Basic Training for Pets, Hunting, Shows

Start early to encourage your Brittany to hunt. Take him for walks in rough fields where he is likely to find a game bird or rabbit. Let him roam around. If he sticks close to your side at first, don't be discouraged; and if possible, take him with another hunting dog. After he has learned to get out and hunt, carry a blank pistol or lightly-loaded small bore gun. When he is at a good distance from you, chasing a sparrow or absorbed in some enticing scent, shoot the gun. He may stop and look. Pay no attention and keep going as if nothing happened. Shoot seldom and at gradually decreased distances. Never shoot a gun near a young dog to "see if he is gun shy" or he will surely become so. Rattling pans just before you put down his feed is another way to get a puppy to associate noise with something pleasant.

Although your Brittany will eventually point the scent of game, much can be done to encourage sight-pointing in the young pup. To the end of a fishing rod attach a string about four feet long. Tie a piece of paper or cloth to the end and twitch this across the ground to attract the pup's attention. He will probably stalk it and try to catch it but you snatch it out of his reach. When he finds he can't catch it he will probably stiffen up into a point when the ob­ject is held stationary. After he begins to point have some­one else handle the rod and when your pup points go up to him and stroke him gently, repeating the word "whoa" so that he will associate the word with pointing staunchly. Use the same method when the pup sight-points a robin on the lawn or a barnyard chicken. "Whoa" is the bird-dog trainer's greatest asset, but it must be used with discrim­ination and only when the pup is on point, not when he is ignoring the word and heartily chasing a bird. There is much more to field training than can be covered here, but you will be off to the right start. Never prolong any training lesson until the pup is tired or bored and do not expect too much. Serious training should not begin until the pup is at Ip.ast six months old.

To show that purebred dogs have brains as well as heauty, obedience trials have become a popular feature of dog shows. The dogs are scored solely on how well they carry out a prescribed set of exercises. A dog's score can give him credit toward an obedience degree, C.D., C.D.X., and U.D. (Companion Dog, Companion Dog Excellent and Utility Dog). When won the degree is permanently noted after the dog's name. Many Brittanys have competed suc­cessfully in obedience trials, the training for which is carried out in obedience training classes throughout the country.