584 DOG-BREAKING. 



efforts, remain provokingly immovable plainly tell- 

 ing you of the vicinity of birds, but that you must 

 find them out for yourself your admiration of his 

 steadiness has, I think, by no means reconciled you to 

 the embarrassing position in which it has placed you. 

 I have often witnessed this vexatious display of stanch- 

 ness, although the owner cheered on the dog in a tone 

 loud enough to alarm birds two fields off. 



199. A keeper will sometimes praise his dog for such 

 stanchness ; but it is a great fault, induced probably by 

 over-severity for former rashness, and the more diffi- 

 cult to be cured, if the animal is a setter, from the 

 crouching position he often naturally assumes when 

 pointing. 



200. I here desire to warn you against the too com- 

 mon error of fancying that a young dog is making false 

 points if birds do not get up directly. They may have 

 taken leg-bail, and thus have puzzled him in his inex- 

 perience. Dogs not cowed by punishment will, after 

 a little hunting, seldom make false points, while they 

 are unfatigued. To a certainty they will not draw upon 

 a false point for any distance : therefore, never punish 

 what is solely occasioned by over-caution. Your doing 

 so would but increase the evil. Self-confidence and 

 experience are the only cures for a fault that would 

 be a virtue if not carried to excess. Even a good dog 

 will occasionally make a point at larks from over-caution 

 when birds are wild ; but see the first note to 144. 



201. After you have shot over a dog a short time, his 



