50 TRAINING. 



TRAINING. 



TO BREAK THE SPANIEL. 



A MATERIAL duty of shooting-dogs or spaniels is to seek 

 and bring in the dead or wounded game. To prevent 

 their breaking feather, or mangling the birds, pains must 

 be taken, and they may with care be made sufficiently 

 tender-mouthed. They should be so well disciplined as 

 for only one at a time to obey the order to fetch game. 

 Pointers may be taught to perform this office as well as 

 spaniels. Dogs may be brought into the field at from 

 eight to nine months old, previous to which they should 

 be taught to follow and hunt such game as they can 

 find, which will be all sorts of wild birds ; and their first 

 lesson should be to come in when called, which, well 

 impressed on their memories, will be useful ever after. 

 They should next be taught not to pursue sheep, do- 

 mestic poultry, or other improper objects ; and the 

 sooner these lessons, with that of fetching and carrying, 

 are taught to the puppy, the better. 



TO BREAK THE POINTER. 



THE success of this depends much on the true breeding 

 of the dog, but still more on the unwearied patience 

 of the breaker, as that single virtue is worth all the 

 so-called secrets of professed breakers put together. 



