SCHOOLING THE PUPPIES 147 



to take an important part in the next shooting 

 season, when eighteen months old. Spring puppies 



are certainly easier to rear than autumn 

 Schooling p U ppj es they grow faster, and are likely to 

 Puppies become finer specimens than the others, 



which must endure long months of trying 

 weather during puppyhood. But there is this in 

 favour of autumn puppies they come to their first 

 shooting season at a more mature age, and intellec- 

 tually are readier to learn than the six months old 

 puppies of spring. At the age of twelve months a 

 puppy begins to put away puppyish things. 



It is only possible to gain perfection in the educa- 

 tion of a puppy by beginning so soon as it is weaned. 

 From that time the puppy should be taken in hand 

 by its future master, whom alone it should know 

 and understand. One can hardly begin too early 

 to teach the meaning of the word " No," which, to the 

 puppy, is that it must not do something that it had 

 thought desirable to do whether to chase a cat or 

 rabbit, to be excited at the rising of a lark, or to hunt 

 a road-side hedge. Another important early lesson 

 is teaching the puppy its name. For stud-book 

 and show purposes the name may be, if you please, 

 " Beelzebub of Babylon," or any other high-flown 

 title, but for common use it should be distinct in sound, 

 and preferably of not more than one syllable. Puppies 

 may be taught their names and obedience at the 

 same time ; in classes perhaps more quickly and 

 more thoroughly than individually. It is a good 



