FIRST DAYS IN THE FIELD 9 
saw there was no chance to use the cord as 
a restraint. The minute she felt it about 
her neck she ceased to need restraint—she 
then needed a cord to pull her toward the 
birds, not to hold her back. The reason for 
this was that she was naturally timid and 
had not been accustomed to anything of the 
kind and felt so humiliated that she simply 
“laid down” on the job. Although through 
careful handling and by instilling confidence 
I have built up in Byrd a sufficient boldness 
and independence in the field, nevertheless, I 
realize more fully all the time how easily 
she might have been ruined forever in those 
early formative days—for certainly she was 
naturally the most timid puppy I had ever 
seen. The fact that she has become to-day 
the most perfect bird dog I have known 
in the field, taking her work day in and day 
out, is irrefutable evidence of what can be 
done in developing a dog if one will only go 
at the job in the correct, careful way. 
I went home very much discouraged from 
that first lesson and found it easy to chide 
myself for having bought an Irish Setter in 
the beginning, when so many of the follow- 
