Part 33 (1/2)

52. Lord A----r's head gamekeeper was singularly aided--he possessed a four-legged whipper-in. Three years since while Mr. D----s--M.P. for a South Eastern County--was with a shooting party at his Lords.h.i.+p's, the keeper brought into the field a brace of powerful retrievers, and a team of spaniels, among which were two that had never been shot over. On the first pheasant being killed all the old spaniels dropped to shot, but one of the young ones rushed forward and mouthed the bird. The person who had fired ran on to save the bird, but the keeper called aloud, and requested him not to move. The man then made a signal to one of the retrievers to go. He did so instantly, but, instead of meddling with the bird, he seized the spaniel, lifted him up, and shook him well. The moment the pup could escape he came howling to the ”heels” of the keeper, and lay down among his companions. The keeper then confessed that a couple of the spaniels had never been shot to--but he confidently a.s.sured the sportsmen they would see before the day was over that the pups behaved fully as steadily as the old dogs, and explained to the party how the retriever did all the disagreeable work, and indeed nearly relieved him of every trouble in breaking in the youngsters. On the next few shots this novel schoolmaster was again deputed to show his pupils that he would not allow his special duties as a retriever to be interfered with. Both the young dogs, having been thus well chastised, became more careful--made only partial rushes to the front, when a recollection of their punishment and a dread of their four-footed tutor brought them slinking back to their older companions. As the keeper had averred, they soon learned their lesson completely--gave up all thought of chasing after shot, and quietly crouched down with the other dogs.

53. I can easily imagine that it was a feeling of jealousy which first prompted the retriever to thrash some spaniel who was endeavoring to carry off a bird, and that the clever keeper encouraged him in doing so, instantly perceiving the value of such a.s.sistance. It is worth a consideration whether it would not be advisable to train the retriever employed with a team to give this a.s.sistance. A dog of a quarrelsome disposition could be taught, by your urging him, to seize any spaniel who might be mouthing a bird, in the same manner you would set on a young terrier to fly at a rat.

54. Doubtless it is the _highest_ training to teach a team to ”down-charge,” but most breakers make their spaniels come into ”heel,” or rather gather close around them--by the word ”round”--whenever a gun is discharged. This plan, though so injudicious in the case of pointers or setters, is but little objectionable in the case of spaniels, for spaniels in their small sweep inwards are not likely to spring game while the guns are unloaded. It certainly possesses this merit, that it is readily taught to puppies--with the aid of a whipper-in--by the trainer's giving them some delicacy on their rejoining him. It may be urged too that the method much removes any necessity for noise in calling to a dog--whereas, with a team trained to the ”down-charge,” however highly broken, it will occasionally happen that the keeper--or a.s.sistant--has to rate some excited skirter for not instantly ”dropping.” Moreover, in thick cover, an infraction of the irksome rule to ”down charge” may sometimes escape detection, which might lead to future acts of insubordination. Prince Albert's team of Clumbers ”down-charge,” but the greatest attention is paid to them. They are admirably broken, and I may add, are shot over by a first-rate hand.

55. When exercising young spaniels it is a good plan to habituate them, even as puppies, never to stray further from you than about twenty yards.

With them, even more than with other kinds of dogs trained for the gun, great pains should be taken to prevent their having the opportunity of ”self-hunting.” If it is wished to break from hare, the method to be followed is mentioned in 233, &c., for with spaniels as with setters--or pointers--it is always advisable to drag them back to the spot from which they started in pursuit.

56. Occasionally you may see a country blacksmith when preparing to shoe the hind legs of a cart horse that appears disposed to make a disagreeable use of his heels, twist the long hair at the end of his tail,--raise the foot that is to be shod,--pa.s.s the twisted hair round the leg immediately above the hock, and by these means press the tendon close to the bone. The tail a.s.sists in retaining the leg in position, and thus, for the time, the limb is rendered powerless. Acting much upon this coercive principle, but discarding the aid of the tail, some breakers _slightly_ confine a hind-leg of their most unruly spaniels with a soft bandage, s.h.i.+fting it from one leg to the other about every hour. Possibly a loop of vulcanized india-rubber, being elastic, would best answer the purpose. Restrained in this manner a dog is less likely to tumble about, and become injured, than if one of his fore legs had been pa.s.sed through his collar. Other breakers, when hunting many couple together, fasten a belt with a few pounds of shot round the necks of the wildest. But the sooner such adjuncts to discipline can be safely discarded the better; for ”brus.h.i.+ng”

a close cover is severe work. Gorse is the most trying[12]. Its p.r.i.c.kles are so numerous and fine that the ears and eyes of every spaniel hunted in it ought to be separately examined on returning home, and well bathed in warm water. Their eyes are peculiarly liable to be injured by dust and gravel from their hunting so close to the ground.

