Training a Field Dog 153 



learned this he has then to learn the signal. Let him come to you as before, 

 stop him with the uplifted hand, then order "Down" at the same time 

 motioning with the hand. The endeavour here is to get the dog to drop to 

 but one motion of the hand, with head up. This lesson accomplished the 

 finishing one is when the dog is down to motion, to go to him and push his 

 head down on his paws, with the order "Close." The sign motion for 

 this is repeated downward motions of the hand. We thus have the three 

 hand signals in unison and natural in their order and motion. The hand 

 aloft and stationary meaning to stop and stand still, the one downward 

 motion to drop to the ground with head held naturally, and the urgent repe- 

 tition of the downward motion to get closer and stay quiet. Some teach 

 the word "up" as a signal to rise, but that is needless and is better kept 

 for the retrieving lesson. A chirrup or a snap of the fingers will start the 

 dog from his prone position readily enough, or the "hie on" if he is to go 

 forward or the wave of the hand as that signal. 



So far the education of the dog has been such that it is frequently done 

 before the dog is taken to the field, and is therefore called yard breaking. 

 A yard-broken dog is one that to word or signal will come to heel, go ahead, 

 stop and drop readily and willingly. Some include retrieving as part of the 

 yard breaking, while others leave that till the last and even until the dog 

 has been shot over, believing that it should be the final lesson of all. En- 

 glish dogs are not taught to retrieve, yet can learn, or have learned it after 

 arrival in this country with no great difficulty, and as it is not positively 

 essential toward the proper killing of game over a dog, the owner and 

 trainer can use his discretion in the matter. We will, however, take the 

 subject up now. 



Admitting that dogs innumerable have been taught to retrieve by early 

 puppy lessons of fetching and carrying, and seeking for a hidden object, 

 we do not accept that as the best way to teach a dog, supposing that at 

 eight months or more he has yet to learn that accomplishment. You doubt- 

 less will succeed if your dog is biddable by adopting the play method of 

 education, but as previously stated, our belief is in the perfecting the dog 

 on the lines of obedience to commands, and as a part of that the badly mis- 

 named "force" system is the one to adopt. It is true you force the dog to 

 obey, and use force if necessary to do so, but we like not the word and use 

 it merely because it has a certain vogue and meaning. 



The late Arnold Burgess was one of a party who made a great secret 



