BREAKING AT PAIRING TIME. 129 



these lessons, the seven preliminary words of command will 

 be constantly useful, and beyond these little more will be 

 needed except the meaning of the wave of the arm, which is 

 soon learnt, and which can hardly be taught well till the dog 

 has some object in view. He soon begins to understand what 

 he is wanted to do, and as he has learnt to obey his master 

 and to believe in his superior powers and knowledge, so he 

 now readily gives way to him in this particular. When, there- 

 fore, he works steadily on, he is encouraged by his master's voice 

 occasionally with " good dog;" but should he "break fence," or 

 chase birds or hares after the first few hours, he is stopped by 

 " ware fence" or " ware chase," as the case may be. Pursuing 

 these methods, the highly-bred pointer almost in variably begins 

 TO POINT at the end of a few hours' work that is, as soon as 

 the acquired instinct of the individual breed is not over- 

 powered by the natural appetite which all dogs have to chase 

 anything which runs away. At first the stop is very hesi- 

 tating, and the dog draws forward and puts the game up. 

 Now is the time to come forward with " Toho !" which is 

 quite useless and will be sure to be disregarded, if adopted 

 before the disposition to point is shown in some slight 

 degree. The point becomes dwelt on longer and longer as 

 the dog becomes more tired, and the encouragement to do 

 right by the word " Toho !" soon makes it last long enough 

 for the breaker to reach the dog before he has sprung his 

 birds ; then patting him and encouraging him in every 

 possible manner, the breaker waits patiently with his pupil 

 for ten minutes, if the birds will lie as long; beyond which 

 time there is no use in keeping up the state of excitement. 

 Next walking crouchingly forwards, and keeping his eye on 

 the dog all the time, with his hand up to restrain him from 

 following, he puts up the birds, calling out " Down charge" 

 at the same moment in a loud voice. The dog will perhaps 

 come forward, but he must at once be made to crouch, and 

 it is well to keep him down for a few minutes, repeating the 

 " down" in an encouraging but sonorous tone. In this way 

 I the two first acts are completed, and then it devolves upon 

 I the teacher to begin the third, or BACKING, which is taught 

 I as follows: A steady companion, whose point is always to 

 depended on, is put to work with the young one, who 



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