120 SPORTSMAN'S HAND BOOK. 



in the way of play, and you will in time get the very best 

 control of them. Select a young dog that suits you, the 

 younger the better, say four or five weeks old. Commence 

 at once, giving him a short lesson every day ; as soon as he 

 has become reconciled to his new home, have him in your 

 company as much as possible, but do not crowd his educa- 

 tion too fast. Teach him one thing at a time.. It takes from 

 fifteen to twenty years to educate one of the human species, 

 or one third of the average length of life; do not make the 

 mistake of expecting more of a dog, a mere animal, than 

 of mankind. Be patient, good tempered, and persever- 

 ance will accomplish all. Stick to the text, that strict obedi- 

 ence at the word of command, is all there is in dog training. 



As soon as you have your dog under reasonable control 

 at home or in the yard, always use the same command for 

 certain actions or duties, then take him to the field; he will 

 hunt from the very start, will also point at sight, but will at 

 the same time have an almost irresistible desire to catch the 

 game if it runs or flushes. Now comes the test of his obedi- 

 ence; if an eager, ambitious dog he will surely make chase, 

 his nature will be stronger than his education; in this case 

 call him back and give him to understand that he has done 

 wrong. In the first lesson, you should not carry a gun, 

 but have a companion who is a good shot and let him do the 

 shooting, and you look after the dog. In case you find game 

 and the pup makes a point, it is quite important, if the bird 

 flushes, to have it shot by your companion; therefore, he 

 should be a good shot. 



The dog will soon learn that when he finds and points 

 game that the gun will bring it down if it flushes; that is, 

 he will depend on the gun to get the game. If you have a 

 very ambitious dog it will require time to convince him that 

 he cannot catch a flying bird; your first effort must not be 

 so much to teach him not to run after birds, as it is that it is 



