133 
FINISHING TOUCHES 
others. Some, like Spot, need almost no 
breaking - at all, only finishing and refining. 
Don't be misled into the belief that there is 
something mysterious or uncanny about 
breaking a bird dog. There is not. There 
are exceptions, of course, but if you just go 
along with a dog, following somewhat the 
lines I practiced with Smada Byrd, as de¬ 
scribed in this book, and then if the dog does 
not respond properly, it will be a pretty safe 
bet that the chances are the best thing to do 
would be to try another dog. It may hap¬ 
pen that you have one of the exceptions that 
it really requires a professional to handle— 
a dog that is somewhat beyond the abilities 
of an ordinary amateur to break. In that 
case the most satisfactory thing for you to 
do is to get another dog as the subject for 
your efforts; for it is an assured fact that 
the right sort of bird dogs will respond to 
constant companionship and love which 
have bred understanding and a desire to do 
the right thing, coupled with an abiding 
faith and confidence in the master who 
guides them. 
Cosmopolitan magazine used to publish a 
