FOR THE FIELD AND FIELD TRIALS. 15! 



erally. They will not submit to their points being 

 stolen; they, rather than tolerate interference, will 

 wilfully go ahead and flush to prevent any points be- 

 ing made at all, or perform so resentfully and jeal- 

 ously that the standard of the work is ragged and 

 poor. Therefore, when a dog is pointing no other 

 dog should be permitted to interfere with him. 



Backing well and stanchly, while not indispen- 

 sable, is an accomplishment which puts a needed and 

 useful finish to the work of dogs when in company 

 afield with their fellows, and besides being pleasing 

 to the eye, it adds to the pleasure and ease of the 

 shooter in handling them, and thus to the success of 

 the gun. 



Until the dog has learned the purposes of point- 

 ing, he shows no inclination to back. Thus puppies 

 which are raised alone have no knowledge of what 

 the act of pointing means, though they very quickly 

 learn it on proper opportunity. 



In teaching the puppy stanchness to the back, it is 

 best to have an old, reliable dog to do the pointing. 

 The point being made, the puppy's attention is at- 

 tracted to it, with as little noise and fuss as possible. 

 With an exaggerated caution of movement and man- 



