356 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



gentle force, and gentle punishment — at first, at the word 

 "down," or "charge," then by the raised hand accompanying 

 the word ; then by the raised hand alone. 



This done, the cord must be removed, and he must be accus- 

 tomed to " charge" at any distance from his master, and to lie 

 steadily at charge, even although the master walks away from 

 him with his back turned, and goes out of sight of him, unless 

 he is desired to " hold up." 



Lastly, he must be taught to consider the sound of the gun as 

 equivalent to the raised hand, or the woixl " charge," and to 

 obey any one of these signals when at the top of his speed. 



Next, he must learn to answer the sound of the whistle, ac- 

 cording to his master's teaching. The best signal is to turn and 

 look at one sharp whistle, to come in at a prolonged blast. On 

 turning his head, he is to follow the wafture of his master's 

 hand to the right or left, and he is then to be instructed in 

 breaking and quartering his ground regularly and evenly at the 

 whistle, and the waive of the hand. Gradually he will come to 

 understand the object of this teaching, and will quarter his ground 

 alone. 



This is a very important part of breaking, for no dog can bo 

 regarded as at all perfect, which only runs about its ground irre- 

 gularly, without settled and orderly method, leaving great 

 spaces uncrossed, and, perhaps, crossing other spaces several 

 times over, wasting time thus, and failing to find much of its 

 game ; and yet it is not unfair to say, that of fifty dogs turned 

 out as broken dogs by Amei'ican breakers, not one has ever been 

 instructed in the rudiments of this branch. 



As soon as the pup drops to shot perfectly, and steadily, and 

 turns quickly to the whistle and call, having learned the neces- 

 sity oi prompt and implicit obedience, and the certainty of punish- 

 men* in case of wilfulness, he may be taken out alone, without a 

 gun, to find game. He must thus be accustomed to the word 

 " Toho," as the signal of pointing, and that so thoroughly, that he 

 shall obey the word " Toho," by pointing steadily when there 

 is no game. 



