484 LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS 



return and intimidate him by voice and gesture to lie 

 down as before. 



You are supposed to persevere in this course till 

 the dog will not attempt to rise save when called up. 

 Now this is a very slow way of teaching a dog to 

 ' down charge,' and you will train him in half the 

 time if you arrange that the cord jerks him back the 

 instant he moves, instead of when he has reached 

 the end of his tether. This is how to do it ! Drive 

 into the ground a stout peg with a large hole in its 

 head ; run 50 yards of cord through the hole in 

 the peg (a strong salmon line is just the thing), 

 secure one end to the dog's collar and hold the cord 

 in your right hand near or far from its other end as 

 occasion demands. Now call the puppy to your 

 feet, and press or coax him flat to the ground about a 

 yard from the peg, then back slowly away and of 

 course facing him, saying in a low voice, ' Down, 

 down, down ! ' cracking a small whip at him as you 

 retire ; he is sure to try and follow after you have left 

 him a little distance : the moment he prepares to rise, 

 raise your left arm high above your head, crack 

 the whip with the right hand and also jerk the cord, 

 and loudly exclaim ' Down ! ' The upraising of the 

 arm, the command * Down ! ' the crack of the whip, 

 and especially the jerk of the cord, all coming together, 

 will very shortly teach any puppy who is not an abso- 

 lute fool (as few are) to ' down charge ' and remain 

 down. 



