POINTER. 813 
point in the fame direction ; and, if any dog fhould 
happen not to fee the point made, his attention muft be 
attra&ed by a (harp fliort whiftle, and holding up the 
hand, or by calling “ Take heed he will inftantly follow 
the example of the others ; and thefe are faid to “ back.” 
Every one will readily perceive that to “ bring his game” 
is the aft of picking up the birds when lhot, and bring¬ 
ing them. “ Down, charge,” is to lie down near the 
fportfman’s feet while he loads his gun. Pointers will 
fometimes break up the bird by both feizing it at the 
fame moment. This inconvenience is obviated by the 
method of breaking introduced fome years ago by Co¬ 
lonel Thornton, which is this ; the dog that makes the 
point drops when the lhot is fired, and he that backed 
advances and brings his game. 
Breaking pointers is generally faid at the prefent day 
to be very eafy. Some years back it was thought quite 
“an art and myftery.” Neither of thefe opinions feems 
correct; for it will be allowed by thofe who have had 
moll praflice, that, although fome few pointers want 
no breaking at all, and others very little, there are many 
that give great trouble, and require almoft infinite pains, 
fometimes very fevere coercion, and much time to break 
them ; though it fliould be remembered they often make 
the bell dogs, being moftly the higheft-couraged and the 
gayell hunters. Let us therefore confider the bell mode 
of breeding, rearing, and breaking, pointers. 
In the firlt place, choofe your dog and bitch as near of 
a lize as poflible; bur, if either have the advantage in 
fize let it be the bitch. Let them be as near of a colour 
as you can, or limilarly marked. Let their lymmetry be 
a ftudy for the ftatuary, and their qualifications the admi¬ 
ration of the fportfman : you may then fairly calculate 
on a fuperior litter of whelps. Contrive for your bitches 
to whelp as near the end of June as convenient; and 
you will then, by judicious treatment, get them in fine 
condition by the firft of September ; (if you want them 
for groufe-fnooting, forecaft accordingly.) The firft 
thing to be done with your whelps is to look them over 
at the age of three or four days, and cut off their dew- 
claws, and pinch or wring off about an inch of each tail, 
(technically called Jiern-,) being particular at the fame 
time to give them clean wheat-ftraw every day, carefully 
and entirely taking away that given the day before. Let 
the bitch have plenty of fweet milk and good oatmeal, 
and a little goodfrefli fleft). This is all that is neceflary to 
be done while the bitch and whelps remain together. 
When you take the whelps from their dam, be fure to 
keep them well, and particularly clean. Let their food 
be of the fweeteft and belt defcription, always avoiding 
ftale flefh if poflible ; and being careful to let them have 
plenty of frefh water, (fome people keep a roll of brim- 
ftone in their water.) By purfuing the above direftions, 
you will probably efcape the dijlemper, which is fometimes 
fatal to young pointers; but, fliould any iymptom of 
this difeale appear among your whelps, whjch you will 
eafily perceive, as thofe that are attacked will become 
languid and inadlive, their eyes dull, and running thick 
ropy matter; in this cafe rub their nofes plentifully with 
tar, (not coal tar;) and give them each a cupfull of beef 
brine, feeding them with good nourifliing food, fuch as 
boiled fheep’s plucks and trotters minced, and the broth 
thickened with fine fweet oatmeal , (but never give barley- 
meal on any account, that being very heating, and will 
certainly augment their fever.) By purfuing this mode 
of treatment, it is ten to one but you conquer the dif- 
eafe; yet always bear in mind, that the flighted negledl 
may prove fatal. 
The education of the pointer fliould commence when 
taken from the bitch. The eafieft way is as follows. 
Firft, teach them collectively to come to a whiftle, or the 
call, “ here ;” and each individually to anfwer or come 
to the call of his own name; which when they do 
promptly, carefs them by patting, and by kind words, 
fuch as, “ Good boy; Good whelp,” See. But obferve, 
you muft never fuffer any one to advance till called by 
Vol. XX. No. 1412. 
name ; and, if they prefume to come uncalled, threaten 
them with the whip, and fpeak harlhly, “ Keep back, 
Have a care,” &c. You fhould now teach them to fetch 
a glove, which will prepare them for bringing their game. 
