FOR THE FIELD AMD FIELD TRIALS. 



done before he can get to it, there is nothing for him 

 to do. 



Contrary to the views held by some writers, great 

 experience on game is no handicap to the field trial 

 dog. It, on the contrary, gives him the knowledge 

 which he needs in competition. He cannot be too 

 knowing in all the details of field work. Great ex- 

 perience, however, may not be confounded with 

 overwork or staleness, which is a decided factor in 

 making a dog indifferent and unfit for his best per- 

 formance. Experience, in a proper sense, never 

 makes a dog less keen or less snappy in his work, but 

 overwork will, to a certainty, make him so. 



The essentials of a good field trial dog's perform- 

 ance are as follows : Staying out at his work indus- 

 triously, and therefore never coming in to his han- 

 dler till ordered to do so; beating out his ground 

 with judgment that is to say, going from one to 

 another of the places likely to serve as haunts or 

 feeding grounds for the birds; locating the birds 

 quickly and accurately after he catches the foot scent 

 or the body scent; pointing them intelligently and 

 stanchly, and backing only when it is necessary 

 to do so; all being governed by a desire to be inde- 



