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forward as well. Colonel Hutchinson recommends the previous inculcation of the perception of height,-in fact, to make the dog understand that you mean, when you use the word "Up," that he should raise his head. But this is a refinement in dog-breaking which possibly may be carried out, yet which, I confess, I think practically inoperative. Few of us would like to teach our hacks to lift their knees, by giving them to understand the nature of height, and then telling them to lift them. We should certainly find it much more simple to select hacks with good action, or to breed them even, rather than to convert our colt-breakers into circus-men. If there were no other method of attaining the object, by all means adopt it; but, when a far easier one is at hand, I should certainly select it in preference. Nevertheless, it may serve to prove the teachableness of the dog; and, knowing the extent to which his education may be carried by patience and perseverance, I have no doubt that Colonel Hutchinson's plan is capable of execution, if the time and trouble necessary for it were properly remunerated. But we must now proceed to the second fault, which consists in ranging too far from the breaker. This may readily be cured, either by compelling attention to the hand and voice, with the aid of the whip in bad cases; or by attaching to the dog's collar a long cord, which is then suffered to trail on the ground, or is held in the hand of the breaker when the dog is very wild. Twenty, thirty, or at most forty, yards of a small box-cord will suffice for this purpose, and will soon tire down the strongest and most unruly dog. Indeed, an application of

it for a short time will make many dogs give in entirely; but some high-couraged ones, and setters especially, will persevere with it on till they are fairly exhausted. This "check-cord," as it is called, is also necessary in some dogs, to perfect their education in other respects, and, indeed, is chiefly wanted at a later period of breaking, not being often required at this stage.

Having described the mode of teaching pointers and setters to beat their ground, I have now to consider the best modes of teaching them (1) to point, set, or stand (which are different names for the same act), (2) to back, (3) to down charge, (4) to retrieve, if considered desirable, and (5) how to remedy certain faults, such as blinking, &c.

Pointing, setting, or standing is taught as follows. It will, of course, be discovered in practice that, in teaching the range, most dogs begin to point, and nineteen out of twenty, if well-bred, become steady enough, without the gun, before they are perfect in the proper mode of beating their ground. For these, then, it is unnecessary to describe any other means of teaching their trade; but there are some few exceptions,. in which, even after a fortnight's work, the dog is still deficient in this essential, and, though he beats his ground in ever so perfect a manner and finds his birds well enough, yet he invariably runs them up, sometimes with great zest and impudent disregard of his breaker, and at others with evident fear of the consequences. Here, then, something more must be done, and it is effected by taking the young dog out with a steady companion and hunting them together; then, keeping the old dog within forty yards, let him, if possible, be the one to

find, and take care to walk up to him before the young one comes up, which he is sure to do as soon as he catches his eye on the point. Now use your voice in a severe but low tone to stop him; and, as he has been accustomed to halt with the word "Toho!" he will at once do so, generally standing in a cautious attitude, at a distance varying with his fear of his breaker and the amount of courage which he possesses. If the birds lie close, let him draw up and get the scent; and the excitement will then be so great, that, if he is under sufficient command to be held in check by the "Toho!" he will be sure to assume the rigid condition characteristic of his breed. Now go quietly up to him, pat him, and encourage him, but in such a tone as to prevent his running in, --still using the "Toho! good dog; toho!"—and keeping him for a few minutes where he is, so long as he can scent his birds, which he shows by champing and frothing at the mouth. After the lapse of this time, walk quietly forward, keeping your eye on him, and still restraining him with the "Toho," put up the birds, and then, if possible, make him drop with the words "Down charge!" the meaning of which he has already been taught. But, if he is very wild and of high courage, do not attempt this at first, as it is better to proceed step by step, and to teach each department thoroughly before another is commenced. In this way, by perseverance and hard work (which last is the keystone of the breaker's arch), any dog, whether of the special breeds used for the purpose or not, may be made to point when he finds game; but none but the pointer and setter become rigid or cataleptic, a peculiarity which is con

fined to them. In very high-couraged dogs a check-cord, thirty or forty yards in length, is sometimes suffered to trail on the ground, or is held by the breaker, so as to assist the voice in stopping the dog when he is wanted to make his stand; but the cases where this is wanted are so rare as scarcely to require any allusion to it, if the breaker is sufficiently industrious to give work enough to his charge. This part of the education is generally effected in a couple of lessons, without trouble, and, indeed, the young dog often points steadily enough at the first or second scenting of game.

Backing. When a dog has acquired the merely instinctive property already described, he is said to be "steady before," and may be used alone or single-handed without any further education; but when he is to be hunted with other dogs he requires to be made "steady behind," that is to say, he must be taught to "back" another dog as the latter stands. In very high-bred dogs this property, like the former, is developed very early; but, the more hardy and courageous the breed, the longer they generally are in acquiring it, and therefore the young breaker should not be discouraged if he finds that his puppies give him some trouble after they have learnt to stand perfectly steady. Backing is usually taught in the same way as described for standing, that is to say, by hunting with an old steady dog, taking care that he is one whose find is to be depended on, and then stopping the young one with the voice and hand, or with the aid of a checkcord if necessary. The great art consists here in managing to get between the two dogs at the moment when the old one stands,

and thus to be able to face the puppy as he rushes up to share the scent with his rival, which he at first considers his companion to be. Jealousy is a natural feeling in all dogs from their desire to obtain approbation; but it must be eradicated in the pointer and setter, or they never become steady together, and whichever finds first the other tries to run up and take the point from him. To avoid this failing, leave the dog which first finds alone, and walk up to the one which you have stopped, pat and encourage him with the word "Toho!" in a low but pleased tone; let him not on any account creep forward a step, but keep him exactly where he is for some minutes, if the birds lie well. Then walk forward to the old dog, but take no notice of him, and, with your eye still on the puppy, put up the birds, having stopped him with voice and hand if he moves a limb. Supposing the old dog has pointed falsely, the young one is materially injured, inasmuch as he has lost confidence in him, and next time he is with more difficulty restrained from running in to judge for himself; hence the necessity for a good nose in the old dog, who ought to be very steady and perfect in all respects. It will thus be seen that very little art is required in carrying out this part of the education, which really demands only hard walking, patience, and perseverance to complete it in the most satisfactory manner. It should be pursued day after day, till the young dog not only finds game for himself and stands quite steadily, but also backs his fellows at any distance, and without drawing towards them a single step When this desirable consummation

after he sees them at point.

is effected to such an extent that the puppy will back even a

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