28 
BREAKING A BIRD DOG 
Byrd, and dependent entirely upon making 
her understand what was wanted by talking 
to her, coupled with her desire to do what 
she knew I wished, made the job of training 
her much more delicate than otherwise—but 
at the same time doubled the interest in try¬ 
ing to accomplish the purpose I had set out 
to attain. I had this much to go on: I knew 
that she wanted to do the right thing—any 
dog does. It thus became my duty simply to 
make my desires so clearly known as to leave 
no chance for any uncertainty or conflict of 
purpose. You will find your whole training 
job lightened if you go on the supposition 
that the right sort of a dog wants to do right 
rather than wrong; and your job is to make 
the right thing clear to him. 
One day when we were coming back 
through a ragweed field on our way home— 
all of a sudden, just ahead where the field 
joined a deep woods, there arose such a clat¬ 
ter as reminded me of that poem of early 
childhood, “ ’Twas The Night Before Christ¬ 
mas.^” It proved to be a big covey of pheas¬ 
ants that had flushed immediately in front of 
Byrd. They made enough noise to fluster 
