466 DOGS USED FOR SPORT. 



FLUSHING. 



No dog will break shot after having been thoroughly broken, 

 and ever after skilfully handled. The trouble is usually traceable 

 to his master, who by rushing for the bird the instant it falls, sets 

 an example which the dog very naturally follows. When you 

 have "plucked the beam," the " mote " may be eradicated in the 

 following manner : Hunt your dog with a short check cord, and if 

 more than usuall, headstrong, a force collar. When he comes to 

 a point, let your companion do the shooting, while you hold the 

 cord, and the instant he starts, bring him up with a sharp jerk, 

 forcing him to down charge until the gun is reloaded, and until he 

 is ordered to seek dead. Repeat the treatment. If this proves 

 insufficient, the whip must be resorted to ; after which, these fail- 

 ing, nothing remains but to dispose of the animal. 



For those who may not understand what is meant by the word 

 "force collar," we add that it consists merely of a strap of leather 

 on which is inserted a number of carpet tacks, sewed with the 

 heads downward to the inner side of a common collar, thus pre- 

 venting the heads from dropping out, while the points are directly 

 applied to the neck. Such should be loose enough not to irritate 

 except when the cord is used. 



RAKING. 



All young dogs are apt to rake ; that is, to hunt with their 

 noses close to the ground, foUov/ing their birds by the track rather 

 than by the wind. Birds lie much better to dogs that wind them, 

 than those that follow by track. The animal that winds the scent 

 approaches the birds by degrees and without disturbing them ; 

 but they are at once alarmed when they see a dog tracing their 

 footsteps. When you perceive that your dog is committing this 

 fault, call to him in an angry tone to " hold up ; " he will then 

 grow uneasy and agitated, going first to the one side and then to 

 the other, until the wind brings him the scent of the birds. After 

 finding the game four or five times in this way, he will take the 

 wind of himself, and hunt with his nose high. If it be difficult to 

 correct this fault, it will be necessary to put the pussle pe^ upon 

 him. This is of very simple construction, consisting only of a 



