306 BREAKING AND ENTERING. 
shot and falls in the water, then he must be encouraged to bring 
it to land without delay. No art must be neglected to induce him 
to do this, and, failing every other plan, the breaker must him- 
self enter the water; for if the dog is once allowed to leave a 
duck behind him, he is much more difficult afterwards to break. 
Indeed, perseverance in the breaker is necessary at all times, 
to insure the same quality in the pupil. The object in teach- 
ing the range to hand to the spaniel is, because without this 
there will often be a difficulty in showing him where a bird lies in 
the water, the eye of the dog being so little above its level, and the 
bird very often so much immersed, that when there is the slightest 
ruffle he can scarcely see it a yard from his nose. As in all other 
cases, the water-retriever must be strictly “down charge,” and 
he must be thoroughly steady and quiet at heel, or he will be sure 
to disturb the water-fowl when the shooter is in ambush waiting 
for them. The slightest whine is fatal, and the dog should, there- 
fore, be taught to be as quiet as a mouse until ordered to move. 
THE ENTERING AND BREAKING OF THE COVERT SPANIEL. 
The breaking of all spaniels should be commenced as early as 
possible, as they are naturally impetuous, and require considerable 
restraint to keep them near enough to the shooter while they are 
at work, After teaching them the ordinary rules of obedience, 
such as to “come to heel,” to “hold up,” to drop “ down charge,” 
&c., which may all be done with the pistol and check-cord, aided 
if necessary by the spiked collar, the next thing is to enter them 
to the game which they are intended to hunt. Generally it is the 
practice to use spaniels for pheasants, cocks, and hares, disregard- 
ing rabbits, which take their chance with the shooter. The spaniel, 
therefore, is not expected to “speak” to them, and if he can be 
induced to give a different note at each of the three varieties above 
mentioned, he is all the more highly prized. These dogs are 
better taken out first into small coverts or hedgerows (provided 
there are not too many rabbits in the latter), as they are more 
under command here than in large woodlands; self-hunting should 
be strictly discouraged, that is the say, the dog should neither be 
allowed to hunt dy himself nor for himself, but should be made to 
