EXERCISE AND TRAINING OF PUPPIES. 165 



keeping if he did not show some such tendency to in- 

 vestigate the world about him. 



But he must be restrained gradually. He must asso- 

 ciate certain acts with the approval and others with the 

 disapproval of him he respects, loves, and would delight 

 to please if he only knew how. 



But such is the strength of the impulses of some pup- 

 pies — now, we will suppose, six or eight months old — that 

 they find it very difficult to restrain themselves. In such 

 case we must lessen the stimulus or source of excitement 

 rather than resort at once to the application of the princi- 

 ple of making the act unpleasant, as by the use of a spiked 

 collar or check-line. 



These may later be useful in a modified form, but not 

 at first; indeed, such methods are usually quite unneces- 

 sary if a proper course be pursued. To illustrate : Sup- 

 pose that a brace of setter puppies eight months old be 

 taken to some wood where there is but little game. If 

 they tend to run wild without any reference to the where- 

 abouts of the trainer, and disregard his calls or his whistle, 

 it surely would not be wise to whip those puppies soundly 

 at once, or attach a spiked collar or a check-line. To do 

 so would probably confuse them, humiliate them, and re- 

 tard their development in every way. Now, if the trainer 

 secrete himself for a little while, the puppies will probably 

 get frightened a little, feeling that they are lost, and will 

 after this be more cautious how widely they range. When 

 they do come in they may be scolded, but not whipped at 

 this stage. 



All dogs should be taught to come in to whistle and to 

 " down charge," or to drop at some word of command or 