57. To give young spaniels sufficient courage to face the most entangled cover, a judicious trainer will occasionally introduce them to thick brakes, or gorse, early in the morning, or in the evening, when the noise of his approach will have made the pheasants feeding in the neighborhood run far into it for shelter. The effluvia of the birds will then so excite the young dogs, especially if cheered with good companions.h.i.+p--which always creates emulation--that they will utterly disregard the p.r.i.c.ks and scratches of the strongest furze.

58. If the time of year will permit, they should be shown game when about nine or ten months old. At a more advanced age they would be less amenable to control. Happily the example of a riotous pup will not be as detrimental to the discipline of the rest of the team as the example of an ill-conducted companion would be to a pointer--or setter--for the influence of thoroughly steady spaniels makes the pup curtail his range sooner than might be expected. Finding that he is not followed by his a.s.sociates he soon rejoins them.

59. A judicious breaker will regard perfection in the ”drop”--22 to 25--as the main-spring of his educational system. He will teach his young spaniels to ”seek dead”--30, 31, 39--where directed by signs of the hand.

He will instruct them in ”fetching”--92, 94. &c.--with the view to some of them hereafter retrieving. He will accustom them to hunt hedge-rows, and light open copses--because always under his eye--before taking them into closer cover. Nor until they are under some command, and well weaned from noticing vermin and small birds, will he allow them to enter gorse or strong thickets, and then he will never neglect--though probably he will have used them before--to attach bells of _different sounds_ to the collars of his several pupils--one to each--so that his ear may at all times detect any truant straying beyond bounds, and thus enable him to rate the delinquent by name. In this manner he establishes the useful feeling elsewhere spoken of--262--that whether he be within or out of sight he is equally aware of every impropriety that is committed.

60. Young spaniels, when they have been steadily broken in not to hunt too far ahead on the instructor's side of the hedge, may be permitted to beat on the other--and this when only one person is shooting is generally their most useful position, for they are thus more likely to drive the game towards the gun.

61. If a keeper is hunting the team, while you and a friend are beating narrow belts or strips of wood, should you and he be placed, as is usual, on the outside, a little ahead of the keeper--one to his right, the other to his left--you would much aid him in preventing the young spaniels from ranging wildly were you to turn your face towards him whenever you saw any of them getting too far in advance, for they will watch the guns as much as they will him.

62. Among spaniels the great advantage of age and experience is more apparent than in partridge-dogs. A young spaniel cannot keep to a pheasant's tail like an old one. He may push the bird for forty or fifty yards if judiciously managed. After that he is almost sure from impatience either to lose it, or rush in and flush out of shot, whereas an old c.o.c.ker, who has had much game shot over him, is frequently knowing enough to slacken his pace, instead of increasing it, when he first touches on birds, apparently quite sensible that he ought to give the gun time to approach before he presses to a flush.

63. Even good spaniels, however well bred, if they have not had great experience, generally road too fast. Undeniably they are difficult animals to educate, and it requires much watchfulness, perseverance, and attention at an early age, so to break in a team of young ones that they shall keep within gun range without your being compelled to halloo or whistle to them. But some few are yet more highly trained.

64. Mr. N----n, when in France, had a lively, intelligent, liver and white c.o.c.ker which would work busily all day long within gun-shot; and which possessed the singular accomplishment of steadily pointing all game that lay well, and of not rus.h.i.+ng in until the sportsman had come close to him.

But this is a case of high breaking more curious than useful, for spaniels are essentially _springers_, not _pointers_, and the little animal must frequently have been lost sight of in cover. Our grandfathers used to apply the term springers solely to large spaniels--never to the Duke of Marlborough's small breed, which was greatly prized.

65. A dog is generally most attached to that description of sport, and soonest recognises the scent of that game, to which he has princ.i.p.ally been accustomed in youth. He will through life hunt most diligently where he first had the delight of often finding. The utility therefore is obvious of introducing spaniels at an early age to close covers and hedge-rows, and setters and pointers to heather and stubble.

66. In spaniels, feathered sterns and long ears are much admired, but obviously the latter must suffer in thick underwood. The chief requisite in all kinds of spaniels, is, that they be good finders, and have noses so true that they will never overrun a scent. Should they do so when footing an old c.o.c.k[13] pheasant, the chances are that he will double back on the exact line by which he came. They should be high-mettled,--as regardless of the severest weather as of the most punis.h.i.+ng cover, and ever ready to spring into the closest thicket the moment a pointed finger gives the command.

