The gentlemans recreation in two parts : the first being an encyclopedy of the arts and sciences ... the second part treats of horsmanship, hawking, hunting, fowling, fishing, and agriculture : with a short treatise of cock-fighting ... : all which are collected from the most authentick authors, and the many gross errors therein corrected, with great enlargements ... : and for the better explanation thereof, great variety of useful sculptures, as nets, traps, engines, &c. are added for the taking of beasts, fowl and fish : not hitherto published by any : the whole illustrated with about an hundred ornamental and useful sculptures engraven in copper, relating to the several subjects.

CHAP. XXXIII.

Of the Setting-Dog, with Rules to choose one, and to Train him up from a Whelp, to come to Perfection.

OF all sorts of Dogs there is none so fit and proper to be made a Setting Dog, as a Land Spaniel, by reason of their Natural Incli∣nation to Ranging and Beating about a Field; But any Dog whether a Water Spaniel, or a Mun∣gri•• betwixt both, or indeed a L••rcher or Tumbler, or any Dog that hath a perfect good Scent, and naturally addicted to the Hunting of Fowl, may be brought to be a Setter.

You should choose one of a good and nimble size, rather small than large and corpulent, of a high Mettle, and free for the Sport, being a nimble Ranger, of Active Feet, wanton Stern, busy Nostrils, and quick Scent, that his Toil be without weariness, his search without changable∣ness, and yet that no delight or desire of the Game▪ Transport him beyond Fear or Obedience; for it is the best Sign of a good Spaniel, never to be fearful, but always loving to his Master, yet of a bold Courage.

Some are so curious in observing the Colours, but that I Judge a vain thing, for all Colours are alike, if the natural qualities be perfect and answerable to your design. But those aforesaid properties can't be known whilst they are young, therefore your great care is to make choise from a good and right Breed; and having so done, you may begin to teach him at five or six Months old, as being then very Tractable, for the elder they are the more stuborn to learn, nor will they re∣tain their Learning so well.

The first thing is to teach him to be loving and familiar to you above all others, taking his only delight in your Company; and the better to ef∣fect it, let none feed him but your self, for by this means he will not only be loving and fond, but obedient and careful of your Displeasure, a Frown or a sharp word making the same effect as Blows, for beating takes off their Courage, and makes them dull and dead Spirited.

Your Whelp being thus brought to the know∣ledge of you, and to follow you in a Line with∣out any Reluctancy; your next business is to teach him to couch and lye close to the Ground, first, by laying him down, saying, lye close, lye close, or the like words of Command; and ter∣rifying him with rough words when he doth any thing contrary to your desire, giving him not only good words and cherishing, but Food when he obeys your Commands; and by this means you will bring him to such Obedience, and perfect Understanding, that when at any time you shall

[illustration]

〈◊〉〈◊〉 Setting Dogg & Partridg••••

To y^e. R^t. Worshipfull S^r. John Shelley of Michelgrove in Sussex Baronet

This Plate is humbly Dedicat∣ed by Richard Blome

say lye close, down, or the like, he will do it at a word, without any awkerdness.

Then about a Yard distance lay down a piece of Bread or Meat, crying go near, making him creep to it, but before he comes to it speak smartly to him, biding him lye down, take heed, or the like, which obeying, give him your Commands by crying Hey, or the like words, to signifie him to creep forwards to it, and let him eat it, ma∣king much of him; and be careful not to be too [ 10] severe in your sharp Words or Corrections (especi∣ally at first) for that may spoil him; and being thus at command to Couch down at your word, and always with his Head from you, make him creep forward by saying go near, go near, or the like; and if he offers to raise up his Head or any part of his Body, forthwith thrust it down to the Ground, saying down, down, or the like; and if that will not do, correct him gently with a Whip, or by biting his Ear, for by no means beat him [ 20] about his Head, for that makes him dull, and will spoil him; and be sure when you thus Chastise him, have him always in a String (as indeed at all times during his making) that he may not run from you; and this Method observe until he is very expert, Couching at your Command, creeping on his Belly as far as you please, and lying still un∣til you give him your Command to rise; so that at any time when you walk abroad with him in the Fields, and wantonly he rangeth about, up∣on [ 30] his first hearing your Commands to lye down, he Coucheth down, and so lyeth till your further Commands.

