RAINING AND ANDLING MODERN AND HA BY. B- WATERS B°STON PUBL1SHINO 1894 Copyright, 1894 BY J. LORING THAYER PUBLISHING CO. Korttodl ann CthuttftiU BOSTON CONTENTS. MSDERN TRAINING AND HANDLING. CHAPTER I. The setter and pointer — General appreciation — False sentiments relat- ing to field sports— The dog commonly misunderstood — The Gor- don setter — Degeneracy — Undesirable type— Few specimens — No public performances — Unimportance of the breed — The Irish setter — Uniformity of type — Symmetry — Field merit — Champion Elcho, Jr. — The English setter — Public estimation of superiority — Irregular breeding — Beauty of form — Marchioness Peg — Champion Paul Glad- stone— Pegjim — Roderigo — Color — The pointer — Improvement — Champion Robert le Diable — The origin of the setter — Matter of speculation — "Setting spaniel" — Popular errors — No evidence of spaniel origin — Arguments against it— Characteristics of setter and pointer — The pointing instinct — Popular fallacies — Relative qualities — Prejudices — Staleness — Retrieving — " Inherited training" — Con- stitution and breeding — Will power — Weight and size — Strength and endurance — Objections to heavy dogs — Objections to light dogs — Conformation — Habits — The timid dog — The obstinate — The- rattle-headed — The vicious — The sulky — The cunning — The en- thusiastic— Modes of treating each — Knowledge of character.. . . 21 CHAPTER II. Nomenclature— The paucity of field nomenclature — Its inconvenience- Absence of terms — Feathering — Breaking — Training — Handling. 55 CHAPTER III. The amateur trainer — Faults of amateurs — Irregular temper; its ill effects — Necessity of studying dispositions — Irregular effort and (v) vj CONTENTS, Inefficiency— Observing details -Advantages of habits of observa- tion—Faultiness of over-training— Regular shooting and' training incompatible— A knowledge of training results in skillful handling— The dog should be considered a reasoning animal — Loud commands unnecessary and offensive— Benefits of self-control— A good trainer must be fond of dogs— Manual dexterity required— No unnecessary force should be used — Bad effects of punishment on a dog's consti- tution °° CHAPTER IV. General remarks on training — Faultiness of common methods — Pointing and ranging— The foundation of field work— No secret in training- Kind treatment conducive to success— The primary education the most difficult— No arbitrary system — Industry and enthusiasm — Compulsion and suasion combined — Dogs trained when too young — Perfection from skillful training — Erroneous theories — Inferior capa- bilities cannot be corrected — No short systems in training — Length of time required — Different stages of training — Training permanently fixed by habit — ^General irregularities of progress — General excel- lence desirable — Whimsicalities — Some dogs incapable of receiv- ing a training — One thing at a time — Forgetfulness excusable — Lessons should not be too long — Advantages of companionship — Individuality of dogs 67 CHAPTER V. Instruments used in training — The spike-collar — The whip — The whistle — The chcckcord — Their use 82 CHAPTER VI. Commands — Analogy of methods in teaching all commands — Commands known by sight, sound and feeling— Association of ideas— Com- mands and signals commonly used— Come in -Go on— Heel— Drop —Hold up-Dead bird-Find-Fetch-Steady—Whoa—Commands in ordinary tones -Loud tones become habitual— Obedience to sig- nals—Exclamations inartistic— Deceptive orders to be avoided. . 96 CHAPTER VII. Preparatory training— Yard training— House training— Dog learns cor- rect deportment from association— Ignorance of inexperienced dogs —Disagreeable traits in domestication— Placing feet on the person CONTENTS. tfll —How corrected— Habitual barking — Dislike of handler is ob- structive— Serious demeanor in teaching — Moderate lessons — Ab- rupt changes confusing — Age of puppy for yard training — The dif- ferent commands— How each is taught 101 CHAPTER VIII. Retrieving — General remarks — Pointers easier to teach^— Fidelity in teaching details— Poor retrieving — Disadvantages of retrieving — How corrected — A first-class retriever's qualities — Difficult branch of training — Calm exterior — Dog learns trainer's expression — Re- trieving from water; its harmfulness— The Chesapeake Bay dog — The Irish water spaniel — Two methods of teaching retrieving — The "natural" method— Applied in puppy hood— No spectators at lessons — Taking advantage of playfulness — Manner of teaching the natural method — Tact required — Correcting bad habits — Effects of associated surroundings — No mouthing allowable— Common faults — "Give" — - Importance of details — Long lessons objectionable — Variety of practice — Repugnance to grasping feathers — Regularity in teaching — Uncertain time required to teach retrieving — Rewards — Taking advantage of jealousy — Failure — Uncertainty of the method — Its faultiness — 111 effects of punishment — Retrieving not inherited — The force system — Accessory to the natural method — Its advantages — Erroneous beliefs — Dexterity required — Brutality unnecessary — Terror is obstructive — Faults in training — Preparatory use of collar • — Overheated — First stage in training — Punishment — How to make a dog open his mouth — Willing dogs — Obstructive traits enumerated — How corrected — Second stage — Third stage — Rewards— Holding the dog's confidence — Hard mouth; how prevented — High head — Delivering the bird to hand — Picking up lost birds— Field retrieving — Faults necessary to correct — Marking the fall of birds; its value — When to begin — "Find" — Taught during puppyhood — How to teach the puppy to seek dead — Winged birds — "Steady;" how taught — Persistent effort necessary I ;8 CHAPTER IX. Preparatory field training — Proper age to begin field work — Quails the best bird — Self-hunting experience necessary — Dog's capabilities injured by excessive restraint— Time required to give experience — How to avoid gun shyness — Dog's confidence must not be impaired — How to accustom the dog to the gun — Evils of working puppies vj|j CONTENTS. together-Method taught after experience-Erroneous methods- Highest degree of working development— Value of ranging -Health essential to good work-Punishment for mistakes, erroneous— Good grounds, an advantage-Dog becomes careless when birds are scarce -The importance of a water supply-Birds are natural prey-' days"— Deafness and obstinacy— Deafness from exposure or care less shooting — Faults from jealousy — Errors in treatment of a puppy If CHAPTER X. Pointing— The exquisite delicacy of the dog's nose— Variability of point- ing—Wide nostrils no criterion of scenting powers— The olfactory nerves— Their distribution— The origin of the pointing instinct- Common fallacies— The use of instincts— Analogous traits in other animals— The origin of pointing unknown— The real use of point- ing—The point not cataleptic— Pointing from compulsion— Pointing intelligently to the gun— Intelligent acts— Age at which the instinct appears— Instinct dormant till maturity— Disuse does not impair it— Hunting rabbits, a natural instinct— Early pointing no indication of superiority — Late development of the instinct — Speculative opin- ions-Pointing by sight; its faults— Pointing, how established - Steadying the dog on point— Caution necessary— The correct dis- tance to point— Different dispositions— Punishment— One dog at a time — Dog should not be restrained too much — Dog should point on his own judgment — Abnormal development of the instinct — Dropping to point — Often caused by dropping to wing — Flushing to order— Its faults— Pointing larks, how corrected— False pointing- Flushes— Flushes unavoidable— How to treat flushing— Effects of wind on scent — The dog's love of approbation — Flushing caused by the voice — Shooting flushed birds ,. 171 CHAPTER XI. Ranging — Advantages of unrestrained preliminary experience— Learn- ing the habits and haunts of birds— The dog's memory of places — Marking the flight of birds — Hunting without training— The dog's intelligent methods of pursuit — Experience and inexperience — Edu- cation and experience combined — The principle alike for all sec- tions— Length of time required — Faults of amateurs — Imperfect ranging ; different forms, how corrected — Ranging should be regard- less of wind— Speed necessary— Superiority of the fast dog— Dogs CONTENTS. IX worked too slowly — The correct range— Its variability— Dog's range should be controllable — The cunning of the dog in methods of pur- suit— The foxhound's intelligence — The greyhound — Running cun- ning— The setter and pointer learn by experience — Their imitative faculties —The method of the expert handler 193 CHAPTER XII. Drawing and reading, how performed — Good and bad performers — Scarcity of brilliant performers — High nose and quick execution — Drawing by body scent and foot scent — Slow reading by foot scent — Imperfect drawing and reading — Over-cautiousness a fault — Proper method to teach reading — When to assist the dog — Pottering — Use- lessness of the whip — The puzzle peg ; its worthlessness — When to work a puppy with a companion — Evils of working with an unsteady dog — Perfect liberty necessary — Disadvantages of constant re- straint 204 CHAPTER XIII. Backing — Variability of backing — Backing is not instinctive — It develops with experience — Reasons against its being an inherent trait— In- stinct— Instincts are strictly individual— The real uses of backing — Reasons for its being an intelligent act — Analogous acts of hounds — Backing the shooter — Backing the gun — Pointing and backing learned by dogs of different breeds — Peculiarities of individuals — False pointing detrimental — Uniformity of instincts — Variability of intelligence — Backing, how taught — Stealing points — Jealousy — Backing from compulsion — Advantages of a steady dog — Excessive backing — " Backing each other "— Correcting trained dogs. . . , 210 CHAPTER XIV. Quartering — A mechanical manner of ranging — Preliminary experience required — How taught — Course must be up wind — Dog takes casts across wind — How conducted — Can only be practiced up wind — The difficulty of teaching it — Brace work — Many dogs are unfit for brace work — Theoretical brace work — Approximate correctness — Disad- vantages of quartering — Memory and intelligence not exercised — Time wasted in quartering 222 CHAPTER XV. Dropping to wing and shot — Similarity of commands — Dropping to wing x CONTENTS. or shot unnecessary— Its benefits overrated— Its disadvantages- Proper juncture to teach— How taught— Advantages of thorough preliminary training— Dropping to point, taught unintentionally— Care necessary to avoid teaching it— Sulky and obstinate dogs- Dropping to points from fatigue— Judgment in selecting opportu- nities 227 CHAPTER XVI. Turning to whistle— The dog's powers of observation— Different notes for different turns— Self-willed dogs— Force sometimes necessary- How applied— Long-continued lessons necessary 231 CHAPTER XVII. Brace work— Formal brace work unpopular— Good dogs not always good brace workers— Equal speed and range desirable — Importance of independent work — Supplementary work — Thorough training, a necessity— Imperfect perception of sounds— Each dog should obey independently — The correct discipline in brace work — Discipline in retrieving — Using the dog's name as a command — Refinement in training— Observing formalities 233 CHAPTER XVIII. Shyness — Different kinds — Hereditary shyness a fallacy — Often due to carelessness or punishment — Nervousness— Bad methods — Incur- able gun shyness — Changed surroundings sometimes beneficial — Different methods with different dogs — Traits caused by gun shy- ness—Ill effects of punishment — Care necessary to avoid blinking — Degrees of gun shyness — Methods sf cure — Running away — Train- ers prefer untrained dogs — Blinking combined with gun shyness — Blinking from nervousness — Abandonment of points — Difficulty of curing blinking— Difficulty of detecting it — How cured — Benefits of chasing — Changing handlers — Prevention — Peculiarities of bolting — Slight causes often produce it — Uselessness of chasing a runaway — Different devices to capture — Breaking of the habit — Whipping erroneous — Running down with a horse — One lesson generally suffi- cient— Precautionary measures 236 CHAPTER XIX. Unsteadiness — Natural effort of the dog to capture — Unsteadiness easily cured — Not always expedient in training — Gradual correction — Break- CONTENTS. Xt ing from chasing rabbits — Similarity of methods — Caution necessary — Confirmed shot breakers — Ordinary treatment — The final method for bad cases — Any dog can be cured ....-., 250 CHAPTER XX. Trained and over-trained — Self-confidence and training combined — Differ- ent manner of handling for different sections — The properly trained dog — Over-training caused by ceaseless dicipline — Its evils — How cured — Its glaring inferiority in competition 254 CHAPTER XXI. Conditioning dogs for field trials — Handling — Poor running condition leads to defeat — The value of thorough preparatory work — Sharp practice a poor resource — Skillful handling and poor dogs— False beliefs — Effects of change of diet, climate, etc.— -Advantages of inde- pendent work — Preparatory work — Preserving speed by short work — Speed and nose — Three days' race — A steady, all day gait — Endur- ance— Regular work — Irregular effort in competition ; its weakness — Working with strange dogs — Age of Derby entries — Reasons for a liberal age limit — Uselessness of running "one season " puppies — Disadvantages in training them — Hints on handling — Conditioning for private field work — Hints on conditioning 257 CHAPTER XXII. The intelligence of the dog — The dog is a rational animal — Common reasons against the dog's intelligence — Their fallacy — The intelli- gence proven by common phenomena — Instinct — Various definitions — Darwin's views — Instincts are for the preservation of the individual — Elementary principles of mind — Physiological dependence— The senses the only medium of knowledge — Analogies in brain structure — Reason — Sensation — Perception — Knowledge — The dog's knowl- edge only from experience — Memory — Association of ideas — Com- plexities of training — Improvement comes with experience 266 CHAPTER XXIII. Field etiquette — The wholesomeness of field sports — The need of eti- quette— Peculiarities of sportsmen — "Talking dog" — First princi- ples— Rules of behavior — Selfishness — Conduct as a guest — Use your friend's cartridges — Shoot your friend's birds — Giving the wrong " tip" — Your dog is the best — Arrange the route to suit you — XJi CONTENTS. ' Wiping his eye " — Affected modesty — Gun pointed at a compan- ion— Call a point loudly — Explain your misses always — Loaded gun whe riding — Keep your gun pointed at a pointing dog — Walk over a pointing dog— Shoot on your friend's side of the bevy— Always make the hunt a competition— Take all single shots— Invite yourself to go hunting — How to test your friend's gun 282 CHAPTER XXIV. Quails, snipe, ruffed grouse and woodcock— The best bird for training purposes — Quail shooting in the South — The best months for shoot- ing - Habits of quails — Advantage of training in the South — Train- ing from horseback— Hunting horses — Woodcock shooting — Its inferiority — Snipe shooting — Its variable character — Habits of snipe — Training dogs on snipe— Their abundance near the Gulf — Chicken shooting — Habitat — Extermination — Shooting out of season — The multitude of chicken shooters — No late shooting — Habits of chickens — Tamenessof the sport — Method of hunting — " Marking " chickens — The need of water for dogs — Feeding and caring for dogs — Dis- advantages of chicken shooting 293 CHAPTER XXV. The training of spaniels — Spaniel cannot equal the setter — His sphere of usefulness, cover shooting — The work of setters and spaniels compared — The range of spaniels — Training spaniels a simple mat- ter as compared to training setters — Their manner of work — A bell useful — Giving tongue not desirable — Retrieving — The checkcord used with advantage — Teach the same commands taught setters and pointers— Few sections favorable to the work of spaniels— Type. 306 CHAPTER XXVI. Guard dogs — No formal training — The education by companionship — St. Bernards. Mastiffs and Great Danes— Intelligence and good temper necessary— Vicious dogs— Education should begin from pup- pyhood— Powers of discrimination— 111 effects of chaining— Ma- turity 3IO CHAPTER XXVII. The training of foxhounds— Purity of blood essential— Careful training, as applied to pointers and setters, not required— Dogs for bears, deer and gray foxes— The criterion of excellence— Desirable quali- CONTENTS. Xlll ties — Length of time a hound should be capable of running — Giving tongue — Manner in which a pack should run — Manner of regaining a lost trail — Qualities which render a dog worthless for running in a pack — " Running over" — Its disadvantages — Number of dogs in a pack — Shooting foxes unsportsmanlike — Training — Starting puppies — Age for training — Length and kind of lessons — Care necessary in first experiences — Rabbits, wild cats, gray foxes and red foxes — How to manage puppies — Advantages of broken dogs— Obedience to the horn — 111 effects of whipping — Plenty of time should be given in training — Bad effects of hunting a drag — 111 effects of hark- ing off from trails— Dogs should not be left to themselves — Manner of training for deer and bears 313 CHAPTER XXVIII. Guns — The vast trade in worthless grades — Gun for general shooting — For upland shooting — Cylinder bores — Their superiority for quail shooting — Disadvantages of a choked gun — Powder and shot charges — The 1 6 gauge — Length and drop of stock— Fit of a gun — Good cheap guns — Their price — "Balance" of guns — Guns bored for special loads — Sizes of shot — Carriage of dogs by rail — Their status in railroad management — 111 effects of long journeys — Neglect and its consequences — How to feed on journeys — Advantages of crating — Dangers when on chain — Gratuities to baggagemen — Their trials with dogs — Railroad traffic and regulations — Dimensions of a dog crate — Different styles of crates — Faults of dogs — Killing chickens and sheep — How cured 320 ILLUSTRATIONS. MARCHIONESS PEG (Frontispiece), CHAMPION ELCHO, JR., .... 24 PEGJIM, 37 R.ODERIGO, 45 CHAMPION PAUL GLADSTONE, - - 50 FIRST LESSON IN RETRIEVING, - - 138 THE FIRST POINT, - - 176 AMERICAN FOXHOUND, 315 DOG CRATES, .--.--_ 329 INTRODUCTORY. The general improvement in expert training, in this coun- try, had its inception with the inauguration of field trials. There were a few, very few, expert trainers prior to that period, but they had a limited fame and their methods of training were known only to themselves. Each trainer af- fected to have some particular hobby in his particular system, which he claimed to be superior to all others, although as each maintained an air of secrecy in his methods it is diffi- cult to imagine by what process one method could be com- pared with another. Considering training as an art, it had very little claim to it at that time. Even amongst those who professed to be experts, there were the widest differences of opinion in respect to the details of training, and the manner in which a dog should work after being trained. However, really expert trainers were so few that they were not a representative body of the average trainers. The typ- ical trainer usually combined training with market shooting, and as the prices of training in such hands varied from ten to twenty-five dollars, the education of the dog was always subservient to the success of the gun, the latter being the most profitable. The dog was never required to do much more than to point and, with less certainty, to retrieve. The success of the typical old-time trainer as a hunter was usually erroneously accepted as conclusive proof of his ability as a trainer. Each section had one or more of such local celebrities; in many instances he was illiterate, a loafer in summer, a little dissipated periodically, and at all times had every indication of chronic, incurable seediness. As a class, they were no small factor in bringing the dog and gun into disrepute, the latter two being unjustly considered- the cause of the evil instead of an available means to sus- (xvii) xvjjj INTRODUCTORY. tain it. But progress and a high grade of sportsmanship have sounded the death knell of the old order of things, and dissipated the false opinions and prejudices of society. The first field trial in America was run near Memphis, Tenn., in 1874, under the auspices of the Tennessee Sports- man's Association, and had ten starters. For four or five years thereafter, the trials grew slowly; but gradually their advantages became known and served to awaken the inter- est of sportsmen. The inauguration of field trials brought the expert trainers to the front, and the competition and ample opportunities for comparison of methods caused gen- eral improvement. The importation of blue bloods from England was followed by the keenest of competitions, which resulted in the permanent supremacy of the imported dog over the native. The win of a dog in a public competition gave him an acknowledged meritorious reputation and greatly increased his monetary value and that of his related blood. To own dogs which were winners or had the super- iority of a winning strain, was the strong desire of all pro- gressive sportsmen. The spirit of rivalry or emulation which competition engendered created an active and wide- spread demand for better dogs. This in turn resulted in a large number of breeders to supply the demand. Many dogs were imported in addition to those native bred, and val- ues constantly increased. The enlargement in the dog world served to permanently engage the entire time and attention of a class of expert trainers who adopted training as a pro- fession, and as a higher grade of ability was required, the typical old-time trainer either became a market shooter pure and simple or was lost in the struggle for supremacy. It required several years, however, for the expert field trial trainers to outgrow the prejudices and antipathies, a legacy inherited from their predecessors. The competition settled many controversial points in INTRODUCTORY. XIX training, made a general improvement in methods, corrected many erroneous details, and established more uniformity in systems, although, as in all systems brought to a high degree of refinement and which have variable intrinsic elements, there are yet a few unsettled points. Dog training can never be reduced to a system of arbi- trary rules. With many of the exact sciences, a theoretical knowledge may be exact so far as it goes, but in dog train- ing there is always an unknown and variable quantity which governs the application of the training, namely, the disposi- tion and intelligence of the dog. While a trainer may have an extensive theoretical knowledge, he must learn how to modify or extend his methods by actual experience. No science of training can supplant experience; they are mu- tually dependent. No two dogs have precisely the same degree of intelligence or the same habits, inclinations, dis- position, etc., hence a certain course of education which might be eminently successful in one instance might be ruinous in another. While the system herein taught will serve to train any dog which is capable of being trained, the success depends on the manner of applying it. The ama- teur cannot expend too much pains in studying dog char- acter, and thereto he must gain and hold the affections of his dog, otherwise he cannot succeed. While field trials developed a higher grade of expert training, experts were not slow to learn that a dog too well broken, or rather one thoroughly broken for field work, was at a disadvantage in a field trial competition. One that was obedient to the whistle might mind all notes blown by either handler, and the same undesirable results with signals. The aim was to get a dog to be barely obedient; to be quick in locating and pointing his birds; to back so long as his com- petitor pointed, but not an instant longer; to whip in quickly and take the point from a competitor when possible, and to XX INTRODUCTORY. range at high speed. Although they are a very uncertain test of a dog's real merit, trials are not without educational benefits to sportsmen. However, from a training point of view, the obedience of field trial dogs is not the standard of a thorough education; nor is the training of such dogs a standard of the real abilities of the trainers. This treatise is after the modern professional system of training. It combines the excellences of both the suasive and force systems of education, and contains an exhaustive description of the uses and abuses of the spike collar. The author, by way of showing his qualifications for preparing this work, would say that he was a professional trainer, field trial handler and reporter for a number of years, and several times acted in the capacity of judge. Taken thus in the aggregate, his experience and consequent opportunities to acquire knowledge from personal observation and practice have been second to none. Although written from a profes- sional standpoint, therefore from what is considered the highest refinement of the art, it is intended for the use of the amateur trainer and sportsmen in general. While the prin- ciples are frequently repeated in their many different rela- tions, it is none too clear for the use of the amateur; and even with the most elaborate explanation, he will find com- plications that will tax his judgment to overcome suc- cessfully. Many of the principles and positions herein treated are more or less opposed to the recognized authorities of a decade ago, but the reader should bear in mind that field sports and their accessories have far outgrown the scope of the old authorities. Their beliefs and experiences are not our beliefs and experiences. Authorities, one after another, have to retire as the march of improvement leaves them in the rear, the perpetual struggle for supremacy making no exceptions. MODERN TRAINING AND HANDLING. MODERN TRAINING. CHAPTER I. THE SETTER AND POINTER. The setter and pointer, so far as they have a history, have always held a high place in the appreciation of mankind ; but the general elevation of the dog to the high grade and full appreciation to which his intelligence and worth entitle him may be said to have occurred in this country within the last two decades. It is within the memory of comparatively young men, particularly in the East, when to take a dog and gun afield was considered as being an uncanny act for any one who had gentlemanly pretensions, and if the act was repeated a few times a lowering of social and financial standing ensued. Appreciation of the dog and gun was considered as being a depraved taste, which, in some vague manner, led to whole groups of depravities, and the man whose passion for sport afield with the dog and gun was great, and whose respect for social opinion was greater, hied covertly to the fields by early dawn, or unfrequented by-ways, much after the same manner as the wicked hunter does at present on sacred days. To neglect business was an unpardonable sin, life being an 21 22 MODERN TRAINING. endless toil to store wealth, which was considered the object of life, not to make life nobler and more enjoyable. The renewed vigor of body and mind; the broader humanity; the training of eye and nerve; the beauties of nature, were all considered as vagaries ; but these narrow beliefs have been swept away by general progress and enlightenment, and they only exist as shadows of the past. It is strange that such companionable and valuable animals should have been neglected so long ; stranger still that hav- ing such a wide and even distribution they should be so imperfectly understood by mankind. Every intelligent act was commonly ascribed to the impulses of instinct, and reason was not considered for a moment as being, first or last, a principle. Oftentimes men who could not solve the common material problems of life could, without the slight- est hesitation, mental effort or previous study, decisively decide intricate psychological problems to their own infinite satisfaction; occasionally a bit more of the same kind of instinct would be beneficial if it had a wider existence in the scale of animal organisms. Three distinct breeds of setters are recognized in this country, namely, the English setter, the Irish setter, and the Gordon setter. The latter, as compared to his aboriginal parents, is a Gordon merely in name, he being so largely mixed with out- crosses on other breeds that the alien blood predominates. However, it may be mentioned that many years ago the Gordon was highly prized in England for his merit. The breed having long been owned by the Dukes of Gordon, it thus derived its name. Since the institution of field trials and the consequent more exacting demands of sportsmen in respect to working capabilities, the Gordon, so called, has constantly met with disfavor and progressively degenerated. Except by courtesy the miscellaneous scrub character of the BREAKING AND HANDLING. 23 breed hardly entitles it to the distinction of a true breed, if race type, numbers, pure blood and power of reproduction true to race characteristics are any criteria by which to determine it. So much is it degenerated in these properties that it is hardly worthy of consideration. All bench show associations provide competitive classes for black and tan setters, which, nominally, are for Gordon setters, black and tan being their prevailing color ; but such classification, being merely a distinction with respect to color, admits any other breeds of setters, or cross-bred set- ters, if they have the required color qualification ; indeed, dogs of nearly pure English setter blood have won in black and tan classes at prominent shows within a not very remote period ; thus the dog at first lost distinctive Gordon char- acter, and at last ceased to have any fixed desirable char- acter. At present, there are only isolated specimens owned here and there. The existing coarse, scrubby, inferior dogs, having mixed pedigrees, or pedigrees containing a few com- mon, abstract proper names, or, as commonly occurs, hav- ing no known pedigrees, are not imputable to the existing bench show classification ; on the contrary, the classifica- tion is consequential to the dog's unimportance. Bench show associations are not legislators as to the classification of breeds ; they accept facts as they find them. While there is a variable ideal type, there is the greatest irregularity and diversity of undesirable individual forms, the coarse, loose, unsymmetrical form being very common. The average winner in a black and tan setter class, classes by the way which are always numerically light, would not be considered worthy of notice in an Irish or English setter class. There are two or three dogs which have been shown, within the past few seasons, as superior specimens of the breed, presumably as it existed at sometime in. the past, but no new specimens are brought forward to succeed them. 24 MODERN TRAINING. The typical Gordon was heavily built, and, whatever sym- metry of form may have been possessed by the parent stock, the inherent faultiness of a heavy type has resulted in coarse- ness and clumsiness. Some fanciers approve of the heavy type because it is a Gordon type, whereas the fact of such undesirable type is sufficient to condemn it, it being wholly inadequate for fast, prolonged work. It is strange that, considering its unfitness for working dogs, this type should be cultivated and perpetuated. The public performances of the very few which have com- peted in the public trials, and the general reputation of the breed for inefficiency, are not such as to exalt it in the good opinion of sportsmen at large. There is a desultory attempt being made to establish a Gordon setter standard which will call for a lighter and more racily built dog, but this con- templated improvement is largely in the abstract, there being an undue proportion of good intention to imaginary performance ; yet these spasmodic, vague, gentle attempts constitute the most tangible form of existence of the Gor- don setter. A standard could not benefit the prevailing poverty of material naturally resulting from neglect, apathy of ownership, natural inferiority, smallness of num- bers, formidable competition from more powerful breeds, and disfavor of sportsmen. In field sports the Gordon setter is a dim, fading landmark in the march of progress. The Irish setter, as a breed, is not surpassed, if equaled by any other breed in uniformity of type and other race characteristics. The individuals of it have high average merit; and the more perfect specimens, of which there are many, possess a wonderful degree of elegance and sym- metry of form. They are a deep, solid, blood-red in color, except a slight blaze of white on the chest or toes, which is usually present. There are occasional specimens of pure breeding which have more or less white markings; but the BREAKING AND HANDLING. 2; white, if more than on the breast and toes, is considered undesirable, and is nearly all bred out, considering the breed as a whole. From time immemorial, it has been highly prized and guarded with care, hence it is a very pure breed. To preserve the purity of color and other charac- teristics, the best breeders judiciously avoid out-crosses on other breeds. While the breed is not well represented at the field trials, and frequently not at all, it has many staunch admirers, and a powerful conservative support. The small representation in public field competitions naturally detracted from ex- tensive records; nevertheless, it demonstrated its claim to recognition as possessing workers of a high order, and a percentage of those which ran were winners. It would, in any event, be impossible to compete on equal terms, the many owners of English setters, who are field trial sup- porters, being relatively, overwhelming in numbers. No organized, vigorous effort has been made to bring them into regular public competition, although, as aforementioned, they have an extensive, powerful ownership, and a good rec- ord. Undoubtedly the breed would be greatly improved by representation in the general competitions, or if trials were inaugurated specially for it. The consequent general knowl- edge respecting the best individuals would result in greater precision in breeding a uniformly higher grade of field dogs, inasmuch as the best specimens could be selected. Subor- dinate causes, such as the indifference to public trials by the owners of one breed, may contribute largely to the ascend- ancy of other breeds in public estimation, failure to compete being unjustly considered as equivalent to real defeat. This assumption might be reasonable if dogs were kept strictly for racing purposes, but the larger part of sportsmen value them for private shooting. That this setter has high working qualities is manifested 2g MODERN TRAINING. by the large number of practical sportsmen who keep them for field work. At all the important bench shows the Irish setters com- pete in large numbers. Their evenness of type, rich coloring, fine symmetry and graceful, spirited carriage always evoke the highest admiration. Champion Elcho, Jr. (Elcho— Noreen), whose portrait is elsewhere given, is universally recognized as a dog of ex- quisite symmetry of form, and refinement of race charac- teristics united with substantial physical development ; qualities which must be possessed in a high degree to gain pre-eminence over his race. He was born June i, 1881, is owned and was bred by Dr. William Jarvis of Claremont, N. H., a gentleman who has spared no effort to secure the choicest blood; and the results, as shown by his breeding large numbers of dogs of uniform excellence for several years past, distinguish him as an eminent and skillful breeder. Elcho, Jr. has won championship honors in nearly every city in this country in which bench shows have been held; and his work in the Eastern Field Trials received very complimentary notice by the sporting press. He has the reputation of being an excellent field dog. Taken all in all, he has a wonderful combination of beauty and merit. The English setter, considered as a field dog, is the superior of all others as shown by the records of public competitions, extensive ownership, common reputation and the opinion of authorities. The enormous numbers of the breed and common distribution are prime factors in main- taining its ascendancy, aside from questions relating to com- petive superiority. from its wide distribution, general popularity and financial value, an innumerable multitude of small breeders, fre- quently inexperienced, who breed wholly or partly for profit, which militates against uniform improvement in the breed, BREAKING AND HANDLING. 29 are common. These adverse conditions are more fully de- lineated in the chapter on Breeding. However, the more eminent and skillful breeders produce dogs of rare excellence, dogs which have no superiors. By the reputation of a few breeders, the reputation of the breed, as a whole, is maintained at a high standard, the worthless strains, unfortunately, profiting by it; for if the owners of the worthless strains can trace any relationship, near or remote, to eminent individuals, they never fail to claim the merit of reflected luster. Taking the better bred families now into consideration, they undoubtedly are marvels of combined beauty of form and working capability. Dashing, agile, fast and enduring, quick and accurate in execution, they are the racers of the hunting field. By referring to the portraits, the exquisite symmetry and characteristics of the breed will be noted. The artist has caught the expression and individual peculiarities with ad- mirable fidelity, and the portraiture is truthful. Marchioness Peg, whose portrait is given in the frontis- piece, was bred and is owned by Dr. N. Rowe of the American Field, Chicago. She is handsomely marked black, white, and tan, and is by Druid (Prince — Dora) out of Peg (Leices- ter—Dart). She is very symmetrical and handsome, rating with the high class bitches of America. In the trials of the National American Kennel Club, run at Patoka, 1879, she divided second and third with Countess May. Pegjim, whose portrait is also given, is a son of Marchioness Peg by Cambridge, he by Gladstone out of Clip. He is magnifi- cently proportioned, having a clean cut, typical head, lean neck, well shaped body, nicely shaped legs and feet, and fine general symmetry. He is a high class dog in the field. This breeding has produced some remarkably superior dogs, notably Jean Val Jean, winner of the champion stakes .jo MODERN TRAINING. at the Eastern Field Trials Club's Trials, 1888. He also was bred by Dr. Rowe, and is by Mingo out of Twin Maud, she by Gladstone out of Clip ; Mingo by Druid out of Star, thus forming the celebrated half and half breeding of Peg- jim, Pegbid, Pegfly, Peg III, and Pegmatite, the lines of blood being the same through Marchioness Peg and Mingo on the one side, and Twin Maud and Cambridge on the other. Champion Paul Gladstone is owned by Mr. S. L. Boggs of Pittsburgh, Pa. The portrait of Paul Gladstone shows him to be a dog of great symmetry and beauty. He has an enviable reputation, and has taken several special prizes for the best combined field trial and bench show record. He has also a long list of champion bench show winnings, and is noted as an eminent sire, and a dog of brilliant field merit. Roderigo, owned by the Memphis and Avent Kennels, is by Count Noble — Twin Maud, and is well known to the sportsmen of America as combining the perfections of proved working powers, beauty and power of physical structure, and a successful stock-getter. He is a field trial winner, and holds a high place in the opinion of sportsmen as a performer of the highest capabilities. Enough illustrations are given to show the higher types of .the English setter, of the most popular lines of blood. The prevailing color of the English setter is black and white, or black, white and tan; if the black and white ticked is approximately even, with or without a few black splashes, it is called blue belton; orange and white ticked, orange belton; lemon and white ticked, lemon belton. There are several other colors— solid black, liver, liver and white, white, roan; and these colors may be in different shades. The pointer has been greatly improved within the past few years, field competition, energetic ownership and better BREAKING AND HANDLING. 31 breeding with respect to field form, being the prime causes of his advancement. The quick, snappy work of setters when on game, was always an insurmountable obstacle to the average pointer in competition with them; but the pointers have greatly improved in their execution, and un- doubtedly in time, if bred by selecting the best working dogs, they will be able to compete on an equal footing with the setters. Some field trial associations have special stakes for pointers, which is a wise measure until such times as the pointers are bred in sufficient numbers to place them on an approximate equality. However, decided improvement seems to be confined to individuals here and there and not to the breed as a whole. Taking into consideration the pointer's faultiness in becom- ing "stale" if overworked, that is, to become indifferent to hunting, and slow and pottering in his manner, and the long rest required to renew his ardor, also the loss of dash, pace and range nearly always exhibited after the third or fourth year, it is an open question whether the nature of the dog can be changed by the most careful selection to even equal the setters in working powers. Having thus briefly considered the dog in particular, we will next discursively consider a few collateral topics. The origin of the setter has greatly exercised the specu- lative faculties of many writers, and, finally, in most instances, they have comfortably settled on the theory that the setter is a variation from spaniel stock. There is no very good reason for this theory except that it has the least absurdity of the conjectures advanced. As to the proof adduced, there is none of the origin of the setter in a span- iel ancestry other than the vaguest tradition and conjecture, the latter being the chief support. It would be quite as reasonable, and quite as difficult to prove, that the spaniel is a variety of the setter. They both have certain analogies 3 32 MODERN TRAINING. in form and habits ; but, since there are analogous habits, instincts and peculiarities of physical structure more or less common to all dogs, they prove nothing in the absence of all direct evidence. So far as there is any trace of the setter in the past, it was then as truly a distinct species as it is at present, reproducing itself with its peculiar race char- acteristics, and showing no more tendency to variation from race forms or instincts than that common in any of the fixed breeds ; for, in the oldest of pure breeds, no two individuals are precisely alike. Much stress has been laid on the fact that in ancient writings they were called a "setting spaniel," which is no direct proof of accuracy, as the term has not been proven to be general or correct in its application. It is more than probable that the term was used to distinguish the setter as a breed from the spaniel as a breed, which he in some respects resembles, or vice versa; this being still more probable from the then scanty, inaccurate nomencla- ture, careless observation, isolated ownership, and conse- quent lack of knowledge respecting them. Even in our own enlightened age, when knowledge is supposed to have some precision, the setter, as defined by Webster, is as fol- lows : " A sporting dog of the hound kind that indicates, by sitting or crouching, the place where game lies hid. It partakes of the character of the pointer and the spaniel, and is generally regarded as having descended from the crossing of these two varieties." When the present at some period in the far future shall be the ancient past, and many existing facts and fancies shall weigh alike as vague hear- say ; when the present form of the dog will have undergone great improving changes, and when the learned savant then is speculating on the aboriginal stock of the setter, he will learnedly point to that definition as decisive proof, and will tell the lesser savants that the definition was in Webster's Unabridged, the recognized official authority of the ancients; BREAKING AND HANDLING. 