CHAPTER I.—463.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. QUALIFICATIONS, IN BREAKER—IN DOG.

1. Dog-Breaking an Art easily acquired. 2. Most expeditious mode of imparting every Degree of Education. Time bestowed determines Grade of Education. In note, Col. Hawker's opinion. 3. Sportsmen recommended to break in their own Dogs. 4. Men of property too easily satisfied with badly-broken Dogs. Keepers have no excuse for Dogs being badly broken. 5. Great Experience in Dog-breaking, or Excellence in Shooting, not necessary. Dispositions of Dogs vary. 6. What is required in an instructor. 7. Early in a Season, any Dog will answer, a good one necessary afterwards. Hallooing, rating Dogs, and loud whistling spoils Sport. 8. What a well-broken Dog ought to do. 9. Severity reprobated. 10. Astley's Method of teaching his Horses. 11. Initiatory Lessons recommended—to be given when alone with Dog—given fasting. 12. Success promised if rules be followed. Advantages of an expeditious Education. Autumn shooting not sacrificed.

CHAPTER II.—470.

INITIATORY LESSONS WITHIN DOORS. SHOOTING PONIES.

13. One Instructor better than two. 14. Age at which Education commences. In-door breaking for hours, better than Out-door breaking for weeks. 15. To obey all necessary Words of Command, and all Signals, before shown Game. 16. Unreasonableness of not always giving Initiatory Lessons—leads to Punishment—thence to Blinking. 17. Dog to be your constant Companion, not another's. 18, 19, 20. Instruct when alone with him. Initiatory Lessons in his Whistle—in "Dead"—"Toho"—"On." 21. All Commands and Whistling to be given in a low tone. 22 to 25. Lessons in "Drop."—Head between fore-legs—Setters crouch more than Pointers. 26. Slovenly to employ right Arm both for "Drop" and "Toho." 27. Lessons in "Down-charge."—Taught at Pigeon-match—Rewards taken from Hand. 27. Cavalry Horses fed at discharge of Pistol—Same plan pursued with Dogs. 28. Dog unusually Timid to be coupled to another. 29. Lessons at Feeding Time, with Checkcords.

CHAPTER III.—480.

INITIATORY LESSONS CONTINUED. SPANIELS.

30, 31. Initiatory Lessons in "Dead" and "Seek," continued. 32. In Signals to hunt to the "right"—"left"—"forward." 33. In the "Beckon." Woodcock Shooting in America. 34. In looking to you for instructions. 35. In "Care." 36. Always give a reward. 37. In "Up"—saves using Puzzle-peg. 38. Dog to carry Nose high. 39. Initiatory Lesson in "Footing a scent". 40. In "Heel." 41. In "Gone" or "Away." 42. In "Fence" or "Ware-fence." 43. "No" a better word than "Ware." 44. Accustomed to couples. 45. Initiatory Lesson in-doors with a Companion—when one "drops," the other to "drop." 46. Makes "Backing" quickly understood. 47. Initiatory Lessons with a Companion in the Fields. 48. Initiatory Lessons save time—make Dogs fond of Hunting. 49. Checkcord described. Wildest Dogs possess most energy. 50. Advantages of Checkcord explained. Spaniels broken in by it. 51. Lad to act as Whipper-in. 52. Retriever that acted as Whipper-in. 53. Jealousy made him act the part. Might be taught to Retrieve. 54. Instead of "down charge," coming to "heel." 55. As Puppies kept close to you, not to "self-hunt"—"broke" from hare. 56. Blacksmith straps Horse's Leg above Hock—Dog's similarly confined—Shot-belt round the necks of wildest. 57. Hunted in Gorse. 58. Age when shown Game. Example of good Spaniels advantageous. 59. Perfected in "Drop"—taught to "seek dead"—to "fetch"—entered at Hedge-rows and lightest Covers. Bells to Collars. 60. To hunt farther side of Hedge. 61. How Sportsmen may aid Keeper. 62. Experienced Spaniels slacken pace on Game. 63. Difficult to work young ones in Silence. 64. Spaniels that Pointed. 65. Game first accustomed to, most liked. 66. Principal requisites in Spaniels. 67. The signal "to point with finger." 68. Following Cockers a Young Man's work. 69. Education differs in different Teams. 70. One and a half couple of large Spaniels sufficient. One of the Team to retrieve. 71. Clumbers procuring more shots in Turnips than Pointers. 72. Lord P——n's highly-broken Team. 73. Of small Cockers three couple a Team. What constitutes Perfection. 74. Retriever with Team. Duke of Newcastle's Keepers. 75. Some Teams allowed to hunt flick. 76. Markers necessary with wild Spaniels. 77. Old Sportsmen prefer mute Spaniels. 78. Handy old Setters capital in light cover. Attention necessary when first entered. 79. C——e's Pointers as good in cover as on the stubble. 80. Pointer that ran to opposite side of Thicket to flush Game towards Gun. 81. Water Spaniels, how broken. 82. Shepherd's Forward Signal best for Water Retrievers. 83. Wild Fowl reconnoitred with Telescope. 84. Qualities required in Water Retriever. In Note, Poachers in Snow. Beast or Man of one uniform color easily detected. 85. Steady Spaniels in Rice Lakes.

