I IO TRAINING THE HUNTING DOG 



tion, and made much of it accordingly. It was con- 

 sidered useful in teaching both pointing and backing, 

 besides being of spectacular interest at almost any 

 time that the dog was engaged in serious work. 

 When he was feathering near the game on which he 

 was roading or drawing, and the sharp command 

 "Toho" caused him to stop and stand still, it was 

 considered that the act came near to being a point 

 and was therefore of material assistance in teaching 

 the real point. On the theory that the trainer teaches 

 the dog to point, is was not inconsistent therewith, 

 but when we consider that the trainer does not teach 

 the dog to point, and, furthermore, cannot so teach 

 him, the uselessness of "Toho" is at once apparent. 

 Nevertheless, as it was consistent with the old the- 

 ories, it served a useful purpose for the older authors, 

 who were not so intent on words to express true 

 knowledge as they were on words to fill a book. 



"Toho" is a most difficult order to teach thor- 

 oughly, and still more difficult to enforce afield after 

 it is taught. If the trainer disregards all else per- 

 taining to training and makes a specialty of educat- 

 ing the dogs to obey "Toho," by the time he has ac- 

 complished it he will have spent much more time and 