33 therefore the setter will then be a hound, the product of a cross between a pointer hound and spaniel hound, and the speculation would be as reasonable as any which are advanced, at present, as to the origin. If the setter had a spaniel origin, there would be some evidences of it in the well known tendency of all animals to revert, at times, to ancestral types ; yet in all cases of rever- sion in pure blooded setters, it is to the pure setter form. It may be said that the breed has been kept pure so long that the characteristics have become permanently fixed ; that the origin is so far in the past that the tendency to reversion is lost ; however, such is taking too much for granted as a negative argument ; if it is that far in the past, we can know nothing of the origin. A breed is not so easily and distinctly established. Some intermediate gradation of forms would be preserved, showing a regular series, either continuous or broken, from the parent stock to the setter. It is hardly reasonable to assume the total destruc- tion of all the intermediate groups and gradations, leaving the two breeds distinct without any sub-breeds showing unmistakable relationship to both. It is well known that by selection of the best specimens in breeding, the forms of animals can be improved and changed more and more from generation to generation in accordance with the purposes of the breeder, as seen in the forms of horses for speed and draft, and in the forms of other domestic breeds ; yet this susceptibility to change under certain conditions is confined chiefly to the physical forms, the effects of change being imperceptible in the habits and instincts of improved and unimproved horses, or other domestic animals. To maintain an improved breed up to the required standard of excellence, continued selec- tion of the superior animals is necessary to breed from, else they by promiscuous breeding revert to the common forms. ~. MODERN TRAINING. If the spaniel had thrown off a variety, as it must have done to originate the setter (otherwise no change could have been effected), whether it was done little by little or at once, there is every probability that it would have been lost in the first generation or two, (i) from intercrossing with the pure parent type, (2) from the natural tendency to revert to ancestral prototypes, and (3) from the probability that the variation would not be cultivated and preserved. This may very well be conjectured ; for if a family of setters at the present day showed a constant tendency to vary their forms and instincts with each succeeding generation till they became a distinct breed, the owner would condemn the pro- geny as being mongrel, inasmuch as it could not reproduce itself purely. Moreover, if the setter is a variety of improved spaniel, therefore a variety of spaniel, it and the parent stock would still have an inherent tendency to vary or throw off numerous varieties, for there is no probability that a variety would uniformly improve and breed with all the characteristic modifications, habits and instincts up to a certain degree useful to man, neither reverting to ancestral forms when neglected, nor varying into other forms when reproducing itself under constantly varying conditions of climate, selection, food supply, etc., and then become per- manently fixed ; but admitting the change in form, it is hardly supposable that it would be associated with changed instincts correspondingly useful to man, it having already been noted that changes of form are not accompanied by any perceptible changes in instinct, much less changes uni- formly and relatively useful to man. Setters and pointers have a great many characteristics in common; their hunting instincts and modes of pursuing their prey are the same in the general features, and there is a close analogy in race type and habits, the chief distinctive characteristic being the coat. If a typical setter is clipped BREAKING AND HANDLING. 37 evenly and closely, there is an astonishingly close resem- blance to a pointer, and many supposed distinctive charac- teristics are then clearly attributable to the difference in coat; however, there are some minor differences of physical structure and instincts which, while common to both breeds, vary in intensity in them. We will consider these pecu- liarities in a general way, for no hard and fast rule can be laid down in respect to relative peculiarities but what will have many exceptions, neither breed possessing a uniform fixedness of type or characteristics that admits of positive class comparison, barring the difference in coat. The instinct to point appears at an earlier age in the pointer than in the setter, is more intense, and more uni- formly present in the same degree of intensity in each individual; hence, there is not the same labor in perfecting them to work to the gun as there is with the setter; how- ever, a few pointers, and, in a lesser number of instances, some setters, have the pointing instinct more strongly pres- ent than is necessary or desirable, since they will point on scents other than that of game, particularly when fatigued, and are content to back in place of pointing when working with another dog. This abnormal development of the instinct is rarely present in dogs which are properly bred. Setters as a class exhibit the instinct in a more irregular manner both with respect to the age when it appears and the intensity of it, although it is, in the greater number of instances, sufficient for the purposes of the hunter. Certain particular points of superiority are claimed res- pectively for each breed by its admirers; but many of them have but a slight foundation in fact, while others are wholly fanciful. It is claimed that the pointer, owing to the short- ness of his coat, can endure extreme heat with less distress and requires less water, and less frequently than the setter. After an extensive experience with setters and pointers, -g MODERN TRAINING. several years in succession, on the prairies chicken shooting, and on the quail grounds of the South, the experience com- prehending vast tracts of territory, large numbers of dogs and all kinds of weather, the fact was noted that in exces- sively hot weather neither dog can perform well nor do without water more noticeably than the other. When dogs of either breed work under a hot sun, they require water plentifully, the differences in this respect being individual, and quite as distinct between individuals of the same breed as between individuals of the two breeds There is a difference observable in the two breeds as they first start into work in the season. When they are not in working condition, they suffer great distress while being abruptly hardened to the work in hot weather; but the pointer under like condition of work will get into working condition sooner and will have a slight advantage for a few days; yet this is subject to many exceptions. After the setter gets thor- oughly hardened, he requires water no oftener than the pointer; nevertheless, both require it. Individual dogs of the most wonderful powers of endurance will be met with in each breed; ones which can run under a scorching sun with no visible distress, and require but a few laps of water occasionally. Others require a great deal of water, and appear to be constitutionally incapable of becoming accus- tomed to the heat, although they may work commendably well in a lower temperature. An experience during one season, with one lot of dogs consisting of pointers and setters, from the peculiarities of the individuals, might lead the sportsman to believe that either the setter or pointer was the more enduring, accord- ingly as he observed the superiority in one or the other; but a single experience or a few experiences with a few individuals of each breed are not sufficient data for a definite conclusion. Men of large experiences usually agree on the BREAKING AND HANDLING. 39 main points; men of brief experiences always differ. Large numbers must have been seen under variable conditions through long periods of time; then the most diligent obser- vation and unprejudiced judgment are necessary to arrive at a just conclusion. If the sportsman is absorbed in look- ing for excellences in his favorite breed, and for faults in others, he will be certain to retain his opinion unaltered, be the work what it may. It is no uncommon occurrence for a sportsman to believe that his dog is the superior worker in a hot competition when it is palpably evident to disinter- ested spectators that he is not above ordinary. Simple as it may seem to learn field work, it requires several years of extensive experience to be able to estimate the relative merits of dogs without prejudice; and many sportsmen never outgrow their favorite fancies, be they right or wrong. Considering the two breeds as a class, the setter is much more dashing, quicker and enduring in his work, and speedier and wider in his range; and on birds his execution is much more rapid. A few individual pointers, at the re- cent field trials, have shown great improvement in this respect, yet the improvement can hardly be claimed for the breed at large. The pointer, however, is more easily trained and retains his training of the first season better; but he has one specially inferior property, namely, if overworked, which may be done in a few days or weeks according to the constitution or condition of the dog, he loses interest in his work, shortens his gait, contracts his range to an area of a few yards, and subsides to mediocrity. If his work is then continued, the evils are serious. It requires weeks and some- times months to rest him sufficiently so that he will work with keenness up to his best form. This vapid state may be produced by starting the dog abruptly into hard work in- stead of conditioning him gradually for it, or by excessive overwork when he is in condition. Except in rare instances, 40 MODERN TRAINING. the pointer begins to lose his dash and range after the third or fourth year, and as a matter of course, loses correspond- ingly in hunting qualities. The breed, however, is under- going rapid improvement, and without doubt these objec- tionable qualities will be bred out in the near future. The improvement embraces the form; and by the establishment of more correct racing lines in the physical structure, and more will-power in his mental qualities, an animal of more endurance and dashing capabilities will be produced. Setters, when thoroughly fatigued and worked down, even if overworked for weeks, simply need resting a suffi- cient length of time to recuperate, and they will then resume work with unabated ardor. They rarely lose their speed or vim except from accident, old age, or excessive breeding, the latter cause having a positive reducing effect on the working capacities of either setter or pointer, even if the use exists within a short period. In both breeds the adverse conditions of life to which they are often subjected may have an injurious effect on their working powers. The food, kenneling and general care given, good or ill, may affect the dog accordingly. In thick cover, heavy grass or briers, the setter has a decided physical advantage over the pointer, his longer coat serving as a protection ; he can also endure cold and wet better than the pointer. Individual pointers will frequently take the most punishing cover quite as well as the best setters, yet it is demanding too much of them even if they have the courage, for, from the scratching and tearing suffered, they receive much .punishment ; thus, while they may have the courage they have not the requisite capabilities ; however, in cockle-burrs, Spanish needles, beggar lice, etc., the pointer, from his short coat, suffers no particular inconvenience, while they cause the setter constant annoyance and distress, the cockle-burrs particularly. They get under his armpits, BREAKING AND HANDLING. 41 inside of his thighs, his flanks and under his feet, the pain forcing him to stop and pick them out with his teeth. Plucky setters will run regardless of them, but they chafe and gouge the skin into sores in the afflicted parts. This may be corrected by clipping the hair off, then the setter is on the same equality in this respect with the pointer. Or the difficulty may be overcome by trimming the hair closely about the armpits and inside the thighs, thus keeping the action free. Neither setter nor pointer is fitted for retrieving from water in cold weather. Both suffer seriously from the exposure if long continued. Some dogs are very intelligent, precocious, and pleasingly submissive ; such may train easily, but the special aptitude shown in the beginning is no indication whatever that no training is necessary, although they may require less of it and apply it more quickly. Those which are born with a full knowledge of retrieving, a knowledge of a gun and its uses, a comprehension of orders, signals and field work, are never discovered by experts. Limited knowledge always encounters the marvelous. There are no dogs or families of dogs which inherit their training. As a matter of course, it is desirable to have a dog as well-bred, symmetrical and graceful as possible, such being a source of constant pleasure and an ornament to a home. His value is greatly enhanced if he is a good worker, not so much with respect to his increased monetary value as to the superiority of the sport afforded by his superior capabilities afield ; successful days — days of pleasant reminiscences — are largely due to a good dog's efforts. A well bred dog does not necessarily imply a weakly one. The well bred one should not be confounded with the poorly bred. The constitution and intelligence of the setter and pointer are of paramount importance ; without these the value of the 42 MODERN TRAINING. breeding is purely fictitious, either for work or breeding. An energetic disposition is also an important factor. Many dogs have fine symmetry, strength of form and perfect con- stitution, but have not the will power to work, or are consti- tutionally lazy. On the other hand, badly constructed dogs, from courage and determination, will work well when lame, footsore and fatigued, stopping work only when the hunt ends, or when physically incapable. Sometimes the light, lathy dog, apparently too fragile to run an hour without dis- tress, will run day after day with undiminished powers and unabated ardor. Even dogs carrying an excess of lumber, as unnecessary bony and muscular development is called, will show great endurance when they have the necessary will and pluck, thus apparently upsetting all theories of the superiority of symmetrical physical structure ; however, the theory is correct as, given the other qualities of intelligence, constitution, pluck and speed, the symmetrical, strongly built dog will excel all others in endurance, but, as in the race horse, his powers must be as much in his head as in his heels. Besides certain other analogies, the pointer and setter are, as a class, alike in weights, running from thirty to thirty-five pounds up to seventy or eighty pounds, and sometimes, though rarely, more. These weights may be considered as being the extremes. The average weights are from forty to fifty-five pounds, and these are by far the best for dogs in all kinds of work. They are capable of more prolonged exertion with less distress than the larger or smaller dogs. Large dogs are coarsely made as a general rule ; if well made, a rare exception, they have not the activity, vigor and will power of the small or middle weights. It is commonly said that a good large dog is better than a good small or medium sized one. The writer in the field trials or in field work has not observed that such assumption is the fact. BREAKING AND HANDLING. 45 Analogous inefficiency in other animals tends to refute it, and these analogies are, strangely enough, usually cited to sustain it, by confounding strength on the one hand with endurance on the other. As a matter of strength alone, the large, well-made dog is the superior, but for fleetness and endurance combined, there is no comparison with the others. Thus a large, well-built man is superior to a small one in a personal encounter, but the statistics show that for great endurance they are inferior — particularly the army statistics show that in long marches, where the highest degree of endurance is required, the large men were decidedly placed in a lower grade. In horses the largest breeds have the greatest strength, but the racing horses are not the largest breeds. Taking the individuals of a racing strain as compared to each other, the fleetest animals are of medium size or smaller, the large animals being soon disa- bled if kept for speed even if they are speedy. Large dogs, from their great bulk and weight have the further disadvan- tage of being annoyingly inconvenient on hunting trips where it is necessary to carry them in a wagon, one large dog incommoding the occupants, and causing much discom- fort. When traveling by rail they are difficult and laborious to handle if in a crate, and in such they certainly should be if the journey is at all long. The small dog, while usually being very active and pos- sessing great powers of endurance, also has certain disad- vantages incident to his size and weight. Owing to the former they are extremely difficult to see when on point, if in cover which is at all close. Ordinary sedge grass will conceal them, the only visible sign of their presence being the line of motion observable in the top of the grass in the course the dog runs. It is difficult for them, owing to their light weight, to gallop through heavy sedge, weeds, briers, muddy ground, etc., and if the cover is mixed with briers, it 46 MODERN TRAINING. is also exceedingly painful to them. These difficulties add greatly to the labor and fatigue of the work. However, good dogs like good horses come in all shapes — there are some forms of structure which, notwithstanding, are neces- sarily superior. A wide chest, with coarse, heavy shoulders is a decided disadvantage. The chest should be moderately narrow and deep, the ribs well sprung back of the shoulders to give lung room, and the shoulders so set as to play freely. A short, thick neck is very undesirable. An excessively wide loin is more undesirable than a strong, narrow one ; the latter is not necessarily an evidence of weakness as it may compensate by depth, by strong muscular development above and underneath. On the other hand a wide loin may be thin, and a broad square back and loin usually denote a slow gait, the correlated structure not being favorable to speed. A dog which is awkward in his work from immaturity, being slow in developing, should not be confounded with the flighty, fidgety, nervously inferior kind which does not improve with maturity. A dog, slow in developing, may be discouragingly backward during his first season, but when mature he maybe a fine worker. If the dog is rattleheaded or poor in judgment, very little should be attempted with him until he is aged sufficiently to steady him. It may im- prove his faculties, for though as a puppy he may be giddy, maturity may bring some intelligence. But also he may be naturally a fool, in which event it is a waste of time to at- tempt any training. It is much better to condemn him. Dogs vary greatly in their habits, disposition, temper, intelligence, endurance, condition and general working capabilities. They exhibit all kinds and degrees of char- acter and efficiency within the limits of their natural sphere; there are individuals which are too lazy to work, though able; ones which are willing to work but cannot learn BREAKING AND HANDLING. 47 formal methods; others which work till fatigued and then will quit; some have the energy without the ability, or vice versa; others will work diligently if permitted to have their own way; others will sulk if offended or restrained, or maliciously do the work badly; others are chilled if shown any unkindness. All the peculiarities of temperament have to be considered in training the dog and the methods adapted to them. So far as training is concerned, the characters commonly met with are the timid, the obstinate, the rattle- headed, the vicious, the sulky, the cunning, and the one which is difficult to handle from excessive enthusiasm. The timid dog is the most difficult to train if handled improperly, harshness or continual restraint sometimes totally spoiling him, and always injuring his capabilities. He may have courage and energy when not in his handler's presence; this self-reliance must be preserved when the dog is in training, regardless of slow progress. If the dog's confidence is lost, there is then no training. One exhibition of temper, or inopportune punishment, may obliterate the effects of weeks. On the other hand, if handled gently, and developed by opportunity and experience, they fre- quently make excellent field dogs, and are handled with ease when trained. Punishment must be lightly and care- fully applied; and none should be given, whatever fault is committed, when birds are being worked on, if there is any timidity with respect to them, or any gun shyness. All timid dogs should be thoroughly yard broken before any orders, except the most common and most easily obeyed, are enforced in the field; although the directions as given under the head of Preparatory Field Work should be observed at the same time. If the timid dog will chase birds and rab- bits, and point, flush and run riot generally, so much the better; such faults are easily remedied in proper time; and the advantages are great. There are many intelligent dogs 4g MODERN TRAINING. which are timid; also, there are some foolish ones. The latter class must not be trained by any arbitrary rules; the training must be applied as their powers and confidence develop; to teach and develop such dogs properly requires the highest skill of the trainer. They require punishment and correcting at times, but it must be applied with care; if properly applied, the dog can be educated to take ordinary punishment with comparative indifference. Herein trainers differ greatly; a good trainer can whip a dog, enforce obe- dience and retain the dog's confidence, while a poor one has a wonderfully positive talent for completely demoral- izing and shattering a dog's ideas, affection, and hunting inclinations, at one punishment. Timidity is often combined with obstinacy or self will, which complicates the training a great deal and requires the exercise of the nicest judgment. The obstinacy must be overcome, yet the dog must not be cowed or his confidence lost, or any unpleasant associations established with field work. It is here apparent that to avoid possible complications the yard lessons should first be thoroughly inculcated. One mistake may retard the training for weeks; the dog may cease work, and no blandishments or commands thereafter will have any desirable effect on him; thus he may follow at heel during every hunt for an indefinite time. A dog of this disposition should never be taught to come to heel, or held there any important length of time before his training is well advanced in obedience, steadiness on birds, and general experience. There is no fault so difficult to overcome and none in which a trainer is so completely helpless as when a timid dog comes to heel and there remains. The trainer can only bide the dog's time. A sulky dog could be whipped from heel; but time must be allowed to efface the fears of the timid. However, a dog may begin his training with timidity, and acquire a great deal of boldness before it is completed. BREAKING AND HANDLING. 49 The obstinate dog is usually very intent on having his own way, or on resisting the will of his trainer. Usually he is consistently obstinate and has very little respect for pun- ishment; nevertheless, the obstinacy may be combined with timidity or cowardice. The thoroughly obstinate dog must be taken firmly in hand from the beginning, and a thorough yard breaking given. Cowing the dog slightly is often beneficial, providing that the trainer has skill enough to keep him within control; that is, can prevent him from run- ning away. If he is taught to retrieve by force from the start, it usually has a beneficial, subjugating effect. It mat- ters little when the training is begun, whether the trainer has any acquaintance with the obstinate dog, or vice versa j the dog very soon learns to recognize his master, and if he is treated kindly between lessons, will soon learn to love him and recognize none other as his master. With a timid dog, it is necessary to gain his confidence before the training is begun. With the obstinate dog, it should be made an inviolable rule to enforce obedience to any orders, and every care should be taken to avoid giving any orders that cannot be enforced with a reasonable degree of certainty. For instance, if when afield, the dog is ordered to Drop, being some distance away at the time, there may be uncer- tainty about his obeying the command. If he refuses and an attempt is made to catch him, he may range safely out of reach. The attempt was an error on the part of his handler, for no command should be given under such cir- cumstances, when there was a probability of a refusal to comply, with every advantage on the side of the dog. The trainer, knowing the peculiarities and reliability of his dog, might give him a command which he knew would be obeyed, such as Come in ; when caught, the desired obedi- ence could be then enforced. However, if the yard disci- pline is thoroughly established with rigid adherence to jO MODERN TRAINING. prompt obedience in every detail, it is a positive advantage in all his after training; and the obedience, once thoroughly implanted, is permanent. The rattle-headed dog, particularly if he has a hobby, is a trial and trouble to his handler. Devoid of intelligence, he performs his work as it may happen, and never compre- hends the meaning or application of his education except the simplest parts which are related to the simplest work. He is forgetful because his memory is poor; he makes errors because he does not have a solitary plan in his work; his ranging is here and there, in likely or unlikely places, as it may happen; frequently he is a dog which means well, but as 'the friendship of some of the superior race is worse than their enmity, so the good intentions of the rattleheaded dog are generally materialized in glaring faults; he will point birds if he happens to go on them with favorable advantage of wind, position, etc., but he flushes them with equal non- chalance if he goes on them under unfavorable conditions. He profits very slowly by experience, making the same error a thousand times without any apparent concern. In his mature years, a dog of this kind may improve some; but having no understanding, he is always irregular and deficient in the exercise of his nose and legs. Unlimited oppor- tunities afield are necessary to make anything desirable out of him. The vicious dog is not common. Setters and pointers are very affectionate and mild in disposition. Once in a long while the vicious dog will be met with. After he has had a few lessons, he becomes cunning. He may attempt to fight when whipped, or while the spike-collar is used on him, or when the trainer attempts to put it on him; in the latter event he generally retires to a corner, growls, shows his teeth, and prepares for hostilities as his trainer advances with the collar. This should not deter the trainer in the BREAKING AND HANDLING. 53 least. The advance should be made slowly and steadily, catching his eye and holding it. The hands should be pro- ' tected with heavy gloves. Reach out the left hand slowly toward him, and if he snaps at it, do not withdraw it. It is a thousand to one his snap falls short purposely, or, if he grasps the hand, it will be gently done. By no means at- tempt to take the hand forcibly away, and show no trepida- tion. Gently remove the hand and reach for his collar; after it is grasped, it is an easy matter to put the spike collar on him. There are some dogs so vicious that it is unsafe to trust to the influence of the eye or the fears of the dog. With such, when the left hand is advanced, the right should be held in readiness to give him a blow in the ear as he makes his attack, the left being withdrawn simultaneously; or make a feint of reaching quickly with the left, and quickly catch his collar with the right hand as he snaps at the left. If this cannot be done quickly and dexterously, it is better not to attempt it, as he might catch the right hand. Any trainer having the necessary nerve can put the collar on by one or other of these methods. . But if the novice does not care to attempt it, he can whip the dog into submission. Give him a good, hearty whipping; if he growls when the hand is extended toward him, repeat it; continue the treat- ment till his collar can be grasped without any aggressive demonstration on his part. A sulky dog is a very unpleasant subject to train. When- ever they are restrained in the exercise of their own will, they work sullenly and badly, if they work at all. This dis- position has several different degrees. Some dogs will endure a certain limited quantity of restraint or correction before sulking, while others will sulk for hours at the first disagreeable occurrence. While a dog, having this nature, is in training, particularly after the yard breaking is com- pleted, every care should be taken to keep him as cheerful 54 MODERN TRAINING. as possible. If it is necessary to correct him when he is working in the field, it is better not to resume work until his^ good nature is restored. By aggravating this unpleasant* trait, it can be greatly developed, much to the injury of the dog's value; hence the necessity of keeping it dormant. The cunning dog displays admirable address in his schemes to have his own way. He flushes, affects an air of innocence and submission, and pretends it was an accident; he will pretend to misunderstand an order which is not pleasing to him, and will cheerfully proceed to work at something else, or go in some other direction which is more consonant with his inclination; he well knows when he is out of sight of his master, and can therefore flush and chase with impunity. At such times, if the whistle is blown, he is oblivious to it; but the moment his trainer comes in sight, he is all obedience and decorum. Like other animals en- dowed with reason, he may, in his peculiar way, be dishonest; when sent to retrieve a bird which fell out of sight he may eat it, although strictly honest when under the eye of his trainer. He learns a thousand little wiles and artifices, and by success in their exercise learns to play his master with the greatest finesse, if the master unhappily should attribute all his acts to pure instinct, and should therefore be uncon- scious of his inventive powers. A few wholesome correc- tions stimulate the dog's perceptions extensively. He knows when his tricks are discovered, and if once com- pletely circumvented in all his wiles, he is cunning enough to know that working in his handler's interest is the more agreeable course to pursue. The dog which is difficult to train from excess of enthu- siasm usually comes gradually under control, if given work plentifully. Enthusiasm is one of the most excellent traits. A general knowledge, at least, of the peculiarities of different dispositions is necessary, and must be duly observed in the methods of training. BREAKING AND HANDLING. 55 CHAPTER II, NOMENCLATURE. Each art or science, possessing any general importance, has a comprehensive, supplementary, special language which serves to express, concisely and clearly, all the prominent peculiarities and relations of peculiarities belonging to it. Such abundance of technical terms is necessary, in treating of an art which has a variety of complex details, to afford the necessary forms of expression, and the consequent greater precision, fullness and conciseness. Unfortunately, field sports, as related to the dog and gun, are an exception to the rule, the technique being loose, partly vague, inelegant, scanty and insufficient. This entails a great deal of unnecessary circumlocution and obscurity in all sporting literature, the finer thoughts and shades of color being lost in diffuse expressions or tiresome repetitions, or only the main ideas are given by reason of the trouble of constructing phrases to portray the collateral ideas. It is strange that field sports should be the exception. Considering the general and uniform distribution of the setter and pointer, and the corresponding magnitude of field sports which exists at present, the care and importance at- tached to their breeding and training, and the many ages in the past during which they were highly valued, and the monetary value and facility afforded by an established sport- ing press for interchange of thought, it is astonishing that such poverty of nomenclature prevails. It would reasonably t-6 MODERN TRAINING. be expected that when field sports were in their beginning, the technical terms would be few and variable; it would also be expected that with their growth terms would multiply and have an established meaning. But field sports have been constantly progressing, while the nomenclature re- mains the same. The few terms in use are of the most primitive kind, generally being identically the same that were bequeathed by past ages, and were originally derived from the simplest words. Pointing, backing, flushing, ranging, quartering, retriev- ing, pottering, reading, dropping to shot, wing or order, stealing a point, refusing to back, breaking a back, drawing, blinking, jealousy, gunshyness, footscent, body scent, run- ning away or bolting, chasing, dropping to a point, are about all the terms which the nomenclature affords to ex- press the technique of field work or training. All other in- cidental particulars, familiar to sportsmen, have no special nomenclature. This meagerness of terms is more apparent in the reports of field trials and descriptions of hunting experiences where common acts of the dogs are described at length in cumbersome terms again and again, and the few technical terms are repeated with tiresome frequency. Hence the narrations are lacking in the perspicuity, fidelity and vivacity which the scope and variety. of the subject require. Even the common judgment and skill of the dog in finding birds, resulting from superior mental endowments combined with experience, is described by the very crude term " bird sense," plainly a misnomer. Excepting the few literary productions which have supe- rior merit from the talent of the writers, this paucity of terms undoubtedly contributes largely to the flatness and sameness of all the average sporting literature. Unless a writer has a fertile imagination and a copious vocabulary, this scantiness of technical material is sure to drag him BREAKING AND HANDLING. 57 down to the level of the commonplace, his writings taking rank with a multitude of spiritless, careless, insipid produc- tions that might have passable merit if the authors had terms which would express their ideas. The terms used to denote the education, and branches of education, to which the dog is subjected in preparing him for field work, and the details of field work, are also scanty and inexpressive. Even the terms Training and Breaking, used to denote the general education of the dog in respect to field work, have not the fixedness of meaning which they should have. Either term, if restricted to its common meaning, does not express the matter fully; and when used technically, there is no precise accuracy. While both are used as being synonymous by some experts in respect to the general education of the dog, by others they are used to designate different systems of training. These terms, training and breaking, have different shades of meaning when applied to special branches of training; for instance, it may be said that a dog is trained to quarter his ground, or to range, and that he is broken from chasing, biting birds, etc., thus requiring both terms to express the several parts of education. However, these loose terms are much better than the multitude of acts which have no name, or which have an imperfect designation. In case a dog false points to such an extent that the hunter feels no cer- tainty of birds being to his points, there is an unusual pro- fusion of terms, for the act is called a false point when no birds are found, and the dog which habitually false points is called a false pointer. If two dogs back each other, the technical term is they '.'back each other." Here is a crude name for the act, but there is no technical term whatever to distinguish the dog which habitually causes the act; for it is commonly caused by a dog which will back while his com- panion is roading or puzzling over scent. Many common -g MODERN TRAINING. acts have neither terms to denote them nor the dog which performs them. For instance, the act of circling birds, heading them off and pointing them when they are running down wind; the habitual quartering or ranging entirely to the right or left of the shooter; the habitual turning in to- ward the handler at the end of each cast or irregularly rang- ing before or behind the handler; the habit of coming di- rectly to the handler after each cast; the act of leaving the birds when found out of sight of the shooter, and returning to him to give notice of the find; the act of marking the flight of birds, bevies or single birds, and going directly to them or so near to them that by the clog's sense of smell he readily finds them; the act of flushing, whether done excusably, carelessly or willfully in an effort to capture the birds, or from jealousy, to prevent another dog from point- ing; the dog which is proficient only in a special part or parts of field work as distinguished from the dog which is proficient in other or all parts; the dog which hunts intelli- gently, taking every advantage of cover, wind and ground, from the dog which ranges equally wide and fast, but with- out any intelligent plan, — all these have no technical dis- tinction, although they are known to all sportsmen. When a clog's actions denote that he has uncertainly caught a scent, or begins to road, it is commonly said that he " feathers," the term being derived from the display of feather a setter usually makes when he is conscious of game being near. This term is plainly inappropriate to express like acts of the pointer. The term " challenge " is used, by excellent authority, to denote this act, and it is much more expressive, accurate in meaning, and admits of comprehensive application. It would seem that, there being so many large associations of sportsmen, some organized effort would be made to sup- plement and amend field nomenclature; but there appears to be no interest whatever with respect to it. BREAKING AND HANDLING. 59 In this work the term training and breaking will be used interchangeably, the name being immaterial so far as the dog's education is concerned, the work, the methods and the dog's nature remaining the same, irrespective of such. Handling is the manner of working and governing a trained dog, whether in private field work or a public com- petition, thus affording a term to distinguish between educational and working supervision. MODERN TRAINING. CHAPTER III. . THE AMATEUR TRAINER. The amateur trainer usually has the necessary enthusiasm and pertinacity, two qualities which are essential to the best success; but, in his first attempts, he invariably displays faults which are due to want of discipline in himself. The most common and serious fault is the irregular temper and the consequent much punishment and little teaching to which the dog is subjected. He does not consider that promiscuous, therefore misdirected, punishment, inflicted for not obeying commands which are not understood, is not training in any profitable sense of the term; on the contrary, it is decidedly injurious to the dog and obstructive to the training. The trainer should not set up his own knowledge as a standard for the dog, and by which to conduct the training, as many unconsciously do. He should intelligently study the dog's capabilities and pecu- liarities, modifying his methods and efforts in accordance with the dog's capacity. Ideas which appear simple and effective to the trainer may be comprehended with extreme difficulty by the pupil, particularly if the trainer has an im- perfect system of teaching. The novice usually assumes that the dog has, at least, a fair knowledge of the English language, for he multiplies orders, and frequently has different orders for the same act. The ignorance of the dog is ascribed to obstinacy or stupidity, and punishment follows. If a strong man were to give a small boy commands BREAKING AND HANDLING. 6l which he did not comprehend, and immediately thereafter punish him for disobedience, such tutor would not be es- teemed for his skill ; yet such course would not be less absurd than the analogous one pursued by some amateurs. Other serious faults are irregularity of effort and inattention to details. The amateur may give the lessons properly for two or three days, then miss them for two or three weeks, and the clog is supposed to remember all, regardless of the fitful training. Proper care is not observed in correcting little imperfections of detail. Faults which could be corrected without trouble at their inception are permitted to grow and gain strength from habit, and are impatiently treated only when they injuriously affect the general train- ing. Not infrequently a novice impulsively attempts to teach a whole system, or important branch of a system, or correct a grave fault, at one attempt, whereas he should have taken days or weeks. He, in his inexperience, is predisposed to believe that there is a fictitious valuation of the benefits accruing from a close observance of small de- tails, hence he ignores them. Strict attention, systematically perfecting even the slightest details, is necessary to achieve success in training. Desultory efforts are but a short re- move from no effort. The amateur, besides being punctual and considerate, must acquire a habit of watchfulness and observation. To accomplish this requires constant effort of the will at first, but by cultivation it will become habitual. After a time, the trainer, if possessed of the proper qualifications, will be able to correctly interpret ev.ery action of the dog and an- ticipate his acts by his expression. Some novices have the fault of training continually. The dog should not be made to feel that his life is one inter- minable lesson. While giving a lesson, the trainer should be painstaking and skillful, but when the lesson is ended, 62 MODERN TRAINING. the training should be dropped for the time being, and the role of kind and indulgent master assumed. Ceaseless effort begets distrust or dislike ; furthermore, the dog's mental faculties are not equal to long continued efforts without excessive fatigue, a trait which is also peculiar to the nobler animal. It is also worthy of note that a trainer cannot train dogs successfully and at the same time indulge in regular shoot- ing. It may be done after a certain loose fashion, but the education of the dog invariably suffers. The thousands of birds a man may have shot over a dog, or his expertness with a gun, is no criterion whatever in respect to his train- ing capabilities. Training is a distinct art by itself of which shooting birds is merely a detail, hence experience in shooting is not necessarily experience in training. Ex- perience, to be of value, must be correctly derived and associated. A fine shot, if an amateur, is rarely a good trainer, for the sufficient reason that he is so passionately fond of shooting he has no patience with obstructive delays to his pleasure, therefore he makes all else subservient to it. He does the shooting first and the training afterward, contrary to the correct method. It requires just the same study, industry, natural capa- bilities and enthusiasm to make an expert trainer and handler as are required to become expert in any other art of equal complexity, hence it is apparent that the length of time required to learn the art is dependent on the amateur's aptitude and industry. If he cannot train a dog well even after studying and applying a proper system, his efforts are not without gain, for the knowledge will be serviceable in handling a trained dog. Good handling is a very desirable accomplishment, a thorough knowledge of it leading to a higher appreciation and better understanding of good work, the disposition of dogs, and a correct judgment of a BREAKING AND HANDLING. 