If in company with other dogs, he should not follow them, but each dog should beat independently. The dog may be taught to back or back-set, by the breaker holding up his hand and crying to-ho! when another dog makes a point. A well-bred dog will invariably back-set instinctively. To back-set instinctively is the distinctive characteristic of a promising young dog; indeed, it is the only safe standard by which the shooter may venture to prognosticate future excellence. A dog's pointing game and larks the first time he is taken out, is no certain criterion of merit but there is no deception in a dog's backing instinctively the first time he sees another dog make a point. It is a proof that he is a scion from the right stock. : The shooter should kill nothing but game over a young dog, or the dog will never learn his business. He should of all things avoid shooting larks and field-fares. When the shooter is in the habit of killing small birds, such as larks sometimes, and at other times is in the habit of correcting him for pointing them, the dog becomes confused, and is puzzled when he comes upon a snipe, whether to point or not. Where game is scarce, the best dogs will occasionally point larks: and it requires much time to teach a young dog that they are not game, and to break him off pointing them when once he has acquired the habit. When punishing a dog, it is better to beat him with a slender switch than with a dog-whip. But whether a switch or dog-whip be used, the dog should be struck across, not along, the ribs; or, in other words, the switch or lash should not be made to lap round his body, but the blow should fall on the whole length of his side. A dog should never be kicked, or shaken by the ears. When the shooter is unprovided with a switch or dog-whip, he should make the dog lie at his foot several minutes, which the dog, eager for sport, will consider a severe punishment, and it is a sort of punishment not soon forgotten. much The routine of dog-breaking is well explained in the note at the foot of this page. We very approve of the system there laid down.* "The first lesson, and the one on which the breaker's success chiefly depends, is that of teaching the dog to drop at the word 'down;' this must be done before he is taken into the field. Tie a strong cord to his neck, about eighteen yards long, and peg one end into the ground. Then make the dog crouch down, with his nose between his front feet, calling out in a loud voice down.' As often as he attempts to rise, pull him to the ground, and repeat the word 'down' each time. When he lies perfectly quiet while you are standing by him, walk away, and if he attempt to follow you, walk back, and make him down' again, giving him a cut or two with the whip. This lesson must be repeated very often, and will take some trouble before it is properly inculcated. When once learned it is never forgotten, and if properly taught in the beginning, will save an infinity of trouble in the end. He ought never to be suffered to rise, until touched by the hand. This lesson should be practised before his meals, and he will perform it much better as he expects his food, and never feed him till you are perfectly satisfied with his performance. After you have been flogging him, always part friends, and never let him escape while you are chastising him, at least, if he does, do not pursue him, as if he sees (which he soon will) that he is the quicker runner of the two, all discipline will be at an end. "When he has become tolerably steady, and learned to come in to the call, and to drop to the hand, he must be taught to range and quarter his ground; a thing which is seldom seen in perfection. On THE SPANIEL, COCK DOG, OR SPRINGER. : Spaniels are the best dogs for beating covers, provided they can be kept near the gun. They are generally expected to give tongue when game is flushed some spaniels will give notice of game before it rises, which is very well where woodcocks only are expected to be found. Woodcock and pheasant shooting are often combined; when that is the case, a noisy cry is not desirable: pheasant shooting cannot be conducted too quietly where covers are limited. Wherever the underwood is so thick that the shooter cannot keep his eye on the dogs, spaniels are to be preferred to pointers or setters, whatever species of game the shooter may be in pursuit of. When spaniels are brought to such a state of discipline as to be serviceable in an open country, they will require no further tutoring to fit them for the woods, unless it be that the eye of their master not being always on them, they begin to ramble. The efficiency of the training of spaniels for cover-shooting depends, some good brisk morning choose a nice piece of ground, where you are likely to find. Take care to give him the wind, i. e. to let him have the wind blowing in his face, wave your hand with 'hey on good dog,' and let him run off to the right hand to the distance of about eighty yards." (We suggest thirty.) "Call him in, and, by another wave of the hand, let him go off to the same distance to the left. Walk straightforward with your eye always on him. Go on and let him keep crossing you from right to left, and vice versâ, calling him in when at the limit of his range. This is a difficult lesson, and requires great nicety in teaching. Never let him hunt the same ground twice over. Always have your eye on him, and watch every motion." New Sporting Magazine, vol. v. No. 28, p. 256. for the most part, on their keeping near the shooter; for if they riot, they are the worst dogs he can hunt.* THE RETRIEVER. The business of the retriever is to find lost game. Newfoundland dogs are the best for the purpose. They should have a remarkably fine sense of smelling, or they will be of little use in tracing a wounded pheasant, or other game, through a thick cover, where many birds have been running about. A good retriever will follow the bird on whose track he is first put, as a blood-hound will that of a human being or deer. He should be taught to bring "There is much less trouble in making a spaniel steady than at first thought may be imagined. A puppy eight months old, introduced amongst three or four well-broken dogs, is easily taught his business. The breaker should use him to a cord of twenty yards length or so, before he goes into the field, and then take him out with the pack. Many a young dog is quiet and obedient from the first; another is shy, and stares and runs about as much at the rising of the birds as the report of the gun. Shortly he gets over this, and takes a part in the sport-he then begins to chase, but finding he is not followed after little birds or game, he returns; and should he not, and commence hunting out of shot, which is very likely, he must be called in, and flogged or rated, as his temper calls for. With care and patience, he will soon pack up' with the others, especially if that term is used when the dogs are dividing; and if not, he may be checked by treading on the cord, and rated or beaten as his fault requires. Spaniels will, in general, stand more whipping than other dogs, but care must be taken not to be too lavish nor severe with it at first, or the dog becomes cowed, and instead of hunting will sneak along at heel. "Having learned him to hunt in his place, or rather at a proper distance for with spaniels distance is to be inculcated first and principally-the next things to be attempted in turn, are to learn him down charge'-to prevent his chasing hares-to come in when needed to hunt the contrary side of a hedge; and then his education for shooting in the open is about complete-time will do the rest." New Sporting Magazine, vol. v. No. 29, p. 337. his game, or in many instances his finding a wounded bird would be of no advantage to the shooter. KENNEL TREATMENT. may be either boiled In hot weather, dogs The best regular food for sporting dogs is oatmeal well boiled, and flesh, which with the meal or given raw. should not have either oatmeal or flesh in a raw state, as they are heating. Potatoes boiled are good summer food, and an excellent occasional variety in winter, but they should be cleaned before being boiled, and well dried after, or they will produce disease. Roasted potatoes are equally good, if not better. The best food to bring dogs into condition, and to preserve their wind in hot weather, is sago boiled to a jelly, half a pound of which may be given to each dog daily, in addition to potatoes or other light food; a little flesh meat or a few bones being allowed every alternate day. Dogs should have whey or butter-milk two or three times a week during summer, when it can be procured, or in lieu thereof, should have a table-spoonful of flour of sulphur once a fortnight. To bring a dog into condition for the season, we would give him a very large table-spoonful of sulphur about a fortnight before the 12th of August, and two days after giving him that, a full table-spoonful of syrup of buckthorn should be administered, and afterwards twice repeated at intervals of three days, the dog being fed on the sago diet the while. There should always be fresh water within reach. Dogs should never be chained up. |