took possession of him as soon a? he struck thi scent of his
favorites. A very enthusiastic friend, who shot with me a
great deal, used to say that if I would bring him a single
hair, plucked from Trim when he was on a p jint, that he
could tell me what bird was before him.

There was an incident connected with this day's hunt that
made a deep and lasting impression upon both of us ; it was
an exhibition of intelligence such as we had never witnessed
before. Upon our return we passed through the alder run,
and, on account of better wilkiog, kept on the bank of the
ditch, with Trim close at heel ; when we arrived at the place
where he fe'l in, he stepped in front and looking up at us,
with a waggish expression in his eye and a positive grin on
his face, appeared to enjoy the remembrance of his mishap
of the morning; we both laughed heartily, and I am sure
that the d )g was laugh'ng too. I am well aware that any-
thing of this kind, whan put on paper, loses a very large por-
tion of its most interesting features; it is utter'y impossible
to depict the i Icquent expression of his eye, or the significant
wag of his tail ; the performances must have been seen to
bs fully appreciated.

Trim's reasoning faculties were of a high order, and I
could give you hundreds of instances sinrlar to the above,
but for fear of being too prolix I will forbear ; this being the
first time that h-5 had displayed this wonderful faculty, it
struck us as being something remarkable. The day was a
glorious revelation to me ; I caught a glimpse of some of (he
possibilities of ruffed grouse hunting ; hitherto I had hunted

84 MY OLD DOG TRIM.

them, as almost every one does, in a haphazard manner,
thinking the god3 when I was lucky enough to bag one, and
•was not very particular how it was done, provided I got it.
I liked the birds well enough but had always looked upon
them as too wild and cunning for me, and had never spent
much time upon them, devoting nearly all my time to wood-
cock and quails ; but this day's sport had convinced me that
there was a wealth of genuine, soul-satisfying sport in their
pursuit that I had not dremied of, and that no more royal
game bird graced our forests, an opinion that has been
strengthened year by year, and to-day I had rather take a
good dog and follow up s^me old, wary cock grouse, even if
I do not get him, than to bag a dozen woodcock or quails.
Excuse this d'gres-ion, as I am a little daft oa the sjrouss
question, and when I get a going do not knov when to stop.
There was one more reve'ation connected with this day that
I caught a faint glimpse of that I must mention. I thought
that I knew about all there was to be known about hunting,
but before night I had the faintest suspicion of the fact that
the dog knew more than I did about some things, and I had
hunted but a fe ;v d ys with him before every doubt upon the
subject was removed, and, (ver after, when there was any
coriflict of opinion as t > where the birds were, I let the dog
have his own way. This was brought about by observing
that when I was at fau't in marking down a bird that Trim
had ideas of his own upon the subject, which were generally
correct ; he was ra-ely at fault, and was possessed of a re-
markable faculty for locating a flashed bird. II j appeared
to know intuitively just where it would alight. In vain
would I try to make him hunt closer the particular bit of
cover where I had seen the bird go down, and, after several
times tramping the spot out myself to no purpose, he would,
nearly always, lead me straight to the bird. Oace, I shall
never forget, I tried to make him go back and work over a
corner that we had just come through, feeling sure that I
had marked the bird correctly, and that it was lying close in
there; he would not budge an inch, but looked back at me
over his shoulder, slighlly wagging his tail, and tried to

MY OLD DOG TRIM. 85

induce me to follow to the next corner, a few rods to the
right. I was vexed at, what I then thought, his sullen
humor, and, breaking a stick, gave him a beating. As soon
as I let go of his collar he made a bolt for the next corner,
and came to a point just at its edge, and turned back his head
to see if I was coming. I followed mechanically, feeling very
uncomfortable, and that somehow I had done wrong. When
I came up with him he broke his point, and making a detour
tog et the wind, he soon had the bird fast. I stepped in
ahead, and as soon as the bird rose I knew that it was the
one that I thought I had marked so correctly, as I had shot
at it and cut a feather or two from its wing, which
caused it to make a peculiar whistling sound. At the first
flutter of its wings, there was such a revulsion of feeling
came over me as I wish never to experienc3 again ; dropping
my gun 1 rusbed back to the dog and throwing my arms
around his neck teirfully promised him that never more
would we have any misunderstanding. Trim appeared to
realize what was passing in my mind; giving me a loving
look, out of his wondrous, great brown eyes, he licked my
face, some hing he had never done before. From this time
forward we w< re in perfect accord, and I never allowed any
doubt in my mind to influence me when he intimated to the
contrary. As the season was far advarc^d I had but few
mTe days' sport, but they were replete with a wonderful
feeling of complete enjoyment, such as I had never ex-
perienced before.