63 dog's working qualities. From the experience gained, there is greater ability to control and handle dogs, every expe- rience in any particular branch being beneficial in all branches. No man can achieve success, or even passable success, as a trainer or handler, who looks upon a dog as a senseless piece of mechanism which works as the owner desires, and thus gaining its reward by the grace of servitude to the highest order of creation. To develop the highest capa- bilities, the dog must be treated kindly as a companion, as is his just merit. The amateur should cultivate a calm, equable exterior. If he is excitable or easily irritated, showing it in voice and manner, it will directly or sympathetically affect the dog. If the amateur breaks shot himself when a bird is killed and deports himself unsteadily otherwise in shooting, he can rest assured that the dog will do likewise, whether broken or unbroken. Dogs are very imitative and sympathetic. They soon catch the excitement and unsteadiness of their handler, also the excitement and unsteadiness of un- broken dogs if hunted with such. Even when no game is present, the handler can excite and unsteady his dog by simulating a chase ; much easier is it then to excite him when game is present. The demeanor should be as placid and the manner as deliberate when shooting birds as if it were the most ordinary occurrence. The ordinary tone of voice should be used, when possible, in giving orders, and it is possible whenever the dog is near enough to hear such tone. It is as equally effective as the loudest and is incomparably superior in refinement. Nothing is more disgusting than a bawling, bellowing de- livery of orders. He who is loud, turbulent, devoid of field etiquette and offensively impulsive in his acts and utter- ances, will spoil the most capable dog in existence ; and if 5 64 MODERN TRAINING. thereto he adds the weakness of finding fault with his dog, gun, cartridges and friends, and never finds a fault in him- self,' he cannot hope to be higher as a trainer than he is as a companion, unless he amends, which is hardly presum- able, as there are very few precedents therefor. He who can be heard in the adjacent counties when a bird is flushed, or he who goes to the other extreme and praises his dog irrespective of the accuracy or inaccuracy of his work, can accept it it as an unalterable fact that as a skillful trainer he has mistaken his calling or diversion, as the case may be. If the amateur fails in training a dog which possesses the proper natural qualities, the failure can only be ascribed to his own deficient skill or industry; for dog- training, as prac- ticed at present, is an established art, and is followed as a profession year after year by a number of men. Given a dog having the required natural capabilities, there is not the least doubt as to successful training. Any part the dog will not perform willingly can be made compulsory. It is absolutely necessary that the trainer either has a good temper, or self-control over such temper as he has, which practically is the same thing in dog training. All trainers are more or less impatient and irritable in their first efforts, but it is a weakness which should be suppressed as much as possible. The ideal trainer who is always patient and serene does not exist. By self-discipline a trainer can learn to control his temper; if he has not the will power to so control it, he is not the proper material for a trainer. Just so often as he loses his temper and inflicts unnecessary punishment, just so often does he do wrong and obstruct progress. No matter how refractory or stupid a dog may be, nothing is gained by gratifying ill temper. If the trainer's temper is impatient or fiery, yet controllable, it is no obstacle to suc- cessful training; indeed, the expert trainers, as a class, are BREAKING ANP HANDLING. 65 not very mild tempered when crossed unnecessarily, but in the management of dogs they are patient, persistent, kind, and fond of dogs withal. A man's everyday disposition is no criterion by which to judge his temper as a trainer. He may be amiable, refined, and attentively kind in social and business life, yet, when training, may display terrible vio- lence and unimagined fluency and resources of language; on the other hand, an ill-tempered man may conduct the training with the greatest patience and expedition; it can only be determined by actual trial. Another prime requisite is that the trainer should be fond of a dog, otherwise he will not be sufficiently considerate in giving him time and opportunity to gradually and progres- sively learn the many things required of him. Men are intelligent beings of a high order, yet it would give the greater part of them, endowed as they are with reasoning powers, a severe task and many wearisome hours to learn to solve and intelligently explain, with the aid of the best masters, a simple problem in complex fractions, therefore he should be merciful to the dog which, he declares, solves problems by instinct with the disjointed instructions of all kinds of masters. An exaggerated self-sufficiency, ignorance of methods, misconception of dog nature and impulsiveness, each and all detract from the novice's progress and efficiency. He should aim, by study and observation, to gain a thorough knowledge of methods. He should disabuse his mind of the idea, if it exists, that there is an arbitrary, inflexible method for training all dogs. To supplement the common methods, he must have natural fertility of resources to cor- rect any unusual trait which may be undesirably exhibited. He should also recognize the fact that training is accom- plished only by persistent, uniform effort; and without effort there is no training. After a perusal of the following 66 MODERN TRAINING. chapters he will perceive that it is quite as serious a fault to be all method as to be without method. He can have so much educational method as to suppress the dog's hunting capabilities. A fair degree of manual dexterity is very important, par- ticularly in applying force to perfect a retriever. The awk- ward, forceless amateur who cannot put a checkcord on a dog without immediately entangling himself and every object within reach, or who gets the whip, checkcord and his hands mixed, every act going contrary-wise to his inten- tions, would do well to practice these acts by himself till he is proficient, thereby saving a dog much pain from his bungling. If he cannot attain the necessary dexterity, his special talent as a trainer lies in suasive methods, and he should cultivate it in that relation; for it is better to be an indifferent trainer than an inefficient infliction. On the other hand, the trainer who has great strength and dexter- ity should only apply such force as is necessary, and should proceed with due deliberation. Excessive punishment will injure a dog much more than is commonly supposed. A dog may start in full of fire and energy, and gradually become listless, the amateur frequently ascribing it to fail- ing health, he not knowing that severe, long-continued pun- ishment would produce it. BREAKING AND HANDLING. 67 CHAPTER IV. GENERAL REMARKS ON TRAINING. The important subjects of ranging, pointing, backing, reading, etc., are dwelt upon at length, not so much with the intention alone of delineating the method of establishing a mere training in certain acts, as to describe the manner in which the dog should be developed and trained to the highest degree of his capabilities, with due regard to his natural powers and their subserviency to the purposes of the gun. It usually requires a long, ample experience to arrive at the highest degree of knowledge relating to field sports. If the sportsman is left to his own resources, it is generally acquired by slow, easy stages of evolution. No small part of this imperfection and dilatory progress is due to the common misconceptions respecting dog nature and instincts. By searching continually for complications where none exist; by assuming that the dog knows nothing but what he is taught; by enforcing artificial systems which are opposed to the dog's native capabilities, the true system, which is in harmony with the dog's nature and instincts, is, from its very simplicity, overlooked. Notwithstanding the general distribution of the dog and that every sportsman has more or less knowledge of the setter and pointer and the manner in which they work when trained, but compara- tively few know anything of the real refinements in handling or training. This is thoroughly exemplified in the con- strained manner in which the average dog works, or the per- 68 MODERN TRAINING petual whistling and commanding to which he is subjected when working. There are some simple principles in dog training which should be understood and recognized at the start, namely, that the two principal elements in a dog's working capabil- ities are pointing and ranging j if these, as the foundation, are not well laid, the accessory natural qualities and whole educational superstructure, must be faulty. If a dog can point well, and cannot range, or vice versa, it is plain that his useful capabilities are of but little value. The impor- tance of developing these properties to their full capabili- ties, together with the methods, is described in the chapters devoted to those subjects. There is no secret in the art of training any more than what is embodied in diligence, skill, and fondness for the art. Some of the simplest parts and details are taught patiently at first, and the education is conducted step by step in easy gradations till the education is completed. In the latter stages, too great pains cannot be taken to have every com- mand associated, as much as possible, with obedience, whether compulsory or voluntary; any deviation from this impairs progress and proper finish to the dog's training. Due care must be observed in the primary lessons respect- ing the control of the dog, for if he learns that he can evade certain orders by running away or keeping out of reach of his handler, he rapidly adds to his knowledge in respect to things which are not desired to be learned, and finally becomes unmanageable. In conducting the education, the dog should be treated kindly and in good faith as a reasoning animal, which he is. If a trainer, firm in the belief that a dog cannot learn by experience, applies punishment promiscuously, he will soon learn that the dog, whether by reason or instinct, or without either, will, if opportunity offers, successfully avoid BREAKING AND HANDLING. 69 his trainer and his lessons. He will learn also that, after a very short experience, the dog will comprehend his aggres- sive purposes and can read his intentions so well that he can anticipate them by the expression of his trainer's coun- tenance alone, even if the trainer's voice is sweetly modu- lated, and his manner seductive. The primary education, as with all other animals, high or low, is the most difficult to teach; but, after the dog has learned his master's ways and comprehends some of the acts and orders, the remainder of the education is acquired with greater ease; indeed, if given judicious opportunity, he will learn a great deal himself by his observational powers alone. His character must be studied and understood, every dog, in this respect, differing from every other dog.' By closely observing the habits, temper, disposition and in- telligence of dogs, the trainer cannot fail to observe the diversity of character which exists. Also an astonishing number of intelligent acts and ideas will be noted, among which will be the one that the dog has a very correct esti- mate of his master's disposition and habits. If the latter does not believe that the dog is a rational animal, he would do wisely to study him still more closely, try to understand why he does certain intelligent acts, note his fixed habits of life, power of memory, will, etc., and then if he can not believe that the dog has reasoning powers, he can, without prejudice, conduct the training as if he did believe it, and he will progress with much more satisfaction to himself and comfort to the dog. In the estimation of the average novice, a dog is a dog without any distinguishable differences of character or intelligence from those of every other individual dog, in about the same sense that one brick of a certain lot is sim- ilar to all other bricks of that lot, the natural inference then being that only one formal, arbitrary system is required in 70 MODERN TRAINING. training. Nothing could be more erroneous. The temper- ament of each dog varies quite as much from that of all other dogs as one landscape differs from all others, and the trainer has quite as great a diversity of material to work upon as the artist has, although both have a few fixed, sim- ple, elementary principles for the groundwork. Both artist and trainer must have a perfection and finish in the tout ensemble which is not reducible to formal rules. This ability is commonly called talent, but such does not compre- hend it; it is really the ability resulting from love of the art, years of close study and hard work, and a few natural qual- ifications. Without the industry and enthusiasm, the talent is very little to the purpose. A system of training is neither one of constant appeal to the whip or other punishment, nor a ceaseless attempt at suasion. The two must be combined in due proportion to the requirements of the pupil. However, as being of spe- cial importance, it should be noted that all punishment is purely corrective when properly used in training. In the greater number of instances, the dog's training is hurried too much. The all-important point is to rush it through to a finish at the earliest possible moment. The true principle is to train the dog by easy gradations from the simple to the complex. As he progresses, he will learn to coadapt his methods to those of his handler from observ- ing the success of methods, adjusting his work nicely and intelligently to subserve the purposes of the gun. By expe- rience thus given, he acquires a full knowledge of all the varied and complicated details of field work and their pur- poses. Also, as a rule, the education of dogs begins while they are too young. When the puppy is a year old he is young enough to start in training, and even then he should be worked with care and judgment. A year and a half is none BREAKING AND HANDLING. 71 too old, or two years if the dog has not been ruined by bad handling, although an earlier age is desirable. The dog's mental, muscular and nervous organizations are not suffi- ciently matured till he is a year old, at least. Occasionally a puppy is well developed at ten months; but very little is gained by working puppies at an early age, and there is always possible injury. With respect to the human subject, no intelligent man would advocate placing a ten year old boy in severe training in general athletics and a severe course of study at the same time. In such early training, neither the boy nor the puppy would have any comprehen- sion of the application of what they were taught, besides which their organization would not be sufficiently matured to endure the severe mental and physical strain. In youth, the puppy's mind is immature and only adapted to such thoughtless improvement as is incidental to playfulness. His physique also has all the tenderness of immaturity, therefore his own free will should determine how much or how little exercise he will take. The same physiological laws which are universally recognized as applicable to the best development of children apply with like force and pre- cision to the development of puppies. The dog undoubtedly is capable of receiving a higher education than any other species of the lower animals, his natural fitness for his place in the economy of man's servi- tude demanding that he should have a peculiarly high edu- cation. All other domestic animals are controlled largely by mechanical appliances; the dog, if a long or short dis- tance away, can be controlled, when trained, by a motion of the hand. He voluntarily co-aids his master in the pursuit of game, in a methodical manner; and from love of him, and comprehension of his purposes, he is faithfully reliable, and an intelligent assistant. There is an important element in successfully developing 12 MODERN TRAINING. the dog's highest capabilities that is above methods and cannot be expressed in words any more than all the differ- ent colors of the rainbow, in their finest blendings, shape, relations, concentricity, and degrees of intensity, could be so portrayed. This refinement is in training the dog not only so that he will do the work, but so that he will have a full comprehension of its purposes and the interdependen- cies of all the different parts. He has then a full under- standing of the acts of his master and loves to work for him alone, whereas, when he began, he worked solely for his own pleasure. To reach this refinement, the dog must be treated kindly as a rational animal. When he performs an intelligent act, he should be encouraged to know that he has done well. Do not make the mistake of thinking that he will not understand it. He will soon be on the watch to learn what acts are correct and pleasing, and worthy of approbation. He will learn by observation his master's moods and habits, and will take keen pleasure in working when he works and resting when he rests. There is a mutual bond of sympathy and understanding, a subtle com- prehension, by which the dog works to the will of his mas- ter, when perfectly trained, without any commands; and the master comprehends every action and idea of the dog. This higher training borders on the realms of the psychological ; yet that there is a time in the life of a properly trained dog when he will intelligently and accurately work without any supervision ; when he comprehends his master's will or pur- pose by his actions or expression of manner ; when he is happy only in his master's presence ; when his knowledge comprehends every detail of the work, and when there is a mutual esprit^ no expert, I believe, will dispute ; still it must not be expected that the dog will reach all the higher capabilities of his nature before he is matured mentally, and has had skillful training and ample experience. BREAKING AND HANDLING. 73 Many erroneous ideas prevail among novices in respect to the theory of training. It is commonly supposed that the setter and pointer are taught all branches of field work, even to pointing birds ; hence, that stringent restraints and continual efforts are necessary to subjugate them. No more vicious theory could be imagined. They hunt naturally for themselves and learn methods much more accurately and effectively when left to their own experience and judgment. These natural capabilities are simply controlled sufficiently to subserve the purposes of the gun, and the process of reducing them to this state constitutes training. If the dog is inferior in any functional powers, the trainer can only make the best of such material as there is. Any natural deficiency is just so much gone from the dog's capabilities. For instance, if the dog is devoid of the pointing instinct, by giving a great deal of experience and training, he may be taught to stop on birds ; but the act is then artificial and could be taught to a hound or cur in the same way. It is hardly necessary to mention that it is as inferior, when so taught, as any work of art is inferior to that of nature. The conjecture that at some uncertain period in past ages, in some vague manner, the dog's hunting and pointing were matters of education, should not be set against the fact of any individual, natural imperfections in the present. There is neither sense nor necessity in straining after far-fetched theories to prove that the pointing instinct had an educa- tional origin, particularly when the same instinct is present in the pointer without any theory at all as to its origin. A proper training is the result of honest, diligent effort and skill. Any system, professed to be a short, certain sys- tem, by which a dog can be taught thoroughly in a few weeks, by unusual methods, is either the result of a very imperfect knowledge of training, or an utter disregard of facts. Assuming the most favorable conditions, four to 74 MODERN TRAINING. eight months, at least, will be required to complete the edu- cation, although, as a matter of course, every day of that time is not necessarily or desirably devoted to it ; overwork is as incorrect and useless as any other erroneous method. Occasionally a dog performs well with a less period of instruction ; on the other hand, there are dogs which require two full seasons. However, six months can be safely esti- mated as the average if the last three months of the training are in the open season, and ample opportunity afforded for field work. If all the training is done in the fall and winter in the South, the climate of the South being peculiarly favor- able for such work, the training may be done in less time, the weather being cooler, the cover less dense, birds easier to find, the temperature more favorable for scent, and the dogs can work without distress. Taking a finished field education as a standard, the pro- gressive education, from start to finish, may be divided into three distinct stages, namely: First. The yard training, during which the dog is taught and comprehends certain acts with certain experiences, but does not understand their application in actual field work, such being obviously impos- sible. Second. The stage in his field work, in which he is learning to hunt, learning the application of acts taught in yard breaking, and the relation of his work to the purposes of the gun. This stage varies greatly in individuals accord- ing to their intelligence, tractability, and the skill of the trainer. It is the most difficult stage of training, and usually has distinct sub-stages — the dog at first has no knowledge of what is required of him, and, as is his nature, hunts impetuously, solely for himself. Partly by his own observa- tion and partly by restraint, he next learns that by modi- fying his efforts so that they will act conjointly with the efforts of the shooter, there is a more uniform result and success. Gradually, with experience, he progressively BREAKING AND HANDLING. 75 learns the application and relation of every detail that has a bearing on capturing game. However, there are some parts which he cannot understand, consistently with the purposes of hunting, which is creditable to his intelligence. When the bird is killed he has the same feeling observable in the nobler animal, viz., to rush in and secure possession. Dropping to wing and shot are, to the dog, irrelevant acts. He can solve the relations of other dependent acts him- self, but in this part he perceives no application to the pur- pose, and never learns it or observes it except as an act of arbitrary education. Third. The dog, after comprehend- ing and applying the educational part, reaches the stage of finesse. He conducts all his work skillfully, with a view to shaping every part to the advantage of the gun ; he con- trives little arts and wiles to circumvent the birds ; he dis- plays intelligent management, schemes and acts which his trainer never taught him and of which he never thought him capable ; besides exercising his inventive faculties and comprehension of details, he is on the alert to observe that the shooter is attentively performing his part, as may be observed when a dog slowly turns his head when on a point and looks out of the corner of his eyes to see if his master knows the situation ; or when he abandons his point, when concealed, to go to his master and give notice, by his intel- ligent efforts to attract attention, that he has found birds. These stages of transition, while being distinct, are insensi- bly blended together in training, and are only perceptible when thoroughly established. The training is not properly completed when the dog has merely reached a stage in which he is accurate and steady in all details of work and education. He may apparently be trained, but it has no permanency. He should be kept steadily at work till the discipline becomes habitual, and all the details permanently implanted in his memory; otherwise, 76 MODERN TRAINING. after a rest of a few weeks, or when the next season arrives, he may forget or disregard his training entirely ; thus it is perceived that a dog may have the appearance of being per- manently trained when in reality he is not. In relation to making the work habitual, it should be noted as being of special importance that however obstinate a dog may be or however difficult to induct into any particular method, by long continued discipline it becomes so permanently estab- lished and habitual that it is second nature. Discipline, in the sense here used, signifies the regular and formal drilling which is necessary to permanently establish the training, and not in the sense which implies punishment exclusively. Invariably one or more branches will be readily learned, while others, perhaps more simple, drag along to a wearisome length without any apparent progress; or the dog may be able to comprehend it imperfectly,or may have a faulty execution. Uniform progressiveness in each branch of training, by one individual, is an extremely rare occurrence. Even when a dog is trained in all other branches, there is usually one branch or other which requires days or weeks to finish. For instance, the dog may not back well, or may be faulty in retrieving, or may have some cranky notion, etc. The necessity of cultivating as much as possible such branches as the dog is backward in, is self-evident. The amateur, however, when the dog learns to point, is predisposed to give his attention to the shooting alone. In the training, the dominant traits of character of the dog should be noted and used to advantage, if they are ad- vantageous, or suppressed if they are the contrary. It is seldom that the training can be evenly conducted. The necessary functional powers are infrequently present in such naturally harmonious relations as to admit of each part of the education -being equally progressive, one with the other. From natural aptitude and liking, the dog will BREAKING AND HANDLING. 77 have some special feature in his work that is superior to all other parts. The constant cultivation of the special part renders it the leading accomplishment. By diverting him from his preference and constantly drilling him in all branches, the weaker ones especially, the endeavor should be to make him as near an "all round" dog as possible. Due consideration, however, must be given to peculiarities of disposition and manner, the trainer adapting his methods to these as much as possible, instead of attempting to reduce all to an arbitrary standard. If a dog is allowed to indulge his special liking or faculty without any restraint, he is spe- cially fond of it all his life, and may be .inferior other- wise* Thus there are "covey dogs," which range wide and fast in search of covies, but work on scattered birds with the greatest impatience, and are constantly on the alert to break away from such irksome work. Others are only use- ful on scattered birds, or in retrieving, etc. In some instances, the apparent absence of any improve- ment will be very discouraging. Notwithstanding the dili- gent efforts of the trainer, long intervals may elapse before any perceptible advance is made in teaching certain parts. This backwardness may occur in any part or parts, or the dog may apparently be advancing when a relapse occurs, thereby necessitating further effort. Occasionally a dog will be met with which has a special proclivity for doing everything wrong. The attention and effort required to correct such idiosyncracies are very tiresome. Without any apparent cause, he may develop whimsicalities in parts of his work which will impede progress in all of it; or objectionable habits may be formed which may entirely obstruct training, or render the dog valueless. For instance, one experience which the author had with a dog of eccentric character will serve purposes of illustration. He was given to an inex- haustible display of cranky notions, and no sooner was one yg MODERN TRAINING. corrected than another, wholly new and unexpected, was sure to appear. The last one was final. He learned that, during the dry season, there were numbers of mice in the ditches, which are run in parallels and intersect each other at right angles, peculiar to the plantations in certain sections of Louisiana, thus cutting the plantations into squares, varying in size from an acre to several acres on different plantations, or different parts of the same plantation, accord- ing to the requirements of drainage. So thoroughly infat- uated did he become in searching the ditches and digging for mice that he entirely abandoned hunting for birds. If removed from one ditch, he immediately went to the next one. If punished for hunting mice, he refused to hunt at all, and in time, instead of improving, he became wholly worthless for hunting. All this goes to show that training dogs is not uniformly successful, be the methods never so perfect, which is opposed to the inferences derived from the writings of many recognized authorities. It is beneficial to know that there are discouragements and failures. to be met with; that there are parts of the education of a stupid, naturally inferior or obstinate dog that are unutterably wearisome, and with such the best efforts may result in fail- ure. No trainer can wholly overcome stupidity, constitu- tional sulkiness, laziness, imperfections in nose, stamina, speed, hunting instinct, or physical infirmities. If a dog is worthless, a fine, long pedigree, the eminence of his ances- try, the merit of his ownership, avail naught against the fact of his individual worthlessness. The pedigree, while it vouches for the purity of the blood, kindly leaves the ques- tion of indvidual merit with the individual. The importance of gradual progression has already been touched upon. This is particularly essential in the primary lessons. It is of transcendent importance to make the be- ginning of any new branch as simple as possible. One BREAKING AND HANDLING. 79 thing at a time, distinct and separate from all others, should be taught till the dog understands and remembers it; he will thus be saved much perplexity and confusion, constant ad- vances will be made, and the trainer will save his temper. It may appear to be a dilatory system, but it is the quickest and the best in the end. Any forgetfulness should be treated kindly, a lapse of memory being excusable. Repe- titions of the lessons will correct forgetfulness, while pun- ishment is ineffective and injurious. In powers of memory, all dogs, except in rare instances, excel; but in the excep- tional case, the infirmity should not be mistaken for obsti- nacy. It can be determined by the dog's apparent willingness to obey, but inability to do so from confusion of ideas, or when given an order to perform a certain act he may perform another entirely different act which he has been taught; his hesitancy and doubtful air at times under these circumstances indicate his feeling of uncertainty as to correctness. This confusion of ideas may be caused in clogs of good memory, by attempting to teach, hastily and imperfectly, several things during the same lesson — palpably an unskillful method. While a small part of the dog's education is necessarily compulsory, the punishment required is much less than is commonly supposed. The trainer should endeavor to whip as little as possible. All beginners trust too much to force, regardless of the temperament of the dog. Generally the more experience a trainer has had, the less he uses the whip, although it can never be entirely dispensed with; but it can be reduced in its application to a minimum. Due weight should be given to the important and pertinent facts that, in giving the lessons, the dog's attention can be held too long; that he can become mentally and physically weary; that he can be overworked; that he can become dis- gusted by bad treatment or can acquire a decidedly obstruct- g0 MODERN TRAINING. ive dislike to his handler; that he can be overfed or underfed; that his health and spirits are not always the same, and that he is not always bright and attentive. It should be remem- bered as bearing on the training as a whole or in part, and worthy of repetition, that unless a dog loves his handler he never performs at his best. For the master that he loves, a trained dog, properly handled and kindly treated, delights in his work; even when fatigued and hunting has ceased being pleasurable to himself, he will renew his exertions for his master's enjoyment When a dog, which has no serious faults to be corrected, will run away or shows apprehensive or distrustful feelings with respect to his handler, there is something radically wrong in the system of training. The trainer, knowing the peculiarities and capabilities of his dog, should know precisely how to adjust his methods to be in harmony with them; but if his dogs all fear or ignore him, there is error somewhere. To simply give the dog a lesson and then see him no more till the next lesson is also erroneous. The dog soon has only unpleasant associations of his handler, and his coming causes painful apprehension. Only by making a companion of him can he become truly affectionate and de- pendent, being happy in his master's presence, and anxious to please. Every dog has a certain individuality in his methods, differing in some respect from those of every other dog, no two dogs being alike in either intelligence, habits or form. The amateur often attempts to shape the peculiarities of the dog to some ideal standard. Such efforts are futile. Do not imagine, because a certain dog carries a high nose and is a brilliant performer, that all dogs must perform with a high nose or that it is possible for them to do so. It is better to make the best of the dog's capabilities such as they are. If he carries his head low and roads his BREAKING AND HANDLING. 8l birds naturally, it is better to encourage proficiency in what he can do than failure in what he cannot do. For this reason any artificial appliance, as the puzzle peg mentioned with much favor by some authors, is wholly worthless. This should not be confounded with appliances which are used to control his actions and not his manner of work, such as the checkcord, spike collar, etc. To attempt to make a dog into something other than he is naturally is to engage in dismal efforts. It will be observed that, directly and indirectly, much importance has been attached to the dog's rational powers. In their powers of mind, dogs vary quite as much, making due allowance for the inferiority in grade, as the degrees and differences of variation in the minds of men, barring entirely those exclusively high cognitions of the nobler animal whereby friendship is valued according to its finan- cial or social profit, or as an aid to ambition. All these generalities are of the greatest importance in teaching particulars. The trainer, to be successful, must have a knowledge of them first or last, if he can do so. However, as in every other art requiring tact and address, there will be men who will excel all others. g2 MODERN TRAINING. CHAPTER V. INSTRUMENTS USED IN TRAINING. — THEIR USES. The spike collar has been the subject of the most un- qualified praise and most unqualified condemnation; it has been claimed that it is applicable and efficient in every branch of a dog's education, and the most extravagant quickness and perfection of results have been ascribed to its use. Much can be said for and against it, not from any inher- ent virtues or vices in the collar, but accordingly as it is used skillfully or otherwise. Unquestionably, men of uncontroll- able temper and vicious propensities inflict terrible torture, and sometimes maim or destroy the dog with it, yet it is only a means to their brutality ; in its absence, the whip or boot would more than probably take its place. For such men the collar is wholly unfit as a useful instrument in training, and the men are wholly unfit for trainers. Even in the hands of a novice whose temper and intentions are the kindliest, a great deal of unnecessary pain is inflicted from imperfect knowledge of methods and dog nature, awkward manipulation, and from failure to note the painful effects of punishment. The writer has seen the lesson abandoned and the most disgraceful barbarity exhibited from loss of temper. Such is not dog training in any sense of the term ; and the vicious temper of the trainer cannot be ascribed to the properties of the collar. When used merely to gratify such temper, it ceases to be an in- BREAKING AND HANDLING. 83 strument of education ; and ill-natured punishment should not be confounded with training. The distinction is very positive ; the two purposes are not even remotely related to each other. Barbarity, \vhich justly excites the most in- tense indignation, is considered, by uninformed spectators, as being a necessary adjunct to the collar, if they have un- fortunately seen it applied in a disgraceful manner, naturally inferring that such manner is the approved one of using it. The injurious effects of the collar, when used with unnec- essary violence, are not transient. The terrible punish- ment never fails to cow the dog, or make him nervously apprehensive, or cripple him by breaking down his con- stitution, or by injuring his neck and spine from the vio- lent shocks. Partial or complete paralysis may be produced by excessive violence ; and many instances are known where dogs have been killed outright. Contrary to the general exposition of its advantages by its advocates, the spike collar will cow a dog if unskillfully used. There is less demonstration in its use than in the use of the whip, but it will have similar cowing effects in time. Dogs which are punished regularly and severely with it may not show positively disabling effects, but they gradually become more and more listless and less vigorous ; and this broken down state may last for months or for life. The novice, observing the falling off in working capabilities afield, im- putes it to the effects of field work or deficient stamina; he would be more likely to find the cause in the abuse of the collar, if he uses one. Many dogs have been completely ruined by it, but such effects were the natural conse- quences of ignorance of its proper use, and the injurious effects. As between those who claim every advantage for it and those who claim every ill, its true place will be found to be intermediate. As a matter of fact, the spike collar should 84 MODERN TRAINING. have but a limited place in a dog's education, namely, to make retrieving compulsory, to break bad cases of un- steadiness and to force a dog to come in promptly to order. It may be used transiently for other purposes, but such are merely incidental. When used skillfully for these purposes, it has no equal in thoroughness and effectiveness. A force collar should be used with spikes in it -or not at all. The dog will not struggle against spikes ; the force neces- sary to be applied to a plain collar so shocks the dog's whole system that positive injury is inflicted. The great error lies in assuming that any man can take a spike collar and apply it to training purposes without prior experience. No man can use it properly in the beginning. The first dogs which, unfortunately for them, afford the ex- perience always suffer for it aside from educational con- siderations. It would be as reasonable to assume that a novice could take a gun afield and shoot skillfully at his first attempt as that he could use the collar properly. It is recognized by experts as a very effective and useful instrument in certain branches of the dog's education. When applied properly the advantages are great; the dog is more thoroughly obedient, the orders obeyed with greater perfection and precision; the control gained in one branch likewise affects all other branches; the effect of training is more permanent, and the general education is more uniform and perfect. Except in the case of obstinate dogs, there is no occasion to use sufficient force to shock the dog's system, and with them there is no need of inflicting permanent in- jury. The amateur should carefully note its effects, and proceed in the training with the greatest deliberation. It requires manual dexterity to manipulate the collar properly, which can only be acquired by practice. If there is a rope on the collar, it should be the proper length for the purpose used, and the trainer should endeavor to avoid getting BREAKING AND HANDLING. 8.5 awkwardly entangled in it. If he cannot apply the collar without becoming impatient and angry, it is better to aban- don its use entirely. The collar is useful, but a violent man is out of place as a trainer with it. In forcing a dog to retrieve, it is better to apply it with just sufficient force to punish the dog a little, and proceed with the greatest deliberation. The first advances may ap- parently be slow but they will be sure, and in the end will be more expeditious. By this course the dog is not cowed, does not acquire a dislike of his handler and is not injured. When the punishment is severe, it invariably causes terror, dislike, confusion of ideas, and from the pain suffered all kinds of erratic notions are exhibited. Much time is lost in correcting these eccentricities; in the gradual manner of developing the dog's ideas and obedience, all these are avoided. The efficiency of the collar depends much on its con- struction. Many collars which are on the market are wholly worthless or nearly so. THE SPIKE COLLAR. SECTIONAL VIEW. Herewith is given an illustration of an excellent spike collar. It is very simple in construction, yet it is very effec- tive, easy to carry in the pocket, and has fewer undesirable features than any other, and is not patented. As will be seen by the diagram, it is both a spike and choke collar. It should be made of the very best quality of harness leather, 86 MODERN TRAINING. but the latter should not be over one-eighth of an inch in thickness. The long strap should be twenty-two inches in length and an inch and a quarter in width. The short strap, including both buckle and ring, should not exceed five inches. For obvious reasons the buckle should be square ; the oblong, marked B, should also be square in the corners, thus preventing the collar from rolling and throw- ing the spikes' points upward, if the dog takes a few turns. This square should be made of tough steel rod, three-six- teenths of an inch in diameter, and in dimensions one and one-quarter inches by one-half inch in the clear. Having an oblong in place of a ring is a very important feature, as all those who have used a collar much will readily perceive. A ring allows the collar to twist, and this is a source of con- stant annoyance and obstruction in the training. The dis- tance from the oblong B to the spikes C should be ten inches. The spikes nearest B should be one and three- quarter inches from the oblong, and the remaining spikes should be half-way between C and the spikes nearest B. The spikes should project five-eighths of an inch. The ring A should be one and one-eighth inches in diameter. The spikes should be one-quarter of an inch in diameter, and the points should be blunt and short. A very good illustra- tion of the spikes is given in the sectional view of the collar herewith given. The spikes are screwed through a narrow steel plate, one-eighth of an inch in thickness. The dia- gram will show the remainder of the construction without further explanation. Besides the direct uses of the collar in training, it has very advantageous incidental effects. If it is put on a dog's neck in field work, if he has had some training with it, he will be comparatively steady and obedient. He might re- fuse to retrieve a bird without the collar on his neck, and retrieve it nicely with it on. By taking advantage of this BREAKING AND HANDLING. 