94 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Aug. 21, 1890- 



THE ENGLISH SETTER. 



HIS SELECTION AND TRAINING. 



I HAVE no apology to offer for the following system of 

 training. The work is not- intended for the instruction 

 of professional trainers, but for young sportsmen of limited 

 means who must, perforce, do their own breaking. While 

 many experts follow different, rules when handling a large 

 number of dogs, animals of the highest excellence have been 

 broken by the author's system , and, where the sportsman has 

 but a single dog or a brace in hand, I am convinced that 

 none easier of application or more satisfactory can be em- 

 ployed. 



WHICH SHOULD BE BROKEN FIRST. 

 In most instances where the sportsman has been unsuc- 

 cessful in breaking Ids dog.^it will be found to have been 

 owing to his own mistake in not breaking himself before 

 undertaking the education of his canine servant. Retro- 

 spection and introspection, in hundreds of instances, will 

 disclose the fact that the undeserved blows and kicks and— 

 shame to the brute who practices such a barbarity — the 

 shootings administered to young dogs, would have come 

 much nearer the seat of the difficulty if bestowed upon the 

 breaker. 



The sportsman who begins training a dog, forgetting he 

 has a temper and the. necessity for constantly exercising 

 self-control and unfailing patience, will, if lie be at all 

 quick-tempered, ruin him completely. So important do I 

 regard it to be unfailingly patient and kind with my dogs 

 that 1 never take them out for a drill if feeling any degree 

 of irritability. Firmness in enforcing commands and 

 patience at every step of training are absolute pre-requisites 

 to successful dog breaking, and, I need not say, the latter is 

 very rarely exercised when one is irritable or:ingry. I t will 

 be much better that you suspend teaching your pupil for an 

 entire day— which should not under ordinary circumstances 

 be done — than that your passion should bet cay you into 

 treating him with unmerited severity, thereby, possibly, 

 rendering him timid for life. This may be considered'a 

 trifling rule, but, in my judgment, it is the most important 

 one connected with kennel science; and, I assure you, you 

 shall be successful in the degree that you are mild yet firm, 

 quick to detect a fault, and prompt, calm and deliberate in 

 administering proper punishment, and as you are unfail- 

 ingly good-tempered; for the main object to be attained is 

 to teach your pupil that while you are his master you are 

 also his friend. 



SELECTING A DOG. 



In selecting an English setter, particular attention should 

 be given to the purity of the strain from which you are 

 about to choose. Droppers and other mixed breeds should 

 be rejected. It is undeniably true that such curs occasion- 

 ally make good fielders, but.it should not be forgotten that 

 a dog's hunting life, ordinwrily, does not exceed eight or 

 nine years, and that however good a crossbred dog may be 

 in the field, his availability "and usefulness end with his 

 hunting days — he is utterly worthless as a sire — and what 

 can be more provoking than the inability to reproduce a 

 favorite ? In ninety cases out of one hundred the produce of 

 mixed breeds is unsatisfactory, they usually transmit to 

 their progeny all their bad and few of their good qualities. 

 It is true that in purchasing you are somewhat at the mercy 

 of the seller, but you can and should assure yourself of the 

 genuineness of the pedigree before buying. There aromauy 

 honorable fanciers upon whose word you can rely with ab- 

 solute safety, and whose address may be obtained" from any 

 of the sporting journals. Any setter of pure blood is aood 

 enough, hut I shall always hold it beyond argument, with 

 the almost numberless first-class dogs in this country con- 

 stantly offered for sale, that it is unpardonable and bespeaks 

 a dense ignorance to purchase a cur when a well-bred dog 

 can be obtained at a moderate outlay. 



Ttis not always possible to select the best puppy in a lit- 

 ter if taken at three mouths of age or uuder, but there are 

 certain points, which if understood, wi 11 be of gn at value 

 to a purchaser. Your choice being an English setter, let 

 his muzzle be square, with a high, well-defined forehead, 

 moderately wide between the eyes, ears only moderately 

 long and drooping, without the slightest tendency to cock. 

