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diff --git a/34259.txt b/34259.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d824e5d --- /dev/null +++ b/34259.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5090 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hunting Dogs, by Oliver Hartley + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Hunting Dogs + Describes in a Practical Manner the Training, Handling, + Treatment, Breeds, Etc., Best Adapted for Night Hunting + as Well as Gun Dogs for Daylight Sport + +Author: Oliver Hartley + +Release Date: November 9, 2010 [EBook #34259] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HUNTING DOGS *** + + + + +Produced by Linda M. Everhart, Blairstown, Missouri + + + + +Hunting Dogs + +Describes in a Practical Manner +the Training, Handling, +Treatment, Breeds, Etc., +Best Adapted for Night +Hunting as Well as +Gun Dogs for +Daylight +Sport + +BY +OLIVER HARTLEY + +Published by +A. R. HARDING PUBLISHING CO. +Columbus, Ohio + +Copyright 1909 +By A. R. Harding Pub. Co. + + + +CONTENTS. + + PART I--HUNTING DOGS. + I. Night Hunting + II. The Night Hunting Dog--His Ancestry + III. Training the Hunting Dog + IV. Training the Coon Dog + V. Training for Skunk, Opossum and Mink + VI. Wolf and Coyote Hunting + VII. Training for Squirrels and Rabbits + VIII. Training the Deer Hound + IX. Training--Specific Things to Teach + X. Training--Random Suggestions from Many Sources + + PART II--BREEDING AND CARE OF DOGS. + XI. Selecting the Dog + XII. Care and Breeding + XIII. Breeding (Continued) + XIV. Breeding (Continued) + XV. Peculiarities of Dogs and Practical Hints + XVI. Ailments of the Dog + + PART III--DOG LORE. + XVII. Still Trailers vs. Tonguers--Music + XVIII. The Dog on the Trap Line + XIX. Sledge Dogs of the North + + PART IV--THE HUNTING DOG FAMILY. + XX. American Fox Hounds + XXI. The Beagle, Dachshund and Basset Hounds + XXII. Pointers and Setters. Spaniels + XXIII. Terriers--Airedales + XXIV. Scotch Collies. House and Watch Dogs + XXV. A Farmer Hunter--His Views + XXVI. Table of Technical Terms + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. + + The Fruits of Night Hunting + The Court Jester of the Nocturnal Tribe + A Pure and a Cross-bred Coon Dog + Veteran Coon Detectives + Descendants from Jamestown Imported Hounds + A Lover of Good Dogs + "The Fox Hound is a Composite Animal" + Fox Hounds--Graduates From the Training School + Typical Coon Hounds + Capable Cross-bred Cooners + Good Catch in Which the Shepherd Dog Figured Prominently + Opossums are Easily Caught Alive for Training Purposes + North Dakota Wolf Hounds + Typical Western Wolf Hounds + Termination of a Successful Chase + Good Dogs Make Good Luck + The Fair Sex are More and More Becoming Practical Nimrods + The Deer Seeks Refuge in Deep Water + Well Trained Hounds + Good Friends Get Along Best + Co-operation Between the Man and His Dogs Brings Results + Some Ideals + Embryo Trailers + A Versatile Ontario, Canada, Dog Family + One-half English Bloodhound Pups + Fox Hounds + Some Young Hunters + He Was Here a Moment Ago + Here He Is + A Group of Typical Sledge Dogs + Sledge Dog--Photo from Life + Rough and Ready Sledge Dog + Worthy of the Name, Foxhounds + Good Specimens + Bloodhound + "As Pretty As a Picture" (Beagles) + True Dachshund Specimens + A Pure Pointer + Royal Sports--Pointers in Action + Setter + The Fox Terrier--Useful in Many Ways + Airedale + Collie + Shepherd Puppies + Outline Figure Diagram + +[Illustration: Oliver Hartley.] + + + +INTRODUCTION. + +As if hunting for profit, night hunting for either pleasure or gain +and professional hunting generally had no importance, writers of +books have contented themselves with dwelling on the study and +presentation of matters relating solely to the men who hunt for sport +only. Even then the Fox Chase and Bird Hunting has been the burden of +the greater percent of such books. + +It remained for the A. R. Harding Publishing Co. (publishers of the +Hunter-Trader-Trapper magazine and a number of helpful and practical +books on hunting topics), to appreciate the demand for books and +reading matter adapted especially to the tens of thousands of hunters +who make, or partially make, their livelihood from hunting and +trapping, as well as a million casual hunters and farmers of the +United States and Canada. + +The keynote of success was struck in this direction by obtaining +articles and letters from these very men themselves, written and +printed in their own language, depending for favor on their +explicitness and practical value, borne of actual experience, rather +than flowing language, high