THE SCIENCE OF BREEDING. 69 



the offspring a counteracting influence in the one-half blood derived 

 from an outside source. The precisely similar blood in the first in- 

 stance will give one result, and the influence of the outside strain 

 in the other will produce a very different one. It must not be 

 supposed that we advocate the breeding in either of these close 

 relations. We quote them simply as examples, as they are so nearly 

 alike that only a shade of difference exists, yet from that shade we 

 get results which indicate how we ought to select to get the best. 



Various strains of each breed exist, some much better than others, 

 and these better ones must be selected, the best of their representa- 

 tives discovered, and resorted to in breeding, thus securing continu- 

 ance in the same blood, and at the same time progression in the same 

 line that has produced past excellence. 



DEFECTS AND THEIR CORRECTION. 



If all dogs of the same strain were equally good there would be 

 no need for selection. They are not, however, and the intelligent 

 breeder will carefully study each individual to discover his or her 

 defects, and then select mates which, from the possession of opposite 

 characteristics in excess, will produce a correction of these defects in 

 the progeny. 



The common defects are those of form, character, and some par- 

 ticular field quality. Form is defective in two ways without de- 

 parture from breed characteristics, viz. : there may be too much 

 weight of bone, called lumber, or there may be too little, resulting 

 in weakness. A frame that is excessively heavy imposes a very 

 severe strain upon the powers when at work. Such dogs are slow 

 in motion and have but little endurance. They may perform 

 brilliantly for a short time, but they cannot " stay," and by their 

 break-down put a premature end to the sportsman's pleasure. Those 

 which are too small or too light are equally inefficient. They usually 

 have a flashy turn of speed, and may even perform for some length 

 of time under specially favorable circumstances, but either by con- 

 tinuance of work or by the trying character of the ground hunted 

 they are forced to " quit." Dogs of both types often possess some 