 If the ears when drawn forward reach to the end of the nose, 

 I suspect spaniel blood, especially if the hair inclines to 

 curl. The nose, if possible, should be black or dark liver 

 colored; he should be deep chested, with powerful loins, 

 well ribbed up, and the pasterns well bent. 1 especially 

 like the head where it joins the neck to be clearly defined 

 and of good height. The feet may be either cat or wolf- 

 shaped, and in old dogs they should be well protected by 

 hair tufts. Size and color being matters of taste, no space 

 need be devoted to them. The eyes should be large, liquid, 

 dark and expressive. The hair should be soft, lustrous and 

 silky, without curl. The feather upon the tail and the back 

 of the legs should be of good length and perfectly straight. 

 The nostrils should be wide apart and the entire fleshy parts 

 of the nose should be cool and moist. Attention should be 

 given to the manner in which the tail is carried. This 

 should be slender, slightly curved and carried in a line with 

 or a little higher at the tip than the back, not drooping, as 

 this indicates a timid, possibly a gun shy, disposition. Re- 

 ject a flesh-colored nose. Observe well how the puppy bears 

 himself — whether he carries his head high and showily, or 

 drooping — something, it may be, of his disposition will be 

 revealed in the general carriage, shine out of the mischiev- 

 ous eyes, or be observable in the playful and friendly wag 

 of his tail, remembering at the same time that you are not 

 only selecting a faithful servant, but one of the pleasan test 

 companions and a devoted friend. 



It is of high importance that he should be descended from 

 broken parents. The value of this I shall discuss hereafter, 

 only pausing at this stage to remark that too much import- 

 ance can not be attached to the value of heredity. 



WHEN TO COMMENCE TRAINING. 



The best time to commence training is as soon as the pup 

 leaves its dam. It is remarkable how speedily and easily 

 one may yard-break a dog if his education is commenced at 

 this age. It is no exaggeration to say that you may train 

 him in a single fortnight, and so thoroughly shall the work 

 be done that he will never forget it if occasionally exercised 

 in that which you have taught him. All dogs should be 

 yard-broken before being taken to the field, and this can, 

 and should be done, long before they are old and strong 

 enough for field work— other writers to the contrary not- 

 withstanding;. 



A dog which has been thoroughly so broken, may, in a 

 great measure, be said to be field-broken, so readily does he 

 learn to apply in the field that which has been taiight him 

 at the kennel. In respect to early impressions, "puppyhood" 

 is much like childhood. If early received and properly in- 

 stilled such impressions are lasting; but if a boy or a dog 

 learns the "street tricks," they are well-nigh ineradicable, 

 and, in the one case, a blackguard and a vagrant is the re- 

 sult; in the other, his canine prototype, essentially — a cur. 

 FIRST LESSON— CHARGING. 



1 have long since abandoned the practice of compelling 

 my dogs to lie prone upon the earth when at a charge. I 

 think it a useless cruelty. The sight of a dead bird falling 

 and of others upon the wing is indescribable enjoyment to 

 them — enjoyment which they thoroughly deserve. Besides, 

 if permitted to sit— or stand as some sportsmen prefer— they 

 will not onlyunerriugly mark the dead, but very frequently 

 the live, birds much more closely than can the sports- 

 man. I invariably teach my dogs to sit down at command. 

 The value of this method can hardly be overestimated, in a 



country infested with venomous reptiles as is that in which 

 the writer resides. Had dogs been so trained and taught to 

 sit when delivering a dead bird to band, many instances of 

 reptile poisoning might have been avoided. The word down 

 or sit may be. used for this purpose but you must use only 

 one of tbem. 



Commence by ordering him to sit, in an ordinary tone of 

 voice, unaccompanied with raised hand or other motion. 

 ■A void loud shouting. It is perfectly absurd to roar at a dog 

 within ten feet of you in a voice loud enough to be heard 

 half a mile away. He will not, of course, understand you. 

 Place him gently in a sitting position, and keep him thus 

 for a moment, at intervals repeat the word sit. Do this 

 several times daily, being mindful not to continue until he 

 becomes tired and loses interest in the lesson, but at such 

 times only as he appears to be wide awake and ready to re- 

 ceive it. Continue for a week or more. At the end of this 

 time, if he does not sit to order, place him in position a lit- 

 tle roughly and if he do not then obey, resort to very gentle 

 punishment, such as pulling his ear or a tap with the fingers 

 or open hand upon the rump. Severity must only be re- 

 sorted to in extreme cases — such as are seldom met with in 

 a life time. You will probably succeed without going to 

 extremes. 



