158 TRAINING THE HUNTING DOG 



tive of good finding and locating ability. There are 

 many sham "high- class" performers. 



Whether ranging fast or slow, the dog should have 

 his mind concentrated on the use of his nose, as well 

 as on beating out the ground with good judgment. 

 When ranging in this manner he will pick up light 

 scents and follow them to a successful find ; will de- 

 tect the scent of a trail which he is running squarely 

 across, and will have in mind the leew r ard side of all 

 places as the best route to follow, thus "having the 

 wind" of the birds from the covers in which they lie 

 hidden. In the results, there are all the differences 

 between those of intelligent, finished effort, and those 

 of chance effort applied hit or miss. 



Brains are quite as essential to the successful use 

 of the nose as they are in any other line of effort. A 

 dog with keen powers of scent and a dull brain may 

 do fragments of brilliant work betimes when the cir- 

 cumstances happen to combine favorably, but as a 

 whole his work is irregular, ragged and unsatisfac- 

 tory. On the other hand, a dog with a good brain 

 and a dull nose may do quite satisfactory work. 



Why two dogs, highly intelligent and possessing 

 good noses, the one following by foot scent, the other 



