BREAKING AND HANDLING. 147 



the trainer should be able to hold his dog's confidence and 

 affection. If he has failed to do so his application of meth- 

 ods has been faulty. 



After he will fetch the cob nicely, the dog may show a 

 tendency to frolic, but all capers should be suppressed. 

 Anything more than cheerful obedience is not required, and 

 is not consonant with a finished education. 



At almost any stage in the training, he may show an in- 

 clination to grasp the cob or other object with too firm a 

 grip, or even bite it. When this tendency toward a hard 

 mouth is observed, an object should be specially prepared 

 for him to retrieve. Drive some slim, wrought tenpenny 

 nails through it in various directions, clinching the ends so 

 that the surface will be as evenly covered as possible. 

 When he closes his teeth on such object once, he is very 

 cautious thereafter, and may refuse to retrieve at all; if so, 

 begin the lessons again from the first stage, and accustom 

 him to it by degrees. The dog intensely dislikes to close 

 his teeth on iron, and will retrieve any object, protected 

 with it, with the greatest tenderness. No sharp points are 

 desirable or necessary on the object which he retrieves. 

 He should be regularly drilled on this object till a habit of 

 grasping with a tender mouth is firmly established. It is 

 worthy of mention in this relation, that a dog thus trained 

 can be made a tender mouthed retriever to a certainty. 

 There is no qualification to it whatever save the one of his 

 trainer's skill and industry. There is no trouble to inculcate 

 promptness, precision, and tender handling of the bird. 

 However, the lessons must be repeated regularly, prompt 

 obedience invariably required, and the dog's intelligence 

 developed once discipline is established, the rest follow 

 easily. 



He may next be given lessons in a yard or room from 

 which he cannot escape; and the checkcord may be re- 



