TRAINING DOGS FOR THE GUN. 7 



age. It is not uncommon to see puppies of two 

 or three months old point at pigeons^ chickens, or 

 other occupants of the farm-yard; and though 

 their pointing at so early an age is from sight, and 

 not from scent, the one naturally and invariably 

 leads to the other. 



It has often been stated that dogs which are 

 difficult to break, and give the trainer more than 

 ordinary trouble, are — their education being com- 

 pleted — better than those of a more tractable dis- 

 position ; and hence it has been inferred, that 

 cross-bred dogs, which generally possess aU the 

 bad qualities of sire and dam without any of their 

 good ones, when thoroughly subdued, are superior 

 to all others. 



In the course of my life, I have made some ex- 

 periments with these cross-bred dogs, and have 

 succeeded, on several occasions, in making them 

 obedient and tractable ; but such a result has 

 been at the expense of great trouble and vexation, 

 the excessive connection these dogs required ren- 

 dering the task of breaking them unpleasant in 

 the highest degree. Moreover, after their interval 

 of rest, from February until August, if they did 

 not absolutely require brealdng afresh, such was 

 their turbulent disposition, that, unless they were 

 exercised a good deal previous to the commence- 

 ment of the season, their behaviour in the field 

 could not, for some days, be depended on. 