sounding conventionalities and impressive +technicalities so dear to the hearts of the Bench Show enthusiasts. + +The title of this book quotes its object. To tell something of night +hunting, and especially to suggest how the ever necessary dog can +best be selected, trained, maintained and utilized, is the +consideration of first importance. To round out the subject all forms +of hunting will receive some notice, and the various breeds of dogs +will be so far dealt with, that their value and usefulness in their +given fields may be determined. Best of all, the contents of this +volume are based on the opinions and declarations of men who have had +years of experience in the matters on which they presume to write. +The Compiler does not assume authorship, the matter herein being very +largely from articles which have appeared in Hunter-Trader-Trapper +and elsewhere. Credit is hereby extended and our thanks offered to +all writers whose efforts contribute to the sum total of this volume. + +If this book contributes to the success in handling of dogs or opens +new avenues of recreation, sport and profit for any of its readers, +we shall consider its mission has been fulfilled. + + Oliver Hartley. + + [Illustration: The Fruits of Night Hunting.] + + + +HUNTING DOGS. + + + +CHAPTER I. + +NIGHT HUNTING. + +Night hunting is a favorite form of hunting sport the continent over. +Prime factor of the joyous, though strenuous night quest is the +'coon, the court jester and wit of the nocturnal tribe of small fur +bearers. + +Owing to the scarcity of other game and general distribution of +raccoon the country over, 'coon hunting is gaining in popular favor, +winning over many of the wealthy, city-dwelling red-bloods who +formerly were content with more or less pleasant and successful +sallies to the fields in the day-time. + +Consequently there is an increased demand for properly bred and +trained dogs to afford the maximum of success and pleasure in this +pursuit. With the ownership of dogs go the care, maintenance and +proper methods of handling these willing helpers. Surprising is the +meagerness of the information available to the average hunter, though +night hunting is an institution as old as the settlement of +Jamestown. + +The craft of developing dogs and using them to the best advantage in +this connection, has been by precept and example handed down from +generation to generation. Much has been lost in this way and not so +much accomplished as might have been attained by aid of the printed +and pictured methods of today. Most certainly more attention will +hereafter be paid to night hunting, and more painstaking records made +and kept for the up-growing practical sportsmen, in which direction +the present volume is a long and definite step. + + [Illustration: The Court Jester of the Nocturnal Tribe.] + +Our task is to offer guidance and advice as to the dogs. Yet to do +this clearly, the reader must know something of the nature and habits +of the animals to be hunted and the effort involved. + +A southern gentleman of experience and training has the following to +say about 'coon hunting: + +The 'coon is a wily little animal, and his habits are very +interesting to note. He is a veritable trickster, compared with which +the proverbial cunning fox must take a back seat. One of the 'coon's +most common tricks employed to fool the hound is known among hunters +as "tapping the tree," and which he accomplishes in this way: When he +hears the hound's first note baying on trail, he climbs up a large +tree, runs to the furthest extremity of one of the largest branches +and doubling himself up into a ball, leaps as far as possible out +from the tree. This he repeats several times on different trees, then +makes a long run, only to go thru the same performances in another +place. Onward comes the hound, till he reaches the first tree the +'coon went up, and if it is a young and inexperienced hound, he will +give the "tree bark" until the hunters reach the tree, fell it, and +find the game not there. + + [Illustration: A Pure and A Cross Bred Coon Dog.] + +All this time Mr. 'Coon is quietly fishing and laughing in his +sleeve, perhaps a mile away. But not so with the wise old coon hound. +The old, experienced cooner, with seemingly human intelligence, no +sooner reaches the tree Mr. 