87 peculiarity, a great deal of unnecessary trouble can, at times, be avoided. In forcing large, heavy, obstinate dogs to retrieve, it is much better to use both the spike collar and whip. A dog which weighs sixty or seventy pounds has so much weight that a severe jerk shocks the trainer as much as it does the dog. The trainer's shoulder or arm will be badly strained or lamed, particularly if he has three or four heavy dogs in training at the same time. The manner of conjointly apply- ing the whip and collar is described in the chapter on retrieving. A whip of medium weight is the best. The abomina- tions which are heavily loaded with iron in the handle should be severely condemned. They are unnecessary and have a suggestion of brutality that is not in accord with the loving nature of the dog or the purposes of an education. There are too many novices who are disposed to use the wrong end of the whip. An ordinary one is severe enough. To gain an idea of its effects, the trainer may permit some friend to give him a middling sharp cut with it, and there- from he will have a keener perception of its effects on the dog. A whip should be a whip, plain and simple. A com- bined whistle, whip, slingshot and dog lead, is a snare and a delusion. A snap on the end of the whip is useful to at- tach it to a loop on the coat, some sportsmen preferring to carry them thus on the outside instead of in the pocket. A better way is to have a small ring sewed on the inside of the breast of the hunting coat to which the whip can be at- tached. A pocket should be made, six inches underneath, for the lash, which can be rolled up easily, to rest in. It can be gotten at quickly, and has not the untidy appearance which it has when hanging loosely outside of the coat. The whip is indispensable in dog training. Not that it is a constant necessity, but that at such times as its use is 88 MODERN TRAINING. indicated, it is then required. The moral effect of its pres- ence is a great governing influence with headstrong dogs. Timid dogs even will require a little application of it before their education is completed. By proper handling, a timid or cowardly dog can be whipped without cowing him. When they are sufficiently advanced to correct their offences, the whip can be used lightly on them, merely the weight of the lash without any force to it, if necessary. By also show- ing and cracking it occasionally, the dog becomes familiar with the sight of it, then it can be applied with the nec- essary punishing force. Obstinate dogs should also become familiar with the sight of it. There is no surer way to make an untrained dog whip-shy than to associate certain punish- ment with the act of taking the whip in the hand. After the timid dog has been whipped once so that pain is in- flicted, merely cracking the whip will be sufficient warning to dogs of such very mild dispositions, for a time, for sub- sequent offences; indeed, a mere reproof is punishment to some dogs. Hard-headed, obstinate dogs require much more pun- ishment; and there are dogs which require good, honest thrashings frequently repeated; in fact, with some the occa- sion occurs with periodical exactness. The trainer can observe all the little premonitory signs that lead to the repetition of a fault, and, by experience, the dog knows equally well that he has committed the fault, yet will do it with a full knowl- edge that he has to suffer punishment. With such dogs the punishment should always follow the fault, and with every recurrence, it should be increased. Dogs of certain dispo- sitions can be corrected by mixed reproof or punishment. Except with the dog which willfully and knowingly commits a fault, good training does not necessarily consist in punish- ing for a fault every time it is committed. It consists in de- veloping the dog's capabilities by such system as accords BREAKING AND HANDLING. 89 with his capabilities and peculiarities. Many faults can be cured without inflicting pain; in fact many, such as false pointing, blinking, gun shyness, fear of the handler, etc., are intensely aggravated by it. The whipping should be administered as nearly under the same circumstances, respecting any particular fault, as possible, to the end that the dog can properly comprehend and associate the punishment. Also judgment is required to determine the right juncture to give the proper quantity, and withal to retain control over him. It is injudicious to release a dog as soon as he has been whipped. Hold him till such time as he regains his composure ; and if he evinces an undue desire to get away, he should not be released if there is a probability that he will bolt. The trainer, know- ing all his peculiarities, can easily forecast his purpose. A long cod-line can be put on him if there is danger that he will run away, and by this means he can be prevented. After punishing a dog it is better to refrain from giving any orders till he resumes his work. At all times the trainer's manner should be kind, but no frivolity should be indulged in. Dogs will be met with which, from self-will and the absence of any of the natural affection which nearly all dogs feel for a trainer who treats them kindly, can only be controlled by reducing them to a state of fear. Fortunately dogs of such cold-blooded, self-hunting natures are very uncommon ; however, the trait varies from the mild degrees to the most intense, the latter being infrequent. To show the necessity of severe and regularly repeated punishments, the author will mention an instance which was in his own experience ; one of many, yet the worst one of all. It was still more remarkable from the fact that the dog was a pointer, he being of a breed which, when trained, is almost uniformly disposed to work to the gun. During the first two g0 MODERN TRAINING. or three weeks he was given his head ; he quickly learned the scent of game and how to point for an instant, but, in- auspiciously for subsequent training, when he flushed and chased, he manifested the utmost indifference as to the whereabouts of his handler. He was a dog possessing wonderful powers of speed, wind and endurance. After he found the first bevy of chickens, his first experience be- ing on the prairie, a chase ensued and thereafter an occa- sional glimpse of him would be caught as he galloped over a swell in the prairie a mile or more away. His nose was exquisitely keen ; the manner in which he, carrying a high nose, would gallop to a bevy, Was most admirable ; but the subsequent proceedings were quite the reverse. A few whippings, such as would have beneficial effects on an ordinary dog, seemed to infuse fresh vigor and determi- nation into him, he being quite willing to understand that the punishment was for failing to catch the birds instead of for attempting to catch them. He was going from bad to worse. The brief points were abandoned as being entirely too slow for his purpose, and punishment was exasperat- ingly ineffective. Chickens, at that time, were very plenti- ful, hence opportunities for a dog to point or flush were frequent. One day, immediately after the dog had had a tremendous chase, a large bevy was nicely scattered in long grass. A very long cod line was fastened to his spike collar, and he was not permitted to get beyond control. .On the rise of the first bird, he started to chase with his customary vim, but the cod line held him, and he received a good thrashing. After the punishment, he would give himself a vigorous shake, not unlike that which a dog gives on com- ing out of water, and was then as calm and indifferent as if nothing had occurred. Briefly, he repeatedly flushed and was repeatedly whipped for about two hours in succes- sion ; his hide was completely checkered with welts, and a BREAKING AND HANDLING. 91 new whip was worn out on him ; but before the afternoon ended he would point. It might seem as if such severity was unnecessary, but, severe though it was, its effects were transient. It was necessary to keep a checkcord on him all summer, and, had his merits been ordinary, he would not have been worth the trouble of training. The whip- pings had to be repeated day after day during the whole season, till at last he would work steadily through combined habit and fear, although he never did become reliable. Even when trained, in his second season, if one fault was permitted to pass unpunished, he rapidly thereafter became unmanageable. Whipping never cowed him, and only had transient beneficial effects. A good thrashing before he was cast off in the morning always had salutary effects ; if not given then, it would be necessary shortly afterward. A dog of a colder nature never lived. He was naturally a self-hunter, and only hunted to the gun as a matter of arbitrary routine. Moral suasion would be as completely lost on him as would a puff of breath into vacuity. In applying punishment with the whip for faults in field work, due attention must be paid to contingent circum- stances, ones which perhaps may require the fault to be un- noticed. For instance, a dog might willfully flush a bevy, and immediately thereafter might point an out-lying bird ; if punished then, he is quite as likely to consider that the punishment was inflicted for pointing as for flushing. Sim- ple as this seems, there are many amateurs who will riot consider such circumstances, notwithstanding the bad effects which ensue. By disregarding such essentials, or not even considering them, a great deal of unnecessary and injurious punishment is inflicted, and complications pro- duced. Skillful trainers always use the whip or collar much less than amateurs. The latter are always disposed to apply excessive punishment from assuming that every g2 MODERN TRAINING. fault shown should be visited with instant and severe pun- ishment. Careful discrimination should be observed as to errors arising from inexperience, or accident, or design. With the average dog, mild corrections repeated with each recurrence of the fault will have much better effect than attempting to cure it at one effort. It is also worthy of note that heavy whippings, long continued, will have the some pernicious effects on the constitution that similar pun- ishment has from the spike collar. To such men as do not hesitate to kick their dogs (the number is not so few as might be supposed), there is but a waste of time in describing the worse than brutality of the act. Unhampered by the restraints of law and without fear from the known helplessness of their dogs, they simply show their real nature. when free from restraint. The whistle is a very important instrument in handling a dog when afield. It should have a full tone, of medium pitch, such whistle being easier to blow and more effective since it can be heard further than one which produces a shrill, thin tone, or a large one which produces a low, heavy one. A whistle is all that is necessary as a whistle. The metal double barreled affairs, with tones like a miniature fog horn, are cumbersome to carry, offensively noisy, and moreover are unnecessary. A metal whistle is very objectionable for constant use. The oxide, which is sure to accumulate, is very disagreeable to the taste, and it will make the mouth sore. In frosty weather, from being full of frost, it is particularly disagree- able. The hardness and weight of the metal are also un- pleasant to the teeth. The best whistles are made of wood, deer horn or cellu- loid, the latter being very neat, light, and of good tone; and all are free from the objectionable qualities of metal whistles. Whatever kind is used, it should have a mouthpiece so BREAKING AND HANDLING. 93 shaped that it can be held easily in the mouth without the assistance of the hands. When in use, it should be tied to the coat near the collar by a strong string, about twelve inches long, thus being convenient for use. Nearly all hunting coats have a small pocket near the collar, purposely for the whistle to be carried in. One whistle is sufficient for the purposes of handling or training a dog, although some good trainers use two or three, but the refinement partakes of unskillfulness, and be- sides it is unnecessarily troublesome. The tones of one whistle can be varied and modulated sufficiently to give distinct signals for all the purposes for which it is used. No dog can be considered as being well trained unless he is at least passably obedient to the whistle. He can be taught to perform any act to it that he is taught to observe by oral commands, but in practical work it is commonly used to give the signal Come in, the signal to turn at the end of a cast, or to turn when he is going in a straight line ahead of his handler. It can also be used advantageously to give a signal for a dog to go steadily and slowly when working on scattered birds; a low note, softly modulated, just loud enough to be heard, is much better than using the voice when birds are wild. The whistle is also used to give a note to attract the dog's attention that he may see a sig- nal of the hand. If the trainer has sufficient persistence, patience and skill, he can train his dogs so that they will work entirely to motion and whistle, this being more refined than the use of the voice; but such finish requires many working opportunities to educate the dog to such perfection, and the perfection is not attained till the second season. Continuous whistling is unnecessary, offensive, and defeats the purposes of a whistle. It loses all meaning and associ- ation when used in season and out of season. The habit grows, and eventually the trainer whistles unconsciously 94 MODERN TRAINING. and perpetually, whether there is need of it or not. Such is insufferably annoying to a companion, particularly if he has a well-broken dog at work. Professional handlers are not all free from this disagreeable practice, as may be ob- served in the methods of the more unskillful while handling their dogs at the field trials. Hence it is evident that the whistle should only be used when necessary, and then should always have the correct notes on it to signal the desired order. If the trainer should make a mistake in the signal and the dog should obey it, it is better to let him continue, as two or three different signals only tend to confusion. The error can be corrected a few minutes later. Nearly every trainer has his own peculiar signals, there being nothing conventional in this respect. At field trials particularly, it has been learned by experience that it is un- desirable to have uniformity of signals, one handler, when like signals are observed, being able to slyly manage another handler's dog. It is also very undesirable, when hunting with a companion, to have one's dog minding his compan- ion's whistle, or nice versa. . Many men acquire a bad habit of carrying the whistle in the mouth continually, therefrom frequently acquiring the habit of blowing it excessively. It looks much better to blow it when required and carry it in the pocket the re- mainder of the time; otherwise it will surely be blown un- necessarily, and the act will soon become habitual. When noise and violence once become a fixed habit, they are seldom cured. The checkcord has many useful places in a dog's educa- tion. It serves to keep him under control if he is unsteady on point, back, or to shot and wing. It is of constant use in giving the preparatory yard lessons. A braided checkcord is the best, it being more flexible and less liable to kinkiness. Different sizes are required for BREAKING AND HANDLING. 95 different dogs, and different purposes. For work in cover it is better to have it tarred. It is evident that a heavy, strong, obstinate dog requires a stronger line to hold him than a small or timid one; the larger line is easier to hold in the hands, and less painful also. A quarter inch line is large enough for all ordinary purposes with the average dog. In breaking confirmed cases of breaking shot or chasing, a three-eighth inch line is necessary. In teaching the first lessons in retrieving, a half inch rope is the right size, on account of less pain or injury to the hands. Long check- cords are seldom required. The shorter a checkcord is consistently with the purpose in view, the better. There is no occasion when one which is over twenty feet will be re- quired, except the instances where it is desired to give a bolter plenty of room to run with a long checkcord, to give him a snubbing; then it can be used to advantage. In gen- eral field work, a long checkcord becomes tangled, awkward to handle, and inefficient. Expert trainers use them only in special instances in field work, the greater part of the edu- cation being given without them; however, it is always advisable to carry one so that it is available for use if needed. It should be neatly coiled and tied so that it can be used instantly. One which is tangled and snarled is but a short remove from none. MODERN TRAINING. CHAPTER VI. COMMANDS. All signals and oral orders, to which the dog is taught obedience, may be considered under one generic head, namely, commands. The chief distinction is in the manner of delivery, and not in the mental activities which they pro- duce in the dog; considering the subject only as it relates to the dog's perceptive powers. The commands, by the medium of sound, such as those delivered with the voice, the whistle, the gun, or the sound produced by the whirr of wings, are conveyed to the cog- nition of the dog through the sense of hearing; the signals, by the sense of sight; a touch, by sense of feeling. Identi- cal meanings can be conveyed through the different senses by appealing to them under circumstances which come within their powers. Thus the order Drop, a command by voice, or the report of a gun, or the whirr of wings, is conveyed to the mind through the sense of hearing; the signal to drop is conveyed by the sense of sight;, a touch of the whip on the shoulder, which signifies that the dog is to drop, is per- ceived through the sense of feeling; yet each one of these commands, distinct in form, yet the same in meaning, can be associated alike in the mind with the same ideas and the associated act of obedience. As these are all the senses which are directly appealed to in enforcing obedience, the others are not worthy of consideration in this relation. By thus tracing these similarities of principles in conveying BREAKING AND HANDLING. 97 knowledge, and similarity of cognition in acquiring it, a more orderly and systematic theory and practice of training are established. Ordinarily, every distinct branch, some- times parts of the same branch, is considered and treated by authors as being not related either in methods or ideas, — a wholly erroneous conception. While the act of know- ing is through the mediation of entirely distinct organs of sense, the principle of training is the same in all branches, namely, to associate certain forms of obedience with certain fixed forms of command, whether such commands are sounds or signals. While it is necessary in training to associate the com- mand with the required act of obedience, it should not for a moment be considered that the dog's powers of under- standing are limited to a simple corresponding association of ideas. Such is merely the inceptive form of knowing and does not differ materially from the primary forms of teaching the infant human subject, as for instance, in object teaching; or the more complex forms in the adult, as asso- ciating certain ideas with certain words, certain sounds with certain objects, even if the objects are absent; certain ideas with certain other ideas, etc., which is abstract knowledge. The words of command and signals in common use are as follows: Come in is the order which denotes that the dog is to come directly to the handler without delay. A beckon of the hand has a like significance. A prolonged blast on the whistle is the order which has a corresponding meaning, although, in respect to the common use of the whistle, these are not constant or uniform signals. Hie on or go on is the order to begin hunting. If the dog is at heel, a click with the tongue, or a slight motion with the forefinger, are equivalent signals. Heel is the order which denotes that the dog is to pg MODERN TRAINING. get behind his handler and there remain until ordered out. A slight wave of the hand to the rear has the same significance. Drop, charge, down charge, denote that the dog is to lie down and remain in that position till ordered up. The right or left hand and forearm raised perpendicularly is the signal to drop. Hold up denotes that the dog is to stand up. A click of the tongue, or a motion of the finger, has alike significance. Dead, or dead bird, denotes that a bird which was shot at is killed, and that it is to be retrieved. It is generally combined in use with the order following. Find, seek, seek dead, denote that the dog is to search for a dead or wounded bird. Fetch is the order to retrieve. Some trainers use the order Bring, or bring it here, but it is not necessary to use more than a monosyllable in an order. Steady, or careful, denotes that the dog is to shorten his pace, and pay more heed when working for dead or scattered birds. To ho is the order to stop and stand still. It is now obsolete in field training and never had any practical use at any time, except in teaching backing. Over, or get over, is the order to jump a fence. Hi, or any other exclamation the trainer fancies, can be used to order a dog to desist from doing any undesirable act, such as chasing birds, rabbits or sheep, jumping a fence, etc. Twb or three short, sharp notes, or one long and one short note, may be blown on the whistle to denote that the dog is to turn and take another direction. As mentioned before, the trainer uses such notes as pleases his fancy. Care, however, should be taken to have a distinct note or notes for the different acts required. Some handlers teach the dog to drop to certain notes on the whistle, preferring BREAKING AND HANDLING. 99 this to using the voice, but such does not find general favor, and is unnecessary. Every command should be given in a firm tone, but the greatest care should be taken to use the ordinary tone of voice; and the ordinary demeanor should also be observed. No other tone or demeanor will be required if the dog is broken in a proper manner. After a time the ordinary tone becomes habitual; also loud tones and excited exterior be- come habitual if practiced, hence the necessity of avoiding objectionable habits. A dog can be taught to obey the slightest signals with the greatest nicety. . When he is too far away to distinguish them, the whistle comes into play. The awkward, ungraceful style of delivering signals with the arms widely extended and the whole frame stretched should be avoided. Some trainers unconsciously put force enough into a signal to give the impression that they lifted the dog along by main strength. A light, graceful motion is every bit as effective and much less laborious. It is surprising that a dog can be taught to obey a slight signal to such a degree of perfection. The common block trick which is performed by many trick dogs, illustrates the capacity of the dog to comprehend very slight sig- nals. For the benefit of those who never have seen it, it may be mentioned in this connection to show the uselessness of very demonstrative signals. A number of blocks, hav- ing the necessary letters or figures printed on them, are placed in a row a few inches apart. A certain name or number is given, the letters or figures of which the dog is to pick out in the correct order of succession to spell the word or notate the numbers correctly. The dog walks along the row, stops, picks out the correct letter or number, one at a time, and carries it to his trainer. This trick never fails to mystify the spectators. The eye of his master, though ap- 100 MODERN TRAINING. patently fixed, materially assists to direct him, and at a proper juncture, the trainer moves his toes in his shoe with- out moving the rest of his person, and the dog, observing the signal, picks up the block next to him. The order, ware, signifying that the dog is to desist from certain acts or intentions, is not used in this country. Exclamations should be used as little as possible, as they are not an artistic accessory to handling a dog. When a dog shows an intention to jump a fence when it is not desired that he should do so, instead of bellowing Ware fence! or Hi ! the handler should blow the signal on the whistle to turn, which is equally effective, if the dog is properly trained, and much more elegant. Promiscuous, purposeless orders will detract from the dog's interest, and if, unwisely, he is deceived intentionally many times, he becomes disobedient and indifferent. BREAKING AND HANDLING. CHAPTER VII. PREPARATORY TRAINING. Yard training consists in teaching the dog the proper acts of obedience to the respective orders, and prompt sub- mission to them. Sometimes the term house breaking is used erroneously as having a synonymous meaning, — this breaking, as the name implies, simply consists in teaching the dog correct everyday deportment and habits, when at liberty, in or about the house. In most instances, if a puppy is raised about the house, he, without any special training, forms correct habits from observation and associa- tion, keeping very intelligently within his proper sphere in the domestic economy. If he commits a fault, he is scolded or whipped for the offence, probably with no reference to his education; hence his house training is given uncon- sciously; however, by his powers of comprehension and im- itation, he learns a multitude of details himself. So familiar to every person is the sensible deportment of a dog which has had the liberty of the house from puppyhood, and so gradually and easily is his education aquired, that its very commonness causes it to be unnoticed, or accepted as a matter of course. The difference, however, is very apparent when a dog which has been kept constantly on a chain or in confinement is allowed his liberty; then all things are alike to him; he jumps on the bed or table, or capers in the parlor or kitchen with equal sang froid, and naturally from his inexperience considers the house a superior kind of IQ2 MODERN TRAINING. finely furnished kennel. He must then have experience to learn correct conduct; and when it is considered that this is learned in a year .or two, it is very creditable indeed when compared with the length of time necessary to teach some of the nobler organisms, and when it is compared with the crude behavior of the untaught said organisms. It is true that some dogs are dishonest. They will steal, but this trait appears to co-exist with high orders of reason. There are a few traits peculiar to the dog under domesti- cation which are exceedingly disagreeable at times, and which should be corrected. One of the most irritating is the common habit of affectionately placing the fore feet on the person of his master or a visitor. It is a source of extreme annoyance to the latter, particularly if neatly dressed. In muddy weather, it is extremely offensive to have paws loaded with mud placed on one's clothing, no matter how many prizes a dog may have won or how royal is his pedigree. The owner should not permit his affection for his dog to blind him to what is due to courtesy. The habit is easily and simply cured without any violence or injury to the dog's affections. When he places his fore feet upon the person, grasp a foot gently but firmly in each hand, speaking to him in the blandest tones and the choicest pet phrases, the manner being the perfection of kindness, at the same time stepping on his hind feet just hard enough to pinch them. He will soon endeavor to break away, notwith- standing the kindness of manner; but the punishment should be continued for a few moments before releasing him. Soon thereafter call him up and repeat the lesson. Usually two or three of these simple lessons are ample — he cannot then be induced to place his feet on the person. Occasionally, at long intervals, he may forget himself for a moment; but the slightest reminder adjusts him to instant correctness. By observing this simple training the dog will BREAKING AND HANDLING. 103 be a more desirable companion, and will have more friends. Another serious fault is the persistent and irritating habit of barking at passing strangers. Sometimes, when the owner is present, the dog will show a bravado spirit and will be louder and Ynore violent, presuming on immunity, from his master's presence. From habit, the act often becomes malicious. The dog should be broken of the obnoxious habit by whipping him when he is caught in the act. Instances are not infrequent where the habit caused an abrupt termination to an otherwise useful career. Men are not always in a humor to enhance a dog's pleasure by being a subject for his barking — dull men are unable to distinguish between the bark of a dog full of blue blood and that of a common cur. The very little trouble required to correct these faults makes neglect of them inexcusable. Yard breaking is very essential to satisfactory progress and skillful training. The advantages of teaching certain orders and acts, and establishing discipline separately, free from field complications, are obvious. If obedience is not taught to these orders in the yard, it must be taught in the field under much less favorable ciucumstances, and with much greater trouble, frequently to the injury of the dog's field work. The yard training should approximate as closely as possible in manner to that of actual field work, thus the transition from it to the other will be easily accomplished. Such training also avoids many objectionable and some- times extremely troublesome faults, such as blinking, bolt- ing, etc. In yard breaking, a dog may be taught obedience to the following commands and their corresponding signals, namely : Fetch, Find, Drop, Holdup, Go on, Come in, Steady, Dead or Dead bird, Heel, and numerous incidental details, as will be more particularly described hereafter. If the trainer teaches these orders thoroughly and at the same 104 MODERN TRAINING. time holds his dog's confidence and affection, he will have no difficulty in teaching their application in the field; on the other hand, if his dog is afrai'd of him or has learned to dislike him, he will have endless trouble and inferior results. In giving a yard lesson it should be done seriously and kindly. Any attempt of the dog to divert the lesson into a frolic at any period should be promptly but gently checked. The demeanor should be such that the dog will neither be encouraged to play nor anticipate violence. If the trainer is emotional and demonstrative the dog will learn to anticipate his intentions, not always to the benefit of the training. After a lesson is finished, the puppy may be encouraged to play, particularly if at all downcast ; but if he exhibits no unpleasant memories he may be left to his own will. To play with a puppy does not injure his training in the least, if not permitted during the lessons. It is an objectionable practice, however, to permit children to play with him. In playing he learns to carry sticks, old shoes, etc., and is apt to develop a hard mouth, besides learning undesirable cunning tricks, such as running away, hiding, etc., which by no means add to the pleasures of training. Amateurs always attempt to accomplish too much in one lesson. Usually they expect that a half dozen lessons ought to accomplish almost any educational purpose, whereas, with some dogs, that number of lessons will not make a perceptible beginning. It often happens that a dog is willing to obey but is una- ble to comprehend what is required, from the absence of all method on the part of the trainer. Mixed or various orders for the same act, or attempting to teach two or three differ- ent things at the same time, or abruptly changing from one thing to another before any one is half taught, will make progress slow and unsatisfactory ; such course is confusing BREAKING AND HANDLING. 105 and unskillful. One thing at a time should be the rule. The elementary details should be taught separately and thoroughly impressed on the dog's memory, and as he pro- gresses the details should be nicely graduated from the sim- ple to the more difficult. Proficiency in one detail is a fair standard by which to judge his fitness for learning the next. Too much is expected of a dog in too short a time. Con- sidering his natural short life it is wonderful what a variety of intelligent acts he acquires ; yet amateurs often expect a dog to learn an act in much less time than they could learn it themselves. The yard breaking should not be attempted until the puppy is at least eight months old; ten months old is better. He needs the freedom of puppyhood with its frolics and carelessness to gain common experience, and mental and physical development. It is not reasonable to expect much ability before the puppy approaches maturity. If the trainer desires to teach retrieving by the natural method, so called, he may begin when the puppy is five or six months old, and inasmuch as it is associated with playfulness, it does no harm. The methods of teaching obedience to the different orders are described under the following appropriate heads : Obedience to the order Come in is very easily taught if the lessons are given properly ; the whip has no place in these lessons. By giving the dog a palatable morsel when he is called in he soon learns to understand and obey the order when there is a reward in sight. However, he must be taught to come in promptly to order, reward or no reward. Disobedience or indifference should not be toler- ated. Put a spike collar with a rope about ten feet long attached to it upon him. Stand off a few feet and give the order Come in ; pull him in simultaneously by means of the rope. Repeat until he will come in promptly to order alone. I0f> MODERN TRAINING. When he comes in he should be petted and treated kindly. When he becomes fairly obedient a few lessons may be given in a securely inclosed yard, without using the collar unless necessary. Escape being impossible, he will soon obey promptly. A long checkcord can be used in giving him some lessons in the open fields if he is obstinate. They should be conducted so kindly and deliberately that the dog will not become shy or unduly frightened — this can be accomplished only by taking ample time, avoiding excite- ment, violent punishment, or loud orders. Make the dog feel that when he comes in he is safe. By the same means he can be taught obedience to whistle or signal. Extreme violence is an obstruction to progress. Go on, Hie on. — The instances are very rare in which it is necessary to give any special lessons to teach this order. It can be taught while giving the puppy exercise in the fields, and in conjunction with which it is constantly used. The inclination of the dog is to range or run without restraint, hence the order, Go on, is usually in accord with his inclination, and he therefore soon learns its meaning and eagerly waits for it. By associating the corresponding signal with the order, he, after a few opportunities, compre- hends its meaning, when the verbal order may be dispensed with. Or a click of the tongue is sufficient. If two dogs are in training as a brace, either one should be taught to leave heel and begin ranging when the trainer speaks the name of one or the other, or his name accom- panied with the proper signal to Go on. He can, if he pre- fers, teach each one a separate order ; such, however, is unnecessary, as the dog's name when so used is equivalent to an order, and much easier to remember and deliver with- out confusion. Occasionally a sulky dog will require to be forced from heel with the whip, but this should be consid- ered as a last resort. While it is an easy matter to drive BREAKING AND HANDLING. 107 him from heel, it is not so easy a matter to keep him from running away, therefore it must be applied with a great deal of tact. Just sufficient punishment to drive him from heel is all that is safe to apply. The whip, held threateningly in the hand, will deter him from returning. If left to himself without further interference, he usually trots about in a sulky or surprised manner for a while, then resumes work, the conditions being unfavorable for sulking. No orders should be given him after he is driven from heel till he regains his ordinary manner. There is a probability that if they were given he would bolt. If he is unusually cranky and obstinate, the method given under the head of Turning to Whistle may be advantageously used. Obedience to the order, Heel, is easily taught, yet it is necessary to exercise a great deal of judgment as to what period of the training it is best to teach it, such, in many instances, being an important consideration. Dogs which are energetic and eager to hunt at every opportunity may be taught it during the yard breaking. No attempt should be made to teach it to timid, cranky, gunshy or lazy dogs until they are well advanced in training, having outgrown their fears or failings, as the case may be. It is always bet- ter to wait until the dog hassettled to his work with interest and regularity. If the timid, gunshy or cranky dog is taught to remain at heel in obedience to an order, he im- proves on it by coming to heel voluntarily, and no efforts may thereafter induce him to hunt. Under such circum- stances the trainer is powerless. He can do no more than to walk patiently along until time effects a change, or some adventitious circumstances, such as a rabbit starting close by the dog, or the fluttering of a wounded bird, may stim- ulate him to make an effort to kill, whereupon he may range, seeking for more. With such, there is no remedy save time, kindness and favorable opportunities to chase I08 MODERN TRAINING. or kill. Lazy or sulky dogs, as aforementioned, can be driven from heel with the whip, yet it is frequently the case that they are not worth the trouble. To teach this order, the trainer leads the dog about in the yard or in the fields. When the dog presses to the front, or to one side, which he is sure to do, a sharp tap or two with the whip will drive him to the rear. At the same time, the order Heel is given in the ordinary tone of voice. Every attempt to walk elsewhere than at heel must be promptly checked. If the dog struggles or sags back in an ordinary kennel collar, put a spike collar on him, not necessarily to jerk him about, but simply to hold him in place. The spike collar alone is recommended by a few writers as the proper instrument to employ in teaching a dog to heel, but it is unnecessarily severe, and less effective than the whip and spike collar combined. All punishment should be avoided unless it is a necessity. After the dog comprehends the meaning of the order, the signal, a wave of the right or left hand downward to the rear, may be associated with it. When he will follow with any degree of certainty, he is sufficiently prepared for field work, as, in the primary lessons, there is every reason to avoid inculcating the act so thoroughly that it becomes habitual. Field training is the proper part wherein to per- fect obedience to this order. The dog is sent out to work betimes, there is something to interest him constantly, thus differing materially from the conditions of yard breaking. It is no particular trouble to teach it in the field without any yard lessons. The same method is used, when so taught; it has the advantage, when taught in field work, that the trainer can always tell accurately how the lessons are har- monizing with the rest of the training, and can thus con- duct them intelligently. Drop.—K few trainers use the spike collar exclusively BREAKING AND HANDLING. 