PREFACE 
N O book which deals with bird dogs, and 
the methods of training and develop¬ 
ing them, will ever meet unqualified approval 
in all quarters. But I do believe that my book 
has sufficient merit to make it worthy of pub¬ 
lication. It has been read and approved by 
enough persons whose experience and judg¬ 
ment I trust to give me confidence in its fun¬ 
damentals ; and the hundreds of letters which 
have flowed in to me during the past year 
from those who have read and claim to have 
enjoyed it would seem to indicate that it has 
filled its place fairly well in the hearts of 
those who love good bird dogs in the way 
they deserve to be loved. But over and be¬ 
yond all this—even above the kindly com¬ 
ment of such unquestioned authorities as A1 
Hochwalt and Nick Daniel—is the fact of 
Smada Byrd's own record which speaks for 
itself. I may never start her again in a Field 
Trial, but she has started once and made a 
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