CH. iv.] TAUGHT TO "FETCH." 61 



in life, cause him much misery in dashing at a bound- 

 ing stone, he may split a tooth. Dogs of an advanced age 

 suffer more in their mouths than most of us suspect. 



104. Should your pup be unwilling to enter water, 

 011 no account push him in, under the mistaken idea 

 that it will reconcile him to the element, it will but 

 augment his fears (320). Eather, on a warm day, throw 

 some biscuit for him, when he is hungry, close to the 

 edge of the bank, where it is so shallow as merely to 

 require his wading. Chuck the next piece a little 

 further off, and, by degrees, increase the distance until 

 he gets beyond his depth, and finds that nature has 

 given him useful swimming pow r ers. On no occasion 

 will the example of another dog more assist you. Your 

 youngster's diving can never be of service ; therefore 

 throw in only what will float. Otherwise he might 

 have a plunge for nothing, and so be discouraged ; and 

 evidently it should be your constant aim to avoid doing 

 anything likely to shake his confidence in the judi- 

 ciousness of your orders. 



A person I know, taught a dog many good tricks, among others, 

 to extinguish the papers thrown upon the ground that had served 

 to light cigars. A booby of a fellow, very wittily, took in the dog, 

 once, by chucking a red-hot coal to him. " A burnt child," says the 

 old adage, " dreads the fire :" so does a burnt dog : and, of course, 

 no subsequent encouragement would induce him, ever again, to 

 approach a lighted paper. 



105. If you ever have occasion to teach a dog to dive 

 and retrieve, first accustom him, on land, to fetch some- 

 thing heavy, of a conspicuous colour. When he brings 

 it eagerly, commence your diving lesson by throwing 

 it into the shallowest parts of the stream. Only by slow 

 degrees get to deep water, and let your lessons be very 

 short. Never chuck in a stone. The chances are twenty 

 to one that there are several at the bottom not very 

 dissimilar, and the young dog ought not to be subjected 