Having brought him to this Obedience and Knowledge, then take him into the Field to Range about, suffering him to Spring any Bird or Game, not Correcting him at the first, which will encou∣rage him the better, and thus do for about a Week, exercising him daily; and when he hath been used three or four times to Spring Patridges, he will [ 40] not follow any other small Bird, sticking only to them.

Take notice that you give not a Bitch that correction as a Dog, for she will not endure so much; and what a Dog learneth one Day, he will retein it, but a Bitch is apt to forget, so that she must have the oftner teaching.

If you can get a Spaniel that hath been accusto∣med to the Hawk (although a year and a half old) he will be sooner made; for then there will [ 50] be no need to give him the liberty of Springing without checking; for they will mind no other Game but the Partridge.

Having brought him to know his Game, and that he is so Staunch, as to Hunt close and warily without questing or opening, provide a Bullocks Liver boyled, (which hath the same Scent of the Partridge.) Then take your Dog in a Line, which must be about 15 Yards long to lengthen out on occasion; and take in your Hawking Bag a good [ 60] piece of the Liver, about the bigness of a penny Loaf cut into small pieces, and lead him into the Field, and as you are going (your Dog being by your side or following you, for he must not go before you) give him your Commands to fall down as aforesaid; and if he doth it not, correct him, rewarding him with some of the Liver if he observes your Commands; then go a little further commanding him down again, saying down, and thus do until he will Couch at the first word; and being brought to this command, turn your face to him, and take the Line by which he is led, gently pulling him by it crying down, down, so that he will not rise without pulling almost by force; then go to him, take him up in your Arms, and carry him two or three Yards, then set him down making much of him, but not letting him go out of the Line from you. When he is at this command by often using this way, teach him to Hunt by hand, which is thus done. Take a piece of the Liver about the bigness of a Walnut, which shewing him in your Hand, and letting him smell to it, cast it down which way you please, but at a small Distance at first, saying hey, hey, shewing it him several times before you cast it forth; then let him go to it, and eat it, still having him in the Line. Then take another piece of the Liver, shewing it him as aforesaid; and cast it from you a little further than at the first time, and permit him to go to it, and eat it for his Reward. Thus do several times still cast∣ing it further and further; and as he is going you may give him your Commands, crying hastily Down, Down, so that he immediately falls down with his face towards the Liver, and lye close till you give him your Commands to rise, by crying Hey, and pointing with your Hand for him to go forward to the Liver, and so suffer him to eat it; then call him to you, and make much of him.

The reason of teaching him thus to Hunt with the Liver, is to bring him not only to the Scent of the Partridge, and to be at command, to lye down, and the like, but also to observe your Motion which way you cast it, that thereby when he is beating about the Field, upon your crying Hey to him; and moving your Hand he may know by the Motion thereof which way to Hunt, either to the right or left. And he must be very expert in this, before you suffer him to Hunt loose, for he can't be at too much command.

Being thus expert at this, and also at great command, when he is Hunting at about fifteen yards distance, which is the length of the Line, on a suddain cry Down, then go round him at a small Distance at first, taking the Circuit larger and larger, crying Down, that he stir not (which he may be apt to do being at some Distance from you, as thinking that he should follow you) and then giving him a jerk with the Line crying Down, by which he will know that he must not stir.

Being thus used and that he is expert therein, and at command let him Hunt at liberty, but with the Line hanging at length dragging after him; and as he is thus Hunting loose, on a sud∣dain give him your commands to lye Down, and Peg the end of the Line to the Ground to hinder his runing away; then pitch down your Staff or Pole, to which fasten your Line of the Net at some Distance from him, and having the other end of the Net in your Hand, gently draw the Net over him as he lieth; and if he offers to stir at your doing it, rebuke him, making him lye close, saying Down, Down, and so draw it over

him backwards and forwards, that when you shall come to draw the Net over him when he sitteth Partridges, he will not be afraid, knowing what he is to do. And the Reason of the fastning the Line to the Ground that he is lead in, is to keep him from runing away at the first, if in case the drawing over the Net should frighten him, as at first is usual.

