Modern Breaking 21 



•pointer which is not of established ancestry. 

 It is not necessary that the puppies' parents or 

 grandparents be field trial winners, but they 

 should be of stock known to be creditable 

 fielders and practical shooting dogs. 



There is such a thing as the careful blending 

 of certain blood lines that have produced with 

 the greatest regularity high-class dogs. The 

 correctness and desirability of the blood lines 

 can be determined only by a breeder of ex- 

 perience, with a good knowledge of pedigrees. 

 The amateur sportsman, who is about to pur- 

 chase a high-class puppy, will do well to sub- 

 mit its breeding to some authority before clos- 

 ing the transaction. Past experience with litters 

 of the same breeding, and a knowledge that 

 certain blood lines produce dogs uniformly good 

 in some respects, but inclined to weaknesses in 

 others, as well as the knowledge of certain 

 indescribable peculiarities which are common to 

 the breed, may possibly prove of some assist- 

 ance to a purchaser; but, on the whole, it is all 

 guesswork, and the man who has the last pick 

 of a litter has about as good a chance that his 

 dog will turn ot:t a winner as the man who had 

 the first selection. 



REARING. 



While there is much guesswork about select- 

 ing a puppy, its development and growth will 

 give full scope to the owner's intelligence and 



