54 TRAINING vs. BREAKING. 



unwilling to move on at your first order, you must not stop, 

 neither should you pass by him, but keep stepping, even if 

 you have to put your feet in the same place, and again 

 cluck, or perhaps you may hive to speak to him. Shou'd 

 he still remain staunch, the chances are that the scent i-3 

 strong, and that the game may be close by, in which case 

 you should advance and flush the tird, and, if the conduct 

 of your dog has been irreproachable, kill if you can, but 

 on no account must you shoot unless his behavior has 

 been all that you could wish ; for one of the most impor- 

 tant lessons to impress upon his mind is that, ju : t so surely 

 as he does not perform his put in a proper mariner, just 

 so surely no birds will be the result. Do not forget, if hi3 

 performance has been worthy, to pet and praise him, while, 

 on the other hand, if no bird has been found, you should 

 return behind him and order him on, and let him know that 

 this is not the prop.r way, but that h? must move on until 

 he is near the bird. This is rather a delicate matter, and 

 often requires nice discrimination to determine just what to 

 do, for there is not a second to be lost in deliberation, and 

 instant action should be taken ; for if you hesitate your 

 dog may become addicted to making false points or pot- 

 tering, and, rather than this, it will be far better to score 

 an occasional flush. Should he flush a bird by moving up, 

 even if you have ordered him on, you must instantly check 

 him, and bring him back to the place where he should have 

 remained staunch, and keep him at To ho a short time, whil? 

 you chide him for the offence. After a few lessons of this kind 

 — perhaps, even, on the second occasion— you should order 

 him on a little before you reach his side, and at each succeed- 

 ing time you should do this still further away, until he will, 

 at the motion of the hand, move on when you are at 

 quite a distance from him. If he is possessed of a reason- 

 able amount of intelligence, and you pursue the proper 

 course, he will soon understand just what you wish, and 

 always stop at the first indication of scent and look at 

 you for the signal to go on, instead of following up the 

 trail, perhaps out of your sight, and oftentimes causing 



