64 Modern Breaking 



breaking. It finds its first inspiration in a 

 knowledge of self. 



STUDYING THE YOUNG DOG. 



It is a very simple matter to say that differ- 

 ent methods must be pursued with different 

 dogs, but that is not enough. The breaker 

 should know the things that make the essential 

 difference before he can successfully lay out 

 his plan of breaking. It becomes, therefore, 

 a matter of first importance to study the young 

 dogs which the breaker is about to develop. 



To begin with, the breaker should know 

 something of pedigree, for certain well-bred 

 dogs, where they are of a particular breed or 

 strain, have what might be termed family char- 

 acteristics. Some of these are useful for the 

 purpose of the breaker, while others are not. 

 When the breaker knows these family traits of 

 disposition, he will look for them in the young 

 dog, and so handle him that the good will go 

 on developing and the bad will be checked. It 

 is much easier for the breaker to anticipate 

 these things and be prepared than it is to go on 

 and, because of the want of a little knowledge, 

 have a lot of latent quality in his young dog 

 undeveloped, while whatever of evil that was 

 born in him takes its place. 



Dogs, for example, which are extremely ner- 

 vous as a result of long-continued inbreeding, 