Although Trim started off in such grand form he improved
visibly every time we went out, and it was with deep regret
that I hung up my gun at the close of the season. I was not
aware how deep a hold my sporting proclivities had upon
me, until I could no longer gratify them. So fascinating had
been the spoit, enjoyed in the last few weeks, it was along
time before I could think or talk about anything else.

Many moons waxed and waned, and still in my dreams the
rear of the swift winged grouse, as they rose and burst
through the tangled covert, only to be quickly brought down
by my unerring aim, and the beautiful and unique position

86 MY OLD DOG TRIM.

of Trim, as like Nemesis he silently followed them to their
fate, gave me great consolation and made life, during the
close season, not quite unendurable.

It was with happy feelings of glorious anticipation that
my chosen friend and self, accompanied by Trim, sallied
forth at early dawn on the first day of the open season.
Would that I wielded the magic pen of a Herbert to describe
to you the manifold beauties of that lovely morning, and to
lead you, step by step, through wooded aisle and open glade,
and to depict in glowing colors the many interesting scenes
that were constantly transpiring ; and, more than all else,
would I wish to impart to yon a portion of the joyful feel-
ings that to us were a continual feast ; but as my pen is only
a feeble one, at best, I will leave all th;s to your imagination.
Suffice it to say that Trim more than verified the encomiums
that I had lavishly bestowed upon him, and converted my
friend from the error of his ways, woodcock- ward, and made
him a staunch and lifelong devotee at the shrine of the lordly
grouse.

There is no game bird in the world that so taxes the skill
and patience of dog, and man, as a sly, old cock grouse ;
most fertile in cunning resources to evade you and escape,
when, seemingly, you have him safe. In vain did they essay
their most wily stratagems with Trim ; be was up to all
theb maneuvers, and I could nearly always, tell what par-
ticular trick a bird was going to try on us by paying close at-
tention to the dog. Did it attempt to run and gain the
vantage of distance, from which to rise well out of shot, like
a whirlwind Trim was after it, and passing on one side of it,
a few feet ahead, he would turn and point as staunch as a
rock, with the sadly demoralized bird between us. He
would rarely fail in forcing the wildest of them to lie securely
hid until, in numberless instances, I have literally kicked
them from their hiding- place, so badly scared that the veriest
tyro could easily have knocked them over as they floundered
away in a straigit line, all the conceit, that they could twist
and double, taken out of them. Did they endeavor to
"swing round the circle" and get in our rear, and scare us

MY OLD DOG TRIM. 87

almost to death with their infernal clatter, as they rose from
the path where we had just passed, secure in the knowledge
that if they heard the whistle of the shot it would not be in
their direction, it was generally their last swing, for this per-
formance had fooled us several times, and appeared to vex
Trim, and so soon as a curve in tbe trail led him to suspect
the trick, his hair would rise, and he would back out from
the trail and swing for them in a manner that they did not
appear to understand. Circling at break neck speed, until
he got the wind of the now confused bird, he would hold it
fast and give me an easy shot. His wonderful reasoning
powers, and the tact which he displayed, in adapting himself
to the different moods of the birds, were very prolific in
filling the bag. Were they wild and prone to rise at a long
distance, he would make as much noise as a pair of unbroken
steers, and thrash around in the brush in a manner that
strangers to him would always ridicule ; but he knew what
he was about, and approaching the bird in a serpentine
course would get as close as he wished, and make his point,
from which an avalanche could not stir him, and you could
go home and get your dinner, with no fear but that you
would find him there when you returned, aud the bird too.
Were they shy and disposed to skulk and bide, no cat more
stealthy than he ; with his head always high in air he
would creep through the tangled thicket, never breaking a
twig, nor turning a leaf, and if we did not get the bird it was
not for the want of a fair shot. As an instance of his re-
markable sagacity, I will relate an incident that was very
pleasing to me, and that resulted in the capture of a most
royal bird. It was just at the outlet of a large swamp, where
there was a ditch about four feet wide, and as deep, that
emptied into a small stream which it intersected at right
angles ; along tho bank of the stream was an alder thicket
that extended up stream ten or twelve rods and then curved
round and joined the swamp; near the mouth of the ditch
was a favorite spot from which I had several times started
a noble bird, which had always got away scot free ; it would
manage to put the thicket between itself and myself, and fly

