Training 31 



advantage here whether with a puppy or an old 

 dog. After this it is no longer work but pleasure. 

 You have got your puppy to run tolerably well, 

 and every time you take him out makes him better, 

 and now you have only to teach him to 'mark the 

 hole' and the use of the gun, etc. I have purposely 

 refrained from referring to tlie gun before as I 

 never bring it into play until the puppy is other- 

 w^ise thoroughly trained, for the simple reason that 

 I believe that a puppy can be thoroughly gun- 

 broken in half a dozen lessons at the outside. To 

 do this I load for a 12 gauge, a dozen shells with 

 II4 drs. of powder and three wads, and when I get 

 my puppy on a hot trail and running well, I dis- 

 charge one barrel of my gun. The puppy should 

 not be nearer than 40 or 50 yards at first, and 

 should not see you when you fire — this last I believe 

 to be very important. The puppy may stop and 

 look up, and may quit altogether, but what is most 

 likely of all, will continue with his work without 

 making more than a momentary stop, if indeed he 

 stops at all. Should he pay but little attention to 

 the report, you can safely try him again, gradually 

 coming nearer until he will stand a full charge in 

 the open without flinching and when not on the 

 trail. But remember to make haste slowly in this 

 matter, as many otherwise valuable dogs have been 



