THE DOG 83 



Use of Eyes instead of Nose. Also a common error 

 made by many. To save trouble, or, it may be, from 

 delight in seeing the young dog carry so well, he is 

 allowed to retrieve what he sees he does this, perhaps, 

 thirty times for once that he is asked to find something 

 which he hasn't seen fall, or, worse still, is in his view 

 all the time. Should one be astonished, therefore, that 

 his first idea is to use his eyes, and continue to do so 

 while that cock pheasant is making tracks for the next 

 country, or that winged partridge had made a dozen 

 sharp doubles in the rank turnips ? Had he used his 

 nose at first, he ought to have had that bird in twenty 

 yards instead of delaying the guns for ten minutes or 

 more, probably losing his game altogether. Another 

 common fault is in allowing a young dog to run too far 

 out to retrieve his game he sees the bird fall, and is 

 allowed to go ; in many cases he overruns the spot in 

 his keenness. To remedy this he ought to be taken 

 near the place and given the advantage of the wind 

 before he is told to "seek dead." All this should be 

 done quietly, and if too impulsive, he should be cautioned 

 with the word " Steady." Undoubtedly some dogs are 

 from the first better than others at marking birds down, 

 but the chief fault lies more with the trainer in not in- 

 culcating this habit of " seeking close" at first till he 

 strikes the trail, and then giving him a chance of doing 

 the rest himself. The less the young retriever sees of 

 "fur" at first the better; indeed, many good trainers 

 refuse to allow their dogs to touch hares or rabbits for 