83 MY OLD DOG TRIM.

close to the ground until out of shot. Bound to circumvent
it, I took a friend and placing him on the bank of the creek,
I took the inside, between the alders and ditch, and sent the
dog in the thicket ; he soon struck the trail, and followed it
down to the ditch; I took my stand about a rod from the
ditch and directed my companion to walk up to the dog and
flush the bird, which he did, and the wiley old fellow,
taking in the situation at a glance, dived for the ditch and
flew so low that neither of us could see him. But he had
played his last trick ; there was a streak of dog and mud
after him that forced him t0 show himself ; a sullen roar, a
cloud of feathers, and the gallant bird was beaten at his own
game. Instead of standing perfectly still at the report of the
gun, as he invariably did, Trim came directly to us, and,
capering around us, plainly expressed his joy at the result ;
then going for the bird, he brought it to my friend first, and,
arching his neck, marched around him in triumph two or
three times, and then brought it to me. This was the first
and last time I ever knew him to chase.

Trim was abs lutely perfect in the field; there was no
necessity to tell him where to go ; he c overed the whole
ground, and, although a very fast and wide ranger, quartered
his ground so close, and showed himself so often, that it was
no trouble to keep track of him. At the faintest indication
of scent he would come to a point and remain quiet until I
came up to him, and when he had located his bird neither
encouragement nrr threats could move him an inch. At the
rise of the bird, or re port of the gun, he remained perfectly
still in whatever position he happend to be, until ordered on.
He was one of the best retrievers that I ever siw, both from
land and water, never mouthing his birds, or ruffling a feather.
I never knew him to bite a bird but once ; we were hunting
a wide belt of timber when my companion, at some distance
to my right, signalled a point ; I crossed over and, when
nearly to him, flushed and shot a woodcock; at the report of
the gun, a grouse rose before the dog and my friend dropp?d
it close by the woodcock; both birds were only winged.
Trim gathered the grouse first, when, comirg in, he stumbled

MY OLD DOG TRIM. 89

over Ihe woodcock, which he saw was trying to get away,
he dropped the grouse and seized the woodcock, then seeing
the grouse making off he changed again; after swappiog
three or four times he deliberately shut h;s jaws on the
woodcock, and, laying him down, picked up the grouse, and
bringing him in returned and brought the woodcock and
carried it straight to my friend, reasoning (hat he would not
say a word, whereas, if he brought it to me, I might scold
him for biting it. His conduct was the more singular, as he
was very jealous that I should have all the birds, and no one
could coax him to give up a single one. He was an inde-
fatigable worker and disliked to stop a moment, but would
work from morning until night ; it was hard work to keep
him quiet when I sat down to rest or eat a lunch. One diy
we had tramped a long distance, amd coming out on the
sunny side of the woods we sat down and took a long rest ;
when we got ready to start Trim was missing ; I called and
whistled, but he did not come ; casting my eyes across the
open lot I saw him two hundred yards away, at the far edge,
pointing directly toward us. When we came up to him he
broks his point, and wheeling round in the opposite direction
led us a quarter of a mile away and came to a point at the
edge of a stuble field ; moving on we soon flush d a noble
bevy of quail. It was plain to be seen that he had been there
before, as his footprints were visible on the soft ground ; he
evidently reasoned that we would nev( r find him, and, to let
us know that he had found game, delibrately broke his point,
and retracing his steps to where we could see him, pointedly
told us to come along. This peculiar trait soon became
habitual with him, and ever after we let him have his own
way, knowing that if he found birds he would show himself
and cause us no trouble to look him up. I found this habit
very useful the next season, as, owing to a severe cut on my
ankle, I was incapacitated from waging very far. I would
sit in tbe wagon and let him go, whiling away the moments,
like the "lone fisherman," in "glorious anticipation," keep-
ing a sharp watch in every direction, and wondering at what
point he wou'd make his appearance. As game was very

