DOG-BREAKIXG 59 



As a means to an end, it might be as well to " drop " your dog before you offer him 

 his food, and not allow him to partake of it without permission. This will be to him a great 

 lesson in self-control, and will render him less jealous in the field, while this constant 

 dropping, both before his food and during a walk, is the surest way to get the dog to pohtt 

 steadily. Many well-bred pups will point instinctively the very first time they scent game, 

 but it is not the very high-class or blood-royal dogs that we are dealing with. Even a 

 feint at throwing will often cause a watchful dog to pre.ss forward a few paces and assume 

 a very stiff point, and he can be made to remain standing practically as long as the judicious 

 trainer wishes. When he will lie down at signal, come when whistled to, range when told 

 to, and point when he scents game, all that is wanted is plenty of sport to perfect him. 



It may be pretty fairly accepted that when a dog is taken into the field and put to work 

 he will do his best to show sport though not always, perhaps, in the manner expected. But he 

 will be sure to make, as we all do, mistakes at times, therefore it should be the trainer's 

 first care to endeavour to discover their cause with the purpose of obviating it before resort- 

 ing even to reproof, much less to chastisement. The best dog may appear to be a little 

 "off" now and again, possibly overrunning what is called the scent. 



" He may mistake sometimes t'is true; 

 None are iufallible but you. 

 The dog whom nothing can mislead 

 Must be a dog of parts indeed." 



And here a digression may be made and the question asked "What is scent"? Many 

 hold that "it is something exuding from the pad of an animal, and left upon the ground 

 by the contact of the feet ; but more are inclined to the opinion that there are really two 

 kinds of scQwi, foot scent and body scent, though their explanations of the difference between 

 these two scents are not always clear. The impression appears to obtain that foot scent 

 is the scent left by the foot of bird or beast on the ground, and body scent the scent 

 left by the body from contact with grass, or shrubs or anything above the level of the 

 ground. But the difference, however, appears to be better formulated thus : — "Foot scent is 

 the path of scent left by an animal that has moved. away, for instance that left by a flying 

 pheasant or a diving otter. In neither of these cases could the feet have anything to do 

 with it. Body scent is that emanation from the body left on the ground or on foliage 

 touched by the animal." (Teasdale-Buckell.) 



But whatever may be the true definition of scent it is well known that dogs find game 

 much more easily under certain conditions of weather, when there is moisture rather than 



dryness in the atmosphere. 



" A southerly wind and a cloudy sky 

 Proclaim a hunting morn." 



It is hoped that what has been attempted upon the subject will be found to be 

 intelligible by anyone trying his 'prentice hand at dog training. The system here advocated 

 and the order of the lessons have been arrived at after many seasons devoted to the 

 delightful and well rewarded art and pastime of dog-breaking in China. 



WORDS OF COMMAND. 



A really well-broken dog, accustomed to look to the gun for signals, rarely requires 

 being spoken to in the field, so that words of command may readily be made as few and 



