'266 A UTHOR'S POINTERS 



to prove that pointers are far more easily trained on 

 the quiet system than setters. The most perfect lot 

 of dogs I ever owned were from a pointer cross of 

 the late Lord Lurgan's, a breed of very great intelli- 

 o^ence, and double-nosed pointers of Colonel John- 

 stone's, and my own. These dogs excelled in 

 intelligence from being taught to think, and to watch 

 their worker's hand. In nine cases out of ten I found 

 the red setters a failure, but it was just the reverse 

 with these dogs. There was a good deal of foxhound 

 blood in the strain, and this doubtless substantially 

 aided the scenting power and readiness to submission. 



I generally tried to secure a slight admixture of blood- 

 hound cross, but I did not find it as necessary as when 

 breeding harriers or foxhounds. A dog should be 

 trained by being kept on the check -cord until broken 

 to look back from each and every quarter made, when 

 it should look at its worker for a signal before return- 

 ing across the next beat. This most useful system 

 should be commenced when the pup is seven months 

 old, and after a time it will take to scenting the birds, 

 and eventually to hunting them up. Now and again 

 the dog is cautioned by the words, ' Here ! here !' and 

 at the same time the white-eloved hand of the trainer 

 should be held up, and the dog should instantly drop. 

 After a few lessons he will learn to know what is 

 expected of him. It is as well to always carry a few 

 pieces of biscuit, so as to feed the young dog when it- 

 has dropped with its attention fixed on its trainer. 



At first the check-cord should be short — from twelve 

 to fifteen yards — and after the dog has learned to drop 

 to the word ' Ho !' and to look round, the cord should 

 be used to check his rushing when quartering, just as 



