AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
161 
sure, to undergo a severe training and a second course of 
education, when he comes into the possession of his new mas- 
ter, before he is habituated to this master’s style — hence the 
strong necessity of every sportsman attending to the educa- 
tion of his own Dog. To this circumstance may be attri- 
buted the reason, why many gentlemen, who, being de- 
lighted with the actions of strange Dogs, have purchased 
them at extravagant prices, and on trial of these Dogs, sepa- 
rately from their original owners, have proved but inferior 
animals; and, being disgusted, have parted with them im- 
mediately, at any price, and the first vender cursed as a 
swindling knave. But a little reflection will convince any 
reasonable person, that the fault is neither the Dog’s nor 
the original owners, but is entirely owing to the first im- 
pressions, given during the season of immaturity, having 
been so radical as to admit of no alteration by the second 
owner. Few Dogs will hunt during the first and second 
year’s training, so well with a stranger as with the man 
who broke them; and it will be well for all who wish to 
purchase young Dogs, (no matter how exalted their cha- 
racters,) to try them separately from their masters. 
Another important thing is worthy of great consideration, 
and this is the impropriety of lending Dogs — at all events, 
if a gentleman has feelings of generosity sufficient to oblige 
his friend in this way, he ought never to do so until after 
the second season of training; for it is not until this period 
that a Dog may be said to have completed his education, 
or that his impressions are deep-rooted. The practice of 
lending Dogs is certainly a bad one, and frequently the 
lent Dog is injured by his master’s generosity. But then 
this description of sportsmen, when appealed to, argues in 
himself — how can I disoblige my friend? I have enjoyed 
pleasure with my Dog and gun; he has none. Shall I not 
contribute to him the same means of enjoyment, which I 
have used myself so often? But, still, I fear injury to my 
Dog. And then reflecting that he was created a social 
being, and placed in circumstances whereby he may add, 
perhaps, one day of pleasure to his importunate friend, he 
casts off the unnatural feelings of selfishness, and fulfils 
this duty of social life. 
I do not recommend that a Dog should be loaned, only 
under particular circumstances, and the owner may do so, 
by proper discrimination, without as much risk of injuring 
the Dog, as the chance of offending his friend, or bearing 
the imputation of being a selfish man. 
In naming a Dog, it.is recommended that short and ex- 
pressive names, (of one syllable, if possible,) should be 
adopted, and avoid all those words ending in o, or sounding 
like the words used in training; also, to adopt other 
names for those common-place words now in use, as great 
confusion sometimes prevails in consequence of two or 
three Dogs hunting together which are named alike. I 
S s 
once had the prospect of a fine day’s shooting entirely 
ruined from this circumstance. My Dog and my friend’s 
being named so much alike, that the former kept around 
my heels the whole day, in consequence of the latter, 
(which was a headstrong dog,) having been hallooed at con- 
tinually by his master. 
Supposing now 3’our Dog is six months old, it will be 
necessary that he should follow you in your walks abroad, 
and repeatedly taken to the fields and suffered to race 
about, and enter bushes and thickets, and chase every bird 
without restraint. This will give him spirit and anima- 
tion, which will continually grow on him; and it ..is not ad- 
visable to check or speak harshly to him, but encourage 
this spirited disposition as much as possible. You should 
always, before feeding him, make him crouch at your feet, 
using, at the same time, the words, down,” or “ close,” 
or “ down charge;” or it is better to habituate him to do 
so, by raising your hand and saying softly, hush. Endea- 
vour, at all times, to use him to words spoken in a low 
voice, as some future day will convince you of the neces- 
sity of doing so, when you may be surrounded with scat- 
tered game — silence, then, will, in a great measure, gua- 
rantee your success, and these early lessons will have, at 
that period, a salutary effect 011 him; and, as a reward to 
his obedience, feed him. The same plan may, and should 
be used to learn him to stand at a piece of meat. This 
should be done by using the word “ toho .” This simple 
word, so universally known and adopted, has been proved 
by experience, to act as magic on the instinct of the setter 
and pointer Dogs; and it is doubtful whether another word 
could be adopted to supply its place with the same success; 
therefore it should be very early engrafted on his memory, 
as it is the most important of the very few words necessary 
to break a Dog. If he is brought to stand, (and a very few 
lessons will answer the purpose,) give him the meat that was 
before him. By rewarding a young Dog in this way, with 
food, he may be learned many things, and it is well worth 
the trial of learning him to bring articles, as a ball, gloves, 
apples, or sticks; and always, when obedient, reward him 
with food. Idle moments may be frequently spent in this 
way, to learn a young Dog a variety of little things of this 
kind ; not that these things are intrinsically valuable in them- 
selves, but they habituate a Dog to strict obedience, and 
the sounds and actions used in learning him these little 
tricks are so various and many, and he becomes so familiar 
to your words and actions, that when his services at some 
future day, may be required for more important affairs, his 
obedience can be depended on, and his readiness to serve 
you will, in a measure, become mechanical, because he has 
been so completely schooled to your expressions. In all 
your endeavours, at this age, to learn him, do it by reward- 
ing; and never, (if it is possible for you to avoid it,) chas- 
