THE USE OF DOGS. 287 



has been sliootino^ witli me, and from tlie same 

 rise birds liave fallen in different directions, Nellie 

 and Ben advisedly, and of tlieir own purpose, when 

 told to ^Sseek dead," went for the different birds; 

 and tliis is remarkable, because the purj^ose to 

 secure the fallen l)irds is reasonably and stra- 

 tegically evident. 



It is a very great mistake not to let your dogs 

 claim all the j^^^'^'^sure they can when working 

 for the gun. To point, to kill, and to pick up 

 the bird is to them a triumph — the picking up 

 tlie most so ; and, unlike mankind, constant 

 triumphs and undeviating success tend to the 

 obedient perfection of the malleable mind of the 

 dog, whereas in man, perhaps, they would tend 

 to tlie simple creation of a puppyish satiety. 



The first thino- in breakino- a do^' is to let liim 

 be thoroughly convinced of loJiat it is you v:ant. 

 Then, when he imderstands 3"ou, when he does 

 what you want, be imfnensely lavish of your 

 approbation and caresses. As I have elsewhere 

 said, I have seen a fool, miscalled a ^^ keeper," 

 rate and kick a retriever, wlien, under immense 

 difficulty of Avater, snow, and ice, he fetched a 

 wild duck from the other side of a river, and, having 



