CHAPTER VIII. 



IN THE FIELD. 



HOW rare it is to see a stric ly first-class dog. Good ones 

 we may find in abundance ; but the paragon, who has 

 no failings and all the virtues, is — although often heard of— 

 seldom seen. Glancing bick thr >ugh the many years that 

 we have ardently followed the delightful sports of the field 

 we can call to mind but few among the many dogs that we 

 have seen afield that come up to our standard of excellence, 

 and those, almost without exception, received their early 

 training amcng the ruffed grouse. There is something per- 

 taining to the pursuit of these must canning birds that is po- 

 tent to sharpen the wits and develop the intelligence of your 

 dog that you will fail to find accompanying the pursuit of any 

 other game. It is for this reason that we endeavor to give 

 our dog his first lessons in the field upon this bird. We are 

 well aware that more than one writer of renown strongly 

 condemns this best of birds as tota'ly unfit to train a dog 

 upon, taking the ground that they are so very difficult to 

 bring to bag that the dog becomes discouraged. We know 

 that the reverse of this is true, for we have given scores of 

 youngsters their first tuition among these noble birds, and 

 we have yet to see the one who showed the first indication of 

 anything of the kind ; on the contrary, we have ever found 

 that — after one or two successful encounters with these most 

 wary birds— no matter how locg and unsuccessful the chase, 

 our pupil's ardor was not checked in the least, but seemed to 

 inc ease with each successive defeat. 



As we have before remarked, it is better that nothing be 

 said to your dog upon his first introduction to game, at least 

 so long as he does nothing wrong, as this is an entirely new 

 experience to him, and should you bother him with orders he 

 may become confused and fail to perform ne arly as well as 

 he would if left entirely alone. Great care must be taken 



