BREAKING TO RETRIEVE. • 271 



remedied by constantly keeping in tlie dog by the wbistle and 

 hand ; and, if he has been properly taught to range at command, 

 little trouble is required in making him change from the wide* 

 beat, necessary in countries where game is scarce, to the con- 

 fined and limited range of sixty yards, which is best where it 

 is thick on the ground. 



Chasing fur, and also running in to dead birds, are often most 

 unmanageable vices ; but either can generally be cured by pa- 

 tience and severe treatment, aided if necessary by the check-cord, 

 or in very bad cases by the spike- collar in addition. When these 

 are used it is only necessary to work the dog with them on, the 

 cord either trailing loosely on the ground or held in an assistant's 

 hand. Then, the moment the dog runs in, check him severely, 

 and, if he is not very bold, the plain collar will sufiice, as it 

 may be made by a sharp jerk to throw him back, to his great 

 annoyance ; but the spike-collar punishes far more, and if it is 

 used will soon give the dog cause to leave ofi" his malpractices. 



BREAKING TO RETRIEVE. 



Retrieving, in my opinion, should be invariably committed 

 to a dog specially kept for that purpose ; but, as this is not the 

 universal practice, it will be necessary to say a few words on this 

 subject. When pointers or setters are broken to retrieve, in 

 addition to those qualities peculiar to them they should always 