109 in teaching the dog to drop, but it is an undesirable method, being unnecessarily severe in its effects, and awkward in its application. It being an inferior method, the manner of it is not worth describing. The spike collar, however, is val- uable as an auxiliary instrument, and as such is especially useful. It is not necessary to inflict severe punishment, or in- deed much punishment of any kind to teach this branch. Regularity and thoroughness are the most important factors. The proper position for a dog at the drop is to lie down with the body in nearly a straight line, and it is immaterial whether the hind feet are on one side of the body or one on each side; if taught to lie straight, he will eventually learn to drop squarely enough for all practical purposes, if prop- erly drilled in his lessons. He should not be permitted to curl up or roll on his back, both being undesirable positions, easily corrected in training. The painfully artificial attitudes which amateurs occa- sionally attempt to teach are extremely tiresome to the dog, and they are practically useless. The dog is required to lie with his fore legs extended straight in front of him, with head and neck in a straight line and resting between the fore legs; the hind legs being placed one on each side of his body, and resting squarely. To teach the dog to drop, procure a light riding whip or very light rawhide, not on account of their punishing qualities, but on account of the quickness and ease with which it can be used, being in this respect incomparably superior to the ordinary dog whip. A checkcord about four feet long should be tied to his kennel collar to keep him from running away. If he struggles against the kennel collar, a spike collar may be substituted until the attempts to escape are abandoned. The rope should be held in the HO MODERN TRAINING. left hand, the whip in the right. Give him a light tap on the shoulder, and, at the same instant, give the order, Drop. Repeat the tapping and order till he lies down. If he tries to escape or is frightened, the trainer has hurried too much or hit harder than was necessary, for no severity is needed or desired. A distinct interval should be allowed between each order. When the dog lies down, the punishment should cease instantly, and the attitude should be main- tained for a few minutes. If petted at this stage, he is very apt to rise, which is not desired. It is immaterial whether he performs the act with correctness, at first, the manner of doing it being then subordinate to teaching him the mean- ing of the order; yet he should not be permitted to roll on his back or curl up. The manner of doing it can be grad- ually improved upon as he comprehends the meaning of the command better. If he rolls on his back, give him a few sharp taps with the whip on his toes, giving only force enough to sting; he will then roll quickly back into the cor- rect position and draw his toes under him for protection. It he attempts to bolt, the rope is always in the left hand to prevent him from doing so— the rope serves no other pur- pose. After two or three corrections he cannot be induced to remain on his back. If he curls up, a few taps on the toes will likewise make him lie straight. He persistently avoids these positions when he learns to associate pain therewith. It is worthy of repetition that the dog should be given time to comprehend the lessons. If he is frightened or confused, there is so much time and effort wasted, if no worse. Forcing the dog quickly and repeatedly to lie down and stand up bewilders him so much that he comprehends nothing. For special parts of subsequent training, it is worthy of attention, in teaching the drop, that the whip be applied to BREAKING AND HANDLING. Ill the same part when used, the shoulder being preferable. The dog soon learns that a touch on the shoulder is an order of itself; if so applied invariably, and instant obedi- ence required, he can be taught to drop at a slight touch. This method is particularly useful in teaching dropping to wing and shot. Using the whip promiscuously and harshly always, naturally prompts the dog to run away if he pos- sibly can do so; besides, it is more unskillful, troublesome and inefficacious than in following a systematic course which has every detail properly associated with the required act of obedience. After he has a fair comprehension of the order, he may be then drilled in dropping to signal, the right or left hand raised being the signal in common use. This signal should be used for a longer or shorter time with the order. Grad- ually, as the dog becomes obedient, the order may be used less and less ; at last the signal alone will be sufficient. The trainer should always take pains to stand a little in front of the dog, so that he can readily see the signal ; and if he has been taught to drop to a tap of the whip on the shoulder, it will materially assist to teach obedience quickly, easily and perfectly. When the dog is fairly well trained, instant obedience should be exacted. If, at the signal, the dog does not drop on the instant, the whip should follow immediately ; however, always be sure that the dog sees the signal. Such is the method of teaching any dog of average dispo- sition. But if the dog is obstinate or sour, the punishment may be applied more liberally, due regard always being paid to the purposes of the training. It is necessary to teach the order very thoroughly, as it is in constant use in field work while training and hunting. Hold up. — As soon as the dog is fairly obedient to the order Drop, he may be taught obedience to the order Hold H2 MODERN TRAINING. up in the same lessons, observing the same policy in respect to deliberation that has been mentioned heretofore. The spike collar now comes usefully into play with some dogs. It should be put on, with a rope about four feet long attached to it. It is not required to inflict severe punish- ment ; on the contrary, it will accomplish the purpose with less punishment than any other means. When the order Hold up is given, the collar should be jerked lightly with the left hand, which usually will be sufficient to force the average dog promptly to his feet. If he is sour and obsti- nate, apply the whip smartly to his toes with the right hand until he rises, which he will very soon do, then he should be petted till his fears subside, if he has any. He may then be ordered to drop, and the training in rising to order repeated. He may obey the order readily if the handler is moving away from him, and refuse if he is motionless. Obedience must be given to the order whether the handler is in motion or at rest. The lessons should be regularly continued till the dog obeys either order cheerfully and promptly, without the need of either whip or collar. A beckon with the forefinger is the easiest and most natural signal for the command Hold up. By associating the order and signal the latter is taught in like manner as described in teaching other signals. The dog is not suffi- ciently obedient unless he will drop instantly when the hand is elevated, or rise when the beckon of the finger is given. If the amateur cannot enforce unhesitating obedience when he has the dog in a position where he is powerless to evade obeying orders, he has very little hope of doing so when the dog has his liberty in field work. The short rope should not be dispensed with till the dog is obedient. A few lessons may then be given in a room or yard from which he cannot escape ; for when the rope is removed he may refuse to obey, and hence the precaution BREAKING AND HANDLING. 113 necessary to prevent the possibility of his running away. He then should be trained without the rope. No com- promise is admissible. If he goes into a corner or sneaks up to the feet of his trainer, he should be taken back instantly to the place where he should have dropped, and a cut of the whip given; he should then be required to remain quiet till ordered up. If he is allowed to select his own place to drop, he has a feeling of security and immunity which is not favorable for subsequent discipline in the open field. When he is obedient in the yard he may be given lessons in the open fields, yet he must at first be kept under some restraint to put a proper finish to his yard breaking. One end of a quarter inch line, about twenty feet long, should be tied to his spike collar, the other end tied to a stake firmly driven into the ground. Make him drop close to the stake. Walk away from him and if he attempts to follow, return him to his place and make him drop, giving him a cut with the whip. Walk away about twenty yards, then around him, and correct any unsteadiness exhibited by him. When he is trained so that he will remain steady while the trainer walks or runs, he may be considered as being trustworthy. These lessons should be given in different places in the fields; for a dog from the familiar associations may be obe- dient in the place in which he is trained, and disobedient in all others. Whether he will be run thereafter with a check- cord, or whether he will have all the training necessary at this stage, will depend on whether he is obedient or whether he evinces no disposition to run away, etc., which his trainer can determine. One thing is certain, when the dog is put into actual work, the talent and industry or inefficiency of the trainer in giving the preparatory lessons will not fail to show itself; any imperfection adds just so much to the trouble of training in the field and under less favorable circumstances. H4 MODERN TRAINING. Very few dogs require all these formalities and training to perfect them in this branch; yet inasmuch as every dog differs more or less in temperament from every other dog, some parts will do for one, some for another, and an occa- sional one will require the whole course combined with the best judgment of his trainer; but there is one part that must be observed with all dogs, namely, regularity and de- liberate training. In teaching a dog to drop to shot, caps may be exploded, or a common 22-caliber blank cartridge exploded in a rifle or pistol. If the dog is at all gunshy, no greater folly could be committed than to attempt to teach him to drop to shot. Just the same methods should be used as in teaching a dog to drop to an order delivered by the voice, the report of the gun having precisely the same significance. The other training, relating to the same thing, will enable the trainer to teach this part very expeditiously. The orders Charge and Down Charge have fallen into disuse with expert sportsmen; besides, they are meaningless and inelegant. Toho is the order which denotes that the dog is to stop and stand still. With expert trainers, the order has fallen into disuse, the improvement in methods and greater knowl- edge of the dog's nature rendering it superfluous. The old theory was that it served a useful purpose in teaching the dog how to point and back, or in restraining him when road- ing. Amongst an unskilled class some very efficacious pow- ers were supposed to be inherent in it. Amateurs frequently use it; they will give the order Toho to an unsteady dog which had never been taught its meaning; yet it had about the same beneficial effect that it had on any dog, taught or untaught. It is a wholly useless and superfluous order, as, if it is de- sired to stop the dog, it can be done more perfectly by BREAKING AND HANDLING. 115 making him drop. To perpetually and unnecessarily stop a dog when he is roading or drawing on birds, is the height of field stupidity or inexperience. The dog, if properly trained, understands his work and requires no mistaken attempts at assistance from his handler. It is extremely painful to be afield with a companion who is crying " To-ho! — to-ho-o-o! — to-Jio-o-o!!" every time his dog scents game; the more so that the dog, from experience with the gentle fail- ings of his master, ignores the tumult. If he is a timid dog, it balks him perpetually. Even if it had the benefits claimed for it, they are of no importance when compared to the trouble of teaching it thoroughly. The true method of training and handling a dog in roading and pointing, is described under the appropriate heads. For the benefit of those, however, who have a veneration for the customs and methods of the past, the mode of teaching it will be de- scribed. It is very simple. A piece of cord about five or six feet long is tied to the dog's collar. The rope is held in one hand, close up to the collar, during the first lessons; and a whip is held in the other hand. The first part to be taught is to make the dog stand still. A piece of meat or other tempting morsel is placed on the floor a few feet in front of him where he can see it. He must not be permitted to lie down or move restlessly. Nothing but the most rigid obedience fulfills the purpose. Hold him steady with the collar and tap him with the whip every time he stirs, repeat- ing the order Toho as the occasion requires. He will claw and struggle to reach the meat at first, but his attempts must be defeated, and he must be forced to stand still. After he will stand without struggling, give the order Go on and let him spring forward and eat the meat. After he has a fair comprehension of his trainer's intent from repeated lessons, and will stand when his trainer is a few feet away from him, he may be taught to obey signals, the hand held Il6 MODERN TRAINING. forward in an attitude of caution (or any other signal the trainer chooses) being the signal to stand still; a wave of the same hand is an order to Go on. When the dog is perfectly taught, he, in conjunction with performing the act, can be moved forward five or six inches at a time and stopped instantly by signals, every movement being deli- cately responsive and sympathetic to the slightest signal of the hand. It is very pretty as a trick. When steady to orders in the house, it is then necessary to finish the Toho in the field without any reference to direct hunting; after this it is necessary to give him more lessons when working on birds. No matter how steady he may be to the order when no birds are present, he generally pays no attention to it when on game, unless he is of a very honest, submissive disposition, and such dog does not require it. Several weeks must be devoted to teaching it perfectly, and this labor greatly exceeds the labor necessary to steady the dog in a proper manner. If the trainer should persist in training obedience to it to the exclusion of the real purposes of a dog in field work, he will have to so completely subjugate him that he has no self-reliance, but simply and slavishly looks to his handler for instructions at every turn, the worst possible stage of over-training. The author, in his early attempts at training, diligently taught the Toho, because it was after the methods pre- scribed by recognized, authorities on training. The insuffi- ciency of it in the field in contrast to the charming powers ascribed to it by the authors was difficult to reconcile; however, it was assumed that more experience would bring a better understanding of it. The writer was a long while in unlearning this, with a mass of other like rubbish which was learned with much trouble and practiced faithfully. It is simply a method which found favor when methods were crude and the dog's nature misunderstood; and the method BREAKING AND HANDLING. U7 has been perpetuated theoretically, by constant repetition. In an experience at field trials covering several years and an experience in field shooting with expert trainers, the writer never heard the order Toko used by them in a single instance. However, it can be used to advantage in steady- ing a dog in backing, although it is more trouble than to teach the backing. The orders Fetch, Seek, etc., are associated with the act of retrieving, and are described under the appropriate head. MODERN TRAINING. CHAPTER VIII. RETRIEVING. Different strains of pointers and setters respectively, vary greatly in their natural capabilities for retrieving; some take special delight in it, others are indifferent or dislike it; a few learn quickly and correctly, and such are usually will- ing retrievers during their lives. The greater number learn well by careful training; while a small percentage, either from stupidity, dislike or functional imperfections, such as poor nose, or all combined, never attain more than mediocrity. Very obstinate individuals are met with in both breeds occasionally; but as between pointers and setters, the former will learn to retrieve much more willingly and quickly, a pointer of resolute obstinacy and self-will being very excep- tional. However, owing to physical advantages of coat, and greater dash and powers of endurance, the setter, when trained, is the superior retriever — this comparison is in re- spect to them as a class, for there are individual pointers which are most excellent retrievers and individual setters which are worthless. Obstinate setters, ones of the most determined obstinacy and self-will, are not uncommon, and during their preliminary training, when they fully compre- hend what is required of them and how to perform it, they will yield only under severe punishment; yet, when dogs of this character are once properly subjugated and comprehend the purpose and application of their lessons, they become BREAKING AND HANDLING. 1 19 thoroughly and permanently obedient, often making first- rate performers. Rarely will one be found which is wholly worthless, or which will not be taught. Perfect retrieving can be established only by the greatest care and fidelity in teaching details, and punctuality in the preparatory lessons. If it is taught at all, it is worthy being taught perfectly, for it is an eminently useful accomplish- ment, it being a necessity in field shooting, and, when per- formed correctly, a source of pleasure to the sportsman. Poor retrieving mars the best of sport; indeed, if the re- triever has acquired vicious habits such as mutilating birds, running a"way with them, etc., he is much worse than none. Notwithstanding its indispensable value in successful field work, it at times in the first or perhaps also in part of the second season, is the source of objectionable traits in relation to other parts of field work which are more or less associated with it. This, of course, has no reference to such dogs as are used as special retrievers; but such, for upland shooting, seldom find favor in this country, sportsmen pre- ferring that a dog is both a finding dog and a retriever. The objectionable traits usually disappear as the dog ma- tures and gains in experience. One of the most annoying faults is when a puppy, from taking great interest in cap- turing a dead bird and delight in the act, develops an over-eagerness and a consequent disposition to break shot when a bird is killed; the necessary efforts to steady him may dampen his ardor temporarily. Again, he may be an- noyingly and obstructingly persistent in searching for a real or imaginary dead bird whenever the gun is fired; so thor- oughly determined are some dogs in this respect that even if led quite a distance away so that they may resume hunt- ing for live birds, they will immediately return to complete the search to their satisfaction. This offensive habit is commonly associated with retrieving in the early stages of I2O MODERN TRAINING. field work. It is particularly undesirable when practiced among scattered birds, as, when ordered on, the dog is wholly intent on finding the dead bird, and in his rapid, short casts to and fro never fails to heedlessly flush all the remaining birds. However, with experience, an intelligent dog will learn, from his own observation, whether a bird is killed or not, and will thereafter, with proper handling, work correctly according to the requirements. If he should, nevertheless, show no improvement from his own knowledge, the gun may be fired in likely places for birds, but when no birds are present, then permit the dog to search till he is satisfied, neither attempting to restrain nor encourage him. Repeat the deception as many times as are necessary, and generally he will soon learn to distinguish between when a bird is killed and when not.' If he should be an exceptional case and persist in the habit regardless of this treatment, the whip must come into use; but it must be applied with great caution, and is rarely necessary at all. The handler should trust more to regular work and moderate restraint than to pressure by punishment. If the puppy breaks shot to retrieve, the greatest caution must be observed in steadying him; his disposition and the effects of punishment on him should be carefully noted, and all treatment modified to harmonize with his peculiarities. Otherwise, the attempts to steady him may impair his re- trieving, pointing or finding, or all, inasmuch as he may construe the punishment as relating to these acts instead of the act of unsteadiness. However poorly he may perform in any part, nothing should be done that will develop a fear of birds, or a blinker. This may be guarded against by conducting the training slowly, making the dog a steady retriever by imperceptible gradations of advancement. An aged dog, in some instances, from insufficient experience, dull powers of observation or bad handling, will have no BREAKING AND HANDLING. 121 comprehension of retrieving aside from the simple act of carrying the bird to his handler, which is but one detail which goes toward making a skillful retriever. A first-class retriever must be intelligent so that he may have the capability of acquiring a full knowledge of all the details of retrieving, and its purposes; he must have a nat- ural fondness for it; he must be steady to shot, must seek diligently for a dead bird when ordered to do so; must be prompt and obedient to commands whether verbal or by a motion of the hand or gun; he must have a keen nose and a tender mouth, and must work for his handler, qualities which in their entirety are rarely possessed by one dog. If the retriever is accomplished in addition to the foregoing, he understands his work so that he can conduct it without orders or assistance. He, whenever possible to do so, will mark the flight of a wounded bird, or the place where it fell, with wonderful precision, even though the flight was a long one. The slightest irregularity of flight, at times so slight as to be imperceptible to the shooter, is intently watched and noted with perfect accuracy; if the bird does not drop in sight, he estimates, with rare judgment, the fall of it, and by the aid of a keen nose, soon finds it, and retrieves cheerfully, quickly and tenderly, without any supervision. This degree of perfection is only reached when the dog has full expe- rience and has not been hampered by bad training. With dogs as a class, retrieving is usually the most diffi- cult branch to teach to perfection. The amateur may suc- ceed very well by devoting the proper attention to the yard lessons, but, from a passion for shooting, may neglect to give the proper attention to it in field work, hence it is rarely taught with the nicety it should be and is capable of receiving. If the amateur should unfortunately have an obstinate 122 MODERN TRAINING. subject for his first attempts, he should not be discouraged, for persistency and skill will subjugate the most difficult ones. After one has been taught, subsequent attempts will be easier. Intelligent dogs usually learn quickly, but the first attempt, whether difficult or otherwise, should not be considered a standard for all. It requires an extensive ex- perience to thoroughly understand dogs in general. Still, the amateur by carefully studying the disposition of the dog which he is training and avoiding that pernicious failing of all amateurs, namely, hurry, can apply his efforts with suc- cess if he has any talent for training. The professional trainer knows precisely what course to pursue with a dog of any disposition; the inexperienced amateur must make his advances by carefully noting effects. There is no part of training in which a calm exterior is more necessary than in teaching retrieving; and if the trainer cannot proceed with deliberation and consideration, he is misdirecting his efforts, and only very imperfect success can be attained. A dog soon learns to interpret any inauspicious expressions of countenance, and if he is at liberty he will bolt; if not at liberty, he is in such a state of perturbation through antici- pation that his mind is entirely diverted from his lesson. It is noticeable that the amateurs who bring their dogs to a certain rough degree of training are always of the noisy, bellowing order, and if the dogs so trained could tell of their training, they would relate the history of a miserable life. The retrieving of pointers and setters, if they are good finding dogs, should be confined strictly to upland work. Duck retrieving, if it is made partially or wholly the dog's regular work, never fails to induce rheumatism, deafness, stiff joints, or a broken constitution and premature old age. Many setters and pointers will retrieve ducks excellently well, but in cold weather they perform from pure courage and BREAKING AND HANDLING. 123 intense liking for the sport. Not infrequently they work simply as an act of obedience. It is requiring too much of them. They have not the strength of limb or hardiness of body or constitution necessary to withstand the effects of the severe labor and exposure. There is no more pitiable sight than that of a good setter or pointer, shivering violently be- tween shots, fatigued from violent exertion and chilled to the marrrow from exposure to ice, cold and mud, water and raw winds. They have not the natural properties for the work that the Chesapeake Bay dog and Irish water spaniel have. The former is stockier in structure, heavier in bone and muscle, denser in coat, and is a much more powerfully built dog in every respect, as is necessary to meet the re- quirements of his special work. Extremely cold water, or work in mud and ice, does not have the distressing effect on him that it does on the setter and pointer. The Irish water spaniel has an extremely heavy, oily coat, and is very powerful in proportion to his size. Both these breeds are naturally water dogs, working in water from choice. The setter and pointer love water at such times as they are warm from exertion, but they do not favor cold water in cold weather. Too often the mere fact that they will retrieve ducks is taken as sufficient evidence that they are consti- tutionally fitted for the work. Aside from humane consid- erations, the value of the dog as a hunter is, by duck re- trieving, first impaired and afterward gradually destroyed. In common practice, there are two methods of teaching retrieving, namely, the forcing system and what is commonly called, or miscalled, the natural method. As these systems differ materially in details, they will be described under separate heads. THE NATURAL METHOD. This method is applied by taking advantage of the 124 MODERN TRAINING. puppy's natural inclination to frolic, and carry objects in his mouth from playfulness; therefore the best time in which the puppy can be taught after this system is in puppyhood. Puppies, when playing alone, often take an old shoe, bone, or other object, in their mouths, toss it in the air, and run about with it. With the staid, aged dog, this method has very little value, such dog being too matured in intelligence to be deceived into considering a dry lesson an amusement, particularly when there is such a very small element of fun in it. Occasionally a very good retriever is made by the so-called natural method. The term is misleading in its meaning, as no dog retrieves naturally, although some learn with very little training. As applied in training, the term is used simply in contradistinction to the method in which force is applied. A vacant room is the best place in which to give the lessons, it serving the double purpose of preventing outside incidents from diverting the puppy's attention, and restrain- ing his freedom within proper bounds. It, is decidedly de- sirable to have no spectators, it being self-evident that the trainer should have the puppy's undivided attention in his lessons, which he cannot have unless he is alone. The whole method is comprised in training the puppy, by insensible gradations, from carrying an object in play for his own amusement, to carrying it to command, for his mas- ter's pleasure. All the different moods and peculiarities of the puppy must be carefully noted, taking advantage of those which are favorable, and guarding against those which are unfavorable. Simply by constant practice he learns the meaning of the orders, and obedience is established by force of habit. A matter of prime importance to remember is that, in the actual work of the dog which is taught after this system, since he obeys of his own will, and the trainer is BREAKING AND HANDLING. 125 entirely without any compulsory means to enforce retrieving if the dog once refuses, the most uniform kindness must always be associated with this branch of his work, otherwise when it ceases to be a pleasure, or when he resents pun- ishment, he may quit permanently as a retriever. The usual manner of beginning this training is to engage the puppy's attention to a ball or glove, at the same time, by little artifices commonly known, exciting his playfulness. Assuming that the ball is used, it is then thrown gently out: the puppy will, in most instances, run after it and pick it up. If he does not, his playfulness must be excited by tying a handkerchief to the end of a stick and waving it, or skim it along the ground in front of him; at all events, his playful- ness must be developed by some means, else the matter there ends. For the same reason he must be permitted to have a great deal of latitude in carrying and playing with the ball, in the beginning, during several lessons. In these early stages, more effort should be made to amuse the puppy than to make him obedient, thereby gaining his per- manent interest in the lessons, as a habitual diversion. After that is accomplished, the training can commence. When the ball is thrown out, the command Fetch should be given simultaneously therewith, and by many times repeating the order co-incidentally with the act, he will learn to associate the two, and from habit will obey. When he is proficient in this stage, he is ready for the next. When the ball is thrown out, hold him by his collar a few moments thereafter, then when he is released give the order Fetch. If he strug- gle to break away while being held, he should be held firmly without alarming him. He can gradually be held longer and longer, accordingly as his interest and fondness for frhe play will admit, till at length he will be steady and retrieve to order. If he is amused properly, he will have a passion- ate delight in the lessons, and by easy intermediate stages, 126 MODERN TRAINING. he is trained from carrying and fetching, in play, to retriev- ing to command; still, he retains more or less playfulness in his work until he reaches the natural steadiness and se- dateness of maturity. His playfulness, however, can be judiciously suppressed to a certain degree, /. properly trained, he will not need either checkcord or collar at this stage to prevent his running away; but if there is any danger of bolting, it is better to take the proper precautions against it. It is better to guard against running away if he evinces the slightest inclination to do so, for if he runs away once he will be constantly on the alert for another opportunity, and it may require weeks of discipline to correct the carelessness of a moment. After each lesson, when the collar is taken off, the dog should not be released immediately, but should be held and BREAKING AND HANDLING. 149 petted until he has regained his self-confidence and cheer- fulness. A short run, giving him perfect freedom, will serve to keep a good understanding between handler and dog, particularly if the dog is kindly noticed betimes. No train- ing in actual field retrieving should be attempted between lessons before the dog is reliably obedient; it never fails to end in trouble or failure, frequently it causes the dog to bolt. Thus we have followed the dog's progress step by step through the simple act of fetching an object; we now con- sider some accessory acts which are necessary to give it an approximate resemblance to the manner of field work. When the dog will fetch in the early lessons with a fair de- gree of certainty, the cob can be thrown out and the dog held by his collar for a few moments, then give the order Fetch. This should be repeated a sufficient number of times in a sufficient number of lessons till he is familiar with it. If he has been taught to drop, which as a matter of course should be done in separate lessons, he may be required .to drop and remain steady when the cob is thrown out, until he receives the order Fetch. It will be necessary to use the checkcord in these lessons. They should be con- tinued until he is perfectly steady to the drop when any object is thrown out, and will not stir till ordered to re- trieve. If he is over-enthusiastic and willing, do not de- stroy his confidence by severity. Restrain him mildly with the checkcord, and it is an easy matter to keep him at the drop, without violence. When he understands what is required, he will gradually submit. Hence it is apparent that jerking the dog about is unnecessary. When he is given the order to Fetch, do not balk him by immediately afterward commanding him to drop. It con- fuses him and is no part of field work in any relation. When a puppy is sent to retrieve there are no half way I50 MODERN TRAINING. measures about it. This is a very common and vicious fault with amateurs, and a very obstructive one in many cases. It is desirable that the dog retrieve with a high head, or at least delivers the bird to hand in such manner. He can be habituated to this manner by giving him a reward when he fetches the bird or by petting him, and refraining from taking the bird from him until he holds his head up. Some sportsmen prefer that the retriever will assume a sitting posture while delivering the bird; such has no special value, but is considered as being more elegant. To make it a part of the act of retrieving, it should be taught in separate lessons at first. Tie a rope to his collar, tap him gently over the hips till he sits down; the trainer can pre- vent him from lying down with the rope. A snap of the fingers is all the order that is necessary at first; later he can be taught to obey a slight motion of the hand alone. The lessons should be continued until he is obedient to the signal. While in a sitting position he maybe given rewards, and will soon learn to be seated for them. When perfected, it may then be added to retrieving. Even when he will perform accurately, the lessons must be continued during some weeks to establish a lasting disci- pline. His powers of observation by cultivation are also improved, and by association he becomes affectionately attached to his trainer. The lessons can be given under different surroundings, such as different places in the fields while giving him a run, different places about the yard, and different objects. He can be trained to retrieve a piece of steak, an egg, a bunch of keys, or other small objects, but these partake of the nature of a trick. If the trainer lives in a section where he can procure quails, snipe, woodcock and prairie chickens, he can make his dog a finished retriever on each kind. The lessons under different surroundings BREAKING AND HANDLING. 151 should not be neglected. As intimated in other places in this work, obedience may b'e given to orders under the con- ditions and surroundings which prevailed when the dog was taught, and he may absolutely refuse under all other condi- tions, except force is used. In the preparatory yard and field lessons, it is beneficial to give the dog some discipline in carrying the bird steadily for several minutes, while following his trainer. Also drop the bird slyly in such a place that the dog will come across it. If he picks it up without any order, after he carries it a short distance relieve him of it, and praise him generously. This lesson should be repeated until the dog will pick up the bird without any order, and without feeling his trainer's eye upon him, for the eye has a great controlling influence over a dog. It is advisable to repeat this lesson betimes in the field. It has an application in regular shooting; occa- sionally the dog will find a dead or wounded bird which the shooter shot at, but was not conscious of hitting. When the dog finds a bird some distance away from his handler, he should retrieve it without orders. If trained nicelyj he will take a great deal of pride in so doing, knowing well that it is commendable. Occasionally a dog of superior intelligence will voluntarily retrieve a bird which he acci- dentally finds; but a few lessons while training are not injurious or troublesome, and they should not be neglected when they so particularly enlarge the scope of a dog's ideas and usefulness. In introducing him to the first actual retrieving to the gun, some precautions are necessary to insure a correct beginning. If the dog is gunshy, excessively timid, bird- shy or unsteady to wing or shot, he is not ready for field retrieving until these are cured; otherwise objectionable complications are sure to arise which may require weeks to cure. Notwithstanding all the care expended on his pre- 152 MODERN TRAINING. liminary training, under the excitement of the presence of birds, the smell of blood and the instinctive desire to kill, he may show a determination to crush his birds and may entirely forget about retrieving. This transitionary stage is the troublesome one in field retrieving, and it is very brief if managed skillfully. Leave the spike collar on him during the first few retrieves. No checkcord. is necessary. Walk up with him to the bird and make him fetch it properly. If he evinces any intention to bite it, put on the elastic bands and nails hereinbefore mentioned, throw out the bird and let him rush on it without restraint. When he closes on it he receives a lesson which he never forgets. He may then refuse to retrieve it to order, but can be easily forced to do so. When he retrieves the first few birds they should be thrown out several times, arid the dog required to retrieve them. Rigid formality in details is necessary in the begin- ning; at a later period it is not so necessary. By starting him properly in field retrieving in this manner, he is a tender-mouthed, obedient retriever for life, and by a little care in handling, the quality of his work can be improved by experience, or at least maintained at a uniform grade of excellence at all times. Hunting him in company with badly trained dogs will be sure to injure his retrieving. Under no circumstances should two dogs be sent at the same time to retrieve a dead bird. From jealousy or rivalry one will attempt to take it away from the other, the bird is mutilated, and the dog has learned something he ought not to learn. An expert trainer can make two dogs search for a dead bird, but the moment that one dog finds it, the other is dropped to a sig- nal or quiet order; but few amateurs have their dogs so perfectly under control as to justify them in attempting this performance. Bad tricks are acquired with wonderful quickness, by imitation and natural predisposition, hence BREAKING AND HANDLING. 153 the constant need of guarding against the company of half- broken dogs. Mutilating the birds is perfectly natural to the dog, birds being part of his natural prey, therefore mu- tilating is only bad in so far as it is against the purposes of the handler; yet this shows the need of taking precautions against circumstances which may unnecessarily excite his destructive propensities. A few individuals learn readily to mark the fall of a dead bird, or the flight of a wounded bird. A retriever having this accomplishment is incomparably superior to one which needs assistance at every retrieve. The one goes directly to the bird, the other has to search tediously for it. A little assistance can be contributed toward developing this accomplishment, by standing in an open field a few yards away from the edge of some timber, which is not so dense as to entirely obstruct the view. By throwing objects into the timber for him to retrieve, he may learn to mark their flight and fall, if due care is taken to have him see them when they are thrown. Such lessons will materially assist to develop intelligent dogs, but there are dogs which never learn more than the mere acts of seeking and fetching. The proper time to begin the lessons in retrieving after the training has begun varies greatly according to the dis- positions of different dogs. An obstinate dog can be benefited by making retrieving his first lesson. The sub- jugation which always results from skillful use of the collar is general in its effects — he is more thoroughly obedient in every part of training. The timid dog should be permitted to gain courage and assurance by freedom in the field before being forced to retrieve. The trainer will do wisely to note all the peculiarities of his dog, and if there is any reason for or against forcing the dog to retrieve at a certain time, the trainer should defer it accordingly. If the amateur is not pressed for time, it is better to simply give the yard lessons 154 MODERN TRAINING. in retrieving in the first season and finish the field retrieving in the second season. By this course many of the undesir- able features which casually appear in the puppy's first field work are avoided. To recapitulate, do not hurry; teach one detail at a time; hold the dog's affections; be governed largely in the applica- tion of /orce by the dog's disposition; give the lessons punct- ually and repeatedly, to the end that obedience becomes habitual; correct all casual faults as they appear, and remem- ber that the collar is simply an instrument to make the dog pick up a bird and carry it, a very small part of perfect retriev- ing. The comprehension of its purposes, the knowledge of all details concerning it, can be acquired only by experience and skillful handling when afield. When it is applied prop- erly, it is a combination of the best parts of the two sys- tems, /. e., the natural method and the force system. The compulsory pressure is only required in the beginning; if the trainer does not succeed in dispensing with force after that period, he has failed to understand the application of the art. The manner in which a dog is trained to retrieve when working as one of a brace is described under the head of Brace Work. find, Seek, Seek Dead. These commands are used inci- dentally with retrieving. They denote that the dog is to search for a dead or wounded bird which has fallen to the gun. The trainer teaches him obedience to one or the other of these orders, but such order should be given to the exclusion of all others, when once taught, different orders tending to confusion. The preparatory training in this can be given in early puppyhood, it being an adjunct to the natural method of teaching retrieving; still, there is no special advantage in teaching it so early. It being made pleasurable and profit- BREAKING AND HANDLING. 155 able to the puppy without being fatiguing, it is easily under- stood and readily learned. Punishment is inadmissible and unnecessary. It is one of the few methods that, from its simplicity, has not been susceptible of improvement, the old methods therefore holding good. The lessons may be given in any suitable place, in the house, yard or field, according as the state of the weather or the inclination or convenience of the trainer dictates. The trainer provides himself with about fifteen or twenty small pieces of meat, weighing- each about a half ounce or ounce. He takes but one piece in his hand at a time while giving the lesson, the rest being placed in a position where the dog cannot smell or reach it. If all of it is held in the hand, it will wholly engage his attention, thus impeding the lesson. If in the fields, place a piece of the meat on the grass, permitting the dog to note the proceedings, since it is desir- able that he should know where the first few pieces are con- cealed, so that his interest will be excited. Lead him three or four steps away, then give the order Find, releasing him at the same instant, whereupon he will go directly to the meat. After a few pieces have been given in this manner, he knows that, when he hears the order, there is something desirable to search for. The method is then slightly changed. He is required to find the meat without any pre- vious knowledge of its whereabouts. Place one hand over his eyes, or throw out the meat when he is not looking, then give the order, Find. If he is backward in his attempts, or gives up the search quickly, assume an air of interest and pretend to search for it yourself, engaging his attention also in it. By observation and imitation, he will soon learn to search keenly for it, particularly if the trainer takes the pre- caution to give the lesson when the dog is hungry. With an indolent dog it occasionally is beneficial to pretend to 156 MODERN TRAINING. find the meat yourself and withhold it from him, thus he will be stimulated to greater eagerness to find it himself at the next effort. These lessons should not be practiced too long or too frequently; once a day is sufficient for training purposes. When the dog comprehends the meaning of the order and will search for the meat with more or less diligence, it should not be concealed on the ground thereafter, else he will thereby certainly acquire a habit of putting his nose to the ground when searching, and if the habit is confirmed, he may continue it in actual field work. In the fields, a piece of meat can be placed in the fork of a bush, or other object, low enough for the dog to reach with ease. In the yard, small nails can be driven into convenient objects, as, for instance, posts, barrels, the corner of a building, etc. A piece of meat is placed on one and he is required to search till he finds it. The piece must be changed from place to place with each successive attempt, else he will remember each place accurately and go directly from one to the other. By practice he will grow wonderfully cunning and successful in his search. As he improves, he may be taught to obey signals of the hand, a wave to the right or left denoting that he must search accordingly. Generally, from observing that it assists him to success, he quickly learns the meaning of the signal. It is unwise to drag the meat on the ground to have him trail it, and also to conceal it so securely that the dog will have unnecessary difficulty in finding it. If the act closely approximates to that required in actual field work, it is sufficient. When he is diligent and obedient, the transitionary stage between working for his own profit and working for that of his master may be commenced, although the dog must still have some incentive; his love of approbation should be BREAKING AND HANDLING. 