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 



