DOG-BREAKING. 371 



to make use of few words, and those words should 

 be the same that he is in the habit of using. A 

 multiplicity of directions only serves to puzzle a 

 dog, as a person's speaking Irish, Scotch, and 

 Welsh alternately would perplex a Spaniard ! 



In common with other sports, shooting has a 

 vocabulary of its own. We subjoin a list of some 

 of the words made use of by breakers and sports- 

 men to dogs, many of them being anything but 

 euphonious to the unaccustomed ear. To-ho spoken 

 in an under tone, when the dog is ranging, is a 

 warning to him that he is close upon game, and is 

 a direction to him to stand. There is no necessity 

 for using it to a dog that knows his business. 

 Spoken in a peremptory manner, it is used to make 

 the dog crouch when he has run up game, or been 

 otherwise in fault. Down-charge, or down-to-charge, 

 is to make the dog crouch while the shooter charges. 

 Take-heed, and be-carefvl, are used when the dog 

 ranges over ground where it is customary to find 

 birds. Take-heed, is a word of correction ; be- 

 careful, of encouragement. The former is used by 

 way of caution or notice to prevent the dog putting 

 up birds by running over the ground too fast ; the 

 latter is likewise a caution, but used when the dog 

 beats slowly or carelessly. Back, is used to make 

 a dog follow at heel. ''Ware fence, is used to pre- 

 vent dogs passing a fence before the gun. The 

 dog should never, on any account, leave an enclo- 

 sure until its master has left it. ' Ware or beware, is 

 used to rate a dog for giving chase to a hare, birds, 



