BREAKING AND HANDLING. 255 



that are successful under the existing circumstances; still, 

 by the necessary diversity of work, a dog can be taught to 

 hunt well on different kinds of game in the same or differ- 

 ent sections. A dog which has not the most perfect self- 

 reliance in his manner of work, and does not do it to the 

 best of such ability as he has without any prompting, has 

 been imperfectly trained if he needs prompting; and if he 

 does not need it, his handler is unnecessarily officious be- 

 sides cramping the dog's capabilities, if ordering him con- 

 tinually. Besides working in a formal manner, the trained 

 dog has a comprehension of the general management him- 

 self. He marks birds, works entirely in the interest of the 

 gun, and is not only a trained servant, but an intelligent 

 one. 



Overtraining is really more objectionable than insufficient 

 training, although few amateur trainers can hardly believe 

 that a dog can be overtrained, their ideas of training being 

 governed more by the question of obedience than by the 

 manner of work with obedience. It is usually the result of 

 too early and ceaseless training, both in yard breaking and 

 field work; this on the one hand; on the other, dogs of 

 peculiarly pliable and deferential dispositions are easily 

 overtrained from even mild supervision, if the trainer does 

 not observe great care. Indications of it are also most 

 commonly observed in dogs which are naturally more or 

 less lazy, deficient in intelligence, or unobservant of their 

 work; still, if a dog is as high-couraged and industrious as 

 may be, by ceaseless training to orders, his will can be 

 wholly brought under the domination of his handler. From 

 looking to him when compulsory attention is required in 

 obedience to an order, he by degrees looks to him more 

 and more from habit; finally, he loses all individuality, looks 

 to his handler for an order or signal voluntarily, and performs 

 his work in the most perfunctory manner he will stop at the 



