228 MODERN TRAINING. 



dropping, then instantly raising up in front and peering 

 over the grass to mark the live or dead birds when they 

 accomplish the purpose, they immediately drop and remain 

 steady till ordered on. The act is particularly objectionable 

 and injurious in cold, rainy weather, on marshy or muddy 

 grounds, or in winter hunting, for the dog must then drop 

 in cold water, snow or mud; if under the circumstances the 

 act is insisted on, it is an abuse of a faithful servant, and a 

 degradation to an intelligent companion. This accomplish- 

 ment is usually insisted on by owners who have their dogs 

 trained by professional handlers, it being considered both 

 useful in results and elegant in performance; but the ama- 

 teur, so far as usefulness is concerned, need not trouble 

 himself with it. 



If dropping to shot and wing is taught at a proper time, 

 it must be taught during the latter part of the dog's training. 

 There are many things which are necessary to consider and 

 note before it is attempted, namely, the dog must not be 

 gunshy, he must have learned to point birds steadily, and 

 must have no fears of them, or the gun, or his handler. To 

 attempt it earlier is to run the chances of having a blinker 

 or a distrustful dog. 



If the dog is properly trained so that he is not afraid of 

 the whip and will drop squarely and steadily to a cut of it 

 on the shoulder, no precautions need be taken against run- 

 ning away; if not, the same precautions may be taken as 

 with a dog which breaks shot. The advantages of training 

 a dog to drop to a cut of the whip on the shoulder are now 

 manifest. It is all the order that is needed, and being 

 trained to it, the dog drops properly without trouble. If 

 not trained to it, the whip always has a tendency to make 

 him run away, at least it distracts his mind from the real 

 purpose, and has no more meaning than a whipping in 

 general. Eventually the same associations must be estab- 



