CHAPTER II. 



CANINE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. 



WHILE teaching our pup to charge, his other lesson 

 must by no means be neglected, but plenty of prac- 

 tice must be sandwiched in until he appears to thoroughly 

 understand the meaning of To ho, and will readily stop at 

 the word or upraised hand. When he is reasonably perfect 

 in this, you can vary the lesson by placing the food upon 

 your knee, as you sit by him, and bringing his nose very 

 close to it, and after a while, as he improves, you can lay the 

 morsel upon his nose and he will soon learn to hold perfectly 

 still and retain any attitude that you may place him in. As 

 he advances in knowledge, ycu should take a piece of meat 

 of good size, that he cannot swallow, and carefully open his 

 mouth — this you can do by clasping your hand around his 

 muzzle and gently forcing the thumb and fingers between 

 his jaws — and placing the piece therein, at the same time 

 commanding him to To ho. Do not remove your hand from 

 his jaws, but hold him lightly yet firmly ; for although the 

 chances are in favor of his understanding what is wanted, 

 and obeying readily, still it is necessary to retaia the grasp 

 as we are not through with him yet ; and should the taste of 

 the meat prove too tempting and he undertake to bolt it, 

 you, having a good hold of him, can at once open his mouth 

 and secure the meat. A3 soon as he comprehends what you 

 require and remains perfectly quiet, gently force open his 

 mouth and take the meat from him, at the same time telling 

 him to " drop," and at once reward him with a piece of soni? 

 other kind of meat, thus teaching him that he cannot eat the 

 first piece, nor even mouth it, but must deliver it safe into 

 your hand. We generally use a piece of tough, partly- 

 cooked beef for the trial, and are very particular in our first 

 lessons of this kind to reward him with a bit of liver or 

 something entirely different from the large piece. The utility 

 oi this lesson we will explain further on, only remarking 



