TRAINING DOGS TOR THE GUN. V 



months, they will, by proper management, know 

 their business by the time they are six months 

 old, and at that age will find more game, so long 

 as their strength lasts, than dogs fifteen months 

 old, whose education commenced at twelve ; and 

 they Avill require little or no flogging. 



The first lesson in dog-breaking should be to 

 accustom the whelps, from the time they are able 

 to feed themselves, to the sound of the gun, par- 

 ticularly when their food is given to them ; and 

 this will prevent the mortification of seeing a fine 

 young dog totally useless in the field, owing to his 

 being frightened at the firing of a gun. At a 

 few weeks old puppies will learn to acknowledge 

 the report of a gun as a call to their meals, 

 and never afterwards cause any trouble by being 

 frightened at it in the field. When they mani- 

 fest no symptoms of fear at the discharge the 

 practice should be discontinued, as subsequently 

 the firing of a gun or pistol has to serve a very 

 difi'erent purpose. 



As soon as whelps are able to run about they 

 may be taken out into lanes or fields in company 

 with an experienced old dog, and taught to come 

 to heel when called ; if they refuse, a little geiiih 

 correction, or the crack of a whip without bodily 

 application of it, will soon reduce them to obedi- 

 ence. In the first instance the words '^ Come 



b3 