CHAPTER IV.—510.

LESSONS IN "FETCHING." RETRIEVERS.

86. Lessons in "fetching" recommended. Dog, not taught to retrieve, bringing dead Bird he had found. 87. Taught to deliver into your hand; never pick up a Bird yourself; Dog which often lost winged Birds she had lifted. 88. Retrievers taught to carry something soft; injudiciousness of employing a stone. 89. How encouraged to plunge into Water. 90. Diving, how taught. 91. "Fetching" taught with a Pincushion; with a Bunch of Keys. 92. Made to deliver instantly. 93. Practised to carry things of the size and weight of a Hare. 94. "Fetching," how taught at commencement. 95. Regular Retrievers taught to fetch Birds; to "foot" Rabbits and Winged Game. 96. Retriever observes when a Bird is struck; a quality particularly useful in a Water Retriever. 97. Pigeons and small Birds shot to Retrievers. 98. Injudiciousness of aiding a young Dog when retrieving; makes him rely on Gun rather than his own Nose. 99. Fatigue of carrying Hare tempts young Retriever to drop it; taught to deliver quickly by rewards of hard boiled liver. 100. If he taste blood, put on Wire snaffle; how made. 101. Retriever how taught to pursue faster; should commence to "road" slowly, but "follow up" rapidly. 102. Why Land Retrievers should "down charge". 103. Some Retrievers may "run on shot," but those for sale should "down charge." 104. Retrievers not to be of a heavy build, yet strong and thick-coated. 105. Cross between Newfoundland and Setter makes best Retriever; the real Newfoundland described. 106. Cross from heavy Setter best Retriever. 107. Most Dogs can be taught more or less to Retrieve. 108. Young Retriever to lift Woodcock and Landrail. 109. Retrievers never to kill Rats, lift vermin, or wounded Heron, &c.

CHAPTER V.—527.

INITIATORY LESSONS OUT OF DOORS. TRICKS.

110. Lessons in Country Walks. 111. "Instruction in quartering;" hunted where least likely to find Game; taught while young. In Note, Bitch shot over when seven months old. 112. If unreasonably long before taking to hunting, the remedy. 113. Utility of Initiatory Lessons; taught without punishing. 114. Self-confidence of timid Dogs increased. 115. The more Dogs learn, the more readily they learn. 116. Two superior Dogs better than half-a-dozen of the ordinary sort; Action of Dogs; their Feet; Loins; dash of Foxhound gives endurance; cross with Bull hunts with nose too low; Reliefs desirable; best Dog reserved for evening. 117. Memorandum, never to ride through gate with gun athwart-ship; instance of Dog's behaving admirably the first day shown Game. 118. Proves the value of Initiatory Lessons. 119. Summary of knowledge imparted by them. 120. Why to signal with right hand. 121. One word only of command; dogs attend to the general Sound, not to the several Words. 122. Names of Dogs not to end in "O;" to be easily called; to be dissimilar. 123. "Drop" better word of command than "Down;" use words of command least likely to be employed by others; when purchasing a Dog ascertain what words he is accustomed to.

