226 BREAKING AND ENTERING. 



down. All these several orders should be accompanied by tha 

 appropriate words afterwards used in the field, viz. 



WORDS OF COMMAND USED TO THE POINTER AND SETTER. 



1. To avoid breaking fence "Ware fence." 



2. To come back from chasing cats, poultry, hares, etc." Ware 

 chase." 



3. To come to heel, and remain there' 1 To heel," or " Heel." 



4. To gallop forward " Hold up." 



5. To lie down" Down," or "Down charge." 



6. To abstain from taking food placed near, equally applied to 

 running in to birds " Toho." 



When these orders are cheerfully and instantly complied with 

 by the puppy, it will be time to take him into tLe field, but not 

 until then. Many breakers during this period accustom their dogs 

 to the report of the gun, by firing a pistol occasionally while they 

 are a short distance off, and in a way so as not to alarm them. 

 This is all very well, and may prevent all danger of a dog becom- 

 ing " shy of the gun ; " but with a well-bred puppy, properly 

 reared, and not confined so much as to make him shy in other 

 respects, such a fault will seldom occur. Nevertheless, as it does 

 sometimes show itself, from some cause or other, the above pre- 

 caution, as it costs little trouble or expense, is not to be objected 

 to. It is also advantageous to accustom the dog to drop when the 

 pistol is discharged, and, if he is of high courage, he may be 

 drilled to this so effectually that he never forgets it. By the aid of 

 a " check cord," wherever the dog be, when the pistol is discharged, 

 he is suddenly brought up and made to drop with the command 

 " Down charge ; " and in process of time he associates one with 

 the other, so that whenever he hears a gun he drops in an instant 

 Timid dogs may however be made shy in this way, and unless the 

 puppy is evidently of high courage, it is a dangerous expedient to 

 resort to ; as, instead of making the dog, it may mar him forever. 



Next comes the teaching to " range," which is about the most 

 difficult part of breaking. Many sportsmen who have shot all 

 their lives are not aware of the extent to which this may be, and 



