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- 



