THE WHIP; ITS USE AND ABUSE. 47 1 



angry obstinate resistance that either induces sullenness or devel- 

 ops sly cunning with which the dog attempts to circumvent you 

 the moment he is at liberty. Before allowing him to go, talk to 

 him, but with more of warning than reproof, and finally send him 

 off with a gravely spoken caution ; when it becomes evident that 

 an attempt is being made to atone for the fault with good work, 

 encourage him with pleasant cheerful words, which materially as- 

 sist in a natural and sympathetic understanding. 



Never enter the field without the whip, for circumstances may 

 arise where its use is absolutely necessary ; yet with the exercise 

 of proper vigilance its use may be avoided, ofttimes throughout 

 the entire season. By this we mean watching the animal at all 

 times; never removing your eye from him when it can be avoided, 

 that you may know the moment he strikes a trail, when, if he 

 appear in the slightest degree careless or excited, you may check 

 and thus prevent the commission of a graver fault which would 

 demand the lash. This gives the most perfect control since the 

 dog learns that he is constantly under your eye, and that the 

 slightest fault will be detected ; nor is such supervision difficult, as 

 by practice it will become so habitual as to be involuntary, and 

 besides the advantage ia handling the dog, it keeps you constantly 

 on the alert, and prevents your being surprised by birds rising wild 

 and unexpectedly, and thus escaping unshot. 



You will be amply repaid by treating your dogs as reasoning 



i and reasonable beings. We are constantly surprised at the depth 



of their perception and their appreciative faculties.* With many 



I * Dr. E. D. Rogers, U. S. Army, is the owner of a brace of setters which pos- 

 I sess a depth of understanding and degree of intelligence rarely witnessed. Al- 

 most any command given in an ordinary tone of voice seems to be comprehended, 

 j even when the face of the speaker is turned from them, or he is in another apart- 

 ! ment. When reading or writing the Doctor will sing in a low tone of voice, and 

 without looking up, " one of you dogs shut that door," when both rush to 

 perform his bidding ; but if he specifies either by name, the other does not 

 move. 



" Flora, bring me my gloves," or a " glove," the animal distinguishing between 

 the singular and the plural ; " Jack, find my gauntlets ; " " bring me the shears ; " 



" carry in that stool ; " " Take this note to ; " " Jack bring Flora here " and 



vice versa ; these are a few of the commands given and obeyed by these dogs. 

 Calling up either he introduces by saying " Jack," or " Flora," as the case may be, 



"this is Mr. ," and the dogs seem ever after to recognize the i^erson by 



name. If either one is told that they are to work for another during the day, he 



