PREPARATORY EDUCATION. 121 



The following comprise the points in which the dog should 

 be made obedient to the word of command before he is 

 taken into the field to show him game : 



1st To come to heel; the word being " Heel." 



2nd. To run forward; " Hie on," or " Hold up." 



3rd. To crouch on the ground ; " Down." 



4th. To drop at the sound of the gun; "Down charge." 



5th. To avoid passing through a fence ; " Ware fence." 



6th. To refrain from chasing poultry, &c. ; " Ware chase." 



7th. To stop still; "Toho." 



All these may readily be taught in the course of exercise, 

 but they require some time to make the pupil perfect, and 

 no one should expect to obtain success without an outlay of 

 time and temper. The 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th are all most 

 essential to the ordinary management of dogs at exercise; 

 and without obedience in such matters, a lot of dogs would 

 become totally unmanageable. But the master must re- 

 member that a half-obedience is of little use ; the dog must 

 be so taught that if once he is ordered to " heel," he will 

 remain there until ordered forward by " hie on." Indeed, 

 it is only by firmness in carrying out orders of this kind, 

 which are easily obeyed, that subsequent commands of a 

 more difficult kind are rendered capable of being enforced. 

 The 3rd order, in its simplest form, is of nearly as easy a 

 kind to carry out as the two first ; for the dog may be forced 

 down mechanically by the hand or foot, if he is at all inclined 

 to rebel ; but it is necessary to make the pointer crouch at 

 the word " down," or at the raising of the hand, whatever 

 the distance may be at which he is from his master at the 

 moment ; and this is one of the most important and difficult 

 elementary arts in his education. By first making the dog 

 crouch readily at his master's feet when ordered so to do, 

 the habit is engendered ; and then, if he refuses to do so at a 

 few yards off, walk to him, make him drop and remain 

 down while you move to your original position. If he is 

 obedient, reward him with a piece of any favourite food ; 

 while, on the contrary, if necessary, he must be punished by 

 a blow or pulling his ear. It is astonishing, however, to see 

 the degree of implicit obedience that may be instilled with- 



