70 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
commanding the dog to fetch out of the water ason land. Throw 
in the skin, meanwhile keeping the dog ‘‘down,”’ and allow 
a minute to elapse before sending him to fetch it. This will 
assist to steady the puppy and free him from desires to chase. 
If at first the puppy does not readily take the water, clapping 
and encouragement will be necessary to entice him to go. 
Never throw a dog in, or much labour may be required later 
to get him to swim and fetch at all. 
The puppy is now ready to take its first lessons in company 
with its master bent on shooting. Equal care is needed in 
handling the dog when shooting a few birds over it, as when 
breaking it. Do not allow it to do wrong without a check of 
the trash cord or by word or whip, and be prepared to sacrifice 
sport for the welfare of the promising puppy. Many points will 
arise which may need rectifying, such as persuading the dog to 
fetch from across a stream, which, as likely as not, he will at 
first refuse to do. Patience and perseverance do a lot in dog- 
breaking, and if his tuition has been sternly carried out he will 
by words alone be induced to do many remarkable feats. 
When working for birds drifting on the tide it will be necessary 
to teach the dog to swim in the desired direction by waving an 
arm. A few lessons to a dog so far properly broken, suffice to 
teach this, because the dog will watch his master and soon 
note the direction in which he is desired to swim by the move- 
ment of the arm, until the bird may be seen. Shouting on an 
extensive shore is not audible when wind and water cause 
much noise. Several other points seen in perfectly broken 
dogs are only gained by long practice under careful attention. 
A good game-dog that can swim well and has been properly 
handled will invariably make a splendid wildfowl dog. Seek- 
ing crippled ducks amongst rushes and tracking running 
curlews which have been wounded over the marshes, are 
abilities in a dog subject to variation, according to tact or 
intelligence and scenting powers. Dogs with the necessary 