'Coon has "tapped" than he begins +circling around the tree, never opening his mouth--circling wider and +wider until he strikes the trail again. This he repeats every time +the 'coon takes a tree, until finally, when he has to take a tree to +keep from being caught on the ground, the hound circles as before +and, finding no trail leading away, he goes back to the tree, and +with a triumphant cry proclaims the fact that he is victorious. He is +not the least bit doubtful. He knows the coon went up the tree and he +knows he has never come down so he reasons (?) that the coon is +there, and with every breath he calls his master to come and bag his +game. When the tree is felled the fun begins. The 'coon is game to +death. He dies fighting--and such a magnificent fight it is! The +uninformed might suppose there would not be much of a fight between a +50-pound 'coon hound and a 20-pound 'coon. Well, there is not, if the +'coon hound is experienced and knows his business. Of course, the +'coon will put up a masterly fight, and some time is required to put +him out of business; but the old 'coon dog will finally kill any +'coon. But if the fight is between a young or inexperienced dog and a +full grown 'coon the chances are that you will suffer the +mortification of seeing your dog tuck his tail between his legs and +make for home at a very rapid and unbecoming rate of speed. + +To prove this, get a good 'coon hound and let him tree a 'coon; have +along your Bull-dogs, Bull Terriers, Pointers, Setters, Collies, or +any other breed you believe can kill a 'coon; tie your 'coon hound, +cut the tree, and let your fighters on to the 'coon, one at a time or +in a bunch, and see them clay him. You will see the old 'coon slap +the faces off your dogs, and the shortest route home will be all too +long for them. + +Killing a 'coon appears to be an art with a dog, and, of course, much +more easily acquired by a natural born 'coon hound than by a dog of +any other breed. A year-old hound of good breeding and from good +'coon hound parents, can kill a 'coon with less ado about it than +half a dozen of any other breed. It is in swimming that the 'coon is +most difficult to handle. I have known several hounds to be drowned +by 'coons in deep water. The dog goes for the 'coon, and the 'coon +gets on top of the dog's head. Down they both go, and, of course, the +dog and 'coon both let go their hold on each other. Again the dog +grabs the 'coon, and under the water they both go. This is repeated, +until the dog becomes exhausted, his lungs fill with water, and old +Mr. 'Coon seems to understand the situation exactly and seats himself +firmly on top of the dog's head, holding him under the water, till +outside assistance is all that will save him from a watery grave. + +As there is but little chance--practically none--to kill a 'coon +while he is swimming, the wise old 'cooner, on to his job, will seize +the 'coon, strike a bee line to the bank, and kill him on terra +firma. + +I once saw a big old boar 'coon completely outdo and nearly drown a +half dozen young hounds in Hatchie River, when an old crippled hound, +with not a tooth in his head, arrived on the scene, plunged into the +river and brought Mr. 'Coon to the bank, where the young hounds soon +killed him. + +Another of the tricks Mr. 'Coon uses to advantage when closely +followed by the hounds, is to follow the meanderings of a stream +until he comes to a log reaching across to the other bank; then he +runs to the middle of the log and leaps as far as he can out into the +water, usually swimming down stream, as if he is not making for a den +or a tree in some other direction. This ruse invariably delays even +the best of 'coon hounds, as, being at about full speed, they will +run on across the log, and if the dogs know their job they will +circle out until they again find the trail; but during this momentary +bother, the 'coon is not waiting to see what they are going to do +about it. He keeps moving and I want to say that a 'coon is a much +swifter traveler than many persons suppose. He delays no time, but +keeps everlastingly at it, and it takes a speedy hound to force him +up a tree. + +The 'coon may be defined as being a dwarf bear. They have many points +in common. The 'coon can lie up in his den for weeks at a time during +severely cold weather, without food or water. The only difference +between the foot prints of the 'coon and those of the bear is the +size. In shape and appearance they are exactly alike. The flesh, when +cooked, tastes similar, and not one in a thousand could tell any +difference between cooked 'coon and cooked bear, if served in same +size pieces. + +By nature the 'coon is a very selfish individual. He deserts Mrs. +'Coon when his children are a day old and lets her provide for them +as best she can. The young 'coons grow rapidly, and at the tender age +of from six to eight weeks old they begin to accompany their faithful +mother in search