BREAKING AND HANDLING. 215 



cases, and is mentioned by several authors. In youthful 

 years the author had a terrier, which was an excellent 

 squirrel dog, and which, from his own intelligence, learned 

 to back the gun. As further showing what a dog can learn 

 in the way of correct methods from his own powers of ob- 

 servation, an intelligent act of this terrier will be described: 

 He, by seeing an occasional ruffed grouse shot during the 

 squirrel hunts, learned that they were also objects of pur- 

 suit. From learning to recognize the scent, he gradually 

 improved so that he would follow the foot scent slowly and 

 truly, stopping on a point in a manner that would not be 

 discreditable to an average pointer or setter. He had all 

 the characteristics of a small, pure bull terrier in size, form, 

 pluck and general habits, therefore nothing could be attrib- 

 uted to inheritance from a chance setter or pointer cross. 

 On the trail of a ruffed grouse, he was cautious, silent and 

 attentive, which was entirely opposed to his manner of 

 hunting squirrels, yet he learned both methods from his own 

 experience. Here were precisely the same acts, exhibited 

 by a bull terrier, which are commonly attributed to instinct 

 in the pointer and setter, and which were performed as -a 

 matter of pure intelligence. 



At all events, the amateur who expects to find that back- 

 ing is a regularly developed instinct, or that the puppy will 

 back within the first time he sees a dog point, is elaborately 

 preparing numerous disappointments for himself. 



Usually there is no disposition to back manifested until a 

 longer or shorter time after the dog has learned the mean- 

 ing of a point, which, by the way, is very quickly. He may 

 learn then in four or five opportunities, or four or five 

 months of opportunities, the uses of aback; this being de- 

 pendent upon his powers of observation, freedom from jeal- 

 ousy, and the skill of his handler; for the dog can be ma- 



