292 DEALERS' DOGS 



It is necessary to observe, when trying a dog, if it 

 sets at any droppings of birds there may be about, or if 

 he is incHned to poke or potter ; if he quarters the 

 ground properly, hunts up or down wind, obeys signal 

 or call, etc., all these may appear to be trifles, but are 

 very necessary things to note carefully. 



Dealers' dogs are generally licked into showing up 

 well, but whether they possess nose-power or not is a 

 matter which is often not discovered until too late. 



If people would but train their own dogs, where they 

 have the opportunity of so doing, they would derive 

 infinitely greater pleasure in shooting over them after- 

 wards, and the slightest fault would be at once ap- 

 parent. Moreover, I am convinced that the far too 

 prevalent love of slaughter would decrease. Besides 

 which, dogs thus trained become faithful companions, 

 and soon attain a high pitch of excellence if not dealt 

 with severely. If a young dog has plenty of game 

 killed to him he soon learns to understand the every 

 wish of his trainer, and pointers evince the greatest 

 affection for the man who trains them and shoots over 

 them, more so., perhaps, than any other kind of dog. 

 When about to start for the moor their very counten- 

 ances display the delight they experience. How vastly 

 different such a case is to that where a man never trains 

 the dogs he shoots over, and whom the latter never 

 see except on shooting-days ! 



I can but judge from my own experience the genuine 

 pleasure which dogs display in working for their master 

 who has trained them, rather than for a keeper who too 

 often only knocks them about and rates them. 



When a covey rises a dog should drop at once, and 

 if this is not insisted upon they will learn to run in to 