90 MY OLD DOG TRIM.

plenty I was generally rewarded by seeing him come bound-
ing into open, and, after a stride or two, strike an attitude,
the memory of which, even now, after the lapse of nearly
forty years, causes my heart to bound .with del'ght, and sends
the hot blood tingling to my fingers ends. When Trim made
a point there was a magnetic, inspiriting sympathy, amongst
all beholders, that I can compare to nothing excepting to the
sensation of an electric shock, and I have yet to see the dog
that will cause my hair to rise to the elevation it obtained
when viewing his performances. I cannot better describe
this feeling than to quote the language of a wood-chopping
Irishman, near whom Trim came to point. When we came
up the man had dropped his axe and stood looking at him
with heaving chest, gaping mouth and wide open eye?.
"Look at him!" te said: "did yees iver see the likes of
that : howly Moses, how my hair riz up and the cowld chills
run up my back when he tuck the seen* ; if the howly
virgin shud tell me there want twinty burds just forcinst
him, by my sow'l I'd belave the dog furst,"

As an instance of his wonderful power of fascination I
cannot forbear relating a little incident that afforded us many
days of first-rate pport. We were hunting close to the farm
cf a man who never allowed shooters to set foot on his prem-
ises. Trim came to a point a few yards from the line, and
as we came up to him we observed the mm leaning on the
fence, looking on. "Hold on," said he, "I want to come
over acd see that dog." We cordially invited him, and the
old man became quite excited. "Why," said he, " I hain't
been so woke up since my old stigs runaway with the plow ;
see that consarned dog's hair turn toward his head — it beats
all creation 1" We flashed and killed the bird and the old
man was perfec'ly delighted. Afcer telling us he came out
to keep us off his land, he gave us a pressing invitation,
which he did not have to repeat, to go over and hunt in his
woods, acd he would go with us as he wanted to see that
dog perform some more. It is needless to say that we went,
and not only had a good time, but a good dinner, both of
which were repeated on many subsequent occasions, for he

MY OLD DOG TRIM. 91

urgently invited us to come again and to be sure and let him
know FO that he could go along and see the fan.

After a few seasons Trim gained a wonderful knowledge
of the habits of the game he hunted, particularly his favor-
ite, the grouse. After he had taken two or three turns in
the cover he would almost unerringly, indicate by his man-
ner, the presence or abseccs of game. Did he put onTmore
steam, and hunt as though he expected to find game, you
could take your oath that birds were near, or had been re-
cently. Oa the other hand, did he slacken his pace, or ex-
p ess indifference, you might as well strike for some other
locality as he was rarely mistaken. I soon discovered that
he used his eyes as well as his nose, and, by closely watch-
ing him and profiting by his example, I soon became quite
an adept in finding "signs." Th3 faintest indication of birds,
where they had scratched among the leaves, the plainly-to-
be-seen wallow holes, where they had dusted themselves, a
stray feather, their droppings, or the partly eaten skunk cab-
bage were to him as an open book that he literally read as he
ran. Often have I seen him slow up and, glancing at the
ground, throw his head in my direction and give me an ex-
pressive glance, accompanied by just the faintest wag of the
end of his tail ; then off again, at increased speed, he would
seldom f lil to soon fiad more tangible proofs of the presence
of birds. Upon examining these places I would find unmis-
takable "jsigns," and soon learned to see them unaided by
him. It is but a few days since I caused an incredulous
smile to overspread the countenance of a friend, with whom
I was out shooting, by pronouncing the cover we were in to
be the home of a covey of grouse. We had gone scarcely
fifty yards, and he was saying that he had hunted this cover
for more than a dozen years and had never seen a grouse in
it, when the dog came to a point and we flushed a splendid
covey of ten or eleven birds, e;ght of wh'ch accompanied us
home. It is a source of pleaaure to me, as well as a cause of
wonder to my sporting friends, that I am thus able to predict
the near presence of game. This is one souvenir, left me by old
Trim, that helps to keep him ever in grateful remembrance.

