BREAKING AND HANDLING 



249 



might ride over him, thus injuring him; or horse, dog and 

 rider might go down together. 



As in many other parts of training, precautionary meas- 

 ures are the best. By avoiding as much as possible such 

 circumstances as are liable to provoke a runaway, the dog 

 may not learn that he can do so. When the general dis- 

 cipline is perfect, it is then much easier to correct any 

 imperfection of detail. If the dog once learns that he can 

 evade obedience by bolting, there is no limit to the annoy- 

 ance and injury it may do to the whole, training. He im- 

 proves rapidly in his knowledge of it and may become, in a 

 great measure, wholly unmanageable. Dogs, being very 

 intelligent and cunning, quickly learn what measures are 

 conducive to their safety or pleasure when punishment is 

 imminent or distasteful orders are to be obeyed; but once 

 learned, the handler should trust more to his finesse than to 

 ^any punishment. 