157 cultivated, and rewards given betimes. A glove may be shown him; then throw it behind some object that will con- ceal it, a clump of bushes, rock, etc., preventing the dog meanwhile from seeing it. The order Find is then given. He may see the glove but not lift it, thinking that there is some palatable morsel to find. Show him by your actions that the glove is the object of the search, order him to fetch it, and praise him when it is retrieved. By repeated efforts he will soon learn to seek diligently, and retrieve it out of a desire to win applause. The lesson can be varied at times, giving it in one place, then another, thus changing the surroundings. If he will search diligently, obediently and intelligently for any object, that is all that is necessary. Training him to return to a long or short distance after a glove, handkerchief, pocketbook or other object is no part of field work. It has been said that such is a useful accom- plishment inasmuch as the shooter might lose his pocket- book, powder flask, or other valuable articles. The trouble and skill required to teach the act are worth more than the- average pocketbook; and a little precaution, in any event, would obviate the need of a retriever for such purposes. Training dogs to hunt for possible lost pocketbooks is be- coming a lost art. If the dog in his early training has been judiciously per- mitted to break shot to retrieve, he has learned to mark the fallen birds with more or less accuracy, and will not there- fore need to search for them. Care should be taken to cultivate his powers of observation in this respect, such being very important in a good retriever. When the bird falls, if the shooter notes that it is winged, which he can in most instances do if he is an experienced field shot, the dog should be sent for it without delay to guard against possible loss, or unnecessary hard work in searching for it. Many birds are lost by neglecting this course. If the dog has 158 MODERN TRAINING. been taught retrieving by force, he can be trusted to retrieve wounded birds as well as dead ones; if taught by the natural method, the greatest care must be observed during his training, in this respect. Occasionally, the trainer teaches this order during field work, without giving any preliminary yard lessons, but such has obviously many special disadvantages, and is not so certain or uniformly progressive as when there is a course of proper preparation. While the expert trainer may ac- complish the necessary results without so much formality, it is unwise for the amateur to attempt any training in such manner. However, in yard training the experienced trainer, simply by arousing the dog's enthusiasm and praising him, can teach this branch perfectly without any rewards. This order denotes that the dog is to shorten his pace at such times as it is necessary to do so, as when searching for a dead or wounded bird, or for the scattered birds of a bevy. Many dogs learn this without any assistance, if given a reasonable time for experience. A few from impatience or stupidity will not work at a slow gait unless forced to do so. With such, a long course of training is sometimes necessary. When it is desired that an impatient or head- strong dog should go slowly, a checkcord can be put on him, thus affording a means of forcing him to a slow gait. The order Steady should be repeatedly given every time that he is checked. If he will not work well with a check- cord, two pieces of wood, sufficiently long to reach to his pasterns from his collar, may be tied one on each side of his collar. If he attempts to go fast, they will play so lively on his forelegs that he will be forced to go slowly. A self- willed, obstinate dog may need a liberal application of the BREAKING AND HANDLING. whip to subjugate him permanently. Persistent and long continued effort will accomplish the necessary obedience to the order in all cases, and its importance is such that it should not be neglected. l6o MODERN TRAINING. CHAPTER IX. PREPARATORY FIELD TRAINING. The first informal field work of a puppy may be given when he is sufficiently developed, mentally and physically, to have unlimited curiosity, and strength enough to run without excessive labor and fatigue, which is generally at about the age of eight months and upward; at least, it is not specially advantageous to attempt any training at an earlier age. Contrary to the common practice and the teachings of many writers, no training, in the sense in which it is com- monly understood, /. e., to the gun, should be attempted in the preparatory training. This training, given during a longer or shorter period, according to the requirements of the dog, is simply an opportunity to learn to use his hunt- ing functions, and is very important, it being the foundation on which the training to the gun rests, as is specially de- scribed under the several heads of Pointing, Reading, and Ranging. It will be assumed that the training is to be conducted on quails, they being the birds which are most commonly sought for the purpose, as they are the best, most numer- ous, and widely distributed. However, if the dog is to be trained on other kinds' of game, the course to pursue would be the same in manner, but with ruffed grouse or woodcock more restraint would be necessary in training at all stages. Before methods can be applied in regular training, the dogs BREAKING AND HANDLING. l6l must have some knowledge of field work; indeed, skillful methods assume such pre-existing knowledge when applied, the true system being merely to train the dog's natural ef- forts to the use of the gun. There are ever varying com- plexities in field work, which cannot be reduced to any rules, and which must be left to the intelligence of the dog. The amateur who-will recognize these elementary principles has made a great advance toward success. It is incom- parably better to permit the dog to exercise his intelligence at first, after which train him to observe formal methods which subserve the purposes of the gun, than to attempt, from the beginning, to reduce every detail and act to arti- ficial rules. As between the dog which is forced to observe formal methods, from the beginning, because they are meth- ods, and the dog which works intelligently and only has methods as they relate to the purposes of the gun, there is. no comparison. While a dog cannot possibly be developed to a greater degree than the limit of his native capabilities, it is equally true that his capabilities may be injured or kept dormant by unskillful training. If the puppy, at the start, flushes, chases, runs riot and is wholly without system, do not imagine for a moment that such will be his manner perpetually, even if his handler should refrain from interfering. The dog learns and im- proves from his own experience, and after awhile settles down into uniform regularity in his work, although at this period his efforts are all wholly in his own interest. No concern need be felt as to training him to steadiness. Re- member that the dog does not live that cannot be worked to a standstill. The time required to gain the preliminary experience varies greatly with different dogs. Some require a few days, others as many weeks, while timid, cranky, or indolent dogs may require months. The preparatory fitness of the puppy can be determined by observing whether he 162 MODERN TRAINING. is hunting for game or merely running about from excess of spirits or vitality. When he ranges and hunts resolutely, reading his birds quickly, pointing, flushing and chasing with determination, he is in very good trim to begin his training. It is worthy of special note that the manner of beginning the experience with the gun often determines whether the dog will or will not be gunshy." Gunshyness is frequently the fault of the trainer, although amateurs are prone to con- sider it a fault of the dog. Any dog, however courageous, can be made gunshy. There is no greater mistake possible than to assume that a dog has an inherent knowledge of the gun and its uses, or a hereditary love or fear of it; a knowl- edge from inheritance which the handler himself reaches by education, for man has no intuition of the gun and its uses, and frequently the report of a gun is very startling in its ef- fects to himself, hence he should be more considerate to- ward the dog. By observing the disposition of the dog, whether timid, cowardly, distrustful or courageous, and whether he is intelligent or of weak mind, the'training may be conducted in a manner which will not run counter to his peculiarities, thus much loss of time and the occasions for trouble will be avoided. It is of the utmost importance, in all branches of train- ing, but rigidly so in this instance, that the trainer has the dog's confidence and affection before he attempts any train- ing that may alarm him, such as firing the gun, etc. If the dog is shy from whippings or premature attempts to restrain him, all efforts to accustom him to the gun or to train him must be held in abeyance until such time as his confidence is restored. This can be accomplished by giving him his head and treating him with uniform kindness. The best juncture at which to give the puppy his first ex- perience with the report of fire-arms is when he is ranging BREAKING AND HANDLING. 163 in the fields a hundred yards or more away, and is in good spirits, is not afraid of his handler, and is interested in hunting. A small pistol, for special reasons, is the best for the pur- pose. A percussion cap or .22 caliber cartridge should be snapped at first. If the puppy is at all startled at the report, the handler should continue to walk deliberately in his course, affecting the greatest unconcern, and taking no notice whatever of him. Usually the puppy, when he per- ceives that there is nothing to excite his fears, resumes his hunting. However, if he shows a suspicion of something wrong or an apprehension of danger, as he may do for sev- eral moments, refrain from shooting until he is again thor- oughly interested in hunting and unobservant of the hand- ler. If he is a dog of a nervous or timid temperament, an old steady dog may be taken to accompany him, and the calm exterior of the latter will do much to reassure the puppy. Under no circumstances should two or more green puppies be experimented with at once; if one runs, all will be apt to run, and mischief will be done in quantities. The greatest care should be taken to avoid haste in shoot- ing or in shooting at inopportune junctures. At any time that the puppy is expecting the report, which can readily be per- ceived by his expectant look and distrustful actions, the hand- ler should not shoot or show other than the most placid demeanor. Gradually, the puppy, from observing that the reports are not injurious or related to himself and excite no apprehension in those about him, becomes indifferent to them. Then they may be judiciously increased in volume and fre- quency, from the lighter powder charges first used to heavier and heavier ones by easier gradations, always, however, noting the effects on the fears of the dog, if any, and re- tarding the efforts accordingly. When the dog exhibits no alarm at the report of the pistol, a gun may be introduced. 164 MODERN TRAINING. A bird or two should be shot under favorable conditions for him to see them, so that he may learn the purpose of the gun, which if he has no fears, will be done readily in one or two lessons, and thereafter he will always be keenly inter- ested in its use. A pistol is better to begin with for many reasons; it is easier to carry; it can be concealed from the dog; the reports are light; and if the dog sees the pistol and becomes afraid of it by perceiving that it is instrumental in the frightful noises, there are not then the same objec- tionable results as when the gun is used, namely, he learns very quickly that bringing the gun to the shoulder is an act which precedes the discharge, and naturally, from the an- ticipation of the report, he flinches from this mere motion as much as from the report itself; in fact, this act may cause him to bolt. It has the further disadvantage that after he has outgrown his fears of the report, the act of raising the gun to the shoulder, being associated with past fears may excite his fears for weeks; thus the preparations to fire the gun may cause more lasting fears than the report itself. In the beginning of field work, the trainer can be of no assistance in training the puppy aside from taking him to such favorable places as afford opportunities to exercise his hunting instincts. All the awkwardness and ignorance he dis- plays, qualities always displayed by an inexperienced puppy, are gradually overcome by experience. It is impossible for the puppy to understand the application of methods before he has had sufficient experience in working on birds; prior to this, methods are simply so many incomprehensible ob- structions. In the greater number of instances the amateur conducts his training on the theory and practice that the puppy must be controlled and taught even from a very ten- der age, such being, in times gone by, the approved method; as a consequence, the puppy is whipped, balked and perpet- ually restrained, the things he must not do, but wishes to BREAKING AND HANDLING. 165 do, ever recurring. It is not strange that this course pur- sued assiduously spoils the dog by unconsciously teaching him that he is not to hunt at all, instead of hunting in a formal manner as the trainer desired. The puppy, which is naturally so subdued in manner that he is capable of hunting steadily to the gun at a very early age, has done nothing to excite hopes of superiority in his future performances. The precocity of youth rarely fore- shadows pre-eminence at maturity, the period when the real struggle occurs. The most skilled and intelligent workers are those which are strictly self-educated so far as finding birds is concerned, this superiority being the result of self-hunting, either alone or with other dogs; in fact, many expert trainers give their puppies full freedom to hunt, particularly if they are at all backward from timidity, slow development of hunting in- stincts, gunshyness, etc., with the most beneficial results. It is the only way in which a puppy can be developed to the highest degree of his working capabilities; and it accords with his natural instincts, and is quicker and more thorough; it is the best. When permitted to go with another dog, he is not hampered by any feelings of constraint which he feels in the presence of his trainer. He learns to comprehend the actions of his companion, learns the meaning of a point and back, learns how to road quickly and accurately, and how to mark the flight of birds and follow them; in short, he devotes his whole undivided energies to his work. To the novice, the wild pursuit appears ruinous, is against cher- ished traditions, and he cannot refrain from interfering with more or less turbulence and violence; yet, to develop a field dog, this experience is what he must have whether he ac- quires it quickly by freedom, or slowly and imperfectly under the continual balking and meddling of his handler. Many dogs are ruined for want of opportunity to develop. X66 MODERN TRAINING. The dog can be broken from hunting, either wholly or par- tially, quite as well as from any other act, and he very nat- urally interprets constant restraint and frequenfpunishment as being inflicted for the act of hunting, and not for the manner of it. When permitted to self-hunt, the progress is not obstructed by arbitrary rules. The amateur is disposed to think that if the puppy points, the greatest difficulty has been overcome, and the main part of the training completed. The act of pointing, while in- dispensable, is but one of several equally important. Dash and range, being essential, should be cultivated from the first, which cannot be done if the dog is not given his head. Pointing will be established in due time almost to a cer- tainty; however, without the ability to range and find birds, the mere ability to point well is of little value. In giving the preparatory work, the puppy should be taken afield in the morning hours when the birds are out in search of food, when the scent is good, the temperature cool, and therefore when the conditions are most favorable, if the training is in fall or early spring. Rarely is it advis- able to run two puppies together, their mutual jealousy prompting them to repeated errors, or the mutual confidence inspired, prompting them to willful disobedience. When the dog's field work is begun, the trainer should note the condition of the dog's health. If he is not in good health and physical condition, he is wholly unfit for work. Dogs which have been in close confinement should be started to work very gradually. Also the greatest care should be taken to avoid overwork. When the puppy has had enough, let him rest well or quit for the time being. Thrashing a dog at this stage, for mistakes, conveys no profitable educational experience; he derives no knowledge therefrom which will enable him to perform better at the next opportunity. No expectations need be entertained BREAKING AND HANDLING. 167 with respect to good work if the dog is not afforded ample experience. For training purposes, grounds should be selected which are at least fairly well supplied with birds. If a puppy is worked day after day with only a find now and then, he ceases to hunt, or runs about carelessly as he would in a highway; indeed, an aged, experienced dog will become careless and indifferent under similar circumstances; and a hunter takes but little interest. If the puppy is soft in flesh and thick in wind, it is very unwise to work him in a hot sun. If he is of a nervous, excitable disposition, he may become excessively overheated which may induce distressing fits, or in fact, he may die. The trainer should shape his route so that there will be op- portunities to give his dogs water. In many sections of the West and the South, the streams dry up in the summer and fall, and the scarcity of water then becomes a great in- convenience. At such times it is well to carry a quart flask of water along, which will afford two small drinks for two dogs; and it can be re-filled at some point on the route. If hunting from horseback, it is then an easy matter to carry a sufficient quantity. If the trainer has not a drinking vessel along, the crown of the hat, if of felt, canvas, or corduroy, pressed down, will hold water sufficiently long for the dogs tO' drink it. While all dogs have an affection for their master, work- ing, when properly trained, to suit his pleasure, they vary greatly in their mental and physical powers, and therefore in their capability and usefulness. Occasionally one will be met with which can hunt well for his own interest, but cannot readily be taught to work to the gun; however, in hunting for birds, the dog is merely seeking his natural food supply, and until he has had the necessary experience to learn to work conjointly with his handler's efforts, he can- 168 MODERN TRAINING. not reasonably be expected to abandon his natural methods; nor should more be expected of a dog than he is naturally capable of performing. It is also worthy of note that all dogs, good or bad, have off days. When not working up to their usual form, they are frequently treated inconsider- ately, errors of work being ascribed to sulkiness, careless- ness, or indolence, whereas the dog may be unwell, his powers of scent impaired for the time being. When a dog is known to be an honest, reliable worker on most occasions, any temporary incapacity should be treated with indulgence. This inexplicable irregularity will be exhibited more or less by all dogs. The dog is highly nervous in his organization, therefore liable to irregularities in his special performances quite as much as his master who breaks down, at times, in his shooting, without any appreciable cause, and no effort for the time being can overcome it. It is well for the amateur to know that deafness and the consequent inability of the dog to obey commands may be mistaken for obstinacy, which it very closely resembles in effect; indeed, many experienced sportsmen have been de- ceived in their judgment respecting it. If the deafness is only partial in each ear, or in only one ear, it is very diffi- cult to detect. When the wind is favorable for the dog to hear commands, or when the sound ear is toward the hand- ler, he may hear well and be promptly obedient; at other times he may apparently be willfully disobedient. By noting such actions and his actions about the yard, the owner will be able to determine whether his dog is deaf or not. When lying down or standing about, he may apparently ignore his name when called, till it is repeated in a louder and louder tone, when he suddenly starts, looks about with a surprised air, sees that his master requires something and hastens to obey cheerfully, thus showing a functional imperfection in hearing. This infirmity is much more common than is gener- BREAKING AND HANDLING. 169 ally supposed, and may be induced by excessive exposure to wet and cold. It is frequently caused by the promis- cuous shooting of too many guns over one dog without any regard to his proximity. Two or three men about a point- ing dog, one standing six or eight feet behind him, and shooting over his back, and one or two on one side or on each side, can do the mischief thoroughly. For the benefit of those who have not experienced the sensation, it may be explained that a gun fired from a position eight or ten feet from the rear, and the line of fire from three to six feet from the ear, has about the same sensation that a blow in the ear would have if delivered with a sand bag. The con- cussion may impair the hearing or completely destroy it. Many sportsmen have had their hearing impaired tempo- rarily or permanently from this cause. Hence it can readily be imagined what effect two double guns fired behind and above a dog would have on his hearing, his head being near the ground. When all the crude methods of education and all the unknown pains the dog suffers from mismanagement are considered, the wonder is not that there are occasional gunshy puppies, but that both young and old dogs do not become so oftener. The amateur's theory of gunshyness generally places the dog in fault beyond question, but if the dog could tell the real cause, it would appear very simple and rational in most cases. As mentioned in another part of this work, the dog is extremely jealous, and this trait can be taken advantage of to accomplish certain objects, but it has annoying disadvan- tages in field work. The dog cannot endure any rivalry from strange dogs without attempting to defeat them. The jealous dog prefers flushing to permitting a rival to get the point, and may break shot to prevent his retrieving. Also, this trait may be exercised against his handler, for from fear that his handler may get the birds from him, he will break 170 MODERN TRAINING. his point and flush as he hears him walk up. This trait should not be aggravated, or cultivated, by working the dog possessing it, with a dog which is also excessively jeal- ous, or has irritating faults, such as failure to back, stealing points, breaking shot, etc. The dog should be so treated that when his handler is ready to go afield, he shows unlimited delight and eagerness to join. If he shows fear, there is something decidedly wrong in the training. The sportsman who can spare but two or three days, or weeks, each year for shooting, makes a serious mistake if he takes a green dog along with the expectation of doing some training and shooting, although the mistake is not infrequent. In the greater number of instances the trip is a disappoint- ment so far as shooting is concerned, and from attempting to make a puppy do in one day what he required a month to learn, the training is almost uniformly a failure. Shoot- jng and training cannot be done at the same time consist- ently with the pleasure of the shooter and the development of the puppy; much more is it impossible when the shooter may not know even the elementary principles of training. BREAKING AND HANDLING. CHAPTER X. POINTING. Some of the commonest powers of organic beings are the most wonderful in nature, yet their commonness and the resulting familiarity reduce them to the level of the mat- ter-of-course. Of these, none are more marvelous than the faculty which the pointer or setter exhibits in pursuing his prey by the delicacy of his scenting powers. The pres- sure of tiny feet for the briefest instant leaves an impalpable roadway which the dog follows with ease. So exquisitely keen is this function of smell that he readily discriminates between the direction taken by the birds and the back track, and between the body scent and foot scent. Also, by some difference in the intensity or quality of the scent, he can accurately determine his distance from the birds when he is on a hot foot scent or body scent, and can distinguish that of a dead or live bird. Pointing, standing and setting are terms used synony- mously to denote the peculiar, rigid attitude of pointers and setters when in the act of standing near birds of which they have the scent, although the act may be imperfect at times from pointing falsely, or on the foot scent. The style and intensity of the act varies greatly in different individuals; some are rigid and statuesque, others are slouchy or indiffer- ent; and there are all kinds and degrees of variations be- tween the best and poorest acts. The two breeds, pointers and setters, do not materially 172 MODERN TRAINING. differ in their attitudes on point in any respect. The gen- eral characteristics of the act are precisely the same in both, the only difference being in the peculiarities of individuals, no two assuming precisely the same attitude, in the same sense that no two run or walk precisely alike. As the exercise of the instinct is dependent, in a great measure, on the powers of smell, it is not strange that cer- tain external appearances of the nose have come to be considered an indication of the degree of those powers. Many sportsmen and authors attach undue importance to wide, expansive nostrils, inferring very plausibly that such must give a corresponding increase in the scenting powers. This assumption is not founded on any tangible physio- logical data. With respect to the functional powers of the nose, a wide or close nostril is not of the slightest impor- tance. In practice, no difference which could be ascribed to its external form is observable in the average scenting powers of large numbers of individuals. Every experienced sportsman has seen dogs having light, snipy, contracted noses, yet possessing exquisite delicacy of scent, and dogs having expansive nostrils which had dull scenting powers. The dogs which have the imaginary broad, expansive nos- trils are rare indeed. The anatomical structure of the nose indicates that the exterior form is of no functional impor- tance. The inner recesses have a very extensive, irregular surface of mucous membrane, which much increases its capacity of sensation. The olfactory nerves are therein widely and intricately distributed, yet comparatively few of them reach to the end of the nostril, although it has keen tactile sensibility. Undoubtedly the functional powers of the nose depend on the abundance and delicacy of the olfactory nerve plexus, therefore not on the size of the ends of the nostrils. It would be quite as reasonable to assume that the senses of taste, hearing and seeing are dependent on the external size of the mouth, ears or eyes. BREAKING AND HANDLING. 173 The common explanation of the origin of the pointing instinct is, that when the setter was a spaniel or an improved spaniel, which is simply a conjecture, he was hunted on partridges and forced to lie close to the ground when he recognized the scent of them, whereupon a net was drawn or thrown over both the dog and the covey, which latter was patiently submissive and conveniently near to the dog in a favorable place for the net to cover both, and thus the birds were captured. No attempt is made to explain why the dog hunted the partridges instinctively, that part being a matter of course. As arms improved and greater skill was coincidentally developed in their use, sportsmen becoming expert wing shots, there was no occasion for the setter to lie down when he scented the birds, hence he stood up to his points, whereupon pointing, which previously was a matter of education, spontaneously became an instinct — at least, so say the historians. Instincts are invariably for the benefit of the individual himself, or the perpetuation of the species, they being sub- servient to self-preservation. That, therefore, a dog should point a bird instinctively for a man to shoot at, is one of the many beliefs that exist and are perpetuated on the flimsiest of assumptions. The pointing instinct is known to have existed in the pointer so far in the past as there is any history or tradition of the breed. It was particularly strong in the old Spanish pointer, yet no theory is advanced in respect to its origin in him. It is more reasonable to suppose, and the supposition is supported by analogous characteristics in other animals, that pointers and setters had the hunting and pointing instincts implanted in them by nature as a means to secure a food supply than that they became permanently fixed by an im- perfect education conducted by a few skillful trainers and a 12 !74 MODERN TRAINING. multitude of unskillful ones, through a comparatively brief period of time. Pointing is merely supplementary to the hunting instinct; merely a detail of it. Any explanation of the origin of the instinct other than that it is natural is rendered still more trifling when it is considered that the dog's teeth, digestive organs and instincts denote that he is a carnivorous animal, therefore a hunter; hence hunting his natural prey in his natural manner cannot be the result of education. This view, as aforementioned, is confirmed by analogous natural methods of hunting prey pursued by other animals. The fox roads, makes his casts to and fro, stops to locate the birds and makes his spring in a manner very similar to that of the pointer and setter, and all this without having had his ancestors taught to drop to command and have a net thrown over them while on birds. The same characteristics are observable, although in a lesser de- gree, in the manner in which a common house cat will steal toward its prey and, when at a proper distance, crouch and spring to capture and kill. Cur dogs will draw stealthily, by sight, to a rabbit, woodchuck or other quarry, and spring on it if they can approach without alarming it. But the most convincing property is that the dog exercises the pointing instinct for his own benefit when left to his will. Only by persistent training are his instincts made subordi- nate to the purposes of the hunter. As to the origin of pointing, it may be said, briefly, that it is unknown, and the cherished conjectures respecting it are poor ones, even for conjectures; moreover, it is as idle to advance any theory regarding its origin as it would be to attempt to explain all the instincts peculiar to the human race or lower animals. Its presence in an abnormal degree or its entire absence is not necessarily any evidence of impure breeding. Instincts frequently vary in intensity in different individuals. Even the strongest of all instincts, the maternal instinct, which is BREAKING AND HANDLING. 175 most uniformly present, is nevertheless entirely absent in some individuals, and present to an abnormal degree in others. The point is simply a preliminary pause during which every faculty of the dog is keenly intent on accurately locating the game preparatory to springing on it. There is nothing cataleptic in the act, contrary to the often repeated assertions that it is so. Neither the senses nor volition are suspended, as can readily be perceived when an untrained dog is pointing, or when the birds run from the point of a trained dog; in either instance, every motion is indicative of con- sciousnesss and an intelligent intent to capture. Every sense is alert, and every muscle at its highest tension ready for the spring. Nearly all experienced sportsmen have seen a dog bound from his point with wonderful rapidity and capture quails, or prairie chickens, or ruffed grouse, such being his natural manner of obtaining a food sup- ply. By duly repressing this natural inclination to spring, and preserving the steadiness of the point, man subjects the instinct in a useful manner to his own purposes; thus, while primarily the instinct is hereditary and for the dog's special benefit in gaining a food supply, it does not become a me- chanical act when exercised for the benefiit of man. However, there is a transitionary stage during training, when the dog is insufficiently experienced in the purposes of the gun, wherein he may prolong his point merely as a matter of compulsion; yet the dog's perceptive and reflective faculties are such that when his judgment and experience are mature he intelligently and zealously applies his hunting powers to assist the gun. Many intelligent acts on the part of the dog, acts which have been observed by all sportsmen of extensive experience, prove this beyond question. For the information of those who may not have had an extensive experience, a few of the acts which are commonly known 176 MODERN TRAINING. will be adduced in support of the dog's intelligent applica- tion of his efforts conjointly with the efforts of the hunter. When a dog, in reading an old cock prairie chicken, a bird which is a fast and cunning runner, suddenly abandons the trail, and taking a circular course whips in ahead of it to stop its running, then holds and points it until the shooter flushes it, such act is palpably applied to assist the gun. An act of a similar nature is when a dog, roading a running bevy down wind, perceives that he cannot pursue with any certainty of securing a point, backs out a safe distance on the back trail, takes a circular cast and comes up wind on the birds, thus stopping their running and pointing safely. An act of still greater intelligence is when the dog points birds at a distance from his handler, and, being concealed from him, abandons his point, returns to his handler and by every sign which he is capable of making, conveys the in- • formation that he has found birds. If the handler under- stands his dog, the latter leads him directly to them. This accomplishment is not generally observed, first because very few dogs are permitted to exercise their best intelli- gence; second, because very few sportsmen would compre- hend the dog's actions if he did attempt it; and lastly, only dogs of great experience and intelligence acquire such a finished comprehension of details. A common act, which shows reference to the gun, is when pointing running birds, a dog will turn his head slightly to see if his handler is approaching, and he so directs his acts with consummate skill that they are wholly in the interest of the gun. Many other acts could be enumer- ated showing that the dog applies his hunting instincts to the service of his master in a higher degree than the mere mechanical; but sufficient is mentioned to show that, with experience, he does so. There are individuals in which the pointing instinct is BREAKING AND HANDLING. 177 very imperfect or absent, and less frequently ones in which the hunting instinct is also weak or absent, yet these instances are extremely rare and are not race characteristics; they are freaks of nature mentally as others are freaks physically. Ex- cept in infrequent instances, the instinct is displayed at some period during puppyhood, although different families and in- dividuals vary greatly in respect to the age at which it devel- ops. Occasionally it is dormant until a comparatively late period. Many dogs, remarkable for their superior field powers, showed no pointing instinct before maturity; however, in most instances it is exhibited in the first year, commonly the first months, if proper opportunity is afforded to exercise it. The pointing capabilities vary in the same individual at different times, undoubtedly attributable to the effects of cold, or other bodily indisposition; for the dog, like his noble lord and master, has his hours or days of depression when, consequently, his work is irregular in quantity and inferior in quality. On the mistaken assumption that the instinct is due to education or that it needs intensifying, it has been said that it is a very beneficial act to take a pregnant bitch on birds, even when she is near the last period of gestation, so that the instinct may be strongly impressed upon the puppies. The hunting instinct of the dog is not dependent on any tri- fling efforts of man for its perpetuation. Disuse for a short period does not impair it to the extreme degree laid down by theoretical writers, many of whom evolve a theory from their imaginations; then the theory, by repetition, rises to the dignity of a fact in popular estimation. As a case in point, the instinct to hunt rabbits is quite as strong in the pointer and setter as the instinct to hunt birds, simply be- cause both are their natural prey. This instinct has been restrained and forcibly repressed by sportsmen and trainers through an unbroken number of generations. Constant 178 MODERN TRAINING. pains have been taken to prevent the exercise of it, and equal pains have been taken to afford opportunity to inten- sify the instinct to hunt birds; yet the instinct to hunt rab- bits is just as strong in the dogs of to-day as in those of by- gone ages. The desire to hunt rabbits appears to be, in fact, stronger than the desire to hunt birds, for dogs will hunt them from an early age and, if left to themselves, will ' often do so as a matter of choice. Even dogs posssessing indifferent merits of physique and poor merit in work on birds will hunt rabbits voluntarily with great dash and de- termination. Their fondness for hunting them is often so strong that severe punishment is required to break them of it. This leads us to the point that no breeder would enter- tain the proposition for a moment that it was necessary to hunt a pregnant bitch on rabbits to perpetuate the instinct in her progeny; nevertheless, the instinct is precisely the same in both instances, and has no reference to a man and gun, but to a food supply in a state of nature. Birds are but one part of the dog's natural prey; by education he can be taught to hunt birds and entirely ignore rabbits, or vice versa, but his instincts are not changed thereby in the slight- est degree. The early exhibition of the pointing instinct is often pa- raded as a decisive sign of superiority. The assumption is fallacious. Some puppies will point when very young, even when a few weeks old, yet such early exhibition of the in- stinct is of no material advantage. Until the dog has some maturity and working powers, pointing has no value. If there is no manifestation of it within the first year, or year and one half, the puppy should not be condemned if his other qualities are sufficiently meritorious to promise well. Probably at some period of the second year the instinct will develop. A dog of this kind may work weeks in succession under the most favorable conditions in respect to birds, BREAKING AND HANDLING. 179 grounds, handling, etc., and still not show the slightest indi- cation that he descended from a race which pointed instinct- ively, and with the discouraging prospect that he would not point even with further weeks of trouble and work ; never- theless, the trainer should not be discouraged. In the human race, instances of the late development of the mental pow- ers are not uncommon. Many boys who are stupid at school and simple at home show a superior intellect in ma- ture years, far surpassing their more precocious companions. There will come a day when the dog catches the scent just right; when all the conditions are favorable, he will jump in- stantly into a point, straighten up and strike an attitude as if he had done the act for months. It will seem to be so easily done and such a matter of course that it will be a cause of wonderment why it was not done before. After a point has been made once, there is no difficulty in getting him to repeat it and establishing the act permanently in its proper relations, if the handling is done properly. The failure to exhibit the pointing or hunting instinct, which is a very rare occurrence, is commonly ascribed to the entire absence of the race characteristic and often it is so stated as a fact, plainly a hasty and unwarranted conclusion as applied to all cases. Such may be the fact, and probably is at times, although, from the evident complexities of the subject, it is impossible to determine the cause accurately; therefore the most positive statement in regard to it can be but little more than conjecture. It is much more reason- able to presume that the sense of smell is functionally imper- fect, or never was present, and the dog is thereby rendered incapable of pointing or pursuing by scent, from being wholly unconscious of the presence of game. This view is peculiarly plausible when it is considered that many congen- ital infirmities of the senses are not uncommon. Dogs are, in some instances, born deaf, or blind, or partially l8o MODERN TRAINING. so. Certain diseases will sometimes impair the function of scenting or wholly destroy it, distemper being the most com- mon. It frequently is very difficult to determine whether errors in work are due to carelessness or a poor nose. It can only be known by careful watching. A dog, possessing even a moderate nose, may do very satisfactory work pro- viding he has good judgment, is careful, and free from ex- citement. If he will point tame chickens by sight, it is still more probable that his sense of smell is absent or imperfect, if the pointing or hunting instinct is not exhibited in the field by pursuing game by the powers of scent. It may be mentioned, by the way, that the pernicious practice of point- ing tame chickens by sight about the yard should be dis- couraged. It does not, in the least, usefully improve the dog's pointing, and may, with some, be disadvantageous. If a puppy has persistently pointed chickens by sight, the habit of so pointing becomes fixed and still asserts itself in field work. When pointing game birds, the desire to see the birds is intense, and the consequent necessity to press too closely to effect the purpose may lead to aggravating and unnecessary errors. He should be required to depend en- tirely on his nose and judgment in locating and pointing his birds, which cannot be done by permitting him to point tame chickens by sight; besides the fact that such is detri- mental to his field work, it ends in killing poultry sooner or later, when favorable opportunity occurs, and once acquired it is a difficult fault to cure. Pointing is very easily established in the greater number of instances by actual field work on game, and all that is re- quired is to afford an abundance of opportunities. When the dog makes his points naturally, they can be gradually established and prolonged by art. It is better to let him point quite a number of times before killing birds over him, so that the act may become confirmed and improved as BREAKING AND HANDLING. l8l much as possible; for when he sees a few birds fall, smells the blood and learns that the gun will kill, he may become, in a great measure, unmanageable and abandon all attempts at pointing. All his previous training, for the time being, may be entirely ignored. The determination to catch the birds or gain possession may be stronger than any fear of his master. Sometimes it requires a great deal of tact to get him by this period without developing other faults, such as running away, blinking, gunshyness, etc. If he is not wholly confirmed in pointing before birds are killed to his points, he may become so thoroughly unsteady that it will require weeks to adjust him so that he will again point with any degree of certainty, and the same method will then have to be pursued that should have been adopted at first, namely, let him point a number of times until he has some steadi- ness, only killing occasionally at such times as he can be kept under restraint, this part requiring the exercise of judgment; if he is earnestly intent on a bird being killed, shoot and miss. It is not at all essential that many birds be killed over a dog of such disposition in his early training; on the contrary, it may be injurious, since he may run riot, looking for a dead bird when the gun is fired, thereby caus- ing complication and trouble. This is the maneuver shown by the average dog; but there may be timid and indolent dogs that can only be stimulated by shooting birds over them at every opportunity, and even permitting them to break shot betimes. Very little assistance can be given a dog to teach him to point aside from giving him ample opportunity, and if he will not show interest in birds, no assistance can be given. If he will road to a flush, he may be corrected just enough to make him wary of flushing, yet not enough to prevent him from reading; still there must be some indica- tions of natural pointing, otherwise the dog is not worth the trouble of training. However, as explained elsewhere, it in j82 MODERN TRAINING. many instances requires quite a long while to determine this. When the puppy is drawing to a point, after he has learned how to point, he should be permitted to do so in his own manner. If there is danger that he will flush and chase, he may be given a word or two of caution; but the disgusting and interminable bawling out of orders, and the loss of temper common to amateurs, and a few who are not pre- cisely such, are wholly unnecessary and accomplish no good; on the contrary, they do much harm. Such turbulence has its origin in the fears of losing a shot rather than in intense zeal in dog training. Now, in steadying a dog to his point, it should be borne in mind that a short point, in most instances, will serve the dog's purpose, /. e., to spring and capture when the birds are located ; but by the art of the trainer, the point is pro- longed and steadied to serve the purpose of the shooter. In place of flushing the birds, he is taught to avoid doing so. This, if properly taught, is done by slow degrees. If it can be done by repeated opportunities and kindnesses, such is the best method; if the dog is willful or heedless of his handler, the whip must be administered after every willful flush. In this connection, as with others where pun- ishment is advised, the trainer must observe careful judg-. ment as to the severity of the punishment and the disposi- tion of the dog, for there is a turning point from the effects of punishment that must be carefully watched for; if passed, the most courageous dog may become cowed and blink, then there is trouble for the trainer. If the dog is extremely difficult to control, a light check-- cord should be attached to his collar. When he points, the trainer can step on the checkcord and walk along it to him. When the birds are flushed then, the dog is under control. If he struggles hard to chase the birds, a spike BREAKING AND HANDLING. 