92 MY OLD DOG TRIM.

Nothing pleised Trim better than to get after a wiley old
cock grouse. With what pertinacity he would stick to him !
It was then that he put forth his greatest efforts, growing
more eag^r at every rise, until, at 1 ist, when we had tired
the bird out, or scared him so that we could approach near
enough for a shot, his hair would turn toward his head and
he would seem to expand to twic ; his usual size At such
times he would turn his head until he ciught my eye, when he
would give me a glance of exultation that there was no mis-
taking. Ordinarily when I killed a bird, he would bring it
in and lay it in my hand, with simply a wag of his tail ; but
when we got one of those wise old birds he wouM Always
arch his neck and proudly walk around ins once or t sdce
before delivering it, and had we extra hard work to circum-
vent one he would accompany his triumphant march with a
joyful whine, or, as a friend expressed it, "Singing a poem
of victory." I shall never forget one famous chase after a
magnificent old cock that led us a wild tramp upwards of four
miles, straightaway, from the team, which we did not see
again until after ten o'clock at night. We started him about
two o'clock; he rose two hundred yards away, ont from one
end of an alder run as we entered at the other. I caught a
glimpse of him as he swung over the tree tops, and got his
course, which led into heavy limber, where we followed him
a long distance only to see him pitch down from the top of a
tall tree. Thinking that he would not *' treJ' again, I kept
on ; Trim soon found his trail, but before we got within fifty
yards hi was off again. He pursued the same tactics several
times until my "blood was up," and Trim was more inter-
ested than I had ever seen him before ; h3 raged around like
a mad bull, the froth flying from his lips and his eyes glaring
like those of a scared cat. It was now getting quite interest-
ing, as it was nearly night ; I still f oUowed on, thinking that
we must [be getting the old fellow's wind, a supposition
whioh proved correct, for Trim soon came to a point, and
showed by his actions that he was close on to him. Step-
ping in front, great was my chagrin to hear this awful bird
burst close to me, but on the other side of a bunch of laurel

MY OLD DOG TRIM. 93

that I could neither see through nor over ; I was mad, but
nevertheless we went f ^r him again. His next flight was
short and we soon four d him in a bunch of laurel. Making
up my mind that something must be done, I made a rush for
the bunch, and, as I went in, heard him derisely chuckle at
me, and then, with victorious clapping of wing, he was off ;
but he lit'le knew with what momentum I had charged that
" forlorn hope." I got through somehow and was in time to
"cut him down in his pride." How Trim's eyes did sparkle,
and how his tail did wiggle ! With what exultant feelings I
proceeded to load, meanwhile, as was my wont, talking to
Trim and telling him what mighty Nimrods we were. When
Trim went to bring it I soon saw th it it was only winged,
but I had no fear, as it was impossible for a woucded bird to
get away from him. As he was gone longer than usual I
started after him and was much surprised to meet him com-
ing back with head and tail clear down, and without the
bird : when he saw me he sullenly led the way to a ledge of
rock under which the confounded bird had taken refuge, se-
cure as though he were a thousand miles away.

I will draw the curtain here ; our woe was too sacred for
profane eyes. It was now sundown, and to avoid the track-
less forest I concluded to skirt the edge, as, although a mile
or two further, it would be easier. We had gone but a short
distance when from under an old tree top out went as many
as twenty grouse ; droping one right and left, I did not wait
to load, but sent Trim after them. He brought them in, but
so badly did he feel about losing that bird that the customary
wag of his tail was entirely wanting, and he showed no dis-
position to follow up the birds just started, but gloomily fol-
lowed close at heel. Not being very well acquainted with
the ground, and as it was pitch dark, it took us four weary
hours to get back to the team. Trim sulked all the way, and
not even the memory of that beautiful double could dissipate
the sadness from my mind.

The next morning, taking a friend along, we drove near to
the place where I had started so many birds. As soon as we
stopped to hitch the horse Trim bolted for the ledge at the

94 MY OLD DO & TRIM.

top of his speed, and taking the trail of our wounded bird,
which had left its hiding place, soon had it where tricks
would not save its bacon, and bringing it to us, paraded
around with it, whining with pleasure, aud finally matched
up to the horse and rearing up on his hind legs, held the bird
for him to smell; then bringing it to me he barked and
copered until our sides ached laughing at his comical per-
formances. He had neve r barked before on any such occa-
sion, but he felt so good that he had got the best of this, the
wildest bird that we ever saw, that ordinary language failed
to express his feeling', and several times through the day he
would stop and look at us, a world of intelligence in his
glance, and give two or three short barks, b\ which we,
knowing that he was making remarks about his feat of the
morning, would respond with words of praise which he ap-
peared fully to understand. A year atterwaid, when in the
vicinity of the ledge, he looked up in my face and used the
same language, and I am confident from his marner that he
retained a lively recollection of the aflair.

I could fill volumes with interesting incidents connected
with Trim's career, but I fear that already I have wearied the
patience of the reader, and will say but a few words more.
For iraLy, very many long years I have been anxiously
ee king the counterpart of old Trim; several times have I
succeeded in finding something that cime very near to him
on some ore kind of game, bnt I have never seen the dog
that could compare wi h him for all kinds of birds ; and for
unflagging energy, combined wiih rare judgment, and, far
more thin all else, for speaking, almost human intelligence,
he stands without a rival.

