. How TO TRAIN A RETRIEVER {LESS. VII) 503 



show the dog the game as it lies on the ground, then 

 to step back a few paces and make him bring it to 

 your hand. 



After a few days' practice in finding dead birds, 

 if your young dog is fairly steady, you may dispense 

 with the check cord, the sooner the better, but 

 always remember that if you wish him to'be amen- 

 able in the field, and to control his desire to break 

 away in the future, you should above all things 

 train him to remain properly at heel, even though a 

 bird falls dead within a few yards of his nose as he 

 trots after you, and at heel he should remain under 

 any provocation till you inform him by a wave of the 

 arm or the word ' Seek ! ' he has your permission to 

 go forward to retrieve. The ' Get away, will you ? ' 

 as usually shouted to a young dog by a keeper in his 

 anxiety to retrieve a wounded bird, almost before it 

 reaches the ground, is fatal to success, and only en- 

 courages a dog to break away the instant he sees 

 birds fall, or ground game run. 



LESSON VIII 

 ' BREAKING TO GAME ' continued 



Your dog being now quick and clever in finding 

 dead birds, you may allow him to seek wounded ones; 

 if he has been carefully taught to retrieve dead birds 



