will a deer or man; and if he is put on a false scent, I mean a scent of
uninjured flick or feather, he will not follow it beyond a few
steps--experience will have shown him the inutility of so doing. (297.)

108. Avail yourself of the first opportunity to make a young retriever
lift a woodcock, lest in after life, from novel scent, he decline touching
it, as many dogs have done to the great annoyance of their masters.
Ditto, with the delicate landrail.

109. The directions given about "fetching" led me to talk of retrievers;
and, having touched upon the subject, I thought it right not to quit it,
until I had offered the best advice in my power. I have but one more
recommendation to add before I return to your setter--or pointer--pup:
carefully guard a young retriever--indeed any dog bred for the gun--from
being ever allowed to join a rat-hunt. Rat-hunting would tend to destroy
his tenderness of mouth, nay, possibly make him mangle his game. But this
is not all. It has often gradually led good dogs to decline lifting hares
or rabbits, apparently regarding them more in the light of vermin than of
game. Some dogs, however, that are not bad retrievers, are capital
ratters, but they are exceptions to the general rule. Indeed, you should
never permit your dog to retrieve any kind of ground or winged vermin. If
the creature were only wounded it might turn upon him. He in self-defence
would give it a grip, and he might thus be led to follow the practice on
less pardonable occasions. Remember, that a winged bittern or heron might
peck out his eye.

FOOTNOTES:

[18] A drier and cleaner article than you may suppose, and which can be
carried not inconveniently in a Mackintosh, or oil-skin bag--a toilet
sponge bag.

[19] If a retriever has the opportunity, while prowling about, of gnawing
hare or rabbit-skins thrown aside by a slovenly cook, it will not be
unnatural in him, when he is hungry, to wish to appropriate to himself the
hide, if not the interior, of the animals he is lifting.

CHAPTER V.

INITIATORY LESSONS OUT OF DOORS.--TRICKS.

110. As I before observed, you can practise most of the initiatory lessons
in your country walks. Always put something alluring in your pocket to
reward your pupil for prompt obedience. Do not take him out unnecessarily
in bad weather. On no account let him amuse himself by scraping
acquaintance with every idle cur he meets on the way; nor permit him to
gambol about the lanes. L