lest he watch your proceedings
and endeavor to "hunt by eye." Indeed it might be better to employ another
person to turn it out. Keep clear of woods for some time--the cross scents
would puzzle him. If by any chance you have a winged pheasant or
partridge, let him retrieve it. You will not, I presume, at the
commencement select a morning when there is a dry cold wind from the
north-east, but probably you will wish to conclude his initiatory lessons
on days which you judge to possess least scent. The more he has been
practised as described in 39, the better will he work; for he cannot keep
his nose too perseveringly close to the ground. With reference to the
instructions in that paragraph, I will here remark, that before you let
the dog stoop to hunt, you should have placed him by signal (31) near the
spot from which you had begun dragging the bread. In paragraph 190 an
instance is given of the manner in which a dog who retrieves should be put
upon a scent; and why that mode is adopted is explained in 184.

96. It is quite astonishing how well an old dog that retrieves knows when
a bird is struck. He instantly detects any hesitation or uncertainty of
movement, and for a length of time will watch its flight with the utmost
eagerness, and, steadily keeping his eye on it, will as surely as yourself
mark its fall. To induce a young dog to become thus observant, always let
him perceive that _you_ watch a wounded bird with great eagerness; his
imitative instinct will soon lead him to do the same. This faculty of
observation is particularly serviceable in a water retriever. It enables
him to swim direct to the crippled bird, and, besides the saving of time,
the less he is in the water in severe weather, the less likely is he to
suffer from rheumatism.

97. As an initiatory lesson in making him observant of the flight and fall
of birds, place a few pigeons, or other birds, during his absence, each in
a hole covered with a tile. Afterwards come upon these spots apparently
unexpectedly, and, kicking away the tiles--or, what is better, dragging
them off by a previously adjusted string,--shoot the birds for him to
bring; it being clearly understood that he has been previously tutored
into having no dread of the gun. As he will have been taught to search
where bidden--IV. to VIII. of 119,--nothing now remains but to take him
out on a regular campaign, when the fascinating scent of game will
infallibly make him search--I do not say d