67. A comprehension of the signal made by the finger--which is far neater than the raising of the hand described in 30, but not so quickly understood--might with advantage be imparted to all dogs trained for the gun, in order to make them hunt close _exactly_ where directed. It is usually taught by pointing with the fore-finger of the right hand to pieces of biscuit, previously concealed, near easily recognised tufts of gra.s.s, weeds, &c. It is beautiful to see how correctly, promptly, yet quietly, some spaniels will work in every direction thus indicated.

68. Breasting a strong cover with c.o.c.kers, is more suited to young, than to old men. The gun must follow rapidly, and stick close when a dog is on the road of feather. A shot will then infallibly be obtained, if a good dog be at work; for the more closely a bird is pressed, the hotter gets the scent. If a pheasant found in thick cover on marshy ground near water--a locality they much like in hot weather--is not closely pushed, he will so twist, and turn, and double upon old tracks that none but the most experienced dogs will be able to stick to him.

69. The preceding observations respecting spaniels apply to all descriptions employed on land-service, whether of the strong kind, the Suss.e.x breed and the Clumber, or the smallest c.o.c.kers, Blenheims and King Charles'. But whether they are to be trained not to hunt flick[14]--the most difficult part of their tuition, and in which there is generally most failure,--and whether they shall be bred to give tongue, or run mute, will depend much upon the nature of the country to be hunted, and yet more upon the taste of the proprietor. No fixed rules can be given for a sport that varies so much as cover-shooting.

70. Of the large kind, most sportsmen will think a couple and a half a sufficient number to hunt at a time. Certainly one of them should retrieve: and they ought to be well broken in not to notice flick. These dogs are most esteemed when they run mute. If they do, they must be hunted with bells in very thick cover; but the less bells are employed the better, for the tinkling sound, in a greater or smaller degree, annoys all game. Such dogs, when good, are very valuable.

71. I once shot over a team of Clumber spaniels belonging to Mr.

D----z.[15] The breed--the Duke of Newcastle's, taking their name from one of his seats--are mostly white with a little lemon color, have large, sensible heads, thick, short legs, silky coats, carry their sterns low, and hunt perfectly mute. The team kept within twenty or twenty-five yards of the keeper, were trained to acknowledge rabbits, as well as all kinds of game; and in the country Mr. D----z was then shooting over afforded capital sport. One of the spaniels was taught to retrieve. He would follow to any distance, and seldom failed to bring. A regular retriever was, however, generally taken out with them. Mr. D----z told me that they required very judicious management, and encouragement rather than severity, as undue whipping soon made them timid. They are of a delicate const.i.tution. He rather surprised me by saying that his spaniels from working quietly and ranging close,--therefore, alarming the birds less,--procured him far more shots in turnips than his pointers; and he had three that looked of the right sort. He explained matters, however, by telling me that it was his practice to make a circuit round the outskirts of a turnip or a potato field before hunting the inner parts. This of course greatly tended to prevent the birds breaking. A juvenile sportsman would rejoice in the services of the spaniels, for many a rabbit would they procure for him without the aid of powder and shot.

72. When Colonel M----, who died in Syria, was stationed with his troop of Horse Artillery at Pontefract, he was asked to shoot partridges at Lord P----n's seat in Yorks.h.i.+re. On meeting the gamekeeper, according to appointment, he found him surrounded by a team of Clumber spaniels.

Colonel M----, in some surprise at seeing no setters or pointers, remarked that he had expected some _partridge_ shooting. ”I know it,” answered the man, ”and I hope to show you some sport.” To the inquiry why one of the spaniels was muzzled, the keeper said that his master had threatened to shoot it should it again give tongue, and, as it possessed a particularly fine nose, he--the keeper--was anxious not to lose it. They walked on, and soon the man told M---- to be prepared, as the spaniels were feathering. A covey rose. The Colonel, who was a good shot, killed right and left. All the spaniels dropped instantly. When he was reloading the keeper begged him to say which of the dogs should retrieve the game. M---- pointed to a broad-headed dog lying in the middle, when the keeper directed by name the spaniel so favored to be off. It quickly fetched one of the birds. The keeper then asked M---- to choose some other dog to bring the remaining bird--a runner. He did so, and the animal he selected to act as retriever performed the duty very cleverly; the rest of the team remaining quite still, until its return.