6o Modern Breaking 



unusual way at the most inopportune time, and 

 the breaker will be caught off his guard, and 

 when he feels the fire of his wrath burning in 

 every fiber of his makeup, he will most likely re- 

 lieve his feelings with his whip. And then a 

 lot of mischief will have been done that will 

 require weeks and perhaps months to repair. 



Of course, the breaker will console himself 

 with the thought that he was not to blame, and 

 that the dog deserved a good whipping. To 

 him it will appear that the dog should have 

 known how to do the simple thing he was 

 asked to do, and the breaker is certain he 

 knew how, but refused in a malicious spirit 

 of wilfulness. Here is where the breaker 

 makes a serious mistake. The dog did not 

 know anything about the simple matter the 

 breaker sought to teach him, and he became 

 "rattled" the moment the breaker showed any 

 signs of irritation. As soon as the animal lost 

 its head the punishment made him worse. 



While the intelligence of the dog, particularly 

 the setter and the pointer, is admitted, we are 

 not to measure the dog's brain by any senti- 

 mental consideration. A dog less than one year 

 old, it should be borne in mind, has seen very 

 little of the world, and no matter how much 

 intelligence he may have of what his predispo- 

 sition to know things may be, he has not had 

 the opportunity to secure much knowledge. 



