292 HEADING WOUNDED BIRDS. [CH. xvi. 



considering. Indeed, there seems to be a mutual relation 

 between these two refinements in education, for the pos- 

 session of either would greatly conduce to the attain- 

 ment of the other. 



533. This accomplishment and hardly any can be 

 considered more useful is not so difficult to teach an 

 intelligent dog as one might at first imagine ; it is but 

 to lift him, and make him act on a larger scale, much in 

 the manner described in 309 and 544. Like, however, 

 everything else in canine education indeed, in all 

 education it must be effected gradually ; nor should 

 it be commenced before the dog has had a season's 

 steadying ; then practise him in heading every wounded 

 bird, and endeavour to make him do so at increased 

 distances. Whenever, also, he comes upon the " heel " 

 of a covey which is to leeward of him, instead of 

 letting him " foot " it, oblige him to quit the scent and 

 take a circuit (sinking the wind), so as to place himself 

 to leeward of the birds. He will thereby head the covey, 

 and you will have every reason to hope that after a time 

 his own observation and intellect will show him the 

 advantage of thus intercepting birds and stopping them 

 when they are on the run, whether the manoeuvre places 

 him to leeward or to windward of them.* 



534. If you could succeed in teaching but one of 

 your dogs thus to take a wide sweep when he is ordered, 

 and head a running covey before it gets to the extremity 

 of the field (while the other dogs remain near you), you 

 would be amply rewarded for months of extra trouble in 



* A reverend and very enthu- winded birds on the other side of 



siastic dog-breaker in Cornwall a hedge, he would make a circuit, 



(R. R. W t), who took to the and coming behind them would 



art late in life, had an admirable drive them over to his master, 



dog named Niger, who practised This was all innate talent. In no 



a peculiar self-taught dodge. He way did it result from tuition, 

 had a capital nose, and when he 



