162 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 
the casual wantonness of high spirits, as when a dog has 
been long confined without being shot over—then indeed 
chastisement must not hide his head. 
The sportsman should, however, always have a careful 
heed to causes, and to the actuating motives of his dogs, 
before he punishes. I have seen good, careful, true-nosed 
dogs flogged for flushing birds; when it was evident to me, 
from their coming to the point instantly, and looking 
around with a deprecatory glance, that the fault was acci- 
dental, or, in fact, no fault at all, but the consequence of 
existing circumstances ; perhaps the failure of scent owing 
to the state. of the ground, or of the atmosphere. Again, 
TI have seen a martinet punish dogs, what I call cruelly, for 
not sitting down to charge, on snipe ground, where the 
water was three inches deep and as cold as ice; when the 
poor brutes were standing to charge, perfectly passive, 
with ears and sterns lowered, and only failed to squat, on 
account of the state of the ground. 
But it is needless to multiply instances. In the former 
case, all that is desirable is a gentle “ Have a care, Sir! 
Have a ca-are, Don!” in the latter, when a shot should 
be again fired on good dry ground, to insist on the charge 
being made in the most perfect style, with the paws ex- 
tended and the nose down between them. 
By the way! if a dog be at all unsteady, the only 
sure plan is to make him charge, whenever a, bird rises, 
whether shot at or not. In fact, it is better always to 
make him do so, steady or not; and, if a retriever, never 
to allow him to gather a dead bird until he have pointed it. 
Thus much as to general rules, for dogs in general. 
