BREAKING AND HANDLING. 169 



ally supposed, and may be induced by excessive exposure 

 to wet and cold. It is frequently caused by the promis- 

 cuous shooting of too many guns over one dog without any 

 regard to his proximity. Two or three men about a point- 

 ing dog, one standing six or eight feet behind him, and 

 shooting over his back, and one or two on one side or on 

 each side, can do the mischief thoroughly. For the benefit 

 of those who have not experienced the sensation, it may be 

 explained that a gun fired from a position eight or ten feet 

 from the rear, and the line of fire from three to six feet 

 from the ear, has about the same sensation that a blow in 

 the ear would have if delivered with a sand bag. The con- 

 cussion may impair the hearing or completely destroy it. 

 Many sportsmen have had their hearing impaired tempo- 

 rarily or permanently from this cause. Hence it can readily 

 be imagined what effect two double guns fired behind and 

 above a dog would have on his hearing, his head being near 

 the ground. When all the crude methods of education and 

 all the unknown pains the dog suffers from mismanagement 

 are considered, the wonder is not that there are occasional 

 gunshy puppies, but that both young and old dogs do not 

 become so oftener. The amateur's theory of gunshyness 

 generally places the dog in fault beyond question, but if the 

 dog could tell the real cause, it would appear very simple 

 and rational in most cases. 



As mentioned in another part of this work, the dog is 

 extremely jealous, and this trait can be taken advantage of 

 to accomplish certain objects, but it has annoying disadvan- 

 tages in field work. The dog cannot endure any rivalry 

 from strange dogs without attempting to defeat them. The 

 jealous dog prefers flushing to permitting a rival to get the 

 point, and may break shot to prevent his retrieving. Also, 

 this trait may be exercised against his handler, for from fear 

 that his handler may get the birds from him, he will break 