After he has become perfect in his first lesson, teach him 

 to lie down by using the word "charge," and by placing him 

 in the proper position and holding him there until ordered 

 to "hold up." I should not advise teaching him the second 

 lesson until he is thoroughly obedient to the command 

 "sit," as there, is, at this early age, danger of confusing him. 

 As it is often desirable in upland shooting to have your dog 

 charge at a distance from you, upon the approach of water- 

 fowl or other game, without making any noise, teach him 

 after he has thoroughly acquired his two first lessons, to 

 charge by a blast on your dog- whistle and raised right arm. 

 By gradually increasing the distance between you and him 

 when at practice and insisting upon instant and implicit 

 obedience every time you give the. order, in a short time you 

 will find that he will charge the instant the whistle is 

 sounded or the arm is raised. By pursuing this plan I have 

 avoided the use of the spike-collar and check-cord. Within 

 the limits of this article I cannot pause to give the method 

 of using these, at times, indispensable implements. Nor is 

 it necessary, as all dealers having them in stock send com- 

 plete instructions with them free of charge. They may be 

 obtained from any gun house in all our principal cities. My 

 advice is to do without their use if possible. In the hauds 

 of an expert trainer they are invaluable; in the hands of a 

 novice, very dangerous. 



Accompanying these lessons teach the dog to hold up by 

 so ordering him, at the same time lifting him to a standing 

 position. This, I think, he will learn sooner than any other 

 command. 



POINTING. 



To teach him to "to ho," commence by placing or tossing 

 his food 4 or 5ft. from him. He will at once spring toward 

 it — young dogs are always voracious — when you should seize 

 him, calling out in an ordinary tone of voice "to ho." Hold 

 him standing, facing the food. If he struggles, as he pro- 

 bably will do, hold him firmly, repeating the command. 

 See to it that his tail is kept stationary at the proper eleva- 

 tion — he may wag it if undeterred. After holding him thus 

 a few seconds, release him, when he will again spring for- 

 ward, but you should catch him again, repeating the com- 

 mand. Do this often, and finally at the order "hold up," 

 allow him to eat. Do this wheuever you feed him, and in a 

 few days he will come to understand and obey instantly, 

 which, of course, he should do shortly without being held. 

 This lesson, if you prefer it, may be substituted for lesson 

 first, and they should be taught together as soon as he 

 understands both orders and obeys at once. 



Any other words than "to ho," "hold up" and "charge" 

 may be substituted, but as they are sonorous and distin- 

 guishable at a considerable distance, and are in general use 

 among sportsmen, they are of advantage when hunting in 

 company with others who have their dogs with them. 



After your dog understands that he must point when or- 

 dered so to do, charges obediently to command and to the 

 uplifted arm, you may proceed to teach him to retrieve, 

 which ordinarily can be begun in from seven to fourteen 

 days after the first lesson, dependent, of course, upon the 

 native sense of the subject, which you can readily determine 

 by the progress that he has made in his education. 



RETRIEVING. 



Young dogs are usually either so-called " natural retriev- 

 ers" or they can be easily taught to fetch. Especially is 

 this true if the sire and dam were taught this accomplish- 

 ment. Save, possibly, the hunting and pointing instinct, I 

 know of no other inherited quality so maiked. I have re- 

 peatedly observed that my own "dogs and those owned by 

 other sportsmen bred from parents broken to retrieve, were 

 either "natural retrievers" or became good retrievers by a 

 little handling. For my part, I do not think that any su- 

 periority of form, style or mere beauty could induce me to 

 purchase a puppy from unbroken parents, if I could possibly 

 do otherwise. If compelled to so purchase, I should make 

 a difference of at least 50 per ceut. in the price paid. By 

 procuring only the progeny of broken parents the young 

 sportsman will find the labor of breaking greatly lessened. 

 It is established beyond controversy by the experience of the 

 great majority of breakers and sportsmen that dogs inherit, 

 in a remarkable degree, the good and bad qualities of their 

 immediate ancestors, and it follows that the better broken 

 the sire and dam the more valuable the young dog. 



