THE AMATEUR TRAINER. 87 
plans. To teach backing is an unnecessary under¬ 
taking. When one dog stands at point the other 
should be brought up to where he can clearly see 
the pointing dog ; he may come to back at first op¬ 
portunity, but may also take no notice of the 
other’s doings, and rush in to steal the point. If, 
after a few chances to back, a dog has failed to slow 
up when coming in sight of the pointing dog, the 
collar and cord should be placed upon him to pre¬ 
vent him from rushing in ; by so doing he will soon 
learn that he is not permitted to interfere with the 
other’s point, and eventually back regularly. Dogs 
that hunt together frequently learn each other’s 
ways, so that little attention need be given to this 
matter, aside of preventing any rushing in, backing 
being a natural consequence. 
THE HAWK, ETC. 
The shooting of hawks, owls, and other birds of 
prey, is quite commendable, but the bird dog should 
never be ordered to retrieve any of them unless 
fully dead . Many young dogs are ruined, for a 
time at least, by the thoughtlessness of shooters in 
ordering to “fetch.” Naturally the dog has an ab¬ 
horrence of all the different birds of prey, yet if in¬ 
experienced will rush in at order to retrieve a 
crippled hawk, and instantly as he attempts to 
grasp the same, receive such an awful clawing and 
pecking that he will yell aloud, and may for a time 
thereafter refuse to fetch any bird till again forced 
