POINTERS AND SETTERS. 287 
of fat cubs ; secondly, to break them from “riot,” while they are 
encouraged to hunt their own game; and thirdly, to endeavour to 
break them off sundry faults, such as skirting, d&c., or, if apparently 
incurable, to draft them at once. These objects are generally 
attained by the end of October, when the regular season begins, 
Harriers and beagles are entered to hare on the same principle, 
the scent of the fox and deer, as well as that of the rabbit, being 
“riot” to them, and strictly prohibited. Osterhounds also have 
exactly the same kind of entry, although the element they work in 
is of a different character. 
THE BREAKING OF THE POINTER AND SETTER. 
The following observations on the breaking of these dogs 
appeared in The Field during the spring of 1858, and are he- 
lieved to embody the general practice of good breakers :— 
As the method is the same for each kind, whenever the word 
pointer is used it is to be understood as applying equally to 
the setter. 
It is scarcely necessary for me to remark that no single life 
would suffice to bring the art of breaking dogs to all the per- 
fection of which it is: capable, when the various improvements 
of succeeding generations are handed down from one to the other ; 
and therefore I neither pretend to be the inventor of any method 
here detailed, nor doI claim any peculiarity as my own. All the 
plans of teaching the young dog that will be found described by 
me are practised by most good breakers; so that there will be 
nothing to be met with in my remarks but what is well known to 
them. Nevertheless, they are not generally known; and there are 
many good shots who are now entirely dependent upon dog-dealers 
for the supply of their kennels, and who yet would infinitely prefer 
to break their own dogs, if they only knew how to set about it. 
Others, again, cannot afford the large sum which a highly accom- 
plished brace of pointers or setters are worth in the market; and 
these gentlemen would far rather obtain two or three good puppies 
and break them with their own hands, with expenditure of little 
more than time, than put up with the wretchedly broken animals 
which are offered for sale by the dozen at the commencement of 