In order to teach him to "fetch," procure an old glove or 

 a stocking that has been worn. 'loss it a few feet from him 

 — first ordering him to sit. He will, upon being ordered to 

 "hold up," spring forward and seize it. Persuade him to 

 bring it to you, which he will probably readily do. When 

 he delivers it within your reach order him to sit, and only 

 fake it from him when in that position. As he has obeyed 

 you, you should praise and caress him, calling him "good 

 dog," "good fellow," or the like. After repeated daily 

 trials, in this simple manner, in a few weeks he will become 

 perfect in this most necessary duty. If he fails, after weeks 

 of patient and kindly endeavor, to obey you, the check-cord 

 and spike-collar must be resorted to in order to effect your 

 object. This, however, with very young dogs, will rarely 

 occur, and when it does it is usually attributable to the 

 fault of the handler, from too great severity, impatience, 

 haste or the like. Do not keep him at this lesson until he 

 tires of it. Three of four trials or even less will be sufficient 

 if you give it him once or twice daily. But little more need 

 be said on the subject of retrieving. Persistence, patience, 

 rewards and mild punishments will accomplish wonders 

 where a failure to enforce commands, impatience and cruelty 

 will insure failure. He may now be said to be yard-broken 

 if he has become promptly obedient in the foregoing. 



RANGING AND QUARTERING. 

 When your puppy has arrived at a suitable age, say from 

 6 to 8 months, and, in case he be very strong and forward, 

 even at an earlier age, you should teach him to range and 

 quarter his ground. Upon this subject a diversity of 

 opinion prevails among sportsmen. One wishes his dog to 

 quarter his ground from fence to fence, turning outwardly 

 at each crossing, not passing at more than 20yds. in advance 

 of his last line; while others only teach theirs to hunt in 

 the most likely places for the bevy. I shall not pause to 

 discuss this matter further than to say that the necessity 

 for closely quartering his ground depends largely upon the 

 dog's nose and his sagacity. But I wish to emphatically 

 state that I consider no dog broken if be do not quarter Jds 



ground to the whistle or order— the former being preferred. 

 This, too, he should do unaided by motion of the hand. 



You teach him to range and quarter by encouraging hi m to 

 precede you, you yourself going to the right or left, covering 

 the ground as you wish him to do, all the while ordering 

 him to "hold up," "hie on," "hie on, my boy," in a kind 

 tone of voice. When he has gone as far as is desirable, 

 utter a sharp whistle either with you lips or a dog-whistle, 

 and immediately retrace your steps unon a line about 15 or 

 20yds. in advance of your last, encouraging him as before. 

 You will find this will require considerable time and 

 patience, but you should persevere until he shall hunt his 

 ground to your satisfaction. In the course of time he will 

 come to turn and quarter the instant you sound the whistle, 

 while you may walk leisurely through the field. This is of 

 all the most perfect way in which to instruct him, as after 

 a while he will learn that he may go as far as he pleases in 

 any direction until the whistle is sounded, when at once he 

 must turn. In woodcock and ruffed grouse shooting and 

 upon quail, after the bevy is flushed and scattered, quarter- 

 ing is often absolutely indispensable. Monoqdet. 

 [TO BE CONTINUED ] 



A. K. C. AFFAIRS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



As I don't want to further weary an already "tired" pub- 

 lic, I will not engage in the Pesh all-Watson war, but wish 

 to point out about how the present position strikes most 

 businessmen that I have heard from on the matter. Mr. 

 Peshall has set forth certain statements of the A. K. C. 

 secretary, indicating that the books have not shown the 

 truth. Mr. Aldrich's statement supports this view, but 

 neither prove anything whatever as to the books being 

 "faked." At the most, they are indicative only. Mr. Watson 

 stands triumphant on his examination of the books, and in- 

 sists that he has disproved everything that Mr Peshall 

 alleges. The truth is that he has "not proved, or disproved, 

 one single thing. I appeal to any business man as to the 

 weight he would attach to any investigation of mere books 

 without the papers on which the book entries are based. 

 Mr. Belmont does prove one thing, I. e., that he did not pay 

 in money, as no one that I know seems disposed to doubt 

 his word. In a private note to me, Mr. Watson adduces one 

 item of proof that he strangely seems to have overlooked in 

 his public statements. As I understand him, he roughly 

 checked the cash account of receipts on stud book account 

 with the entries in the book, and found they agreed fairly 

 closely. This is indicative of the account being 'honest. The 

 items that carry any weight with me are, Mr. Peshall's 

 statement as to what was said to him, Mr. Belmont's denial, 

 Mr. Aldrich's statement and Mr. Watson's checking of the 

 cash and stud book entries; and I certainly am not going to 

 Wear my small brains out endeavoring to extract the meat 

 in this husk pile. 



