18 TRAILING vs. BREAKING. 



pets perform their duties, and well satisfied are we that t • e 

 more varied their accomplishments and the more developed 

 their reasoning faculties, the more enjoyment will they afford. 

 That many writers of renown disagree with us upon this 

 point is true ; and formerly, while perusing the finished pro 

 duutions of their able pens, we have be?n haunted by linger- 

 ing doubts that after all perhaps they were right and that our 

 system was open to serious objections ; but after a tramp 

 over the stubble or through the covert with these same writ- 

 ers, and witnessing the delight with which they g^zed upon 

 the performance of our dogs, and listening to the lavish en- 

 comiums which t'.ey bestowed upon their good behavior, wc 

 have been confirmed in the faith that our system i3 not radi- 

 cally wrong, to siy the least. Many sportsmen whom we 

 have met in the field insist upon c mgratulating us upon the 

 wonderful good luck that we have had in obtaining such in- 

 telligent animal3. That they are intelligent is plain to be 

 seen ; that they are naturally more so than thousands of 

 others we cannot believe, for we have had considerable ex- 

 perience wi'h many strains of both pointers and setters. Of 

 pointers wo have owned the "gazelle eyed," satin-coated, 

 light weight be-ulies, and many of the different s rains and 

 crosses up to the lumbering Spaniard; a*:d of seters we have 

 cultivated the "wid Irishman," as well as h's more staid 

 English and Scotch brothers, together with many animals of 

 our grand o d native stock, and Lave ever found them all en- 

 dowed with faculties that needed but proper training to 

 develop them into intelligent companions as well as first class 

 "killing" dogs. 



We will now re 'urn to our pupil, whom we have given 

 quite a rest — and continue our lessons, ever remembering th t 

 we must "hasten slowly," and not over-burden his youthful 

 days with ca-c and sorrow by too fr quent or long continu d 

 restraint. Unless he is very dull and stupid, or inclined to 

 be refractory, or worse than all, sulky, a vtry short time is 

 sufficient to give him all the instruction and practice needed, 

 indeed the shorter the time occupied in his lessons at this 

 tender age the better, provided you succe.d in obtaining an 

 intelligent obedience to your commands. 



