BREAKING. 75 



than he would be if admitted to equality with his master, so far as 

 to be allowed option in the performance of his tasks. 



YARD BREAKING. 



The lessons which come under this head are : 1, yielding to con- 

 trol ; 2, obeying the whistle ; 3, stopping at command ; 4, charg- 

 ing; 5, following at heel; 6, retrieving; 7, beating the ground 

 and quartering. Each of these must be thoroughly taught before 

 passing to the next, or they will be confounded, and the dog led 

 into mistakes while doing his best to obey. The breaker must 

 make up his mind to many vexations, and to bear these with 

 patience, never allowing his temper to control him, even when 

 punishment is most deserved. With intelligence and manly perse- 

 verance he can conquer his dog, but if he is lacking in these attri- 

 butes which mark his superiority to the animal, the struggle will 

 degenerate into one of brute with brute, in which the most stubborn 

 will win. 



Six months at the earliest is the age at which the dog's instruc- 

 tion should begin, and another six can be profitably added to this 

 if the breaker has experience, or is willing to encounter a little 

 more trouble. Many men begin very early with their dogs, but 

 with a force system some development of the intelligence is neces- 

 sary to prevent fright, and beyond this is the fact that field work 

 should follow as closely as possible on that in the yard, and very 

 young dogs are apt to be overworked and discouraged if taken 

 into the field before they are old enough to stand fatigue. 



TEACHING CONTROL. 



To teach a dog to yield to control we tie him up, using for this 

 purpose a broad collar and rope, as the rattling of a chain will 

 only add to his fright. The rope is about six feet long, and is 

 fastened to a stout ring in a fence or the side of a building, so that 

 the dog cannot wind himself up. We bring him quietly to the 

 place of confinement, as we desire to avoid resistance till the lesson 

 is fairly begun, and also to have that lesson given by the confine- 



