YOUNG DOGS BACKING 295 



hear their trainers perpetually shouting at them, ' Hold 

 up!' ' Hold away, you brute!' Not a word should be 

 spoken on such occasions ; the sportsman should take 

 no notice of the older dog setting birds, but going up 

 to the young dog, make much of him, push him quietly 

 up to the ' set/ until he gets his nose before the other 

 dog, and gets the ' set ' all to himself, when the birds 

 should, if possible, be shot one by one over him 

 alone. After one such lesson the dog will not forget 

 the assistance he has received from and given to his 

 master. I have by these means succeeded in making 

 dogs which were lacking in necessary jealousy in- 

 valuable, whereas, had they been left to the tender 

 mercies of many of our Scotch trainers, they would 

 have degenerated into ' blinkers.' 



I gained some valuable experience from breeding 

 dogs, more especially never to breed from any but 

 dogs of the highest pedigree. No matter how good a 

 fancy cross with fox or blood hound, spaniel or setter, 

 it is a well-known fact that such a cross is the most 

 uncertain getter of any one of the points required. I 

 found that a first cross, no matter how perfect, never 

 obtained a single point required, and oftener than not 

 threw back to some undesirable strain. 



When taking pups from a litter, after examining 

 them thoroughly, slap a couple of boards over them, 

 and at the same time get someone to coax them out 

 with a biscuit. Those which do not flinch at the noise 

 are generally the only ones worth rearing, and are 

 certainly the best in the litter. Timid puppies generally 

 get worse, and are a great trouble to break ; but the 

 bold, courageous dog invariably improves as his 

 education is proceeded with. I fail to see any pleasure 



