THE SETTER AND POINTER. 1 75 



That afternoon and the next morning I shot and 

 bagged twelve out of the covey of fourteen ; and nev- 

 er has my dog worked better than he did then. 



The only thing to be guarded against, in this method 

 of training, is the disposition of the dog to chase the 

 bird when he puts him up. I think quail are the best 

 game-birds to train the dog with, as they are usually 

 found in open fields and hedges, and you can attend 

 to the working of the dog better than in covert-shoot- 

 ing. Should the dog be inclined to break for the bird 

 after it is flushed, you can go forward and flush the 

 bird yourself; or go round ahead of the bird, facing 

 the dog, and then let him put up the bird. In either 

 case command the dog to down, then shoot, and he 

 will be likely to stop. If you find much trouble in 

 making your dog obey, take a good shot into the field 

 with you, and when the dog points you can attend to 

 him, while your friend sees to the bird. You can then 

 see that the dog downs as soon as he has flushed 

 the bird. 



This is the sum and substance of training the setter 

 or pointer ; and all that remains for the sportsman is 

 to make his dog perfectly obedient. This is one of 

 the greatest difficulties in the whole management of 

 the bird-dog. If not brought under strict obedience, 

 he will be apt, when in the cover, to take the trail of 

 some game-bird and lead off out of sight and beyond 

 the sound of the bell. Then it happens, as the sports- 

 man often finds to his cost, that he must hunt his dog, 

 instead of having his dog hunt for him, and be his 

 servant. Work the dog with a bell, though not a loud 