of food. Fishes, birds, rabbits, nuts, acorns, +berries and green corn are the principal dishes on the 'coon family's +bill of fare. + +At first the little 'coons stay close to their mother's heels, but +they grow more venturesome as they grow older, and soon begin to make +little journeys on their own account. This often proves their undoing +when dogs are about. Any sort of an old dog can tree or catch on the +ground a baby 'coon, but this is an advantage no true sportsman will +knowingly take. + +That a mother 'coon will even brave death herself to save her babies +is evident to one who has studied the habits of the 'coon. When +closely pursued by the hounds and she and her young are all compelled +to go up the same tree, as soon as the hounds begin to bark fiercely +and the hunters arrive and begin to chop on the tree or to try to +shine their eyes, old mother 'coon picks an opening and jumps out of +the tree and is usually caught, or run up another tree close by and +then caught. But she has again saved her young, as in all likelihood +the hunters will not go back to the tree where the little coons are +serenely sitting on the leafy boughs, or never think of there being +any more coons there. + +There are many reasons why the 'coon hunt is fast becoming one of the +most popular of the manly sports. The 'coon is found in many sections +of the United States. Other game is becoming very scarce. The wealthy +business man, the man of affairs who is tied to his desk six days out +of the week, can own a 'coon hound and in the stilly hours of the +night, after the day's turmoil of business, can enjoy a few hours of +the most strenuous sport now left to us and witness a battle royal +between his faithful hound and the monarch of the forest, the wily +'coon. Nothing that I can contemplate is more exhilarating or more +soothing to the nerves than the excitement of the 'coon hunt. From +the first long drawn note when the trail is struck until the hound's +victorious cry at the tree, it is one round of excitement and +anticipation. What or whose hound is leading? What direction will Mr. +Coon take? What dog will be first to tree? And then the fight! It is +simply great! And then showing the hide to the boys who didn't go, +and telling them about it for days to come. + +The 'coon hunt calls for manhood. Tender weaklings cannot endure the +exertions necessary to enjoy this sport. It is too strenuous for the +lazy man or the effeminate man to enjoy. They shudder at the thoughts +of donning a pair of heavy hip boots and tramping thru swamps and +slashes, crossing creeks and barbed wire fences, thru briars and +thickets, maybe for several miles, and the probability of getting +lost and having to stay all night. But to the man with nerve and +backbone this is one of the enjoyable features. It affords great fun +to get a tenderfoot to go out for the first time and initiate him +into the "'coon hunters' club." The tenderfoot will use every cuss +word ever invented and will coin new ones when the supply of old ones +becomes worn out and ineffective. He will cuss the briars, cuss the +ditches, cuss the creek, cuss the fences, cuss the swamps, cuss the +slashes, cuss the man who persuaded him to go, and finally cuss +himself for going. But when the excitement of the chase is on and +when the fight commences he becomes reconciled; and if good luck is +had he is very likely to be the next man to propose another "'coon +hunt." + +A half dozen hunts will make an enthusiastic 'coon hunter of any able +bodied man--and I might suggest that a half a thousand 'coon hunts +will make an able bodied man out of any man. It will throw off the +waste matter and dead tissues of the body, cause deep breathing, +arouse torpid and sluggish livers, promote digestion, and is a +general panacea for all human ailments of both mind and body. + +(The foregoing contains much of value but is overdrawn even tho from +the pen of a "Southern Gentleman" who should be well versed in 'coon +hunting. Now and then a 'coon will go up a tree and come down or even +run out on a limb and jump off or may leap from a log across a stream +into the water. Such instances, however, are rarely done to fool the +dog. Generally when such happens, the 'coon has been feeding, going +up and down trees, etc. When a 'coon does go up a tree, jump to +another and similar tricks to fool a dog, that animal has been +trailed before and is apt to be an "old timer.") + + [Illustration: Veteran Coon Detectives.] + +Added to this is the promise of other game, if the hunter is desirous +of combining sport and profit. The skunk and opossum are common to +many sections of