POIXTERS AND SETTERS. 265 



fined to them. In very higli-couraged dogs a check-cord, tliirty 

 or forty yards in length, is sometimes suffered to trail on the 

 ground, or is held by the breaker, so as to assist the voice in 

 stopping the dog when he is wanted to make his stand ; but the 

 cases where this is wanted are so rare as scarcely to require any 

 allusion to it, if the breaker is sufficiently industrious to give 

 work enough to his charge. This part of the education is gener- 

 ally effected in a couple of lessons, without trouble, and, indeed, 

 the young dog often points steadily enough at the first or second 

 scenting of game. 



Backing. — When a dog has acquired the merely instinctive 

 property already described, he is said to be " steady before," and 

 may be used alone or single-lianded without any further edu- 

 cation ; but when he is to be hunted with other dogs he requires 

 to be made " steady behind," that is to say, he must be taught 

 to " back " another dog as the latter stands. In very high-bred 

 dogs this property, like the former, is developed very early ; but, 

 the more hardy and courageous the breed, the longer they gener- 

 ally are in acquiring it, and therefore the young breaker should 

 not be discouraged if he finds that his puppies give him some 

 trouble after they have learnt to stand perfectly steady. Backing 

 is usually taught in the same way as described for standing, 

 that is to say, by hunting with an old steady dog, taking care that 

 he is one ichose find is to be depended on, and then stopping the 

 young one with the voice and hand, or with the aid of a check- 

 cord if necessary. The great art consists here in managing to 

 get between the two dogs at the moment when the old one stands. 



