POINTERS AND SETTERS. 229 



the old dog, and hunt the young one until he is thoroughly 

 tired or until he begins to point. At first, when he comes 

 upon a scent, he will stop in a hesitating way, then draw rapidly 

 up and flush his birds, chasing them as before ; but gradually, as 

 he tires, he gains steadiness, and, after a time, he assumes the firm 

 attitude of the true pointer or setter, though this is seldom shown 

 in perfection for the first two or three days. Let it be clearly un- 

 derstood, that the present lesson is solely with a view to teach the 

 range; steadiness in the point, being at first quite subordinate to 

 this quality, although, in well-bred dogs, it may often be taught at 

 the same time. Hundreds of puppies are irretrievably spoiled by 

 attempting, to begin with teaching them to stand, when, by undue 

 hardship and severity, their relish for hunting or beating the ground 

 is destroyed ; and they are never made to do this part of the work 

 well, although their noses are good enough when they come upon 

 game, and they stand for a week if allowed to do so. Keep to 

 the one object until the puppy will beat his ground as shown in 

 the diagram, at first single-handed, and then crossing it with an- 

 other dog. It seldom answers to use two together until steadi- 

 ness at "the point" is attained, as there are few old dogs which 

 will beat their ground properly, together, when they find that 

 they are worked with a young one which is constantly flushing 

 his birds or committing some other faux pas. For these reasons 

 it is better to work the young ones at first singly, that is, as soon 

 as they will work; and then — after they range freely and work to 

 the hand and whistle, turning to the right or left, forwards or 

 backwards, at the slightest wave of the hand, and when they also 

 begin to point — it is time enough to " hunt them double." 



In order to complete the education of the pointer in ranging or 

 beating his ground, it is not only necessary that he should " quar- 

 ter " it, as it is called, but that he should do it with every advan* 

 tage of the wind, and also without losing time by dwelling on a 

 false scent, and, above all, avoiding such careless work as to put 

 np game without standing to a point at all. I have before ex- 

 plamed the principle upon which a field is to be " quartered," and 

 described the way in which the dog is to be set to do his work, by 



