AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



161 



sure, to undergo a severe training and a second course of 

 education, when he comes into the possession of his new mas- 

 ter, before he is habituated to this master's style — hence the 

 strong necessity of every sportsman attending to tlie educa- 

 tion of his own Dog. To this circumstance may be attri- 

 buted the reason, why many gentlemen, who, being de- 

 lighted with the actions of strange Dogs, have purchased 

 them at extravagant prices, and on trial of these Dogs, sepa- 

 rately from their original owners, have proved but inferior 

 animals; and, being disgusted, have parted with them im- 

 mediately, at any price, and the first vender cursed as a 

 swindling knave. But a little reflection will convince any 

 reasonable person, that the fault is neither the Dog's nor 

 the original owners, but is entirely owing to the first im- 

 pressions, given during the season of immaturity, having 

 been so radical as to admit of no alteration by the second 

 owner. Few Dogs will hunt during the first and second 

 year's training, so well with a stranger as with the man 

 who broke them; and it will be well for all who wish to 

 purchase young Dogs, (no matter how exalted their cha- 

 racters,) to try them separately from their masters. 



Another important thing is worthy of great consideration, 

 and this is the impropriety of lending Dogs — at all events, 

 if a gentleman has feelings of generosity sufficient to oblige 

 his friend in this way, he ought never to do so until after 

 the second season of training; for it is not until this period 

 that a Dog may be said to have completed his education, 

 or that his impressions are deep-rooted. The practice of 

 lending Dogs is certainly a bad one, and frequently the 

 lent Dog is injured by his master's generosity. But then 

 this description of sportsmen, when appealed to, argues in 

 himself — how can I disoblige my friend? I have enjoyed 

 pleasure witli my Dog and gun; he has none. Shall I not 

 contribute to him the same means of enjoyment, which I 

 have used myself so often? But, still, I fear injury to my 

 Dog. And then reflecting that he was created a social 

 being, and placed in circumstances whereby he may add, 

 perhaps, one day of pleasure to his importunate friend, he 

 casts oflf the unnatural feelings of selfishness, and fulfils 

 this duty of social life. 



I do not recommend that a Dog should be loaned, only 

 ■under particular circumstances, and the owner may do so, 

 by proper discrimination, without as much risk of injuring 

 the Dog, as the chance of ofiending his friend, or bearing 

 the imputation of being a selfish man. 



In naming a Dog, it is recommended that short and ex- 

 pressive names, (of one syllable, if possible,) should be 

 adopted, and avoid all those words ending in o, or sounding 

 like the words used in training; also, to adopt other 

 names for those common-place words now in use, as great 

 confusion sometimes prevails in consequence of two or 

 three Dogs hunting together which are named alike. I 

 Ss 



once had the prospect of a fine day's shooting entirely 

 ruined from this circumstance. My Dog and my friend's 

 being named so much alike, that the former kept around 

 my heels the whole day, in consequence of the latter, 

 (which was a headstrong dog,) having been hallooed at con- 

 tinually by his master. 



Supposing now j-our Dog is six months old, it will be 

 necessary that he should follow you in your walks abroad, 

 and repeatedly taken to the fields and sufiered to race 

 about, and enter bushes and thickets, and chase every bird 

 without restraint. This will give him spirit and anima- 

 tion, which will continually grow on him; and it is not ad- 

 visable to check or speak harshly to him, but encourage 

 this spirited disposition as much as possible. You should 

 always, before feeding him, make him crouch at your feet, 

 using, at the same time, the words, "down," or " close," 

 or " down charge;" or it is better to habituate him to do 

 so, by raising your hand and saying softly, hush. Endea- 

 vour, at all times, to use him to words spoken in a low 

 voice, as some future day will convince you of the neces- 

 sity of doing so, when you may be surrounded with scat- 

 tered game — silence, then, will, in a great measure, gua- 

 rantee your success, and these early lessons will have, at 

 that period, a salutary effect on him; and, as a reward to 

 his obedience, feed him. The same plan may, and should 

 be used to learn him to stand at a piece of meat. This 

 should be done by using the word " toho." This simple 

 word, so universally known and adopted, has been proved 

 by experience, to act as magic on the instinct of the setter 

 and pointer Dogs; and it is doubtful whether another word 

 could be adopted to supply its place with the same success; 

 therefore it should be very early engrafted on his memory, 

 as it is the most important of the very few words necessary 

 to break a Dog. If he is brought to stand, (and a very few 

 lessons will answer the purpose,) give him the meat that was 

 before him. By rewarding a young Dog in this way, with 

 food, he may be learned many things, and it is well worth 

 the trial of learning him to bring articles, as a ball, gloves, 

 apples, or sticks; and always, when obedient, reward him 

 with food. Idle moments may be frequently spent in this 

 way, to learn a young Dog a variety of little things of this 

 kind ; not that these things are intrinsically valuable in them- 

 selves, but they habituate a Dog to strict obedience, and 

 the sounds and actions used in learning him these little 

 tricks are so various and many, and he becomes so familiar 

 to your words and actions, that when his services at some 

 future day, may be required for more important afiairs, his 

 obedience can be depended on, and his readiness to serve 

 you will, in a measure, become mechanical, because he has 

 been so completely schooled to your expressions. In all 

 your endeavours, at this age, to learn him, do it by reward- 

 ing; and never, (if it is possible for you to avoid it,) chas- 