For my own part, I have absolutely no opinion as to 

 whether the books are honest or faked, nor will I entertain 

 any opinion whatever on the matter until a competent ac- 

 countant of unquestionable honesty has examined not only 

 the books, but its vouchers, on which the book entries were 

 made. 1 do not believe that outside of Messrs. Peshall and 

 Watson there are half a dozen readers who have a definite 

 idea as to what the charges and denials, specifications and 

 opposing specifications are. All of us have something else, 

 to consider and bear in mind than interminable details of a 

 wrangle like this, and unless every detail is remembered we 

 are in a fog. 



I do most sincerely hope that the A. K. C. will order an 

 independent investigation of its own account, followed by a 

 public report of the results. Depend upon it, gentlemen, 

 you will make a most grievous mistake if vou shut your- 

 selves up any longer in your closet of a social club. You 

 represent, and should consider, every man interested in dog 

 matters, and while it is not necessarily true that "where 

 there is so much smoke there must be some fire," yet I do 

 assure you, as honestly as I can, that the affairs of the A. 

 K. C. are looked upon with suspicion by very, very many 

 dog men who have taken no part in this row, and any more 

 of your shutting yourselves up within yourselves, will just 

 convert this suspicion into certainty. Do be warned in time. 



W. Wade. 



Buxton, Pa., Aug. 18. 



DOGS OF THE DAY. 



\ FEW days ago I dropped across quite a find in the 

 XT_ shape of "A Treatise on Field Diversions. By a gen- 

 tleman of Suffolk; a staunch sportsman." It was printed 

 at Yarmouth in 1824, and was evidently quite a standard 

 work a century ago, for the preface begins as follows: "This 

 interesting pocket volume, being decidedly the best work on 

 the subject on which it treats, having for many years been 

 out of print and become very scarce; at the suggestion of 

 several eminent sporting characters of the counties of Nor- 

 folk and Suffolk, has been reprinted verbatim from the 

 edition of 1776." 



Here then we have a work devoted to dogs as old as the. 

 United States, recognized as possessing so much merit as to 

 require a second edition fifty years later. Further, the 

 author speaks of what was recognized as correct and well 

 known fifty years before he wrote, so that he carries us back 

 to 1728, and I don't know of any other book which in this 

 respect can compare with it. The setter of the present day 

 was then unknown. He was a mongrel according to this 

 "staunch sportsman," for he says: "There are now various 

 kinds called Setters, from their' being appropriated to that 

 service; such as between the English Spaniel and the Fox- 

 hound, ditto the Pointer, and the pure Pointer simply by 

 himself. Whim gave rise to the first cross, very probably; 

 but most assuredly indolence contrived the latter. None 

 can lay any just claim, however, to the appelation, but what 

 is emphatically called by way of eminence, the English 

 Spaniel. The Irish insist— their's are the true English 

 Spaniel; the Welsh contend— their's are the aborigines. Be 

 that as it may: whatever mixture may have been since 

 made, there were, fifty years ago, two distinct tribes— the 

 black, tanned— and the orange, or lemon and white. * * * 

 Was I to ohoose one of this sort, he should be rather tall 

 than otherwise; flat ribbed, and longish in the back; for a 

 dog, when speed is a principal requisite, must, as well as a 

 horse, in the language of the turf, 'stand upon ground.' A 

 gentleman, who resided some time in Wales, tells me, this 

 is a true description of their finest Setters." 



Our author has not a very high opinion of the pointer, of 

 which he says: "This kind of dog was introduced here in 

 the beginning of the present century, and is acknowledged 

 to be a native of Spain or Portugal. * * * The first I re- 

 member to have seen was about forty years back. Black 

 and white— heavy— slow— without any regularity in beating 

 — under no command— but a Natural Pointer. * * * They 

 have a ferocity of temper which will not submit to correc- 

 tion or discipline unless taken in hand very young." 



Reference is also made to a breed of rough pointers, intro- 

 duced to Suffolk by the late Earl of Powis, from Lonain, of 

 which the author remembered a very few capital. They 

 took to sheep killing and were done away with on that 

 account. 



Lastly we come to "the Springing Spauiel," a3 the chapter 

 is headed, and of which the author says: "The cocking or 

 gun Spaniel, of true perfect breed, is of one general or whole 



