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 



