106 THE AMERICAN HUNTING DOG 



her to a dog from a family noted for cobby backs 

 or long muzzles, and the pups Avill be corrected of 

 both faults. To be sure of pups that will be good 

 natural hunters, breed the bitch to a dog from a 

 family noted for its wins in field trials rather than 

 bench shows, for the latter type, particularly in 

 the East, has seen so little real hunting of late that 

 not often does one of them make good afield. 

 There are lots of exceptions, it is true, but one ex- 

 perience of training a pup with no natural hunting 

 instincts will cure you of any penchant for select- 

 ing bench points rather than field ability in your 

 sire. The Middle West and the South are full of 

 dogs who can almost guarantee your bitch a litter 

 of natural hunters. Such a selection smooths the 

 way for many details later, such as avoiding gun- 

 shyness and having natural pointing instincts, for, 

 in a really satisfactory dog for the average sports- 

 man, fearlessness of the gun and natural desire 

 to hunt and point should be inbred in the very 

 bones of the pup. Scout I was such a dog; Doris 

 and Scout II were just the opposite, and both of 

 the latter were troublesome to train. 



Two services to your bitch will be plenty ; guard 

 her against any further alliances, for it will cause 

 trouble. At the same time a mesalliance, which 

 frequently befalls the amateur breeder, can be 



