362 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
gentle force, and gentle punishment—at first, at the word 
“ down,” or “ charge,” then by the raised hand accompanying 
the word; then by the raised hand alone. 
This done, the cord must be removed, and he must be accus¬ 
tomed to “ charge” at any distance from his master, and to lie 
steadily at charge, even although the master walks away from 
him with his back turned, and goes out of sight of him, unless 
he is desired to “ hold up.” 
Lastly, he must be taught to consider the sound of the gun as 
equivalent to the raised hand, or the word “ charge,” and to 
obey any one of these signals when at the top of his speed. 
Next, he must learn to answer the sound of the whistle, ac¬ 
cording to his master’s teaching. The best signal is to turn and 
look at one sharp whistle, to come in at a prolonged blast. On 
turning his head, he is to follow the wafture of his master’s 
hand to the right or left, and he is then to be instructed in 
breaking and quartering his ground regularly and evenly at the 
wdiistle, and the waive of the hand. Gradually he will come to 
understand the object of this teaching, and will quarter his ground 
alone. 
This is a very important part of breaking, for no dog can bo 
regarded as at all perfect, which only runs about its ground irre¬ 
gularly, without settled and orderly method, leaving great 
spaces uncrossed, find, perhaps, crossing other spaces several 
times over, wasting time thus, and failing to find much of its 
game ; and yet it is not unfair to say, that of fifty dogs turned 
out ,as broken dogs by American breakers, not one has ever been 
instructed in the rudiments of this branch. 
As soon as the pup drops to shot perfectly, and steadily, and 
turns quickly to the whistle and call, having learned the neces¬ 
sity of prompt and implicit obedience, and the certainty of punish¬ 
ment in case of wilfulness, he may be taken out alone, without a 
gun, to find game. He must thus be accustomed to the word 
“ Toho,” as the signal of pointing, and that so thoroughly, that he 
shall obey the word “ Toho,” by pointing steadily when there 
is no game. 
