526 DOG-BREAKING. 



done to the great annoyance of their masters. Ditto, 

 with the delicate landrail. 



109. The directions given about "fetching" led me 

 to talk of retrievers; and, having touched upon the 

 subject, I thought it right not to quit it, until I had 

 offered the best advice in my power. I have but one 

 more recommendation to add before I return to your 

 setter or pointer pup: carefully guard a young re- 

 triever indeed any dog bred for the gun from being 

 ever allowed to join a rat-hunt. Rat-hunting would tend 

 to destroy his tenderness of mouth, nay, possibly make 

 him mangle his game. But this is not all, It has often 

 gradually led good dogs to decline lifting hares or rab- 

 bits, apparently regarding them more in the light of 

 vermin than of game. Some dogs, however, that are 

 not bad retrievers, are capital ratters, but they are 

 exceptions to the general rule. Indeed, you should 

 never permit your dog to retrieve any kind of ground or 

 winged vermin. If the creature were only wounded it 

 might turn upon him. He in self-defence would give it a 

 grip, and he might thus be led to follow the practice on 

 less pardonable occasions. Remember, that a winged 

 bittern or heron might peck out his eye. 



