292 FIELD SHOOTING. 



and never when he is not at the very least forty 

 yards from the gun. 



If a timid dog runs in and chases birds after 

 they are flushed, let him do so for days without 

 whipping him or shooting at him. The thing 

 for him is encouragement to pursue game in any 

 manner at first ; and if he is whipped, he slinks 

 ■behind his master's heels. Therefore his con- 

 fidence must be increased and his instinct to 

 hunt somewhat developed before he is taken in 

 hand for his faults. On the other hand, the 

 bold, headstrong dog, not easily cowed, may be 

 quickly brought to terms. I do not teach my 

 dogs to drop_ to shot, or down-charge, but I 

 educate them to stand where they are when the 

 gun is fired until told to go on. I can see no 

 use in their dropping. The man remains stand- 

 ing, why not the dog? And besides, in hot 

 ■weather, where the grass is long and the weeds 

 tall and thick, it is injurious to the dog to lie 

 down, because he gets less air than he does on 

 his legs. I think dropping to shot and down- 

 charging better dispensed with in these days of 

 breech-loaders; still, I do not mean to set up as 

 an authority on dog-breaking — I simply give the 

 results of my own experience and observations. 



