254 MODERN TRAIKING 



CHAPTER XX. 



TRAINED AND OVERTRAINED. 



During the period in which the dog is in training, he 

 must necessarily receive many orders to the end that his 

 work may be made to co-operate with that of the gun. By 

 being kept to formality in certain parts of his work, the 

 formal manner becomes habitual. The dog, if properly 

 trained, thereafter is capable of working intelligently to the 

 gun without any supervision. He roads and points on his 

 own judgment, ranges intelligently, and steadily performs 

 such acts as are necessary to assist the gun. He does not 

 look to his trainer for any orders while ranging, the general 

 course of the hunt being a sufficient guide for him. Con- 

 tinual orders and checks to a trained dog is the crudity of 

 handling. 



As to the manner in which a trained dog should work, the 

 opinions vary with the sportsmen who live in different game 

 sections of this country, owing primarily to the important 

 peculiarities and requirements of each section, the difference 

 in topography, climate, food supply, habits and habitat of 

 the different species of game in each respective section, 

 making natural reasons for different methods of work; 

 nevertheless, sportsmen of the same section rarely concur 

 in their ideas of what constitutes a perfectly trained dog. 

 Whatever his manner of work, there should always be self- 

 confidence and individuality in it. The trainer, as a matter 

 of course, should train his dog to hunt after the methods 



