340 BREAKING AND ENTERING. 



Young dogs of this breed will be seen carrying sticks about, 

 and watching for their master to throw them, that they may fetch 

 them to him. This fondness for the amusement should be 

 encouraged to a certain extent, almost daily, but not so far as to 

 tire and disgust the dog, and care should always be taken that 

 he does not tear or bite the object which he has in charge. 

 On no account should it be dragged from his mouth, but he 

 should be ordered to drop it on the ground at the feet of his 

 master, or to release it directly it is laid hold of. The con- 

 sequence of pulling anything out of the young retriever's mouth 

 is that he becomes " hard bitten," as it is called ; and, when he 

 retrieves a wounded bird, he makes his teeth meet, and mangles 

 it so much that it is utterly useless. A dog which is not 

 naturally inclined to retrieve may be made so by encouraging 

 him to pull at a handkerchief or a stick ; but such animals 

 very seldom turn out well in this line, and it is far better to put 

 them to some other task. As soon as the puppy has learnt to 

 bring everything to his master when ordered, he may be taught 

 to seek for trifling articles in long grass or other covert, such 

 as bushes, &c. ; and, when he succeeds in this, get some young 

 rabbits which are hardly old enough to run, and hide one at a 

 time at a little distance, after trailing it through the grass so 

 as to imitate the natural progress of the animal when wounded. 

 When putting the young retriever on the scent at the commence- 

 ment of the " run," let him puzzle it out till he finds the rabbit, 

 and then make him bring it to his master without injuring it 

 in the least. Encouragement should be given for success, and 

 during the search the dog should have the notice of his master, 

 by the words " Seek ! seek ! seek dead ! " &c. A perseverance 

 in this kind of practice will soon make the dog very clever in 

 tracing out the concealed rabbits, and in process of time he may 



