FOR THE FIELD AND FIELD TRIALS. 25! 



is unfit to compete. Handling and assisting are dif- 

 ferent matters. 



Sharp practice is now many years obsolete. Hon- 

 esty and skillfulness are not in the least antagon- 

 istic. Any attempts at trickery are instantly de- 

 tected by the modern judge, and if the offending 

 handler escapes a reprimand on the spot he does not 

 escape close surveillance thereafter and a disbelief 

 in his honesty on the part of the judges, so that, in a 

 way, lie justly suffers a depreciation of character 

 from any attempts at tricky handling. 



The field trial dog is best developed by permitting 

 him to self-hunt, or by conducting his training on a 

 modification of it. In this manner his self-interest 

 is stimulated to its utmost, consistent with a reason- 

 able degree of work to the gun. 



Some dogs work less keenly when restricted too 

 closely in their work to the gun; others work in a 

 slovenly, spiritless manner under such circumstances. 



The greater self-interest the trainer can evoke in 

 the dog, the greater will be the dog's effort to gratify 

 it. This, in the main, can be done and maintained 

 only by kindness and encouragement. 



The chief considerations in a field trial are lo~ 