When they will implicitly obey thefe fliort commands, 
they may be faid to have received the rudiments of their 
education. We will now advance another ftep toward 
“ field-praCtice.” Take them firft into a flieep-pafture; 
and, if they chafe the fheep, correft them with the whip 
moderately, and accompany this difeipline by the words 
“ Ware fheep.” You fliould now add to your whiftle-call 
the words'* Come in ! back 1 ” This treatment will foon 
cure them of a defire to chafe fheep. When you return 
from the pafture, have their food ready; put it in their 
trough, but reftrain them from approaching by holding 
up your whip, ufing at the fame time the words “ To-ho; 
Take heed ! Down.” As foon as they are all fubmiffively 
quiet, allow them to draw near by dropping your 
whip and faying “ Hie on !” It will be well fometimes 
to check them again before they reach their meal, by 
quickly railing your whip and crying fharply “ Steady ! 
Take heed !” Th is will foon bring them to obeythe 
raifed hand unaccompanied either by whip or voice, 
which will be a great acquifition. 
When you walk out with them, (a pafture-field is the 
beft place, for reafons before ftated,) never walk far in a 
ftraight line ; and every time you deviate, call the atten¬ 
tion of your whelps by a fharp fliort whiftle, or the word 
“ Hey !” always waving your hand the way you mean to 
go, which will initiate them into what is called “ hunt¬ 
ing by hand.” You muft, while on thefe excurfions, 
frequently call your whelps in as before directed, and, 
above all, never fuffer a pointer-whelp on any account 
to pafs through a gap or gateway, or over a hedge or 
ftile, out of one inclofure into another, till you have 
palled it yourlelf, which will prevent the unpardonable 
fault of “ breaking field.” Should you tread up a hare 
before your whelps, and any of them manifeft a dif- 
pofition to chafe, rate them with, “ Ware hare ! come 
in !” and, if they perfift, chaftife them rather feverely 
with the whip, which will prevent a recurrence of 
the fault. Let them always have plenty of food ; but 
do not make them over-fat. Give them regular and 
fufficient exercife; and never tie a whelp up till he 
has attained full growth, as it often entirely fpoils 
their lymmetry. It fhould be an invariable rule to 
encourage and cheer timid whelps with carefles and 
gentle words, and to check fuch as have “ too much 
hunt.” 
Young pointers, whelped at the time we have premifed, 
will be thus far advanced in their education by “ pair¬ 
ing-time,” when you may take them out and hunt 
them regularly a few weeks before the birds begin to lay. 
Go out early in the morning; and, if you have a 
ltaunch dog to take out with them, it will be an advan¬ 
tage; and, if he is a faff hunter, fo much the better, as it 
will be well for the broke dog to get the firft point, as 
you can, in that cafe, call the attention of your whelps 
to back, which they moft likely will do, or crouch down 
if you ufe the gefture and term they have been ufed 
already to obey. Should any one, however, rufh in, he 
muft be corrected with the whip, faying repeatedly 
“To-ho, take heed !” at the fame time calling all the 
reft in, and making them crouch down while he receives 
his chaftifement, which they will remember, as dogs 
have very retentive memories. When you perceive a 
whelp “ mind his game,” that is, take feent, and 
“ draw” upon the birds, pay particular attention to him, 
and cheer and reftrain him as the cafe may require. If 
he fhows an inclination to “ puzzle,” or follow the fcenc 
in a half-crouching pofition, call rather fharply “ Hold 
up,” and cheer him with a low undulating whiftle 
“Good dog, good boy,” Sec. and, when you think he is 
very near the birds, if he does not “ ftand,” call “Take 
heed ; fteady ! To-ho !” and, if he is near, the recolleflion 
of former difeipline will occafion him to make a point. 
9 X Be 
