84 THE SHOOTER'S GUIDE. 



sporting dogs are ruined by improper management; 

 if, at this time, they are suffered to acquire any bad 

 habits, such as ranging too wide, breaking field, in- 

 attention to their master, &c. they will be with great 

 difficulty reclaimed, and some will never be brought 

 to proper obedience again. 



Some are of opinion that when you take out 

 young dogs, you should have a second person to flog 

 them ; and as a reason for which they allege, that by 

 constantly correcting your dog yourself, he will oc- 

 casionally sneak away when he has done wrong, and 

 prevent your coming sufficiently near to correct him. 

 This doctrine appears to me quite erroneous : if the 

 dog, after being once beaten, sneaks off when he 

 does wrong, depend on it he will sooner suffer his 

 master to come near him a second time than a 

 stranger. Besides, it is not sufficient for him to love 

 his master only he should fear him also, since it is 

 most undoubtedly fear as much as love that makes 

 this creature obedient. 



As to speed, if a dog have a good nose, it is gene- 

 rally supposed he cannot be too swift ; but very fleet 

 dogs are apt occasionally to run over the game, and 

 are certainly sooner fatigued than a steady, even- 

 rated one. A dog of the latter description will make 

 ample amends for his want of swiftness, by hunting 

 more carefully, and never passing or running in upon 

 his game. 



To make a dog back and stand in company, you 

 should hunt him with an old staunch dog j and then 



