THE COVERT SPANIEL. 307 
understand that he is always in aid of the gun, and that he must. 
keep within shot. For this purpose spaniels must be taught not to 
press their game till the shooter is within range, which is one of 
the most difficult things to teach them. When they are to be kept , 
exclusively for “‘ feather,” they must be stopped and rated as soon as 
it is discovered that they are speaking to “fur.” This requires a 
long time, and therefore few spaniels are worth much till they have 
had one or two seasons’ practice, from which circumstance it should 
not occasion surprise that a thoroughly broken Clumber spaniel 
fetches from thirty to forty guineas. When they are too riotous 
and hunt too freely, these methods of sobering them are adopted :— 
first, to put on a collar, and slip one of the fore-legs into it, which 
compels the dog to run on three only ; secondly, to buckle a small 
strap or tie a piece of tape tightly round the hind-leg above the 
hock, by which that limb is rendered useless, and the dog has to 
go upon three also; and, thirdly, to put on a collar loaded with shot. 
If either of the legs is fastened up, it must be occasionally changed, 
especially if the strap is adopted, as it cramps the muscles after a 
certain time, and if persisted in too long, renders the dog lame 
for days afterwards. On the other hand, when the puppy is slack 
in hunting, put him on the scent of pheasants as they are going 
off their feed, when they generally run back into covert, and at 
that time the scent is very strong, especially in the evening. The 
birds soon rise into the trees, and after that are no longer disturbed 
by the dog. In hunting hedgerows, the young dog should at first 
be kept on the same side as the shooter, so that his movements 
may be watched ; but as soon as he can be trusted, he should be 
sent through to the other side, and made to drive his game towards 
the gun, always taking care that the dog does not get out of shot. 
In first introducing a young dog to a large covert, he must be put 
down with a couple of old ones which are very steady; and, at 
the same time, he should have a shot-collar on, or one of his legs 
up. Without this precaution he will be sure to range too wide, 
and if he gets on the scent of a hare, he will probably follow her 
all over the covert, to the entire destruction of the day’s sport ; 
but by the above precautions he is prevented doing this, and by 
imitating his fellows, he soon learns to keep within the proper 
distance. Here, as in all dogs intended for the gun, the great 