CHAPTER VI—537.

FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN COMMENCED. RANGING.

124. Regular Breakers make Dogs "point" paired Birds in Spring, tends to Blinking. 125. Better not to see Game until shot over; taken out alone on a fine day in Autumn. 126. Perpetually whistling to animate Dogs, injudicious. 127. Beat largest fields, and where least likely to find Game. 128. Commence from leeward; scent bad in a calm or gale. 129 to 133. Instructions in "ranging." 134. Kept from hedge; Range greater on moors than stubble. 135. Distance between Parallels dependent on tenderness of nose. 136. If the Dog is to hunt with another, the Parallels to be farther apart. 137. No interruption when winding Birds, yet not allowed to puzzle; Nose to gain Experience. 138. Birds lie well to Dog that "winds," not "foots" them. 139. Inattentive to Whistle, made to "drop," &c.; when rating or punishing, the disregarded order or signal to be often repeated; Whip to crack loudly. The attainment of a scientific Range difficult, but of surpassing value; the best ranger must in the end find most Game.

CHAPTER VII.—549.

FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. CAUTION.

140. Dog to be hunted alone. 141. Many Breakers exactly reverse this. 142. Turnips, Potatoes, &c., avoided; Range of dogs broken on moors most true. 143. In Turnips, &c., young Dogs get too close to Birds. 144. Cautious Dogs may with advantage be as fast as wild ones; the two contrasted. In Note, injudiciousness of teaching a Puppy to "point" Chickens. 145, 6. A Dog's nose cannot be improved, but his caution can, which is nearly tantamount; how effected. 147. How to make fast Dogs cautious. 148, 149. The cause why wild Dogs ultimately turn out best. 150. The day's Beat commenced from the leeward. 151. Wonderful Dogs, which find Game without hunting. 152. Reason why Dogs should be instructed separately, and allowed Time to work out a scent; young Dogs generally too much hurried.

CHAPTER VIII.—556.

FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. CUNNING OF AGE—RANGE OF FROM TWO TO SIX DOGS.

153. Your Dog not to "break fence;" how taught; Birds often sprung while you are scrambling over hedge. 154. Turning one's back upon a Dog to bring him away; stooping down, &c., to make him hunt close. 155. Dog, when fatigued, not to be hunted; leads to false points. 156. Sent home, brushed, and allowed a warm berth; not to follow all day at "heel." 157 to 159. Beat of two Dogs, how regulated. 160. Whatever number hunted, all should look to the Gun for orders. 161. Mr. Herbert's opinion in his "Field Sports in United States." 162, 163. Beat of three Dogs. 164. Of four Dogs. 165 to 167. Of five or six Dogs. 168. Great precision impracticable, but the necessity of a system maintained; System particularly essential where Game is scarce; Dogs to be brigaded, not to be employed as a pack. 169. When each keeper hunts a brace. 170. A brigade of fine rangers worth from fifty to sixty guineas a brace. 171. Fastest walkers do not necessarily beat most country. 172. Nor do always the fastest Dogs. 173. How slow Dogs may hunt more ground than faster.

CHAPTER IX.—565

FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. "POINT" NOT RELINQUISHED FOR "DOWN CHARGE."

