CHAPTER IX. 



WOKKING IN COMPANY. 



IN the previous chapters we have carefully refrained from 

 saying anything about the great benefit to be derived 

 from having a trained dog to assist you in perfecting your 

 pupil in his lessons. We have purposely pursued this course 

 in order to show the new beginner that he can safely reiy 

 upon his own resources, and surely bring his pupil through 

 all right, without any assistance. Nevertheless we have ever 

 found that an old dog th .t is well trained and steady is of 

 great importance in perfecting tie pupil in the rudiments as 

 well as the higher branches of his education ; and we can- 

 not forbear devoting a little space to the subject. In the 

 first place our canine co-worker should be thoroughly 

 trained and quick to obey ; he must also be very intelligent 

 and and of a good disposition. You should let the two asso- 

 ciate together from the first, and th:y will soon become at- 

 tached to one another, unless the old dog i3 unusually surly. 

 We do not recommend that the pup should receive any guid- 

 ance from the old dog until he is sufficiently grounded in his 

 lessons to understand what is required of him. Thus, In 

 teaching him To Tio, after he will go through the perform- 

 ance fairly, we take the old dog into the pen with him, and 

 after they have had a little time at play we take the pup in 

 our arms, and making sure that he sees all that is going on, 

 we place two pieces of meat on the ground about two feet 

 apart, and, calling up the old dog, make him, at the word 

 To 7io, point one of the pieces. We then walk around a 

 little, with the pup still in our arms, taking care that he can 

 see the performance all the time. We then place the pup 

 with his nose within a few inches of the second piece, anq 

 telling him to To ho, make him wait a few seconds, and then 

 cluck as a signal that they can each eat their piece. This 

 has a wonderfully steadying effect upon the pup, especially 



