240 MODERN TRAINING. 



Shooting over the points of a gunshy dog is extremely 

 unwise. While it might cure him in one lesson if he is not 

 very gunshy, there are many more probabilities that it might 

 cause him to blink his birds by associating their presence 

 with his other fears, and then there is a discouraging com- 

 bination of evils. 



The correct demeanor of the trainer adds greatly to the 

 success of any method. He should affect the greatest un- 

 concern when the gun is fired. After a few moments the 

 dog can be noticed, and spoken to kindly. Any notice 

 taken of him at the time of the firing excites his apprehen- 

 sion, and he naturally thinks that the noises refer to himself. 

 By this course the unpleasantness is disassociated as much 

 as possible; therefore, looking intently at the dog and giving 

 loud orders in connection with the report, only serves to 

 impress it on him that he is the direct object of the pro- 

 ceedings. Running away is an aggravating evil which 

 ought to be carefully guarded against. With dogs of good 

 judgment and which are not excessively gunshy, the trainer 

 can take some chances in this respect. 



The dog which will curl up and become apathetic is the 

 most difficult to cure. No persuasion will arouse his atten- 

 tion. Shrinking into a small compass, even on bare ground, 

 appears to give a feeling of security. A dog of this kind 

 should be tied in an open yard where there is not the slight- 

 est object to conceal him or give him a feeling of conceal- 

 ment. Then fire about one hundred blank cartridges or 

 explode percussion caps deliberately and at regular intervals, 

 at about a distance of fifteen or twenty feet away from him, 

 taking no notice of him in the meantime. The lessons may 

 be repeated day after day regularly until a cure is affected. 

 A dog cannot remain in a state of perpetual fright; yet a 

 great deal of time may be consumed in curing him; if he is 

 not unusually promising, he might not be worth the trouble. 