174. Affection makes Dog anxious to please—when he rushes in to be dragged back. 175. Rule pressed. 176. Reasons for Rule—Experience anticipated. 177. To "stand" far off. 178. Patience enjoined—Not to part as enemies. 179. The first good point—Remain yourself stationary. 180. "Heading" Dog—Your circle to be wide. The first Bird killed. 181. Finding dead Bird, it being to leeward. 182. Pointing it—Blinking it. The cause. 183. Bird killed, the Dog to go to "heel." 184. Supposed objection. 184. Answered. 185. Temptation to run after fallen Bird greater than to run to "heel." 186. Dog pointing one Bird, and after "down charge," springing the others. The cause. 187. The preventive. Dog never to discontinue his point in order to "down charge." How taught. 188. Its advantages exemplified. 189. Decide whether Dog goes direct to Bird, or first to you. 190. Dog which performed well—Snipe shooting on banks of Richelieu. 191. Coolness recommended—Inconsistency deprecated.

CHAPTER X.—579.

FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. ASSISTANT

192. Some Dogs will not point readily. Breeding in and in, error of. 193. Dogs more inclined to point at first than afterwards. 194. Checkcord employed—spike attached to it. 195. With wild Dog assistant useful—Signals to. 196. How particularly useful with a badly-broken Dog. 197. "Heading" Dog at his point—not practised too often—Dog to acquire a knowledge of his distance from Game. 198. Constantly "Heading" Dog may make him too immovable. 199. A fault often caused by over-punishment. 200. False points caused by over-punishment—Self-confidence and experience only cures for over-caution. 201. Dog's manner shows position of Birds.

CHAPTER XI.—585.

FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONCLUDED. BAR. LEG STRAP. SPIKE COLLAR.

202. Bar cure for too high spirits. A leg strapped up. Why these remedies are better than starvation and excessive work. 203. The regular Spike Collar described. French Spike Collar. 204. One less objectionable. 205 to 208. How, in extreme cases, the Spike Collar may be employed. 209. Dog springing Birds without noticing them; how to be treated. 210. The first Birds fired at to be killed outright; the search for winged Birds, Dog being to leeward. 211. Had the Dog seized. Firing at running Bird. 212. The search for winged Bird, Dog being to windward. 213. "Lifting" a Dog, when recommended. "Footing" a scent. In Note, Speed of Red-legged Partridge. 214. Evil of a young Sportsman always thinking his Birds killed outright; often calls away Dog improperly. 215. Loss of dead Bird discouraging to Dog. 216. Perseverance in seeking, how fostered. 217. "Nosing" Bird allowed. 218. Error of picking up winged Bird before loading. In Note, Ingenious argument in its favor; Bird picked up in the evening; rejoins covey. 219. If a winged Bird be a fast runner, and out of shot. 220. If Dog rushes forward, yet yields to menaces and stops. 221. If he seizes the dead Bird; if he has torn it.—How to administer Punishment. 222. Part good friends. Your own temper not to be ruffled. 223. Your own temper not to be ruffled. 224. He is no Breaker who cannot always get hold of Dog. 225. Be certain of Dog's guilt before punishing. 226. Dog's ears not to be pulled violently. 227. To "drop" whenever Bird or Hare rises. 228. Lesson in Turnips. 229. Real Lesson in "Gone" or "Flown" given after Dog has had some experience; reason why.

CHAPTER XII.—604.

SHOOTING HARES. COURAGE IMPARTED. "BACKING" TAUGHT.

230. Shooting Hares not recommended; shooting Rabbits strongly condemned. In Note, why superior Grouse-Dog better than superior Partridge-Dog. Dog brought from strange country always hunts to disadvantage. 231. Put off killing Hares as long as possible. 232. Dogs not to quit faint scent of Birds for strong scent of Hare. 233. Dog after Hare; no racing after Dog; Puss gone down wind. 234. Checkcord employed. Drive in spike on "toho-ing" Hare. 235. Impropriety of firing at Dog. 236. Hares scarce, visit Rabbit-warren. 237. Morning, hunt where no Hares; evening, where plentiful. Mountain Hares. 238. Killing Hare in its form. 239. Shooting Bird on ground. 240. Dog taught to pursue wounded Hare. 241. Whip carried, saves punishment. Detention of Dog at crouching posture, saves Whip. 242. Few cuts, but severe ones. 243. Instance of timidity cured. Range imparted by giving Dog feet of Partridge. 244. Punishment, not defective Nose, causes Blinking. 245. Courage imparted to timid Dogs. 246. Dogs expect Punishment for faults; vexed when Birds are not fired at. 247. What Dog select to teach yours to "Back." 248. Example has great influence. 249. "Backing" old Dog. 250. "Finder" to "road" to a "rise;" his intrusive companion described. 251. To "back" by Eye, not Nose. 252. Encourage old Dog before rating the other. 253. "Finder" not to advance, even if passed by other Dog. 254. The "Backer" should "down charge." 255. Dog when pointing never to "down charge;" how taught.

