502 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



his trainer. The latter can hamper the dog's progress 

 by interference, but he can do very little to assist. 

 With age and experience, all intelligent dogs improve 

 in their hunting methods. 



Many of the best finding dogs are those which have 

 indulged in self-hunting, a term which denotes that 

 the dog hunts independently, as when he sneaks off 

 alone, or in the company of other self-hunting dogs, 

 or as he pleases when with his trainer. Under such 

 conditions he hunts till wearied or till satisfied, which 

 may be in a few hours or a few days, according to 

 the endurance, longing, and the food supply. 



Commonly, after a vagrant self-hunting trip, the 

 dog returns mere skin and bone, the exposure, pro- 

 longed exertion and short rations producing their natu- 

 ral results. The vagrant, under such circumstances, 

 regains his flesh as quickly as he lost it, if properly fed. 



Vagrant excursions should be strictly suppressed. 

 They afford unlimited opportunity for the formation 

 of bad habits, such as harrying sheep, killing fowls,' 

 robbing nests, etc. The self-hunting proclivity mani- 

 fests itself sometimes when working to the gun. The 

 self-hunters will apparently work under control for a 

 longer or shorter time, gradually ignoring the shooter, 

 till at last they go where and when they please. This 

 insubordinate stage lasts according to the whim of the 

 dog. It may be for a brief while, or it may last a day 

 or two. Meanwhile the dog is learning a great deal 

 in respect to ways and means of finding birds, though 

 of no service whatever to the gun while so absent. 



