THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
For driving purposes it will save a good deal of anxiety to peg a dog who 
shows any tendency to run in during the drive. He will soon recognize 
that it is no use trying to run in, and will sit quietly marking every bird as 
it falls. Some dogs, however, are so keen that they keep up a continual 
whining accompaniment to their master’s performances ; this is madden- 
ing to the gun himself and also to his neighbours. If a dog will not break 
himself of this habit the best thing to do is either to give him to an under 
keeper or turn him into a house dog — ^but as a rule age brings experi- 
ence, and they soon learn to be quiet. 
Labradors are all the fashion now, but, in my humble opinion, they 
are so often hard-mouthed, or develop such bad tempers, that for 
practical working I prefer a cross between a retriever and a spaniel, 
or if it is desired to have an easier broken dog, a retriever and a setter 
cross, picking out the puppies that are of uniform colour. 
The spaniel cross is a splendid one, though such dogs are difficult to 
break from fur, their spaniel blood making them keen to hunt anything. 
On the other hand they never seem to tire; after the longest day they will 
retrieve and hunt just as busily as when they started. 
Another important thing to enable a man thoroughly to enjoy a day’s 
driving and do his best in the actual shooting, is the knowledge that his 
loader is safe, quick, and keen. 
A great deal depends on the way he hands you your second gun, 
and, of course, much also depends on his quickness in loading, and his 
ability to get out of your way when you swing round to shoot at birds 
that have passed the line. Every new man ought to be taught in the off- 
season how to clean and look properly after the guns in his charge, and 
practice loading till he has got into his master’s ways. One of the best 
means of doing this after he has been properly grounded is to take him to 
a shooting school three or four times, and give him half an hour’s practice 
in loading for you whilst you get your muscles and eye in at clay pigeons. 
A good loader may be also a great help in picking up after a drive, having 
first taken care to see that both guns are unloaded, and placed in a position 
where they cannot be knocked down. 
ARTHUR AGLAND HOOD. 
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