this country. They are less resourceful and gritty +than the 'coon, and their taking is simply a matter of choice and +method, rather than concern for opportunities. A dog trained to hunt +'coon will have no trouble attending to opossum and skunk, if his +owner desires it. Very frequently the trainer does not desire that +his dog pay attention to anything save 'coon. + +Still another profitable animal taken by night hunters is the mink. +There is not so much sport in this branch, however, as the dogs +simply trail or locate them in their dens, and are captured by +digging or frightening them out, when they are dispatched by the +dogs. + +A good mink dog will often locate a mink in the den during the day. +If the den has more than one entrance, is not very deep in the +ground, the animal will often run out by stamping or striking a few +licks with a mattock. The mink generally comes out at the entrance +nearest the water (quite often under water) when it can be shot, if +you are quick enough, or if the dog is an active one, caught. + +When hunting at night along streams, or places frequented by both +mink and 'coon, it is sometimes difficult to tell, at first, which +your dog is after. These two animals travel about the same along +streams. Some dogs will not run mink unless especially trained while +others take naturally to mink hunting. Unless a dog is not afraid of +water, he will never make a good mink dog (or 'coon dog either for +that matter), as mink go into a great many dens both on the bank and +in the water. + +Where the hunting is done in woods, considerable distance from +streams or ponds and mink seldom travel, your dog may "pass them by" +but if you should catch one in a trap and let him kill it, the +chances are that you will have a mink dog. + +Again by hunting certain stretches of creek where mink frequent, your +dog will soon learn that you wish him to hunt these animals. A mink +holed is far from caught, especially after night. If holed in the +creek bank, the chances are that the animal will dart out into the +water and escape to another den. + +The most successful mink hunting is done during the day by having +your dog along and following the banks of creeks, lakes, ponds, etc. +The dog locates the game and the animal is gotten out by methods +already described. + + [Illustration: Descendants From Jamestown Imported Hounds.] + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE NIGHT HUNTING DOG--HIS ANCESTRY. + +Dogs of almost any breed, from the nondescript mongrel to the bred +and developed hound may be taught to hunt in the woods at night. +However, their success is, in a general way, in proportion to their +adaptability for the work and the plentifulness of game. For +instance, take a country raised dog of hound parentage, and he is as +apt to make as good a night dog as a pedigreed, handsome hound which +has grown up in the city, without opportunity to verify by experience +his instinctive notion of things. Everything else being equal, the +well bred hound should prove by far the better raw material for a +good night hunter. + +The ideal coon dogs of most experienced night hunters are the half +bred fox hounds. Thus is enlisted the training of centuries to match +the wits of the 'coon which was born wily, and develops stratagem +from experience and necessity, affording as exciting and pretty a +contest (dog vs. coon) as sport provides. + +The more one knows of the hound he follows, the greater will be his +enjoyment and success. He will avoid blaming the dog with his own +mistakes, and wisely refrain from trying to exact from the dog what +by physique and breeding he was not intended by nature to do. + +How the modern fox hound descended from the blood hound and the coon +hound from the fox hound is an interesting study of more or less +importance in striking an estimate of the coon dog's prowess and +abilities. It is not such a far cry from the exciting man hunt of +other days to the coon hunt of the present. + +What we call the native American fox-hounds are descended from dogs +brought over from England, Ireland and France. The settlers at +Jamestown imported the hounds that spread out over the southern +frontier, originating the superb packs to be found throughout the +South to-day. + +The imported dog has never proven a good performer in the chase, +owing to very widely different conditions encountered. His value has +been in cross breeding to give bone and substance to native breeds. + +Says one authority: By selection and a different character of work, +we have produced a lighter, faster hound than the ancestral type. Our +hounds are required to go and