Graceful ferns, mingled with somber hued mosses, gently
wave over his silent i esting place ; and, for more than a
quarter of a century, as each golden Indian summer returns,
to us, loving hands have plucked from the graceful neck of
the lordly grouse their beautiful plumes, and strewed his
lowly bed with fitting tribute to the memory of him who
loved them so well. SHADOW.

REARING PUPPIES.

WE receive many letters from different sections of the
country complaining of want of success in raising
puppies. Nearly all of them state that the writers have
taken great pains with the animals and given them the best
of care, but in spite of their efforts they sicken and die and,
in many instances, entire litters are lost.

We have often thought that perhaps the great mortality
complained of is owing in a great measure to this constant
care and delicate nursing that anxious breeders bestow upon
their pets. Who ever heard of a litter of mongrels that no
one cared for meeting an untimely end ? This we believe to
be the key note of the whole matter, and that in order to be
a successful breeder you must banish all fear for the lives
and health of the youngsters, and let them shirk for them-
selves, and above all else give them no drugs or medicines of
any description, for we are well satisfied that ten puppies
are killed by dosing where one is benefited, and that the sur-
vivor is often ruined for long continued work by the injury
thus wrought.

Now, we do not wish this to be construed as meaning that
we are opposed to giving medicine at all times, for we are
well aware that properly administered, much suffering is
alleviated, and many valuable lives are saved, but we do
firmly believe that the ailments of puppyhood should be left
entirely alone, and that nature, if untrammelled, will effect
ten times the cures that can be accomplished by the use of
drugs, especially as administered by the breeders throughout
the country who have no practical knowledge of their deadly
effects, nor of the proper time nor remedy tc apply in a very
large majority of cases that come before them", but anxious
to do everything in their power to save their darlings, and

96 REARING PUPPIES.

fearful that if something is not done at once the little thing
will die, they, with the best intentions in the world, pour
down his throat some powerful drug that but tf o often is
sure to cause the very result they fear, and then, forsooth,
they wonder why it is that the good die so young, and can
only account for the success of their neighbor who raises
every one of a mongrel litter by the fallacious reasoning that
the blue bloods are of a higher organization, and conse-
quently more delicate and harder to rear. That this is not
true in most cases can be easily demonstrated by following
the advice here given, and giving your high-toned litter the
same chance for life that your neighbor gives his mongrels.
We are writing only concerning mature and healthy ani-
mals, believing that all who are otherwise should be relig-
iously excluded from the breeding kennel. We have bred
dogs for many years, and have been uniformly successful, at
least so far as bringing our puppies safely thiough their early
days is concerned, and we have accomplished this — or rather
it has been accomplished — without any trouble or care upon
ourpait by simply leaving them alone and trusting to nature
the entire charge of their welfare. True, we always gave
the mother plenty of healthful food and exercise, and as soon
as the pups were a few days old removed them from their
stall and made their bed upon the bare ground, and there
they had to stay until they were weaned. We were often
ashamed of their dirty appearance, but never of their health.
We never wash a puppy. We do not believe that it is of any
benefit to them, except in looks, and we believe it is often a
source of trouble in that it induces a cold which may bring
disease and death. Of course we keep them sheltered from
cold and inclement weathtr, but at all times give them plenty
of room on the ground, where they can dig in the dirt and
get fresh earth to eat when they wish. After weaning, we
accustom them to a diet of Indian or oatmeal, well cooked
and mixed with plenty of thick sour milk. This we have
found to be the best possible thing to expel the worms that
many times infest them. It is also the best regulator of the
bowels that we have ever tried, as by a little care in increas*

REARING PUPPIES. 97

/hg or diminishing the quantity it will always keep them just
right. We frequently boil meat and use the broth for mak-
ing their mush, and if their condition is not just to suit we
give them an occassional meal of well cooked meat, and
when their teeth begin to trouble them, we give them plenty
of large bones, with a little meat on them, and never, under
any circumstances— for their ordinary ailments— do we give
them a single dose of medicine, and, above all else, we never
worry our minds with thoughts or fears that they will not
live.

We invite an expression of opinion upon this subject, and
would like to see the question fully discussed in our columns,
for, among the many trials and drawbacks encountered by
breeders, none is more disheartening than to see the light
fade from the eyes of their pets, as one by one they meet
their untimely fate.

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