300 BREAKING AND ENTERING, 
It will thus be seen that very little art is required in carrying out 
this part of the education, which really demands only hard walk- 
ing, patience, and perseverance to complete it,in the most satis- 
factory manner. It should be pursued day after day, till the 
young dog not only finds game for himself and stands quite 
steadily, but also backs his fellows at any distance, and without 
drawing towards them a single step after he sees them at point. 
When this desirable consummation is effected to such an extent 
that the puppy will back even a strange dog, and has already 
learnt to beat his ground properly, as explained in my previous 
remarks, he is as steady and well broken as he can be without the 
gun, and may be thrown by until a fortnight before the shooting 
season, when he ought to be taken out again for two or three days, 
as in the interval he will generally have lost some of his steadi- 
ness. Still, he will only require work to restore it, as he knows 
what he ought to do; and with patience, joined if necessary with 
a little punishment, he soon reacquires all that he had forgotten. 
Many masters now fancy that all is done towards “making the 
pointer ;” but, on the contrary, they find that after birds are 
killed the puppy, which was previously steady, becomes wild and 
ungovernable, and spoils the day’s shooting by all sorts of bad 
behaviour. Hence it is that breakers go often are blamed without 
cause; but when it is found by experience that such conduct is 
the rule, and not the exception, young dogs are left by their 
owners to be shot over by a keeper for a few days, or even longer, 
before they are taken into the field. Another reason for this 
wildness may be assigned, namely, the dogs are often hunted 
in the commencement of the season by almost perfect strangers, 
two or three guns together; whereas, if their breaker had the 
management, they would be under much more control, and 
especially if he went out quietly by himself. Here again is 
another reason for gentlemen breaking their own dogs, or, at all 
events, finishing their education by giving their dogs and them- 
selves a few lessons together. 
Down charge, as already described, ought to be taught from 
a very early period, the dog being made to drop at the word or 
elevation of the hand of his master, without the slightest hesi- 
tation. It is not, therefore, necessary to dwell upon this part of 