CHAPTER XIII.—619.

HINTS TO PURCHASERS. SHEEP KILLING.

256. The "back" being taught, young Dog again hunted alone. 257. Breakers hunt too many together. Why injudicious. 258. One hour's instruction alone, better than a day's in company. 259. Case in point. 260. Rushing in to "dead," how cured. 261. Dogs shot over "single-handed." Jealousy decreases with intimacy. Independence and self-reliance, how imparted. 262. Best Dogs; summary of rules for making, concisely given. The best will make mistakes. 263. Dog that always ran riot when out of sight. 264. Killing sheep; cure attempted. 265. Another plan. 266, 267. Third attempt at remedy. 267. Muzzle Dog likely to worry Sheep. 268. Killing Fowls; the cure.

CHAPTER XIV.—628.

DISTINGUISHING WHISTLES. "BACKING" THE GUN. RETREAT FROM AND RESUMPTION OF POINT. RANGE UNACCOMPANIED BY GUN. HEADING RUNNING BIRDS.

271. A distinguishing whistle for each Dog; disadvantage of employing but one whistle for several Dogs; supposed case. 272. Another case. 273. Third case. 274. Dissimilar whistles, or distinct notes on one whistle. 275. General rule for whistling 276. Dog to back the Gun; how taught; it creates caution. 277. Advantage of Dog backing the Gun. 278. American Wood-Duck. 279. Dog to retreat from point and resume it. 280. How taught. 281. Shows Dog object for which he is hunted. 282. Not taught too early. 283. Dog's consciousness of its object. 284. Dog to hunt from leeward to windward, unaccompanied by Gun; how taught. 285. A careful Dog running down wind would not spring Birds. 286. The great advantages of the accomplishment. 287. Dog to head running Birds; could be taught. 288. How Dog taught to hunt "unaccompanied by Gun." 289. The accomplishment taught by "lifting;" not commenced first season. 290. Could be taught as easily as Shepherds' collies are instructed. 291. Particularly useful where the red-legged Partridge is found.

CHAPTER XV.—638.

SETTER TO RETRIEVE. BLOODHOUNDS. RETRIEVERS TO "BEAT." WOUNDED WILD FOWL RETRIEVED FIRST.

292. Setter to retrieve; obtain thereby in one Dog the services of two; necessity of having some Dog that retrieves. 293. Predilection for Setters confessed; Reasons given. 294. One Dog only to retrieve. 295. Let "retrieving" be done by "Finder." 296. Seeking Dead with two Dogs; Winged Bird searched for in direction of covey's flight. 297. Scent differs of wounded and unwounded Birds. 298. Three dead Snipe lifted in succession; Setter that stood fresh Birds while carrying a dead one; Pointer that pointed Partridge while carrying a Hare; Retriever refusing to relinquish chase of wounded Hare. 299. Injudiciousness of retrieving Setter pointing dead. 300. Argument against employing retrieving Setters holds against using regular Retrievers. 301. Regular Retrievers to beat; its advantages; one Dog does the duty of two. 302. Water Retrievers, or Water Spaniels, to retrieve crippled before picking up dead Wild Fowl; how taught. 303. None of these accomplishments so difficult to teach as a good range. 304. Might be taught by your Gamekeeper, but not to be expected of regular Breaker.