Dog Breaking

Hutchinson, W. N. (William Nelson), 1803-1895Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 811K words
Chapters: 82

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Dog Breaking by W. N. HutchinsonAuthor: Hutchinson, W. N. (William Nelson), 1803-1895,Language: English, Class: SF: Agriculture: Animal culture, Release Date: Dec 29, 2014

Editor's review

This book is a 19th-century dog-training manual by the British dog trainer W. N. Hutchinson, one of the early practical works to discuss canine training methods systematically. The book is organized around "breaking"—that is, taming and disciplining—and covers such stages as choosing a puppy, basic obedience, and hunting assistance, reflecting the practical needs of human-dog cooperation and the training notions of the Victorian era. As a historical text, its value lies not only in specific techniques but in presenting an authentic picture of the relationship between people and working dogs before modern positive-training ideas became widespread. Readers may treat it as circumstantial evidence for the history of animal domestication, or compare it with contemporary training science to observe how methodology has evolved. Because it was written long ago, some methods carry the limitations of their time; it is best read critically, as a historical document rather than an operating guide. Suitable for casual reading by those interested in the history of canine behavior, English rural life, or human-animal relations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History readers interested in the history of dog training and changing ideas about animal domestication
Culture enthusiasts studying 19th-century English rural life and the role of working dogs
Dog owners who want to compare past and present training methods
Language learners who enjoy reading public-domain English practical manuals

Not a good fit for

Novice dog owners seeking modern scientific training plans they can follow directly
Professional readers expecting systematic theory or explanations of behavioral science
Readers who prefer light narrative reads and have little patience for the manual format

Reading tips

Start with the table of contents and preface to understand the book's training framework, then choose chapters relevant to your current dog-keeping needs.
Note training methods that reflect the limitations of their time as you read, and compare them with modern dog-training materials.
Read alongside books on English rural history or working-dog culture to deepen background understanding.
The original English edition is not long; reading one or two chapters a day, with notes to organize the training process, is recommended.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can the methods in this book still be used directly to train dogs today?

Direct imitation is not recommended. The book was written in the 19th century, and some training methods fall short of modern animal welfare and positive-training ideas. It is better used as a historical document to understand the training thinking of the time; for actual practice, consult contemporary, scientifically validated dog-training guides.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

This is a public-domain English book written in the style of a 19th-century practical manual; its sentences are fairly plain, though old-fashioned expressions appear occasionally. Readers with intermediate English can work through it with a dictionary; if you only want a general idea of the content, start with the preface and chapter titles to grasp the structure.

Is this book suitable to recommend to a friend as a dog-training textbook?

It is not suitable as a practical textbook. It is better suited to readers interested in the history of dog training and the evolution of human-dog relations. If a friend is raising a dog and needs training guidance, recommend a dog-training book based on modern behavioral science rather than this outdated manual.

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About the author

Hutchinson, W. N. (William Nelson), 1803-1895 Author · British · 1803–1895

W. N. Hutchinson (William Nelson Hutchinson, 1803–1895) was a British sporting writer and an expert in gundog training. Public information about his life is limited, and his reputation rests chiefly on his writings about dog training. His representative work, Dog Breaking, is a practical guide to developing obedience and field ability in hunting dogs, especially sporting breeds. It covers basic commands and obedience work as well as the step-by-step teaching of hunting skills such as quartering and pointing, reflecting a hands-on, clearly structured style. Aimed at gamekeepers, sportsmen and dog owners, the book is representative of nineteenth-century British sporting culture and the working-dog training tradition, and it offers later readers a useful view of training methods of the period.