DOG- BREAKING. 373 



avocation. Many of them are particularly loqua- 

 cious to the dogs. Should one of these queer speci- 

 mens jabber in a Cornish or Yorkshire dialect to a 

 dog trained on the Grampians, the dog will under- 

 stand from his look whether he is pleased or offend- 

 ed, but nothing more. The dog has not the gift of 

 tongues, but he is a Lavater in physiognomy ! 



A dog-breaker who has not a good temper, or 

 what is tantamount thereto, a plentiful store of 

 patience, should never be employed, or he will ruin 

 any really valuable dog entrusted to his care. Dog- 

 breakers are an impatient race of people, and it is 

 but natural that they should be so, since nothing 

 tries the patience more than the management of a 

 number of young dogs of different dispositions, ex- 

 cept shooting over bad ones. 



A young dog that carries his head well up when 

 beating, should be chosen in preference to one that 

 hunts with his nose on the ground.* The hand- 

 somest dog is that which shows the most breed ; 

 the most valuable that which affords the sportsman 

 the greatest number of shots. 



It is more desirable to break young dogs in com- 

 pany with a pointer than with a setter. The for- 

 mer makes a more decided point than the latter. 



The dog should be taught to quarter his ground 

 well. He should cross over before the shooter con- 

 tinually, at not more than twenty paces distance 

 in advance, ranging about thirty paces on either 

 hand, and leaving no part of his ground unbeaten. 



* It is not only the best dog that carries his head up, but game 

 will suffer him to approach nearer than one that tracks them. 



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