HOW TO TRAIN DOGS AND CATS. 



Hints on Shooting and Hunting Game. 



I find many ups and downs in different dogs of different breeds. 

 Some people will say they have the only breed of dogs. Now, what 

 standpoint they get that from I would like to know. My life's expe- 

 rience has been that about two dogs out of ten show good nose scent, 

 so you see that a person's chances are not the best to get a sure one, 

 or a high class field dog, at all times. But you can reverse things 

 by proper training and make fair field dogs out of them by breaking 

 them to retrieve first, and teaching them to always stand their dead 

 bird first before retrieving it. This will get them interested in their 

 nose work and will give them a good start to use their noses on live 

 birds in the field and will make fair shooting dogs out of them. I 

 always like to start on a dog at six months old, as he is then at the 

 height of his ambition, and can be taught to do anything a great 

 deal easier than when older, and nine times out of ten he will be ready 

 to handle the coveys or flocks of birds he may come in contact with. 

 The best dogs I have ever seen were brought up at that age. Ninety- 

 nine men out of one hundred that own dogs do nothing but feed them 

 well and keep them in a cellar or a closed yard for a year, then ask 

 some handler to train their dogs. Oft" the dog goes, scared to death 

 the minute he is put in the box for shipment until the handler gets 

 him. Now, what does the handler do? The only thing for him to do 

 is to pet and try to make friends with him. No success; let him loose 

 and he runs off, and you can't help but say the handler is up against 

 a hard proposition. But, if the owner would get off his pup at six 

 months to the handler, or take the pup out walking so he would get used 

 to seeing things, it would take all the cowardice out of him. Look at 

 horses at one and two years old making world records ! They are not 

 shut up in a box-stall and not let out, but are given plenty of good 

 exercise and are petted, and this is the way dogs ought to be treated. 



When taking a young dog into the field let him go and do as he 

 pleases for the first few times. This will encourage him to hunt and 

 not be afraid of you, and get an idea of what you want him to do. 

 Then, when you want him to settle down for work, so you won't have 



