The Dog

Chapter I.--463.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. QUALIFICATIONS, IN BREAKER--IN DOG.

1. Dog-Breaking an Art easily acquired.

2. Most expeditious mode of imparting every Degree of Education. Time bestowed determines Grade of Education. In note, Col. Hawker's opinion.

3. Sportsmen recommended to break in their own Dogs.

4. Men of property too easily satisfied with badly-broken Dogs. Keepers have no excuse for Dogs being badly broken.

5. Great Experience in Dog-breaking, or Excellence in Shooting, not necessary. Dispositions of Dogs vary.

6. What is required in an instructor.

7. Early in a Season, any Dog will answer, a good one necessary afterwards. Hallooing, rating Dogs, and loud whistling spoils Sport.

8. What a well-broken Dog ought to do.

9. Severity reprobated.

10. Astley's Method of teaching his Horses.

11. Initiatory Lessons recommended--to be given when alone with Dog--given fasting.

12. Success promised if rules be followed. Advantages of an expeditious Education. Autumn shooting not sacrificed.

Chapter Ii.--470.

INITIATORY LESSONS WITHIN DOORS. SHOOTING PONIES.

13. One Instructor better than two.

14. Age at which Education commences. In-door breaking for hours, better than Out-door breaking for weeks.

15. To obey all necessary Words of Command, and all Signals, before shown Game.

16. Unreasonableness of not always giving Initiatory Lessons--leads to Punishment--thence to Blinking.

17. Dog to be your constant Companion, not another's.

18, 19, 20. Instruct when alone with him. Initiatory Lessons in his Whistle--in "Dead"--"Toho"--"On."

21. All Commands and Whistling to be given in a low tone.

22 to 25. Lessons in "Drop."--Head between fore-legs--Setters crouch more than Pointers.

26. Slovenly to employ right Arm both for "Drop" and "Toho."

27. Lessons in "Down-charge."--Taught at Pigeon-match--Rewards taken from Hand.

27. Cavalry Horses fed at discharge of Pistol--Same plan pursued with Dogs.

28. Dog unusually Timid to be coupled to another.

29. Lessons at Feeding Time, with Checkcords.

Chapter Iii.--480.

INITIATORY LESSONS CONTINUED. SPANIELS.

30, 31. Initiatory Lessons in "Dead" and "Seek," continued.

32. In Signals to hunt to the "right"--"left"--"forward."

33. In the "Beckon." Woodcock Shooting in America.

34. In looking to you for instructions.

35. In "Care."

36. Always give a reward.

37. In "Up"--saves using Puzzle-peg.

38. Dog to carry Nose high.

39. Initiatory Lesson in "Footing a scent".

40. In "Heel."

41. In "Gone" or "Away."

42. In "Fence" or "Ware-fence."

43. "No" a better word than "Ware."

44. Accustomed to couples.

45. Initiatory Lesson in-doors with a Companion--when one "drops," the other to "drop."

46. Makes "Backing" quickly understood.

47. Initiatory Lessons with a Companion in the Fields.

48. Initiatory Lessons save time--make Dogs fond of Hunting.

49. Checkcord described. Wildest Dogs possess most energy.

50. Advantages of Checkcord explained. Spaniels broken in by it.

51. Lad to act as Whipper-in.

52. Retriever that acted as Whipper-in.

53. Jealousy made him act the part. Might be taught to Retrieve.

54. Instead of "down charge," coming to "heel."

55. As Puppies kept close to you, not to "self-hunt"--"broke" from hare.

56. Blacksmith straps Horse's Leg above Hock--Dog's similarly confined--Shot-belt round the necks of wildest.

57. Hunted in Gorse.

58. Age when shown Game. Example of good Spaniels advantageous.

59. Perfected in "Drop"--taught to "seek dead"--to "fetch"--entered at Hedge-rows and lightest Covers. Bells to Collars.

60. To hunt farther side of Hedge.

61. How Sportsmen may aid Keeper.

62. Experienced Spaniels slacken pace on Game.

63. Difficult to work young ones in Silence.

64. Spaniels that Pointed.

65. Game first accustomed to, most liked.

66. Principal requisites in Spaniels.

67. The signal "to point with finger."

68. Following Cockers a Young Man's work.

69. Education differs in different Teams.

70. One and a half couple of large Spaniels sufficient. One of the Team to retrieve.

71. Clumbers procuring more shots in Turnips than Pointers.

72. Lord P----n's highly-broken Team.

73. Of small Cockers three couple a Team. What constitutes Perfection.

74. Retriever with Team. Duke of Newcastle's Keepers.

75. Some Teams allowed to hunt flick.

76. Markers necessary with wild Spaniels.

77. Old Sportsmen prefer mute Spaniels.

78. Handy old Setters capital in light cover. Attention necessary when first entered.

79. C----e's Pointers as good in cover as on the stubble.

80. Pointer that ran to opposite side of Thicket to flush Game towards Gun.

81. Water Spaniels, how broken.

82. Shepherd's Forward Signal best for Water Retrievers.

83. Wild Fowl reconnoitred with Telescope.

84. Qualities required in Water Retriever. In Note, Poachers in Snow. Beast or Man of one uniform color easily detected.

85. Steady Spaniels in Rice Lakes.

Chapter Iv.--510.

