l88 MODERN TKAINIXO. 



dogs to perfect stanchness. Training the dog to flush reg- 

 ularly to order is not good training; in fact, this pernicious 

 practice is not tolerated by experts. It is much more diffi- 

 cult to train the dog to perfect stanchness than to teach 

 him to flush to order or signal, since in the former instance 

 he is required to do an act against his will; in the latter, 

 one in consonance with it. He may perform nicely during 

 the first season or part of a season, but from being required 

 to flush at first to please his master, he improves on the act, 

 and at last learns to flush to please himself. In shooting 

 woodcock, ruffed grouse, or quails in thick cover, it is 

 sometimes necessary to order the dog on to flush, but it 

 should only be done when absolutely necessary, and stanch- 

 ness should be made imperative at all other times. It has 

 been said that in some kinds of shooting it is a necessity; 

 this in nowise affects the injurious consequences to the 

 dog's work. There is no expert handler but what can easily 

 teach a dog to flush to order, and probably there are none 

 but what have so taught a dog at some time; yet, as a class, 

 the handlers condemn it as being unnecessary, harmful and 

 unskillful. Nevertheless, there are a few sportsmen with 

 whom the method finds favor, and such should train in such 

 manner as enhances their pleasure. 



In teaching pointing, the training should be confined 

 strictly to game birds. The amateur is disposed to think 

 that it is a gain if his puppy will point field larks nicely. If 

 the desire is to make the dog true finder, larks should 

 never be shot over his points. Hunting and pointing them 

 should be discouraged as much as possible without punish- 

 ment. The larks should- not be shot at. By thus ignoring 

 such work, he will eventually, in most cases, quit hunting 

 them and confine his work to game birds. If game birds 

 are scarce, almost any dog will point larks occasionally. If 

 an aged, trained dog, from taking pleasure in hunting them, 



