516 DOG-BREAKING . 



sure not to take the glove immediately from him 

 oblige him to continue holding it for at least a minute 

 lest he should learn to relinquish his grip too soon, 

 before you make him yield at the command " give ;" 

 then bestow a reward. Should he drop it before he is 

 ordered to deliver it, replace it in his mouth and again 

 retreat some steps before ordering him to " give." He 

 will soon follow with it at your heels. If you have suf- 

 ficient perseverance you can thus make him earn all his 

 daily food. Hunger will soon perfect him in the lesson, 

 Observe that there are four distinct stages in this trick 

 of carrying the first, making the dog grasp and retain 

 the second, inducing him to bring, following at your 

 heels the third, teaching him not to quit his hold when 

 you stop the fourth, getting him to deliver into your 

 hands on your order. The great advantage of a sport- 

 ing dog's acquiring this trick is that it accustoms him to 

 deliver into your hands; and it often happens that you 

 must thus teach a dog to " carry " as a preparative to 

 teaching him to " fetch." It certainly will be judicious 

 in you to do so, if the dog is a lively, riotous animal ; for 

 the act of carrying the glove or stick, &c. quietly at 

 your heels will sober him, and make him less likely to 

 run off with it instead of delivering it when you are 

 teaching him to fetch. As soon as he brings the srlove 

 tolerably well, try him with a short stick. You will 

 wish him not to seize the end of it, lest he should learn 

 to " drag " instead of " carry." Therefore fix pegs or 

 wires into holes drilled at right angles to each other 