183 collar may be put on to restrain him. It will not only pre- vent him from struggling, but if he is specially headstrong or resentful, he may be given a little slack line and snubbed once or twice, which will deter him from chasing, in most instances. If he breaks the point and flushes the birds, when caught he should be taken to the exact place where he should have stood and then scolded well, or whipped if necessary. Keep him down for several minutes; if he man- ifests great impatience, make him remain until he is patient. If he is inattentive to scolding or his handler, a cut of the whip maybe given; this part, as before mentioned, must be applied with caution, as, if overdone, there is a probability of more faults in a moment than can be corrected in a month. Timid dogs, particularly, must be steadied to their points with the greatest care and gentleness, and if they are at all whipshy, the whip must not be applied at all in connection with pointing. The trainer cannot be too care- ful in avoiding any acts which will cause blinking, and at the first sign of indifference or distrust with reference to pointing, he must withhold all punishment until such times as the dog's self-confidence is restored, if he needs it at all. There is no branch wherein it is more essential that master and dog should be on good terms than when pointing is be- ing perfected; for if the dog dislikes his handler, it is simply a form of shyness — gunshyness, whipshyness, birdshyness or handler-shyness, all originating in fear. Unlike many other branches of a dog's education, there are several things to be accomplished at one time, the success of which is en- tirely dependent upon the dog's confidence and inclination. If he will not go to his birds voluntarily, there is absolutely no way to force him to do so; therefore it is evident that however badly he performs there must always be a certain amount of his interest preserved; he must not be punished so much as to destroy his interest in hunting, else the train- 184 MODERN TRAINING. ing ends. By various little arts, applied as opportunity of- fers, much can be done to establish stanchness with very little punishment. If the trainer can walk in from the front, or ta"ke a circular course and get nearly in front of the puppy while he is pointing, he will be enabled to catch the dog's- eye and can easily check any signs of unsteadi- ness. No effort should be made to make the dog over- stanch on his point. He should be permitted to ma- neuver and point his birds in an intelligent manner, and any stanchness beyond what is necessary is a fault, which will be shown by standing after the birds have run, or on a hot footscent, or by standing after the birds have flown away. It is essential to train the dog to point at a proper dis- tance from his birds — neither too far nor too close; in the former case he gives the handler a great deal of unneces- sary trouble in beating over a large area of ground to flush; in the latter, he will make a great many unnecessary flushes; therefore, notwithstanding that pointing birds at a long dis- tance is considered a desirable quality by many, since it is as- serted that it denotes a keen nose, it is undesirable in practice. It does not necessarily denote a keener nose than that of a dog which points closer, but it denotes bad judgment in the dog or unskillful training in the handler. To correct the fault if he is well advanced in training, judicious punishment should be given for flushes caused by pressing the birds too closely. This will make him cautious to avoid flushing. The dog which stands on the footscent or points at too great a distance requires encouragement by kindness. Grad- ually he will acquire more boldness; and flushes which he makes occasionally may be overlooked discreetly. In fact, tact must be exercised in applying methods, it being quite as important as method itself. The intelligence and natural capabilities of the dog are important elements in train- ing. If he is honest, but a bit stupid and frequent errors BREAKING AND HANDLING. 185 result from his working powers being inferior to his zeal, trust to frequent opportunities to correct it; if the dog is timid, encouragement is the chief reliance; if headstrong, the whip and kindness combined; if the dog is cunning, he is necessarily intelligent; the trainer can anticipate his schemes and checkmate him. He will learn to deceive a kind master in a dozen ways to accomplish his purpose; when he commits an error, he will affect a look of apparent innocence. A good whipping usually serves to sharpen his faculties. The dog which has a poor nose, or is mentally weak, should be dealt with leniently; he is blameless for his natural imperfections. In all cases the punishment is sim- ply an auxiliary if properly used. The trainer, with all the punishment that may be necessary, can treat the dog kindly and make him understand that the punishment is entirely associated with certain objectionable acts, and aside from them there is nothing to fear. If the puppy ranges well, it is better to hunt him alone, thus cultivating a spirit of self-reliance and making the pleasure of finding and pointing dependent on his own efforts; moreover, his efforts are not interrupted by any faults of another dog, for it frequently happens that the good work of one puppy is spoiled by the bad work of another, and the correction of one may disconcert the other. Two partially trained dogs generally show great ingenuity in working birds in their own manner, but it is not the man- ner that the shooter approves. One untrained dog is all that the amateur should attempt to control at one time. However, if it is desirable to give the puppy a great deal of experience in a limited time, as, for instance, when he is being fitted for field trials, an old dog which is steady, in- telligent, and free from any acts of jealousy may be worked with him to special advantage. Wide, fast ranging is very fatiguing to a young dog, particularly if the weather is 1 86 MODERN TRAINING. warm. The old dog is worked to find the bevies, while the puppy is kept at heel ; when a bevy is found there is then an opportunity for the puppy to back; and afterward on the scattered birds of the bevy, he can have frequent opportu- nities to point. However, it is not advisable to keep him under constant restraint; let him range awhile so that his work will preserve its uniformity; special work in one branch to the exclusion of others is to their detriment. No dog is properly trained unless he can be trusted to point his birds properly without any orders whatever. This proficiency can be established by experience and making him, as much as possible, rely wholly on his own judgment in pointing. He can be assisted prudently in subordinate details, as, for instance, if he roads on the back track up wind and loses the course of the birds, a little assistance will readjust him; also he can be prevented from running riot; but, if he has experience in his work on the birds, he should be allowed to attempt the point in his own manner, even if he is certain to flush. After he has committed the fault, if willful, he can be punished for it in the same manner as for any other fault, increasing the punishment with each repe- tition, if he will submit to it steadily, until he becomes attentive to correct pointing. Unintentional flushes, how- ever, should be excused. If a dog is trained to constant supervision and prompting on his points, he naturally re- quires it in his work through life, and, at best, it is extremely faulty since the dog frequently finds game when out of sight or out of hearing, or beyond control. When trained to point honestly on his own judgment, he is just as trust- worthy when out of sight as when in sight; or when a mile away as when within reach of the whip. Remember that the perfection of training is to educate a dog so that he will work to the gun without orders. It should not be forgotten that the instinct to point is BREAKING AND HANDLING. 187 sometimes present, in certain individuals, to an abnormal degree. Dogs having it to such a degree may be pointing perpetually on any strange scent, or by sight on any strange object, when taken afield, and ac such times can only with difficulty be stirred; and then the next instant but to point again. A chip, stump, a bright flower, rock or likely place for game, all serve the purpose to point. Sometimes a dog, having this infirmity, will point immediately after being taken out of a wagon or taken into the field. Such dogs are wholly worthless for field work. The pointing instinct is sufficiently developed if present in a useful degree, and as it is so present in the greater number of individuals, it needs no intensifying. Both setters and pointers stand to their points naturally, although some, having more caution than others, crouch more or less, while a small percentage drop to the ground, this manner being more frequent with setters than with pointers. With many it is only occasional, as when they suddenly discover that they have unconsciously drawn too close to the birds and are in danger of flushing, the act undoubtedly being one of concealment rather than one of inheritance. However, habitually dropping to point is fre- quently the result of too much discipline in dropping to wing, the training not remaining fixed at the degree which the trainer intended. At the first flutter of wings the dog drops instantly; as the habit becomes more and more fixed by constant repetition, he anticipates the rise of the bird, and drops too soon. Finally he will stand during a second or two and then drop, which soon ends in dropping to his points regularly. This is hastened if the handler, from fear of not having steadiness, as frequently occurs, drops the dog on his point before the birds rise; or if he is worked hard day after day, he may drop on his points from fatigue. By far the greater number of expert breakers train their 13 l88 MODERN TKAINIXO. dogs to perfect stanchness. Training the dog to flush reg- ularly to order is not good training; in fact, this pernicious practice is not tolerated by experts. It is much more diffi- cult to train the dog to perfect stanchness than to teach him to flush to order or signal, since in the former instance he is required to do an act against his will; in the latter, one in consonance with it. He may perform nicely during the first season or part of a season, but from being required to flush at first to please his master, he improves on the act, and at last learns to flush to please himself. In shooting woodcock, ruffed grouse, or quails in thick cover, it is sometimes necessary to order the dog on to flush, but it should only be done when absolutely necessary, and stanch- ness should be made imperative at all other times. It has been said that in some kinds of shooting it is a necessity; this in nowise affects the injurious consequences to the dog's work. There is no expert handler but what can easily teach a dog to flush to order, and probably there are none but what have so taught a dog at some time; yet, as a class, the handlers condemn it as being unnecessary, harmful and unskillful. Nevertheless, there are a few sportsmen with whom the method finds favor, and such should train in such manner as enhances their pleasure. In teaching pointing, the training should be confined strictly to game birds. The amateur is disposed to think that it is a gain if his puppy will point field larks nicely. If the desire is to make the dog £ true finder, larks should never be shot over his points. Hunting and pointing them should be discouraged as much as possible without punish- ment. The larks should- not be shot at. By thus ignoring such work, he will eventually, in most cases, quit hunting them and confine his work to game birds. If game birds are scarce, almost any dog will point larks occasionally. If an aged, trained dog, from taking pleasure in hunting them, BREAKING AND HANDLING. 189 persists in pointing them to an offensive degree, the whip may be liberally applied at every repetition until he will blink them, the effects, however, being noted and governed with reference to the performance on game birds; for in being broken from hunting one he might be broken from hunting all. By showing approval and praising him when game birds are pointed, and disapproval and punishment when larks are pointed, the trouble generally may be avoided. Pointing rabbits can be corrected in a similar manner. Nearly all dogs will point turtles, snakes, etc., but so rarely, owing to the scarcity of such animals, that no notice need be taken of it. In teaching the dog to work to the gun, it is well to remember that the pointing instinct is not specially implanted in the dog's nature for the benefit of some man to shoot at the pointed bird with a gun ; and that if the gun were not present the act would be incomplete and meaningless. It is commonly supposed that false pointing is caused by an inferior nose. Dogs possessing the best of noses will exhibit the fault at times, particularly when excessively fatigued. It may be caused temporarily by severe punish- ment for flushing, in which event it disappears in time if the cause is not perpetuated. If a dog is naturally a confirmed false pointer, there is no remedy for it; such faulty act being probably from inability to distinguish between scents, or an abnormal development of the pointing instinct. If it is shown occasionally, ignore the point as much as possible. Punishment aggravates the fault. The amateur invariably over-estimates the harmfulness of flushes in early training, generally because he is more intent on shooting than on dog training; many times the dog is punished, not for the flush, but for the lost shot. If the trainer wishes to know the true value of a flush, let him leave his gun at home, and thus the cause of his anxiety 190 MODERN TRAINING. being absent, his judgment will be unbiased, and he then can see how the puppy, in his inexperience and awkward methods, was blameless. The flight of a bird consequent to a flush was not the unpardonable offence and irritating dis- appointment that it seemed when the gun was in hand. When the amateur can take his gun afield, take an interest in training and judge the merits of work as calmly and without prejudice as when the gun is absent, he has then attained a very correct frame of mind for conducting the training properly; but ordinarily it requires a long time to get the amateur past the stage where he feels a greater desire to kill birds than to train dogs. Flushing is seldom a willful fault in a well-trained dog, although it occasionally is so, yet punishment is inflicted many times when the dog is wholly blameless. There are many conditions under which the dog is almost certain to flush. It is impossible for him to scent birds, with any degree of certainty, down wind. If after a bevy, he may cautiously road down wind, but unless he has rare judgment and experience, he will flush. If he stops to a point under such circumstances, he discriminates by the intensity of the foot scent, but he seldom points under such circumstances with certainty. An intelligent dog, if left to his own will, generally takes a cast around and below them to get the wind. Going across wind is practically as difficult for the dog to perform in as going down wind, if the birds are straight ahead of him. Any position which precludes the possibility of the scent reaching the dog's nose is sufficient to excuse him for any flushes. Every sportsman of experience has seen a retrieving pointer or setter trot squarely over a dead bird, while search- ing for it, wholly unconscious of its proximity; yet if within fifteen or twenty yards of it down wind, the dog would scent and go directly to it. Under these circumstances, the BREAKING AND HANDLING. 191 novice invariably declares that the dog has no nose, for he cannot conceive how a dog can trot directly over a bird without scenting it. The breeze undoubtedly carries the scent with it and dissipates it over larger and larger spaces, much the same as smoke is wafted from a chimney-top by a gentle wind, although as a matter of course the scent is much more volatile; hence it is apparent that a dog, stand- ing over a dead bird, could not scent it so well as when he was several yards down wind, and this from perfectly nat- ural causes. Flushes due to inexperience are also excusable, and there- fore the puppy should not be punished for them. He may be held in check for awhile, and both voice and manner may show disapproval; and thus he is taught that it is a faulty act. So keenly can the dog's love of approbation be developed that he will exercise the greatest care to point so as to hold his birds; if a flush unfortunately happens, he will show by his crestfallen demeanor that he feels mortified at the failure. Some dogs show the same feelings when laughed at — dogs having such sensitive natures deserve to be treated with great consideration, and their sensibilities ought not to be abused. The novice is also predisposed to blame the dog for flushes which he in no wise committed. A command given to a dog when near the birds may cause a flush, and the proximity of the dog is considered sufficient evidence to blame him. At certain seasons of the year when birds are wild, the sound of the human voice is sufficient to flush them instantly. Chickens on the prairie after the frosty nights of September, or after the high winds of autumn set in, are extremely wild. Quails, after a frosty night or a cold rain or wind, are very difficult for a dog to point, and it is rendered almost impossible if the handler gives loud orders, or a loquacious companion is present. This is par- 192 MODERN TRAINING. ticularly aggravating if such companion thinks the dog blamable for the flush, which is usually what he does think. A puppy, in training, after he has learned to point, should not have birds shot to .his flushes. Points alone are to be associated with the killing of a bird. Thoroughly trained, dogs can have birds shot over points or flushes without in- jury to their training if kept within it, but such has no ap- plication to the proper manner of training a puppy; how- ever, as in other cases, this is open to exceptions as in cases where it is desirable to encourage a timid or backward dog, etc., no rule in dog training being strictly arbitrary. * BREAKING AND HANDLING. 193 CHAPTER XI. RANGING. Ranging is the act of beating out the ground in a more or less irregular and informal manner, the dog in a great measure exercising his own judgment in conducting it. It is a noticeable fact, and one frequently commented on by sportsmen, that the half broken country dogs, as a class, are wonderfully intelligent in working ground to the best advantage, and are also successful finders of game. This is not, as many suppose, from natural superiority; it is due to the natural and better manner in which they acquire an education. Their owners, in most cases, neither know nor profess to know anything of expert training. If the. dog will point sufficiently long to afford his handler a shot, he does all that is expected or required, and in respect to rang- ing he is left free to suit himself, consequently he works almost entirely on his own judgment. Usually he- is very quick to take advantage of all kinds of working opportuni- ties. From unhindered experience, he learns to seek for the haunts of birds; and by cultivation his judgment becomes so excellent that he can tell a promising corner with as much precision as hi$ master. Little sheltered nooks and thickets, which the comparatively inexperienced city dog would pass by unnoticed, he diligently searches; he-knows all the wiles of the birds and how to circumvent them, tak- ing advantage of favorable conditions of ground, wind and cover, with masterly skill. He learns the daily habits of 194 MODERN TRAINING. birds, for during the feeding hours in morning and evening he searches through the cornfields, the stubbles, the favor- able open grounds; during the midday hours he devotes special attention to the cover. He whips around the likely corners in the promising places, dexterously taking the wind. of them, and he plans his work so well that the same ground is not worked twice, nor likely places left untried. He is averse to working in bare fields where there is no likelihood of finding birds. His range is irregular, wide or close, according to the peculiarities of the irregular grounds or promising places; withal the course of the handler is con- stantly observed as a guide and base of operations. He exercises his memory and profits by it, since, if hunted a few times in the same grounds, he learns the haunt of every bevy and will thereafter find one bevy after another with rare cunning and facility. He learns the variable habits of the birds caused by the changeable fall and winter weather, and the consequent changes in cover and food supply, and governs his efforts thereby; he learns to mark the flight of live .birds and the fall of dead ones; thus by his superior knowledge, resulting from the experience unhampered by ceaseless training, he excels. To hunt at his utmost capabilities, aside from all consid- erations of hunting to the gun, the dog needs no training by man; he merely needs natural opportunity to show that he is a fierce, intelligent and persistent hunter. When in pursuit of prey, he exerts every endeavor to effect a kill. Nor are his efforts blindly impulsive; when he has had experience, he pursues and captures with great address, and exhibits an admirable knowledge of means to ends. His knowledge, however, is acquired by degrees as his expe- rience enlarges, and every experience adds more to his capabilities. The young sportsman may have a dog which quarters BREAKING AND HANDLING. 195 perfectly and is obedient to all orders, yet, when compared with a dog which knows how to hunt, he makes no showing as a finder, there being an important distinction between knowing how to quarter and obey orders, and how to find birds. The owner of the obedient dog is loth to believe that the self-educated dog is superior, and commonly as- cribes the disparity of performance to pure luck; yet, if he could have noted carefully without bias, he would have seen that every act of the self-educated dog was performed with rare judgment, and that he was guided in his efforts by a full knowledge of the situation. Now, it is not to be under- stood that a strictly self-educated dog is a properly trained dog, nor that a dog which will obey all commands is such — the properly trained dog combines the excellences of both by blending the two acquirements in his education. The fact that a dog learns by experience has been noted by many sportsmen, but comparatively few realize its im- portance in training. The expert trainers, however, we~e not slow to perceive its advantages and utilize them. A quartering dog is not in the competition with a dog which ranges well on his own judgment. While the latter is rang- ing from one likely place to another, after an intelligent plan to work all such places without unnecessary waste of time or effort, the former is uselessly hunting large areas, after a formal manner, where both handler and dog know there are no birds. The method of developing ranging at its best is the same for all sections of country, although the manner of apply- ing it in work to the gun will necessarily need modifying to meet the requirements of different kinds of game. It con- sists in the very simple and efficient way of giving the dog free opportunity to learn it himself, then training him to the necessary acts of obedience. The puppy, whether courage- ous or timid, needs a preliminary experience in ranging and 196 MODERN TRAINING. chasing rabbits, reading and chasing birds within a certain period of time. In this manner he thoroughly learns the details of hunting, and this accumulated knowledge of details and art in applying it is the perfection of the dog's hunting abilities. To learn skillful methods of hunting, he must have an experience similar to that of the average country dog, thus when hunting there is no uncertainty in his purpose or actions. His energies are concentrated in determined efforts to find birds. If he has this kind of pre- paratory experience, which may be comparatively long or short accordingly as the dog is bold and quick to learn, or timid and backward, he usually is a diligent and efficient worker all his life. Timid dogs, particularly, require a period of self-hunting to acquire the necessary courage, ex- perience, and self-confidence; indeed, with such, it in mum- cases is a necessity. With self-willed or courageous dogs, while they do not need encouraging, they need self-hunting opportunities to learn methods of pursuit and the wiles of the birds, for birds are very cunning in evading the dog, their natural enemy. The length of time required can only be determined by the progress of the dog. The opportu- nity to hunt without hindrance is not to be confounded with self-hunting as exhibited by a dog which ignores the gun entirely, hunting for his own satisfaction; in the former instance the dog is permitted to hunt by himself for his best development, but he does not abandon his trainer; in the latter, the dog is naturally averse to hunting under any re- straints. It is well to note the dog's gain in progress and confi- dence, so that he may be taken in hand at a proper junct- ure for field education, otherwise he may become obsti- nately headstrong and correspondingly difficult to reduce to submission. The amateur generally reverses the natural order of educa- BREAKING AND HANDLING. 197 tion. He tries to educate him first, and give the experience afterward, if any is given at all. A dog improperly trained in his ranging by having been kept under perpetual restraint may, in working, appear to be ranging well, but is simply ranging without any intelligent plans. He is running on all kinds of ground, and not systematically going from one likely place to another. This is particularly noticeable when he is hunting with a properly experienced dog. The infe- rior dog, from a system of incessant suppression, has no motive other than to run while in the fields. The ranging may be impaired by working the dog too constantly against the wind. The dog, from habit, becomes accustomed to guide his course by it, and cannot work well in any other direction. If the handler walks down wind, the dog turns up "wind at the end of his fling, and may come close in front or behind his handler; or he may turn up wind, then turn down wind and resume his cast across, thus making a loop at the end of every cast. This vicious habit is also at times caused by over-training. A few dogs naturally turn in at the end of their range. Whatever the cause, it is important to correct it in the beginning, if pos- sible. Often it will require the most persistent effort to do so. If the dog comes in, meet him with the whip, flourish- ing it, and drive him out to his work if his disposition will admit of the use of the whip without injury to his work; if not, he should be ordered to drop, then turn him in the proper direction. Another* faulty method, one very annoy- ing to the handler and damaging to sport, is the constant running out and immediately returning to the handler. If the running is done in a course parallel with the handler in a line ahead of him, it can hardly be called ranging, and is next to worthless. By a self-hunting experience the dog learns to hunt in any direction, regardless of the direction of the wind, or rather, he can take advantage of it, in any direction except down wind. 198 MODERN TRAINING. A dog must have a fair degree of speed which he can maintain at a uniform gait for a reasonable length of time, if he has any pretensions to ranging. The slow dog is only fit for woodcock shooting, or quail shooting in cover. The fast dog is the king of the field. He can be trained to work in an open country, ranging wide and fast, or he can be trained to work at a slow gait in cover or small fields. A dog having great powers of speed and endurance, when trained to go at half or quarter speed in a cover country, is unquestionably working with greater ease than a slow dog which is running nearly at the top of his speed; yet neither the fast nor the slow workers are necessarily good per- formers merely because they are fast or slow. If a dog has a good nose, he can perform going at a high speed quite as well as at slow speed. Some fast dogs learn to adapt them- selves, with wonderful readiness, to different ground and different species of game; for instance, a dog maybe a wide and fast ranger on quails, yet on woodcock he may entirely change his methods to harmonize with the changed require- ments and surroundings. But whether fast or slow, no dog can perform well if his nose is functionally poor. All amateurs are inclined to work their dogs too slow. When left to his own volition, the dog soon becomes a fast and accurate worker, as may be observed when dogs are feral. The abilities of the dog in respect to fast work are well exemplified in the performance of foxhounds in the chase. The hound soon learns to adjust his speed to his powers of scent. As to what constitutes the proper scope of ranging, much depends on the character of the ground, and the habits of the birds. In the prairies of the Northwest, West and Southwest, when hunting for chickens, a dog is not ranging too far so long as he can be seen well, provided that he is working to the gun. Half a mile on each side of the wagon BREAKING AND HANDLING. 199 is not an unusual range for some of the best chicken dogs, and a quarter of a mile to an eighth is about the average. It is plain that the more ground a dog covers, the more birds he will find. On quails, the dog is necessarily forced to range more irregularly, the character of the country, the habits of the quails and their habitat, differing entirely from the corresponding ones of prairie chickens. In the East, and in some sections of the West and South where the grounds are rough and cover dense, wide ranging is inadmissible. Nevertheless, the methods of work are commonly slower than need be. The dog, for any kind of ranging, is not trained properly unless he will range wide or close as desired. On scattered birds particularly, it is necessary to have him so that he is controllable within a certain range. If the dog refuses to work close, the checkcord, or checkcord and spike collar, may be put on him, thus affording means to control him. In hunting for bevies he should be taught to turn to a note of the whistle, or to look to his handler when he hears a note which signifies attention, and should obey a signal of the hand which follows. To preserve the dog's ranging powers at their best, it is better, and, in the end in most instances, quicker, to bring the dog under control gradually. Too much violence and haste before the dog learns the purpose or application, is commonly the cause of delay. Few sportsmen realize the dog's natural capacity to learn methods of pursuit and ability to solve perplexing combi- nations of circumstances. This capability of improvement and cunning in pursuit is common to all breeds of hunting dogs. The foxhound, when experienced, unravels the most complicated puzzles in trailing, which the fox, with his novel and wonderful store of resources, can construct. The foxhound in receiving his education cannot have, from 200 MODERN TRAINING. the nature of it, much assistance from his master — probably to his advantage, for, if it were possible for his master to meddle, he might never attain such perfection. If several foxhounds- are run in company regularly, as is commonly the case, they not only learn to do their utmost in the chase, but they learn to take special parts of the work which are mutually advantageous in promoting the general success. Also, they learn each other's capabilities, for a note from a leader, which they know by experience to be true, will in- stantly be honored with due attention. Some become so cunning as to cut across country and come in ahead of the chase, others drop out and wait in a favorable place for the pack to drive the fox back by them. Probably no one peculiar act of intelligence is so com- monly known as that of running cunning exhibited by expe- rienced greyhounds. When two inexperienced greyhounds chase a jack rabbit for the first time, they run perfectly true, each exerting his utmost hunting powers in direct chase. Generally, if a greyhound is in good running condition, he is a shade or two faster than the jack rabbit, particularly at the start. The two dogs, in a straightaway course, will generally press the rabbit so closely that it is forced to use defensive tactics peculiar to it, namely, owing to its peculiar physical formation, it can stop suddenly while going at tre- mendous speed, dodging to the right or left, and quickly starting off at full speed again. The hounds cannot turn so short, owing to their physical construction, although some will turn in a wonderfully short space; in addition thereto, their much greater weight and consequent momentum works to their disadvantage in turning. If two hounds run together a few times, they perceive that it is a decided dis- advantage and frequent cause of loss to be both thrown wide at the turns. They then learn a special method of directing their efforts in a manner which is easier, more BREAKING AND HANDLING. 2OI successful, and mutually advantageous — one hound presses .the rabbit at his highest speed from the start, the other hound running comparatively at ease several yards behind, with ears pricked up, and keeping a very critical eye on the situation. The hound which is forcing the running soon turns the rabbit; on the instant, the waiting hound cuts across the corner and in turn takes up the running and forces the pace; the other hound, has been thrown a little wide on the turn, but in the general effort there has been a positive gain — one hound has cut across the corner, is nearer to the rabbit, and the other hound is running cunning in a commanding position waiting for the next turn; meanwhile the rabbit has been at his highest speed. This is contin- ually repeated till the poor rabbit, bewildered and exhausted, turns shorter, slower and oftener, only to find that the prairie seems to be full of hounds. At last, with a hound playing within a few yards of it, one on each side, a cunning scheme applied near the end of the chase to drive it to cer- tain death whichever way it goes, the poor rabbit makes a last turn, a hound springs forward, reaches out his long neck and head sidewise, gives a sudden twitch at the flank, trips the rabbit, and before it can regain its feet it is in the jaws of the second hound, a victim to misplaced confidence in the power of matter over mind. In the chase, all the dif- ferent distances are gauged and the mutual play timed to a nicety. They not only learn a finished manner of running cunning, but they learn to estimate correctly and take ad- vantage of the individual capabilities of each other. For instance, the hound which is running cunning will rear high in front at proper intervals, without losing his stride or speed, to see if any gain is being made on the rabbit. If he notes that his companion has made his best spurt without being able to turn the rabbit, he immediately spurts in turn and takes up the running himself. 202 MODERN TRAINING. The setter and pointer, from the peculiar nature of their prey, have to exercise even a greater degree of intelligence; yet their first attempts, from inexperience, are very awk- ward and ineffective. Two, in chasing the common rabbits in company, learn to run cunning like greyhounds; but, after a short experience, the dog learns that his nose is a useful organ, and he depends on it more and more. Dogs are very observing and imitative. If two dogs, one old and cunning, the other inexperienced, are permitted to self-hunt together, the inexperienced one by observation alone will soon learn all the cunning dog's tricks and their application. In the case of a timid dog, or one which is backward from any cause, a self-hunting experience with an aged dog is always beneficial. The whole superiority of the expert handler, aside from his skill as a tutor, lies in permitting the dog to develop his powers to their utmost capabilities in a natural manner. Whether this preliminary experience requires a week or a month, or more, it ought not to be neglected. In the South the greater number of trainers hunt from horseback. As a rule, dogs range wider when so hunted than when the trainer is afoot. Until discipline is fairly well established, two untrained dogs should not be permitted to range together. The bold- ness and disobedience of one encourages like traits in the other. If one is jealous of the other, or follows him about, no good work can be expected under such circumstances. The dog should be required to work on the right or left with equal impartiality as the peculiarities of the grounds require. The habit of ranging entirely on the right or left, to the exclusion of the other side, is very undesirable, and decreases the value of the dog's work. If a sportsman wishes to work a brace he should endeavor to have them supplement each other in any weak parts of BREAKING AM) HANDLING. 203 their work; for instance, if one is good on coveys the other should be good on scattered birds; if one is a poor re- triever, the other should be a good one; if one is excitable, the other should be level-headed, etc.; but both should be as good as possible in all respects. 14 204 MODERN TRAINING. CHAPTER XII. ROADING AND DRAWING. Reading is the act of following the trail of the birds, with more or less quickness by the foot scent. Drawing is the act of approaching the birds by the body scent. This manner of determining the location of the birds is commonly performed with much greater quickness and precision than by reading. Dogs which can draw in a su- perior manner, will scent birds at astonishingly long dis- tances under favorable conditions of wind and temperature. Sometimes at a distance of several hundred yards they will draw straight, or nearly so, to a bevy, at full or half speed, with nose high in the air. There are dogs which perform poorly after this manner as after any other manner. The brilliant performers are not common; if a sportsman has not had an extensive experience with many fine dogs over a large territory, he may have hunted during a long life with- out having seen one which performed in a brilliant manner. A dog which locates his birds by the body scent, prob- ably does so in a less degree than is commonly supposed. Undoubtedly he has the power of recognizing the foot scent and discriminating between it and the body scent; and at times, can draw to large bevies by the body scent alone. The writer believes that a dog of this kind is not guided alone by the body scent in the greater number of instances. It is more reasonable to suppose that he follows the aggre- gate scent of all the tracks as if they were one trail, having BREAKING AND HANDLING. 205 thus an easy course which enables him to go with undimin- ished speed directly, or nearly so, to the birds. Sometimes, instead of going directly to the birds, he takes oblique lines to them, his course then being slightly zig zag, but the high nose and quick execution are always characteristic. That the dog can follow the foot scent with a high nose is sus- tained by the analogous manner exhibited by foxhounds when in pursuit of their prey. Every foxhunter has seen the hound run at high speed many yards from the true trail, yet following the course with accuracy by the scent in the air alone. However, it is unquestionably true that a dog which performs well by drawing apparently by the body scent, has very sensitive scenting powers and can detect the presence of birds a long distance by their body scent alone when the wind and temperature are suitable, as may be observed occa- sionally when a bevy is flushed, marked down, and the dog cast off to find them, there being then no trail to follow; but the phenomenal long draws are not then exhibited unless the dog has cunningly marked the birds down by sight, which some intelligent dogs will readily do; and the novice may mistakenly think the dog drew by scent when he really drew by sight; hence it is more reasonable to ascribe the greater number of phenomenal performances to the refine- ment of skillful reading, than to the powers of the mar- velous, even if opposed to the common belief. Many dogs have a manner of locating their birds which partakes both of the manner of reading and drawing. They road with a high nose but follow the trail by feeling for the scent, and progress with more or less speed; generally at a trot. When near enough to the birds to catch the body scent, they abandon the foot scent and draw directly to them. A skillful performer of this kind is an excellent dog^to shoot over, and is next in merit to one that skillfully hunts for the body scent alone. 