184 FRANK FORESTER S FIELD SPORTS. 



will most probably have become ashamed of himself. You will 

 then walk up most deliberately, and without noticing the bird, 

 take the dog by the ear, and pull him back to where you firedf 

 all the time giving him hearty shakes" — /should say, cuts with 

 the whip, — " and crying ' down,' when you get to the spot 

 where you shot from, take out your whip, and between the 

 stripes call ' down,' in a loud voice ; continue this at intervals 

 for some time ; and, even when you have finished your discipline, 

 don't allow the dog to rise for ten minutes at least; then, after 

 speaking a few words expressive of caution, take him slowly up 

 to the bird, and lift it before his nose. If this plan is rigidly 

 followed for several shots, I never saw the dog that would con- 

 tinue to run in." 



The writer, it will be obsei-ved, is here speaking of running 

 in to eat or tear, not to "fetch'" his bird ; that being a practice 

 never taught, or allowed, to Pointers and Setters in England, 

 simply because, being used altogether in the open field, it is as 

 needless there, as it is necessary here. When I first came to 

 this country, I imported a fine young Setter pup, which I had 

 broke by Mr. Sandford, of Newark, whom I consider, in all 

 respects, the best and most intelligent dog-breaker I ever saw ; 

 and, on conversing with him on the mode of breaking, I was 

 equally sui-prised at learning two things, — that Setters, or Point- 

 ers, were invariably broke to "ye^c/i," or retrieve dead birds; 

 and that they were always taught to " come in" before charg- 

 ing. I was exceedingly incredulous on the first point ; and it 

 was only with reluctance, and after seeing the steadiness with 

 which his dogs first charged, then pointed dead, and then fetched, 

 that I consented to allow " Chance" to be broke to retrieve. On 

 the other point I was firm ; and Mr. Sandford having broken 

 that dog for me, to drop to shot, on the spot, without coming in, 

 was so thoroughly convinced of its advantage, in giving steadi- 

 ness, in avoiding unnecessary words and orders, and in render- 

 ing the dog promptly obedient, that he at once adopted the me- 

 thod, and has never broken a dog otherwise since that time. 



I must add, that I am equally well satisfied, that to retrieve 



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