352 
FOREST AND STREAM 
August, 1921 
HOW TO DEVELOP A BIRD DOG 
SUGGESTIONS ON THE SELECTION OF PUPPIES ;AND THE IMPOR- 
TANCE OF COMPLETELY SECURING THEIR LOVE AND CONFIDENCE 
By SHADOW 
I N a preceding article on the sub- 
ject of selecting and training 
a bird dog puppy and devel- 
oping those remarkable instincts 
which make them such invaluable 
assistants to the gun, attention 
was directed to the desirability of 
making your se- 
lection from a 
family of well 
proven excellency 
in the field. By 
this we do not 
mean to say that 
they should be of 
field trial winners 
or even from 
such a family. In 
fact, quite to the 
c o n t r a ry. The 
best natured bird 
dogs we have 
ever seen, meas- 
ured by that bird 
sense, keenness of 
nose, judgment, 
sense of location 
and natural hunt- 
ing qualities 
which appeal to 
the every day 
sportsmen were 
from ancestry 
which had never 
seen a field trial 
and were only re- 
motely related to 
field trial per- 
formers. It may 
also be truly 
stated that the 
natural hunting 
and bird-finding 
ins tincts of a 
family of setters 
and pointers will 
not be lost or ob- 
literated by a 
generation or two 
of disuse in the 
hunting field. 
Neverthe less, 
there is no gain- 
saying the fact 
that the more 
close-up ancestors 
of the w e 1 1- 
trained, sturdy, 
hard working, 
bird wise type a 
puppy possesses, 
the greater will be the assurance of 
developing, as the result of your time 
and patience, a worth-while compan- 
ion of the fields and woodlands who will 
read your every wish during the glo- 
rious days of autumn. 
Having made your selection of a 
puppy nothing more should be at- 
tempted in the way of training until 
you have completely won his heart and 
taught him to place the utmost confi- 
dence in you. At this tender age his 
mind is easily impressed, and will long 
retain the ideas then formed; and it 
will take but a few days to teach him 
to love you with all his heart. If pos- 
sible, give him a good roomy pen on 
the ground, with a warm, well-sheltered 
house or box in which to lie. Do not 
forget that he will be very lonesome 
for a few days, and therefore glad to 
see you often; and you cannot better 
employ your time than to pay him a visit 
every half hour for the first day or two. 
Always, when you go to see him, have 
a bit of something for him to eat that 
he will relish. As you approach the 
pen you should invariably blow upon 
your whistle the note that you intend 
to use to call him in — a long note for this 
purpose, beginning loud and gradually 
dying away. This, with a short, sharp 
note to attract 
attention is all 
the signals neces- 
sary; the last not 
until his educa- 
t i o n is further 
advanced. By as- 
sociating this 
long note with 
something good 
to eat it will soon 
become fixed in 
his mind that 
when he hears it 
he must run to 
you as fast as he 
can. 
I T takes no 
more time to 
teach two 
puppies than it 
does to teach one, 
as they will learn 
from each other; 
and if one is in- 
clined to be dila- 
tory withhold his 
reward, and he, 
seeing the other 
one enjoying his 
customary allow- 
ance while he is 
himself deprived 
of his share, at 
once compre- 
hends the true 
reason, and will 
be on hand the 
next time. 
Do not fail to 
abundantly ca- 
ress him and 
speak kindly 
words, and never, 
under any cir- 
c u m s tances, no 
matter what the 
provocation, al- 
low yourself to 
scold or strike 
him, as this is en- 
tirely at variance 
with our system, 
and is sure to result in the defeat of 
our plans. Should he jump upon you 
with his dirty feet, or tear your clothes 
with his sharp teeth, do not get angry 
and cuff him, but gently yet firmly 
place him upon the ground or unclasp 
his jaws from your garments, consol- 
ing yourself with the thought that in 
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 364 ) 
It takes no more time to teach two puppies than to teach one 
