96 BREAKING A BIRD DOG 
ness, besides breaking shot, that I had to 
figure out how to overcome before she could 
be considered as finished for an all-around 
shooting dog. For no conceivable reason 
at all, other than a feminine whim, she one 
day refused to retrieve a bird that I had shot. 
This provoked me, and I took her to the 
quail and picked it up and put it to her 
mouth and held it there, telling her to 
“Fetch.” I was a little bit sharper with her 
than usual—and the net result was that I 
had just the devil’s own time trying to get 
her to retrieve at all again. I fear I was a 
little hasty and became severe with her be¬ 
fore making absolutely sure beyond all 
doubt that she understood exactly what it 
was she had done wrong. So she played 
safe by not retrieving at all, since it was 
that in connection with which she had got 
into trouble. This very situation brought 
out the one greatest evil likely to result 
from teaching to retrieve by any other than 
the force system. You have no way to com¬ 
pel obedience when it is not freely and 
voluntarily given; so I urge the reader par¬ 
ticularly to be sure to teach force retrieving 
