14 BREAKING A BIRD DOG 
might ruin another. If you can’t realize 
this, and sense the individual situation in 
each instance, and fit the cure to the case, 
understanding the essentials yet fully con¬ 
scious that rules are made but to be broken 
—then you had better not tackle the job of 
attempting to break a bird dog. I can only 
add that if, on the other hand, you do have 
the patience and the sympathy and the de¬ 
sire to undertake this work with a full ap¬ 
preciation that there is no more interesting 
study of psychology—then you will find the 
ultimate reward fully worth the effort. 
Right here let me take advantage of the 
opportunity to advance a certain definite con¬ 
clusion in regard to teaching a dog to do 
anything. There is something besides just 
the dog’s confidence which you must secure. 
If you would the most easily and surely 
direct his tendencies along the lines of your 
desires there must exist between you a per¬ 
fect companionship. It is this that will 
cause your desires to be easily interpreted 
by the dog, and the desire on his part to 
follow them will be but the perfectly natural 
