go The Dog Book 
be, for that shewes fiercenesse and goodnesse: His necke would bee thicke 
and short, his brest like the brest of a Shippe, sharpe and compasse, his 
shoulders broad, his fore Legs streighte, his chine square, his Buttocks 
rounde, his Ribbes compasse, his belly gaunt, his thyes brawny, his Cam- 
brels crooked, his posterns strong and dew-clawde, and all his four feete 
spacious, full and round and closed together to the cley like a water Ducke, 
for they being his oares to rowe him in the water, having that shape, will 
carry his body away the faster. And thus you have the true description of a 
perfect Water-dogge, as you may see following.” 
Clear instructions follow as to the training of the water dog from 
which we extract this reference to the breaking of dogs bytrainers: “It is 
the nature of every free meetle Dogge, and many of those which come from 
the best reputed teachers, that as soon as they heare the peece [gun] goe off, 
they will presently rush forth and flye in amongst the Fowle before you have 
leisure to open your lippes.”’ 
The other dog treated of at length by Markham is that called the Setter 
by Caius, but here named Setting-Dogge. In the instructions regarding 
taking partridges four methods are indicated, only one of which interests us, 
and is as follows: 
“The fourth and last way for the taking of partridges (and which 
indeed excelleth all the other for the excellency of the sport, and the rareness 
of the Art which is contained therein) is the taking of them with the setting 
Dogge, for in it there is a two-fold pleasure and a two-fold Art to bee dis- 
covered; as first the pleasure and Art preceeding from the Dogge and is 
contained in this manner, of ranging, hunting and setting.” . . . “It 
is meete that first before I wade further into this discourse, I shew you, 
what a Setting Dogge is: you shall then understand that a Setting Dogge is 
a certaine lusty land spaniel, taught by nature to hunt the partridges, before, 
and more than any other chase.” 
Here follow complete instructions regarding the training of the dog 
for use with the net, and we return once more in a special chapter to the 
dog and how to choose one .and train him perfectly, and this is the sort 
of dog Markham recommends: 
“The first thing, therefore, that you must learne in this art is, to make 
a true election of your dogge, which you apply to this purpose of Setting, 
and in this election you shall observe, that although any dogge which is of 
perfect and good scent and naturally addicted to the hunting of feathers, 
