232 The Sporting Dog 



to get game with the process of teaching the dog. 

 You must let the birds be entirely secondary until 

 the dog retrieves not only reliably but with good 

 manners. 



Nowadays, nobody cares for a natural retriever. 

 Natural retrieving means that the dog recovers 

 birds when he feels like it and that he falls into 

 many bad habits. A modern trainer does not 

 regard a dog's natural retrieving as having any 

 bearing on the subject. The animal must retrieve 

 under a force system and strictly to order. 



Many sportsmen do not permit their dogs to 

 retrieve, believing that it interferes with the class 

 of the work and that it leads to such annoyances 

 as the chewing of birds and constant pottering 

 after imaginary dead game. Some like to shoot 

 with a brace of high-class dogs which do not re- 

 trieve and a quiet old chap which does nothing 

 else. As a rule, however, the American field 

 shot does not own many dogs and insists upon 

 retrieving. 



Backing is often naturally or quickly acquired, 

 but more often it is a matter of compulsion to 

 make a dog promptly recognize another's point. 

 Some dogs otherwise excellent are extremely jeal- 

 ous, and are unhappy unless they can carry their 

 noses a little in front. Llewellin setters are 

 especially erratic in this respect. A good trainer 

 has his dogs stop quickly at a word or whistle, 