206 MODERN TRAINING. The dog which follows the trail slowly but accurately, picking out foot scent of single birds of the bevy, and plod ding after them methodically by sure degrees, may afford good shooting notwithstanding his painful slowness. On single birds in warm, dry weather when the scent is poor, he will accurately follow a single bird, the trail of which would be imperceptible to the dog which carried a high nose. Still, the slowness is a great objection. The most imperfect manner of reading is exhibited by dogs which place their noses to the ground, sniffing and pottering in an area of a few square yards. Such are wholly unable to determine the course of a bevy, but are usually zealous to do their best. Often they persist in snif- fing in one place until the patience of the handler is ex- hausted. Punishment will not correctthe fault. Undoubt- edly the dog's manner of roading is governed by the sen- sibility of his scenting powers and intelligence, -hence he is unable to exceed his capabilities. Another very annoying and worthless manner of roading is when the dog, from extreme cautiousness, drops to the ground on a hot scent carefully swinging his nose right and left, close to the ground in the segment of a circle, sniffs the scent deliberately, and is loth to move. He walks or crawls with painful slowness, continually repeating the stopping and sniffing. His fault may be due to natural over-cautiousness or to excessive punishment for flushing. Birds in rainy, cloudy or windy weather, when they are not disposed to seek concealment, will run completely away from dogs of this kind. The dog cannot be called a good performer which cannot, at least, road nearly as fast as the birds can run. Slow roading may be successful when the birds are lazy and indifferent, but when they .become wild or restless from unpleasant weather, the slow roader be- comes a very poor performer. BREAKING AND HANDLING. 207 Much can be done to assist a dog in training by letting him alone. More dogs have their powers injured by inter- minable meddling and punishing than from any other cause. A dog which roads his birds quickly and accurately should not be interfered with in any manner; unless he abandons the trail or runs riot, no dog should be interfered with in this respect — then the order, Steady, may be given merely to compel him to renew his efforts in a systematic pursuit, but the manner is his own. Throwing him on his own resources develops all the abilities in him; he improves constantly by experience, consequently is able to do more and better work from week to week; on the other hand, if constantly har- assed and balked, he may become excessively cautious or a potterer, or both. A common fault with sportsmen and amateur trainers is in constantly asserting rigid supervision. When the dog is reading, he should not be checked and or- dered here and there, even if there are a dozen places close by which are crowded with birds — in the imagination of the handler. The dog's nose and judgment in finding and lo- cating the birds are always much .better to depend upon than the handler's intuitions, yet it sometimes requires sev- eral seasons for him to learn this simple fact. A dog which excels in an infetior method of reading is better than one which performs poorly after a good method; thus a dog which roads his birds accurately and fairly fast by foot scent is incomparably superior to one which carries a high nose, works for the body scent and makes a succession of blunders. The manner is excellent if the dog has the functional powers to execute it, but if incapable he will make wretched blunders. The best dogs will occasionally waver or hesitate when puzzled or foiled, but the dog, which does so habitually is naturally inferior or has been badly trained. If the handler positively knows that the dog has made 208 MODERN TRAINING. one error in reading which he is unable to correct, he should under such circumstances give him the necessary assistance; for instance, if the birds have run straight down wind and the dog, mistaking the course, roads up wind, which even aged clogs will sometimes do, the handler can give him a cast down wind and around the birds, thus correcting the error; but it should be a fixed rule to let the dog learn all that is possible from his own unassisted efforts. If a dog is too slow in reading, yet has good nose and judgment, he may be kindly encouraged to go faster, pro- vided that he is trustworthy in pointing, in respect to which the trainer must observe due discrimination. At all events, special pains should betaken to guard against pottering, ex- treme cautiousness and irresolution, even if the dog has to be encouraged to flush and chase — such qualities greatly impair a dog's value, or render him worthless, according to the degree of intensity. The whip is wholly useless to make a slow dog fast, although it is very effective to make the fast dog go slow. A dog which naturally hunts with a low nose and potters will rarely be above ordinary merit at best. The whip aggravates the evil, it having the effect of making him desist from all attempts at reading, he constru- ing it as a punishment for noticing the scent at all. The puzzle peg has been more or less warmly recom- mended by some writers as a cure for a low nose, pottering, etc., they attributing all the faults to the manner and not to the dog's inability — inferring that if one dog performs well with a high nose, all dogs must do so, as illogical as to assume that if one dog can run all day in a certain manner, all dogs could do likewise. Theoretically, it is a very plaus- ible method for forcing a dog to carry a high nose, thereby preventing pottering, etc.; but practically, it is a barbarity, and worthless. Inasmuch as it is never used by expert trainers and is wholly inefficient, besides being wantonly cruel, it is BREAKING AND HANDLING. 209 no part of dog training, and will not be described. Even when used, many dogs cannot road if forced to carry a high head, and they suffer many cruel falls from it. When the peg is removed, the dog immediately assumes his old style and habits, and as such are natural to him, they are the best which he has. In giving the puppy the necessary experience in reading, it is better to work him alone if he is in training for regu- lar shooting, in this respect not differing in principle from that of training in the other main branches. If two pup- pies are worked together, there is always a keen jealousy in roading, which is sure to cause a riotous flush or chase, or both. Even aged, experienced dogs are not reliable always under such circumstances, if in company with strange dogs. However, after the training reaches a stage at which the puppy is fairly reliable, he may be greatly benefited by ex- perience with an honest, obedient clog. If he has had per- fect liberty in chasing and hunting, as recommended in the preparatory field work, he in most instances has learned how to road quickly and accurately; he only needs training with a view to making him steady to his points, it being self- evident that the roading cannot be done too quickly if the dog can locate his birds and point correctly. On the other hand, if he has been constantly suppressed and completely subjugated, and therefore is without any knowledge of methods or possession of self-reliance, he learns but slowly and imperfectly, his handler holding all his attention and thus being a discouragement instead of an assistance. MODERN TRAINING. CHAPTER XIII. I3ACKING. Backing, backsetting or backstanding, synonymous terms, is the act of stopping and standing performed by one dog when he sees another dog point, the attitude assumed by the backing dog being generally much the same as that which he assumes when pointing; yet in most instances the back is less rigid than the point. Many individuals,, however, which point well, back in a spiritless manner; and there are occasional ones which will not back at all; others, which can- not point well, back in a satisfactory manner. Backing, the writer believes, and has long maintained, is a purely intelligent act, one in no wise instinctive. This opinion differs from that of some excellent sportsmen who hold that the act is instinctive inasmuch as it resembles point- ing, and puppies will back at a very early age; in fact, they hold that the puppy may back the very first time he sees a dog on a point, when taken afield. This is an extremely superficial view of the case, and also too great an assump- tion of what constitutes an instinct, as will be shown here- inafter; remarking, however, that it is doubtful whether the act of pointing itself is purely instinctive. The writer has never seen an intelligent dog which backed without any ex- perience previous to his first back, although he has seen a few which backed in the first time they were taken afield; but such had invariably run at large with other puppies and had learned to back them, while hunting birds, without any BREAKING AND HANDLING. 211 training; but such cases are extremely rare. Even in point- ing, the dog usually needs several opportunities before he will point, and several more before he can do it intelligently. Those who have watched puppies at play in the fields must have noticed that backing gradually developed with expe- perience. The puppies gallop about, stopping to a point betimes on little birds. At first they point and chase to- gether, then by degrees they learn to point or back alter- nately with more or less steadiness. The common expta- nation is that what was a matter of education' through many generations in the past became fixed in the dog's nature, and became an instinct. There is no proof whatever that it was regularly a matter of education, nevertheless, that does not for a moment detract from the positiveness and assurance of the assertion. In the chapter on instinct, in the Origin of Species, Darwin remarks : " Domestic instincts are sometimes spoken of as actions which have become inher- ited solely from long continued and compulsory habit; but this is not true." Matters which are purely educational, and which are to subserve the purposes of man, do not become instinctive however long repeated, as may be observed in the case of the horse which has been uniformly educated, gen- eration after generation for centuries, either to the har- ness or saddle, or both; yet he is not apparently benefited thereby, so far as educational instinct is concerned. Un- doubtedly, education improves the intelligence of the ani- mal; but in respect to the dog, the field education is trifling compared to that which man unconsciously gives by asso- ciation to each individual under domestication every day in succession, therefore it is more reasonable to suppose that all knowledge appertaining to domestication would become instinctive sooner than a few details of field work. It also is astonishing that if backing, by education through a long 212 MODERN TRAINING. series of generations, became instinctive, the other educa- tional qualities, most of which were more uniformly and thoroughly taught and practiced, did not at the same time and in like manner become instinctive. If backing were uniformly taught there would be more show of reason in the theory of instinct, but outside of the dogs trained by experts, backing is not generally taught. A multitude of shooters own but one dog, and hence cannot train the dog to back. Many, who own more than one, cannot enforce backing or do not attempt it; and such has been the case for many generations. Thus a large percentage were never educated to it, or never had the opportunity; hence it would be impossible for the so-called instinct to be so uniformly present in a race, by education, when but an exceedingly small percentage of the race was taught it. All sportsmen know that it is not present as uniformly in setters as the in- stinct to point; in fact, it is very irregular in all its proper- ties. If it were an instinct, it would be more likely to be obliterated by disuse than to be originated and perpetuated by education. Nevertheless this is all by the way, for it has very little relation to the true nature of instinct. It is well known to scientists that a true instinct is for the self- preservation of the individual or the perpetuation of the species. The instincts of birds to build their nests, sit on their eggs, migrate, etc., are true instincts. The bird will build the first nest without any experience, quite as well as the last. The young of mammalia nurse instinctively. A m-ultitude of other instances could be enumerated, but they would all show that instincts were strictly for the benefit of the individual in gaining a food supply or other acts of self- preservation, as in fleeing from danger, etc.; or in the pres- ervation of the species. Hence it is extremely unreason- able to suppose that since animals do not acquire an instinct for the benefit of other animals, the dog would acquire an BREAKING AND HANDLING. 213 instinct which he could exercise very irregularly at the best, and in many instances not at all, for the benefit of a man who carries a gun; an instinct separate and distinct from any individual profit to himself, but solely devoted to not interfering with his master's sport. It is equally absurd to assume that a trait so common, though irregularly developed under the artificial restraint of training, is meaningless. It cannot have its origin in transmitted habits under domestication, since it is not use- ful in that state; it could not originate as an instinct by edu- cation, since the latter is too fragmentary and is practiced during a comparatively brief period of the educated dog's life, and therefore could not affect the progeny; it is quite as reasonable to suppose that a man would instinctively know the meaning of a language because his ancestors had, dur- ing many successive generations, been educated in it. In fact, the theory that it is an instinct, resulting from edu- cation, offers a multitude of inconsistencies, conjectures and insurmountable obstructions. By assuming that it is an intelligent act, all these difficul- ties disappear. There are many different phases which prove that it is the result of understanding. It should be borne in mind that birds are but a part of the dog's nat- ural prey, an important fact in explaining his mode of pur- suit. It should also be noted that a dog can change his methods more or less to make his pursuit of game more successful. Thus the method of pursuing a rabbit is differ- ent from that with respect to birds. A litter of half-grown puppies when following and pointing tame chickens about the yard show the purposes of the act. After a little expe- rience, when one points, the others will stop and wait, and as the chicken runs to one side or the other, the backing puppies cut across the corner and cut the chicken off, thus acting jointly with greater success. This act may appear 214 MODERN TRAINING. amusing, but the puppies are serious, and have an intelligent purpose; if left to themselves, they will kill the chicken. The act partakes in character of the "running cunning" of greyhounds, and adds to the chances of capture. Without doubt, in hunting rabbits, which are also the natural prey of pointers and setters, the manner of approaching and pur- suing is as successful to them as analogous methods are to the greyhounds. They quickly learn that certain acts and indications, as drawing, half-pointing and feathering, de- note that game is present; and they learn by a little expe- rience that, by co-operation in the pursuit, they are more successful, as is also well established by the methods adopted by. foxhounds and greyhounds. Thus by noting the purposes of the dog's acts when he applies them to his own purposes, their real use is known; at least it ismore rea- sonable to so interpret them than as being for the use of man after forcing them to subserviency. There are variations of the act which are purely and ad- mittedly due to experience, namely, backing the gun, an act more frequently observed in wild fowl shooting by re- trievers. The dog observes that certain cautious acts of the shooter signify the proximity of game, and thereupon follows at a safe distance, drawing and backing. A varia- tion of the same act, due to the memory of the use of the gun and a knowledge of its purposes, is exhibited by some setters and pointers; if the gun is placed to the shoulder, they will back instantly; a few will back if the gun is held in the hand in a position as if ready to shoot. This trait was utilized at field trials occasionally on marked birds till the judges became too thoroughly informed, and trickery in a great measure became obsolete; however, it is only just to remark that trickery was confined to the few. That both pointing and backing may be exhibited as an act of intelligence is established by many well attested BREAKING AND HANDLING. 215 cases, and is mentioned by several authors. In youthful years the author had a terrier, which was an excellent squirrel dog, and which, from his own intelligence, learned to back the gun. As further showing what a dog can learn in the way of correct methods from his own powers of ob- servation, an intelligent act of this terrier will be described: He, by seeing an occasional ruffed grouse shot during the squirrel hunts, learned that they were also objects of pur- suit. From learning to recognize the scent, he gradually improved so that he would follow the foot scent slowly and truly, stopping on a point in a manner that would not be discreditable to an average pointer or setter. He had all the characteristics of a small, pure bull terrier in size, form, pluck and general habits, therefore nothing could be attrib- uted to inheritance from a chance setter or pointer cross. On the trail of a ruffed grouse, he was cautious, silent and attentive, which was entirely opposed to his manner of hunting squirrels, yet he learned both methods from his own experience. Here were precisely the same acts, exhibited by a bull terrier, which are commonly attributed to instinct in the pointer and setter, and which were performed as -a matter of pure intelligence. At all events, the amateur who expects to find that back- ing is a regularly developed instinct, or that the puppy will back within the first time he sees a dog point, is elaborately preparing numerous disappointments for himself. Usually there is no disposition to back manifested until a longer or shorter time after the dog has learned the mean- ing of a point, which, by the way, is very quickly. He may learn then in four or five opportunities, or four or five months of opportunities, the uses of aback; this being de- pendent upon his powers of observation, freedom from jeal- ousy, and the skill of his handler; for the dog can be ma- 2l6 MODERN TRAINING. terially assisted by education in perfecting this so-called instinct. In teaching dogs to back, many different phases of char- acter will be exhibited — some individuals have an intense desire to take the point from another dog; others never ob- serve any advantages in backing, being incapable of solving complex details of hunting; others again know its pur- poses fully, but do not care to observe it — such may back when the trainer is in sight and steal the point at other times; others will back at the first sign of game made by the other dog even if the latter is roading, and some are unreliable, and a few cannot be taught at all; the latter can be taught to drop or stop to a pointing dog. However, the greater number of setters and pointers can be taught to back with a fair degree of uniformity, but there is absolutely no uni- formity in the length of time required to teach it. When the trainer is first attempting to teach the accom- plishment, he should not, under any circumstances, work the dog with one which is a false pointer. Even if an aged dog, which will back honestly and well, is hunted with a false pointer, after backing two or three false points, he will thereafter entirely ignore the other's points, learning by ex- perience that they are erroneous and meaningless — thus showing that if backing is an instinct, it is a very intelligent one. With trained, experienced dogs, a false pointing companion is not of any importance except for the time being, their judgment being so good that they learn what dogs to back and what not to back, according to the point- ing dog's reliability. It might be shown here by innumera- ble citations that instincts do not improve by the experience of the individual having them, and that there is a close de- gree of uniformity in their exercise by each individual of a breed — one bird of a species builds its nest similar to those of every other bird of that species; all birds of a species BREAKING AND HANDLING. 217 migrate about the same time to the same latitude; bees con- struct their honeycomb of the same material and in the same shape, and all without knowing for what purpose these acts were performed. It might be shown that intelligent acts performed by one individual differed greatly from those performed by other individuals, being quite as variable as the intelligence of the individuals; but the subject is too voluminous to dwell on at length. Suffice it to say that the dog comprehends the purposes of backing since he distin- guishes between a reliable dog and an unreliable one; that he improves in the application by experience; that the act varies greatly in different individuals; that opportunities are necessary to learn it; that it varies a great deal in different dogs according to their inclination or intelligence; that it is serviceable to him in a wild state, and that therefore it is not an instinct implanted to oblige some man with a dog and a gun. Nevertheless, if the amateur has a veneration for tradition and honored beliefs, and hence believes it instinctive, it will not adversely affect the training if he follows the directions hereinafter given. If the young dogs are worked together before a certain degree of discipline is established, they will probably be more or less unmanageable in all branches, although, singly, they may be good workers. It is very beneficial to have the puppy prepared to such a degree that he will work with regularity and is under fair control, before working him in company; with a timid dog this is indispensable. Besides being under better control, he then has a better comprehen- sion of details. As before remarked, the first lessons should be with a dog which is not given to false pointing. If the dog cannot observe some desirable results from the act of pointing, it is meaningless to him. When the dog is pointing, the handler should call the 2l8 MODERN TRAINING. puppy to an advantageous position to see the point; a few opportunities should be given. him to learn the meaning of it. The first acts of the puppy are generally devoted to attempts to steal the point. These should be checked as much as possible without injuring his ardor. When he at- tempts it persistently, he may be dropped to command on signal; if he will not obey them with a fair degree of cer- tainty, he is not properly prepared. If he is inattentive from his own experience, a mild process of compulsory training may be begun. Put a light checkcord on him. Expert trainers seldom use a checkcord in this branch, it generally being superfluous. When the dog points, the puppy should be kept to the rear, and the manner of the handler should be extravagantly cautious and deliberate, while walking forward slowly to flush. The puppy is eagerly observant of the extraordinary care and caution, and at the same time is greatly impressed by it; indeed, he may unconsciously imitate the cautious movements of his hand- ler. When the birds are flushed and a kill follows, the puppy has observed what the point, caution and accessory details resulted in, and the next time, or few times there- after, may stop to watch it of his own volition, which is a back, or the inception of one. If, when the handler walks forward to flush, the puppy leaves his place either with the intention of following his handler or stealing the point, the handler should return and place him in the exact spot which he left. If he will stand with any steadiness, looking curi- ously on at the proceedings, do not disturb him, for such is a very good incipient back. By repeating these lessons with a grave demeanor and great caution, the puppy by imi- tation and observation will assume similarly precautionary measures. It has been noted hereinbefore that the puppy is very imitative. This maybe observed if the shooter while walking assumes an air of great caution and expectation in BREAKING AND HANDLING. 219 his movements; the puppy is immediately impressed by it, although the act should not be practiced as a deception. With the average dog, this treatment will be sufficient to establish backing if the dog is afforded sufficient opportu- nity. Yet a few dogs will be found which are very back- ward, and the lessons may not have any visible effect in pro- moting the purpose; nevertheless, the lessons must be con- tinued precisely the same as if each one was the last, and would effect the purpose. Other little arts may be intro- duced. When a combination of circumstances combine to favor it, the puppy may come running in while the dog is pointing. He then should not be interfered with in any manner. To caution him is sure to defeat the purpose. If he does not see the pointing dog until he is close on him, so much the better. When he does see him, his surprise is so great and his caution, from a comprehension of the purpose of the act, is so stimulated, that he may stop instantly and back with great perfection. He may hold it with steadiness or break it in a few seconds; but once done, it is easy to es- tablish steadiness by repetition. This is the usual manner in which many dashing, high-spirited puppies make their first back; those which are backward in their lessons also frequently learn in this manner. There are individuals which, notwithstanding a full com- prehension of the act of pointing, will ignore all method from their intense jealousy or desire to get to the birds. With such dogs the whip is beneficial. If the dog presses forward when he ought to remain on a back, whip him. The same results are effected by fear of pain that should have resulted from experience. This method requires discretion in its application. Just sufficient to effect the purpose is all that is necessary The dog which has no perception or interest in respect to backing can be taught to drop when he sees a dog on point. 15 220 MODERN TRAINING. When it is observed that he sees the dog on point, drop him on the instant. By continually repeating this with op- portunity, giving him a cut of the whip on the shoulder when circumstances are favorable to back, he will event- ually learn to drop at sight of a dog pointing, the act hav- ing the same effect as a signal of the hand. However, if he is cranky, excessively timid, sour or sulky when crossed, and will not show indications to back, it is better, if he will work well as a single dog, to leave backing out of his educa- tion entirely. Instead of making him a reliable backer, he may be rendered worthless in other more important branches. At all events he can be taught to drop promptly to order or signal, which in most cases answers all the practical pur- poses of backing, i. e.; to keep one dog from interfering with another when pointing. A dog which is used to train puppies with, besides being reliably true in his points, should have a cool judgment so that he will not get excited; and honesty, so that he will not take any mean advantages when his handler is busy. Cer- tain "individual dogs, if there are any unusual occurrences such as whipping, loud orders, etc., applied to another dog, will abandon the point, or press forward to a flush. Old dogs which are accustomed to seeing puppies trained learn to comprehend the situation perfectly, and will hold the point regardless of any orders or punishment the puppy may receive; yet they are perfectly obedient if they observe that the orders are directed to themselves After more or less effort, with very rare exceptions, all dogs can be taught to back, but there will be very irregular degrees of proficiency in the results. With a few, as in pointing, the act can be intensified to an injurious excess. Dogs of deferential disposition will watch a self-confident dog with close attention, particularly if he is a skillful finder, and the moment he shows signs of game by roading or BREAKING AND HANDLING. 221 drawing, they back rigidly, and it is difficult to move them. After such dogs become fatigued, they devote their entire attention to the finding dog and back from a combined de- sire to see the dog point and stand still to rest. A dog which backs prematurely in this manner causes a great deal of annoyance or lowers the standard of the work when hunting with a dog which backs honestly and accurately. If the latter roads or shows the slightest indication of find- ing, he- is instantly backed; then he catches sight of the backing dog, infers that it is a point, then backs in turn — thus they stand backing each other. After being sent on, the act may be repeated again and again with more or less frequency, much to the disgust of the hunter and prejudice to the sport. After awhile, the more sensible dog learns that there is no accuracy in his companion's work, thereupon he probably refuses to back him at all times. If he is of an impatient disposition, such experience may make him dis- trustful in his work with other dogs. Two experienced dogs, which work correctly, rarely back each other. Point- ers are more predisposed to this fault than setters. If a trained dog should at any time become' unsteady on his backs, he should be whipped in precisely the same man- ner as for any other willfully faulty performance. However, if the slightest unsteadiness is corrected at its beginning, there will be comparatively little trouble. By neglecting little faults, the greater ones ensue, and the training is then irregular and less skillful. MODERN TRAINING. CHAPTER XIV. QUARTERING. Quartering is simply ranging in an artificial manner. It is obsolete in this country. The different field trial associa- tions recognize it to the extent of giving it small value in the scale of points, but in practice it is not considered. The writer has seen braces, in their heats at field trials a few years ago, taken into the open, after their finding qualities had been determined by the dogs ranging as they pleased, to test their quartering. If it had advantages, it would be diligently cultivated at all times. In England it is said to be a very useful accomplishment, the fields, cover and habits of the birds favoring this formal manner of ranging. In this country it is wholly unneces- sary in any section, and a downright injury to quail shooting. However, there are a few who still believe in its advantages for all kinds of shooting and all kinds of sections. No attempt should be made to teach it until the dog has learned to take d.elight in hunting, and has established dash and range. If he is tied down to formalities in his ranging from the start, his enterprise is checked, he has no oppor- tunities to independently exercise his judgment, or get the experience which he should have. Before the trainer begins the lessons in quartering, it is necessary to give the puppy at least a fair comprehension of the signal of the hand waved to the right or left, and the note of the whistle which signifies attention. Such prepar- BREAKING AND HANDLING. 223 atory training is necessary to have some control over him; to turn him at the ends of his casts, to send him in the direction desired. It is absolutely essential that the dog be worked across and up wind. The wind acts as a guide to the dog, and quartering, contrary to the common belief, can only be practiced when the handler walks up wind. Under such circumstances, the dog can take his casts to and fro with the nicest precision. Any attempt to enforce the method when the handler is walking down wind is merely sacrificing the hunting for the sake of a useless formality. At the end of his casts the dog is disposed to turn up wind, hence when the handler is walking down wind the dog is repeatedly turning in the wrong direction, thus entirely dis- arranging his quartering. If the handler directs his course across wind the matter is still worse, as the dog must then range directly up and down wind to preserve the formality. Theoretically, quartering is when a dog takes his casts at right angles to the course of his handler, each cast being parallel to all other casts, if the handler pursues a straight course. The distance between the parallels is supposed to be about the length which a dog can command with his nose; hence it is apparent that the parallels cannot be an arbitrary distance apart at all times — when the scent is good they may be wider; when it is poor, they should be narrower; and they differ with different dogs. The method of teaching it is very simple, to wit: The handler walks up wind invariably; he casts the dog off to the right or left, giving the proper signal with his hand. When the dog reaches the end of his cast, a signal of the whistle is given to turn him; when his attention is caught, if he does not turn properly, give a signal of the hand to turn him in the right direction across wind. By also walk- ing in that direction while giving the signal, it will assist to start him aright; when he takes his cast correctly, resume 224 MODERN TRAINING. the course up wind. It would seem to be an easy matter to teach a dog to quarter, after reading the instructions of authors. The dog is simply required to go to and fro at right angles to his handler's course. As a matter of fact, the first attempts will be far from accurate, and will have very little resemblance to quartering; but with experience and unremitting attention, he will slowly improve. The training consists in holding him constantly as near as pos- sible to these parallels, day after day and week after week, until from the very force of habit he follows them without any assistance or direction from his handler. After the dog is proficient, he must be hunted against the wind continually when at work — the quartering dog which will quarter or work well in any direction is so extremely rare that he does not affect the rule in the least. Now, if the handler aspires to train his dog to such a degree of refinement in quartering that he can sit on a fence on the windward side of a field, cast his dog in a straight line to the lee side, then have the dog quarter the field back to him, as is described by some authors, he is leading a very forlorn hope. In about nine cases out of ten, when the handler seats himself comfortably, the dog does likewise; the tenth dog is generally deficient in sense or experience. About once in a lifetime the average sportsman who owns the average number of dogs may own one dog which will have consideration enough to hunt a field while his handler sits on the fence. However, it is hardly worth his while to attempt training the average dog to this accomplishment, for he will be disappointed. In teaching braces to quarter, it is necessary to teach each dog singly until he is passably proficient, it being self-evi- dent that if one dog is difficult to train to it, two at one time would be immeasurably more so. Some writers advise that an old dog be started with a young one to teach him BREAKING AND HANDLING. 225 quartering. It would be just as reasonable to suppose that an inexperienced man could learn wing shooting by simul- taneously shooting with a crack shot. There are certain things which both man and dog must learn from their own individual experience. When the dog is reliable, he may be run with a brace mate which is equally so. Here a variety of complexities may arise that could not appear when working singly. One or both may be inordinately jealous, and may flush or chase as a consequence; one may defer entirely to the other and follow him about constantly, which act spoils the brace work completely; one may be a much faster or wider ranger than the other, which also impairs the value of the brace. A brace should work perfectly independent of each other, and theoretically their parallels must alternate, hence each must take wider parallels than when working singly, so that they will not be closer than their noses can command. Or one dog must quarter on the right side, the other on the left side of his handler, a line ahead of the latter in the direc- tion of his course being the point at which the dogs turn. Theoretically, the dog does it to mathematical accuracy; practically, the handler should only strive to approximate to it; if he can do so he does well. In quartering, as in ranging, the dog may develop a va- riety of idiosyncracies; he may take a short cast on one side and a long one on the other; he may turn up wind at one end of his cast and down wind at the other; he may come to his handler at regular intervals, perhaps at every cast; he may in the middle of a cast take a turn to the rear of his handler and repeat it regularly at each cast or at one par- ticular cast; in fact, there are a great variety of whims which he may exhibit, but the aforementioned are the most important. As mentioned under the head of Ranging, one should be 226 MODERN TRAINING. excellent where the other is weak, thus both combined should have all possible abilities and accomplishments. The disadvantages incidental to quartering are as follows: If the quartering dog has hunted on certain grounds during a whole season, he must hunt them day after day in the same formal manner. Undoubtedly he has learned where the haunts of many bevies are, but the strict formality will not allow him to use his knowledge. Under any circum- stances the quartering dog is at a disadvantage in compar- ison with an intelligent ranger, but after the first day's hunting on certain grounds, the former cannot compete with the dog which exercises both his memory and intelligence. In consequence of the irregularity of grounds or the vary- ing haunts of the birds, the quartering dog must work over large areas of grounds which are palpably barren; more- over, from being constantly held down to set forms of ranging he cannot exercise his judgment independently, therefore he cannot develop it. In this respect he never can approach the performances of a ranging dog as de- scribed under the head of Ranging, although he may have equal natural capabilities. Forms are merely a substitute for intelligence, but in this case they are a failure. BRF.AKING AND HANDLING. CHAPTER XV. DROPPING TO WING AND SHOT. In teaching the dog to drop to wing or shot, the whirr of wings, the sight of the flying birds or the report of the gun have precisely the same significance as an oral command. When taught perfectly, the dog drops promptly at the first intimation with reference to these circumstances. The same care in teaching prompt and full obedience to any other commands would insure the same results. Dropping to wing or shot is an unnecessary accomplishment — in many respects it is disadvantageous and injurious. It is much overrated in the good qualities claimed for it, namely, that it prevents the dog from chasing or breaking shot when the gun is fired. Theoretical writers overlook the fact that if the trainer can teach the dog to drop to shot, he can teach him to be steady to order; furthermore, it is much more trouble to train a dog to drop to shot and wing regularly than it is to simply steady him. The real reason of its pop- ularity is the ornamental finish which it is supposed to confer on a dog's work. Dropping a dog to shot or wing may be beneficial in his early training, but merely for the time being, and then only in obedience to an oral order or signal of the hand. The act Is a disadvantage if the dog is a retriever, for it is apparent that he, when dropped to shot or wing in sedge grass or cover, cannot mark the fall of a dead bird, or the flight of live ones. Some intelligent dogs compromise by 228 MODERN TRAINING. dropping, then instantly raising up in front and peering over the grass to mark the live or dead birds — when they accomplish the purpose, they immediately drop and remain steady till ordered on. The act is particularly objectionable and injurious in cold, rainy weather, on marshy or muddy grounds, or in winter hunting, for the dog must then drop in cold water, snow or mud; if under the circumstances the act is insisted on, it is an abuse of a faithful servant, and a degradation to an intelligent companion. This accomplish- ment is usually insisted on by owners who have their dogs trained by professional handlers, it being considered both useful in results and elegant in performance; but the ama- teur, so far as usefulness is concerned, need not trouble himself with it. If dropping to shot and wing is taught at a proper time, it must be taught during the latter part of the dog's training. There are many things which are necessary to consider and note before it is attempted, namely, the dog must not be gunshy, he must have learned to point birds steadily, and must have no fears of them, or the gun, or his handler. To attempt it earlier is to run the chances of having a blinker or a distrustful dog. If the dog is properly trained so that he is not afraid of the whip and will drop squarely and steadily to a cut of it on the shoulder, no precautions need be taken against run- ning away; if not, the same precautions may be taken as with a dog which breaks shot. The advantages of training a dog to drop to a cut of the whip on the shoulder are now manifest. It is all the order that is needed, and being trained to it, the dog drops properly without trouble. If not trained to it, the whip always has a tendency to make him run away, at least it distracts his mind from the real purpose, and has no more meaning than a whipping in general. Eventually the same associations must be estab- BREAKING AND HANDLING. 229 lished, but it will be done in a more irregular manner under less favorable circumstances. There is no occasion for hurry in teaching it; in fact, it is harmful. The closest observation must be exercised to teach him to drop and not incidentally injure his other work; also to avoid teaching him unintentionally to drop on his points. It is true that some dogs drop to their points naturally, but it is equally true that the greater number do it from education, the latter of course not being so intended, but is so in effect, since the dog so understands and ap- plies it. Every time a bird is flushed to the dog's point, or every time he flushes one whether unintentionally or otherwise, the trainer drops him by oral command or signal. Fre- quent opportunities occur when the trainer can walk up beside him, give him a cut on the shoulder with the whip as the bird rises; this must not be done too frequently else the dog drops when he hears the handler walk up, and this may be the inceptive stage of dropping to point. If he has been trained properly in his preliminary yard breaking, he will drop instantly to a cut of the whip. He soon learns to further associate it with the rise of the bird; finally, he associates the act of dropping with the rise of the bird, and the intermediate element, /.