LESSONS IN "FETCHING." RETRIEVERS.

86. Lessons in "fetching" recommended. Dog, not taught to retrieve, bringing dead Bird he had found.

87. Taught to deliver into your hand; never pick up a Bird yourself; Dog which often lost winged Birds she had lifted.

88. Retrievers taught to carry something soft; injudiciousness of employing a stone.

89. How encouraged to plunge into Water.

90. Diving, how taught.

91. "Fetching" taught with a Pincushion; with a Bunch of Keys.

92. Made to deliver instantly.

93. Practised to carry things of the size and weight of a Hare.

94. "Fetching," how taught at commencement.

95. Regular Retrievers taught to fetch Birds; to "foot" Rabbits and Winged Game.

96. Retriever observes when a Bird is struck; a quality particularly useful in a Water Retriever.

97. Pigeons and small Birds shot to Retrievers.

98. Injudiciousness of aiding a young Dog when retrieving; makes him rely on Gun rather than his own Nose.

99. Fatigue of carrying Hare tempts young Retriever to drop it; taught to deliver quickly by rewards of hard boiled liver.

100. If he taste blood, put on Wire snaffle; how made.

101. Retriever how taught to pursue faster; should commence to "road" slowly, but "follow up" rapidly.

102. Why Land Retrievers should "down charge".

103. Some Retrievers may "run on shot," but those for sale should "down charge."

104. Retrievers not to be of a heavy build, yet strong and thick-coated.

105. Cross between Newfoundland and Setter makes best Retriever; the real Newfoundland described.

106. Cross from heavy Setter best Retriever.

107. Most Dogs can be taught more or less to Retrieve.

108. Young Retriever to lift Woodcock and Landrail.

109. Retrievers never to kill Rats, lift vermin, or wounded Heron, &c.

Chapter V.--527.

INITIATORY LESSONS OUT OF DOORS. TRICKS.

110. Lessons in Country Walks.

111. "Instruction in quartering;" hunted where least likely to find Game; taught while young. In Note, Bitch shot over when seven months old.

112. If unreasonably long before taking to hunting, the remedy.

113. Utility of Initiatory Lessons; taught without punishing.

114. Self-confidence of timid Dogs increased.

115. The more Dogs learn, the more readily they learn.

116. Two superior Dogs better than half-a-dozen of the ordinary sort; Action of Dogs; their Feet; Loins; dash of Foxhound gives endurance; cross with Bull hunts with nose too low; Reliefs desirable; best Dog reserved for evening.

117. Memorandum, never to ride through gate with gun athwart-ship; instance of Dog's behaving admirably the first day shown Game.

118. Proves the value of Initiatory Lessons.

119. Summary of knowledge imparted by them.

120. Why to signal with right hand.

121. One word only of command; dogs attend to the general Sound, not to the several Words.

122. Names of Dogs not to end in "O;" to be easily called; to be dissimilar.

123. "Drop" better word of command than "Down;" use words of command least likely to be employed by others; when purchasing a Dog ascertain what words he is accustomed to.

Chapter Vi--537.

FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN COMMENCED. RANGING.

124. Regular Breakers make Dogs "point" paired Birds in Spring, tends to Blinking.

125. Better not to see Game until shot over; taken out alone on a fine day in Autumn.

126. Perpetually whistling to animate Dogs, injudicious.

127. Beat largest fields, and where least likely to find Game.

128. Commence from leeward; scent bad in a calm or gale.

129 to 133. Instructions in "ranging."

134. Kept from hedge; Range greater on moors than stubble.

135. Distance between Parallels dependent on tenderness of nose.

136. If the Dog is to hunt with another, the Parallels to be farther apart.

137. No interruption when winding Birds, yet not allowed to puzzle; Nose to gain Experience.

138. Birds lie well to Dog that "winds," not "foots" them.

139. Inattentive to Whistle, made to "drop," &c.; when rating or punishing, the disregarded order or signal to be often repeated; Whip to crack loudly. The attainment of a scientific Range difficult, but of surpassing value; the best ranger must in the end find most Game.

Chapter Vii.--549.

FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. CAUTION.

140. Dog to be hunted alone.

141. Many Breakers exactly reverse this.

142. Turnips, Potatoes, &c., avoided; Range of dogs broken on moors most true.

143. In Turnips, &c., young Dogs get too close to Birds.

144. Cautious Dogs may with advantage be as fast as wild ones; the two contrasted. In Note, injudiciousness of teaching a Puppy to "point" Chickens.

145, 6. A Dog's nose cannot be improved, but his caution can, which is nearly tantamount; how effected.

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