KENNEL NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23024, 19 October 1936, Page 5

KENNEL NOTES

<By

“Setter.”)

Mrs Spiers, of Oamaru, a Scotch Terrier breeder, reports that following tire recent Invercargill show she lost her good little bitch Dinah through distemper and a fortnight later Jennifer died. Distemper is making its presence felt among the greyhounds in and around Nightcaps. Several good dogs have been unable to weather it. The tin hare sport is taking definite shape in Nightcaps and the plant is almost completed This form of greyhound racing tides over the summer months and does not run in opposition to coursing, but ceases before the opening of the live hare season. It is just a week now until the Labour Day trials take place. The work of the gun dogs promises to be of a more finished nature. Owners realize what is required and have had ample time to educate their dogs in the work required of them. There will be new competitors in the field. Young dogs have come on and are now ready to take their place in the field. There is a well-bred visiting cocker in preparation for this competition and it will be of special interest to see how one of such high class breeding compares with other competitors. All the arrangements are well in hand and better weather than that experienced on the last occasion should make the trials interesting from the public’s point of view. TRAINING POINTERS AND SETTERS. 1. —Puppies may be divided into two main classes:—(a) Bold and forward; (b) shy and backward. 2. —ln dealing with both classes, the object in view should be the encouragement and development of the natural hunting qualities. The secondary object that of bringing these qualities gradually under control. 3. —ln general it will be found that (a) class will hunt without any encouragement and may even “point” and “back” at an early stage of their training. Puppies of this class should not be pressed on in their training, and should be given very little work. Their training should be retarded, and they should be allowed to come to hand with the least possible control. Puppies of (b) class may be given more running on game in order to arouse their latent instincts. 4. —Make it a rule whenever a young dog has done a particularly good piece of work to take him up at once, and not run him again for a considerable time. 5. —A dog should receive praise at the hand of his breaker in exactly the same proportion as he receives condemnation fox- a good or clever or brilliant action, as for a mistake or bad action.

6. —When a ptippy on finding game and becoming excited by the scent, and makes a partial point on no account rush up to him. Never speak to him on such an occasion; this is a very grave error. Sooner or later preferably later the puppy will make a real point, and the opportunity of getting quietly up to him without distracting his attention nom the scent will occur. Effect of Interference. 7. —When a dog makes a point interfere with him as little as possible. Interference will either (1) make him drop; (2) make him move and lose all the tense concentration of attitude which is the pride and birthright of a highly-bred dog. If this is once lost, it will never be regained, and the young dog will lose all his confidence and decision on point. 8. —When two puppies are run together and one of them gets a point it is not advisable to speak to the other in order to make him “back,” unless it can be done in such a way as not to disturb the pointing puppy. It is not advisable to run two puppies together; if either of them has begun to point correctly it would be better to run such a puppy either alone or with an old dog until it has become confirmed in its action and style of pointing. 9. —A bold and forward puppy should be kept back in its training. When this puppy has attained perfection in its work, it should be taken out no more into the field, but put aside and only exercised, until such time as field trials of the shooting season. 10. —Never speak to or attract the attention of a dog that is pointing, or making out birds or before coming to a point. Remember that any action on your part at this stage, to the dog at a very critical moment when its whole attention is concentrated on making out the game, will only confuse or irritate the dog, and will eventually produce that hesitating and undecisive manner on point which is so painful to see in a good and well-bred dog. If the dog is at fault and flushes, then direct him according to tire merits of the case whether through carelessness, eagerness, or some defect in his scenting powers. Puzzling Out The Scent. 11. —Give every puppy time to puzzle out any scent he comes across provided he does not run riot on the scent, or puts his nose down and roads too long. If the scent is an undesirable one such as a lark, a rabbit, or a hare, let him find out what it is for himself and then call him away and show by your manner that you do not want him to hunt for it.

12. —No puppy should ever be encouraged to look to its trainer for directions. Only when its range takes it completely out of control should it be turned by the whistle, and brought back on another cast, otherwise its free and independent range should never be interfered with. The range of a pointer or setter should not be a mechanical one, but a natural one, dependent upon the 1 depth of ground that a dog can cover with his nose (no two dogs have an exactly similar range). 13. —One of the worst faults that a pointer or setter can have is to turn round in the middle of his cast and look for further orders. This fault comes from an excess of control exercised on the part of the trainer over the free ranging qualities of the dog. A dog should occasionally when passing in front of his handler take a glance at him, keeping as it were in touch with him, but should never stop in the middle of his range, turn round, and look for instructions. Such actions show complete lack of confidence in the dog’s powers of hunting for and finding game. Flushing Birds.

14. —Flushing birds is one of the least hideous faults that a young dog commits. There are so many different circumstances in which a dog can flush. A greater fault than flushing is not dropping instantly, and so acknowledging the mistake after having flushed. 15. Do not rate a young dog too severely for flushing; it may make him sticky on point, a fault which is incurable. Nothing looks worse than to see a dog dragged or pushed up to birds nor is any action more unsettling to the shooter. 16. —The sum of the whole matter is to leave a dog alone to use the powers that nature has given him of nose and brain to find his game. Assist him as little as possible, but encourage him all you can. This will develop self-reliance without which no dog is worth his keep. Do not anticipate a fault or you may be wijong and the dog right. Nothing more can make a young dog lose confidence both in himself and in you than the committing of such an error. When a dog has made a mistake then let him

be rated or punished for having committed it, but make sure, first by using due regard to the circumstances and to the character of the dog.