BREAKING TO RETRIEVE. 273 



at page 158, other breeds are equally useful. In educating these 

 dogs they should be undertaken at a very early age, as it is 

 almost impossible to insure perfect obedience at a later period. 

 The disposition to " fetch and carry," which is the essence of 

 retrieving, is very early develoj)ed in these dogs, and without it 

 there is little chance of making a puppy perfect in his vocation. 

 Young dogs of this breed will be seen carrying sticks about, 

 and watching for their master to throw them, that they may fetch 

 them to him. This fondness for the amusement should be 

 encouraged to a certain extent, almost daily, but not so far as to 

 tire and disgust the dog, and care should always be taken that 

 he does not tear or bite the object which he has in charge. 

 On no account should it be dragged from his mouth, but he 

 should be ordered to drop it on the ground at the feet of his 

 master, or to release it directly it is laid hold of. The con- 

 sequence of jjulling anything out of the young retriever's mouth 

 is that he becomes " hard bitten," as it is called ; and, when he 

 retrieves a wounded bird, he makes his teeth meet, and mangles 

 it so much that it is utterly useless. A dog which is not 

 naturally inclined to retrieve may be made so by encouraging 

 him to pull at a handkerchief or a stick ; but such animals 

 very seldom turn out well in this line, and it is far better to put 

 them to some other task. As soon as the puppy has learnt 

 to bring everything to his master when ordered, he may be taught 

 to seek for trifling articles in long grass or other covert, such 

 as bushes, &c. ; and, when he succeeds in this, get some young 



rabbits which are hardly old enough to rim, and hide one at a 



T 