When he is thus made perfect, and that he endures to have the Net drawn over him without [ 10] stiring, and that he is come to a good Scent to know the Partridge from the Lark, or any other Game, be provided with a Brace, or Leesh of live Partridges, which carry into the Field, and hav∣ing Strings to their Legs, peg them down to the Ground, which should be done over night, to the end he may not know they were there placed by you; and for your mark of direction to know where they are when you come to Hunt with him, place up a Bough near them, to the end that [ 20] when by beating about the Field he comes near then, that is, at about Ten or Twelves Yards distance having his Line dragging after him, and gaining the Point to be under the Wind of them, give him your Command to lie down; then round your Dog Five, Six, or Seven times, to find where they are, as also that he may know his Duty; then come up to him, and peg the End of the Line down to the Ground, that when you have drawn the Net over the Partridges he may not [ 30] rise at their Fluttering, as they will do. Then set a Pole or Staff on the side of the Partridges at a reasonable distance, to which six the Line, and gently draw it over your Dog, and let it lie Spread all over. And fearing that your first Net will not be sufficient to spread over the Partrid∣ges, be provided with another, the End of which tie to your Staff, and draw down the Wind to∣wards the Game, so that both Nets may meet, which will spread over a good quantity of Ground. [ 40] Then make into your Nets, take the Partridges, and make up your Nets, all which time cause him to lie close, without stiring, and having so done, go to him, and reward him with one of the Necks of the Partridges, permitting him to take their Blood. And if you chance to miss, however re∣ward him with some of the Liver, as afore∣said.

After this method do several times, by which means when he comes to know the Scent of the [ 50] Patridge, he will know how to set a Covey, and you will also know at what distance he sits, for the laying over the Nets.

Note, that when you correct your Dog, al∣ways have him in a Line that he may not run away, and also lead him some distance after his correction. Also always when you go into the Field, and when you come out, lead him in a Line, until he is perfectly made. And Note, that the best time to enter your Dog (provided he [ 60] knows his Game) is in Paring time, for then you will find more Game, (that is, more Pares) than before you can Coveys; and also at that time the Partridges will lie more close, and not be so apt to spring, which is a great Encouragement to your Dog. Also Note, that you never let your Dog Hunt too long in hot Weather without Water, for that brings them to the Falling-Sickness, which French Dogs are more subject unto than Eng∣lish.

When you have brought your Dog to this staunch and obedient Hunting, and that you find him come upon the Haunt of any Patridge, which you shall know by his great eagerness in Hunt∣ing, as also by Wagging his Stern; then speake to him, saying Take heed, Ware, Down, or the like, to keep him from springing them; but if either he rusheth in, or Quest so that he springs them, take him up and correct him well, keeping him some time after in his Line that you may not dis∣courage him; then cast him off again to Hunt in some other Haunt where you think to find a Covey, and as before give him warning, and if you see that he makes a Point, give him your Commands to fall, and taking Range about him, look if you can find them, and if he hath set them at too great a distance, give him your Commands to creep nearer, saying, go nearer, go nearer, making him creep upon his Belly towards them, until you think he is near enough; then make him lie close without stiring, and draw over the Net or Nets as before directed, and be sure to cherish and reward him well as aforesaid.

But if it so happen that he spring then through his rudeness, or want of care, then correct him se∣verely, and take him up in your Line, lead him Home, tying him up for that Night, without giv∣ing him one bit of Food, and the next Day take him to the field in your string, and cast him off to Hunt about, as before directed, giving him harsh Words, to the end he may call to mind his former Fault, and be sensible of your displea∣sure, which will make him the more careful to obey your Commands, and if he doth well che∣rish and reward him, which will much encourage him.

Some Dogs will stand up in their Setting, which is a great Fault, so that they must be brought from it. Also 'tis a gross Fault for them to rush in after them, when you go to spring them into your Nets; therefore be sure he is in such Com∣mand as not to stir until you have taken them up, as aforesaid.

There is one more material thing to be observed, and that is to know the nature of your Dog, how he sets the Partridges, whether at hand, or at a distance; for thereby you must be guided to draw over the Nets, otherwise you may Spring them and no Fault of the Dogs.