250 MODERN TRAINING 



CHAPTER XIX. 



UNSTEADINESS. 



Breaking shot, breaking in, and chasing are all different 

 forms of the same thing, namely, an effort to secure posses- 

 sion of the prey. It is, to a certain degree, the dog's native 

 manner of pursuit and capture, but is incompatible with the 

 success of the gun. If the dog is trained, the first mani- 

 festation of unsteadiness should be appropriately punished ) 

 except such cases as have other faults which may be thereby 

 aggravated, such as a tendency to blink, bolt, etc.; with 

 such, simply returning them to the place from which they 

 started to break shot or chase, and giving a scolding, will be 

 beneficial, and if repeated with each offence, will generally 

 effect a cure. The fault, if not firmly repressed in the be- 

 ginning, soon becomes confirmed, and is one which amateurs 

 cure with difficulty, although it is one of the easiest if the 

 handler can lay aside his shooting proclivities for the time 

 being. 



In skillful training, the intent is not to arbitrarily suppress 

 unsteadiness from the start. The matter of making them 

 steady, partially steady or wholly unsteady is one of expe- 

 diency, as has been intimated in previous chapters. 



When the puppy is in field training it is always better to 

 correct the fault gradually. The puppy is not conscious of 

 doing anything but what is perfectly right; in fact, if a 

 novice wounds a bird, he makes a chase in a similar manner. 

 There are expert trainers who not only give the puppy a lib- 



