POINTERS AND SETTERS. 235 



ing him witli tlie " Toho," put up the birds, and then, if possible, 

 make him drop wich the words " Down charge 1 " the meaning of 

 which he has already been taught. But, if he is very wild and of 

 high courage, do not attempt this at first, as it is better to proceed 

 step by step, and to teach each lesson thoroughly before an- 

 other is commenced. In this way, by perseverance and hard work 

 (which last is the keystone of the breaker's arch), any dog, whether 

 of the special breeds used for the purpose or not, may be made to 

 point when he finds game ; but none but the pointer and setter 

 become rigid or cataleptic, a peculiarity which is confined to them. 

 In very high-couraged dogs, a check-cord, thirty or forty yards in 

 length, is sometimes suffered to trail on the ground, or is held by 

 the breaker, so as to assist the voice in stopping the dog wlven he 

 is wanted to make his stand ; but the cases where this is wanted 

 are so rare as scarcely to require any allusion to it, if the breaker 

 is sufficiently industrious to give work enough to his charge. This 

 part of the education is generally accomplished in a couple of 

 lessons, without trouble, and, indeed, the young dog often points 

 steadily enough at the first or second scenting of game. 



Backing. When a dog has acquired the merely instinctive prop- 

 erty already described, he is said to be " steady before," and may 

 be used alone or single-handed without any further education ; but 

 when he is to be hunted with other dogs he requires to be made 

 " steady behind," that is to say, he must be taught to " back" an- 

 other dog as the latter stands. In very high-bred dogs, this prop- 

 erty, like the former, is developed very early ; but the more hardy 

 and courageous the breed, the longer they generally are in acquir- 

 ing it, and therefore the young breaker should not be discouraged 

 if he finds that his puppies give him some trouble after they have 

 learned to stand perfectly steady. Backing is usually taught in 

 the same way as described for standing, that is to say, by hunting 

 with an old steady dog, taking care that he is one whose find is to 

 be depended on, and then stopping the young one with the voice 

 and hand, or with the aid of a check-cord if necessary. The great 

 art consists here in managing to get between the two dogs at the 

 moment when the old one stands, and thus to be able to face the 



