3 2o BREAKING AND ENTERING. 



and who is not himself over-excited by the sport. It is aston- 

 ishing what a difference is seen in the behaviour of the young 

 dog when he begins to see game falling to the gun. He may 

 go out with all the steadiness which he had acquired by two 

 months' drilling in the spring ; but more frequently he will have 

 forgotten all about it, unless he is well hunted in the week 

 previous to the opening of the campaign. But no sooner has 

 he found his birds or backed his fellow-pointer, and this good 

 behaviour has been followed by the report of the gun, heard 

 now almost for the first time, and by the fall of a bird or two 

 within a short distance, than he becomes wild with excitement, 

 and, trying to rival the gun in destructiveness, he runs into 

 his birds, or plays some other trick almost equally worthy of 

 punishment. For this there is no remedy but patience and 

 plenty of hard work, as we shall presently find ; and I only 

 mention it here, in order that my readers may not undertake 

 the task without knowing all its disagreeables as well as the 

 advantages attending upon it. 



Supposing, therefore, that a gentleman has determined to break a 

 brace of pointers for his own use, without assistance from a keeper, 

 let us now consider how he should set about it. 



In the first place, let him procure his puppies of a breed in 

 which he can have confidence. He will do well to secure a 

 brace and a half, to guard against accidents or defects in growth. 

 Let these be well reared up to the end of January, or, in fact, 

 until the birds are paired and will lie well, whatever that time 

 may be. They should be fed as directed in the last chapter. 

 A few bones should be given daily, but little flesh, as the nose 

 is certainly injuriously affected by this kind of food ; and without 

 attention to his health, so as to give the dog every chance of 

 finding his game, it is useless to attempt to break him. The 



