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. 



