294 PUNISHMENT 



I have, by making dogs think for themselves, taught 

 them to do all kinds of tricks, but never by thrashing 

 them. The latter is a most senseless performance ; it 

 may cow a bold, high-couraged dog, but it will tend 

 to ruin its temper, dash, and love of its master. It is 

 a mistake to take the dog back to where the shot was 

 fired and thrash him. It will take many such lessons, 

 because the dog is not only probably used to being 

 thrashed, but he has company, and as soon as he is 

 allowed to ' hold up ' again, he begins to romp all over 

 the place for joy that the thrashing is over. The 

 other system is far more impressive, for the dog's agony 

 of mind when left by himself, and the warning given him 

 by the white-gloved hand held up to him before being 

 left, are not easily forgotten ; and one such lesson is 

 always sufficient for a fault which can be so easily 

 checked, if the dog has not been actually trained to 

 ' run in ' through the blundering ignorance of a bad 

 keeper. 



There are ways and ways of training dogs, some of 

 them the most idiotic ; the trainer, so far from breaking 

 a dogf of a bad habit, often usino- means which but 

 serve to confirm the fault. I trust, however, ere long 

 a different system of dog-training may be used in 

 Scotland, for the surprise expressed lately by many 

 tenants of shootings at the manner in which their 

 lairds' dogs are worked must surely bring about a 

 chano^e for the better. 



Another fault very common in young dogs, and one 

 which is easily cured, is the tendency they have, when 

 ranging with an older comrade, to watch him only 

 when ranging, and to do nothing but ' back.' It is 

 very common where dogs have been accustomed to 



