358 FKANK FORESTER'S FIELD SPORTS. 



become absolutely his second nature, without his conceiving to 

 what the teaching is applicable. This accomplished, when he 

 never fails of obeying these signals and orders — when he becomes 

 thoroughly aware that the least infringement of commands is 

 followed by sure infliction of the lash— when he perfonns the 

 whole routine of his little instructions, with the mechanical stea- 

 diness and coolness of a circus horse, take him out with the gun 

 alone, and you will have no difficulty in controlling him, — he will 

 rapidly come to apply his theory to practice — he will become 

 passionately and devotedly fond of his sport, — ^his enthusiasm 

 and ardor will increase the more, the more game is killed over 

 him, while he will keep cool and obedient with little or no 

 trouble. 



He will not associate his ideas of punishment with the game or 

 the gun, but with the infringement of the old teachings, and he will 

 in a very short time become — what he never would be if taken 

 out half broke, and allowed to contract bad habits, and to com- 

 mit faults before he knows that they are faults — perfect. In this 

 case the prevention comes before the commission of the fault, 

 and the error itself is checked by a word before it is committed. 

 In another word, the dog is not flogged for flushing his bird, or 

 failing to back his comrade, but for refusing obedience to the 

 word " toho" — not flogged for running in to bite a bird, but for 

 disobeying the word " charge," the raised hand, or the sound 

 of the shot. 



If you wait till the temptation of eagerness and impetuosity 

 in the field, is added to the natural difficulty of teaching, you 

 will toil in vain. No dog can ever be made o. perfect dog, who 

 IS, not. perfectly broke to " down-charge," to " toho," to " fetch," 

 and to obey implicitly, before a bird is killed over him. 



This is the shibboleth, the grand arcanum of dog breaking. 



All the rest is mere practice and experience, which make 

 perfect both the- teacher and the taught. 



Young dogs should always be hunted alone, or with other 

 young dogs. But it is far better to hunt them quite alone, until 

 such time as they come to understand their work thoroughly, 

 and to feel confidence in themselves. 



