18 TRAINING vs. BREAKING. 



pets perform their duties, and well satisfied are we that tie 

 more varied their accomplishments and the rmre developed 

 their reasoning faculties, the more en j oy ment will they afford. 

 That many writers of renown disagree with us upon this 

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

 duetions 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 tho delight with which they gazed upon 

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

 comiums which ttey bestowed upon their good behavior, we 

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

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

 have met in the field insist upon c )ngratulating us upon the 

 wonderful good luck that we have had in obt lining such in- 

 telligent animals. 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 with many strains of both pointers and setters. Of 

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

 light weight bemlies, and many of the different s'rains and 

 crosses up to the lumbering Spaniard ; and of setters we have 

 cultivated the "wi'd Irishman," as well as his 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 return to our pupil, whom we have given 

 quite a rest and continue our lessons, ever remembering thnt 

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

 days with care and sorrow by too frequent or long continu d 

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

 be refractory, or worse than all, sulky, a very 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 succeed in obtaining an 

 intelligent obedience to your commands. 