search for a fox. That quality has +become instinctive in them and it is an extremely necessary natural +quality. + +What we have really done in this country with the fox-hound is, we +have created a new type. Our native hounds which are without any near +English or Irish hound crosses are not only faster than their +ancestors, but they get about in rough country, quicker and with +greater ease. The American bred dog, long accustomed to hunting, may +be readily developed to night hunting. + +There are some strains of native hounds that train easier than +others. Hounds that have come down through an ancestry which have +long been in large packs have certain fixed notions or instincts +about hunting that are more difficult to change than are hounds which +have grown up singly or in couples. + +Whatever manner of hound the trainer may undertake to develop it is +well for him to consider the dog's ancestry and the way in which they +have been hunted. He will find if his hound is well bred that the +ancestral influence will tend to assert itself. Knowing what is in +his hound, the trainer will know better how to handle him to bring +him up to the highest possible degree of efficiency. + +There were many different breeds of the hound family existing in +England, when the fox hound, the great grandfather of the typical +night hunter under consideration, began to assume a fixed type and +receive recognition. + +"A popular error" writes another authority, "into which many writers +have fallen is to associate the fox hound with any one or two breeds +of hounds for his common ancestry, for the fact is that both the +English and American fox hound is a composite animal, descended from +many different varieties of hounds which have existed in the past." + +There are a number of breeds of hounds in France to-day that cannot +be intelligently traced to any peculiar origin and there have been a +greater variety of hounds in the past, which have found the way into +the kingdom by different roads. + +It will never be known exactly what hunting qualities the hounds of +our crude forefathers possessed or with what melody of tongue, +accuracy of scent, or fleetness of foot they pursued game, which +consisted, with now and then an exception, of the stag, wild boar and +wolf, until the gradual advance of civilization drove the larger +animals from denuded forest and left the cunning fox as the logical +object of especial attention to huntsmen, who have spared neither +time nor expense to accomplish his death legitimately for nearly two +centuries. + +Summing up we are impressed with the fact that the perfect fox or +coon hound is a superb physical being of most versatile and capable +properties, subject to our beck and call, if we learn the language of +the chase, before we attempt to tell him what is wanted. + +Let us go to the next important topic. Training the Night Hunter, +with due respect and humility. Success in training a fine performer +is a credit to a man; failure is a discredit. Heed well the advice of +experienced men, and profit by their mistakes. + + [Illustration: A Lover of Good Dogs.] + + + +CHAPTER III. + +TRAINING THE HUNTING DOG. + +In training hounds, one should remember that they will always have a +hobby for the first game they learn to hunt; therefore, we should be +careful to start them first at the right kind as for instance: If you +desire to have an all around hound that will hunt coon, fox and +rabbit and to hunt each game well, and in order to succeed you must +break him in on coon first, then when he knows the "A, B, C," of Mr. +Coon, you can break him on foxes and then on rabbits in the day time +and when you will hunt coon he will pay no attention to the fox or +rabbit even if he would see one in front of him, providing there are +coons in that bush. + +If you desire to have a true deer hound, train him first on deer, +then on foxes, but you must in all cases train them well on one kind +before you start on another; therefore, a hound thus trained will +always hunt deer in preference to fox. The same would exist if the +dog was first trained on the fox. + +Some people claim that it takes from three to five years to train a +hound right. Well, this is not always the case. Young hounds twelve +to fifteen months old are often taken from the city into the bush and +in three days would hunt deer as well as other dogs of five and six +years' training. The reason for this is that these dogs take as +naturally to hunting as ducks do to water. These dogs are born with +the hunting instinct in them and being very intelligent, will start +at once to beat a bush as well as an old timer, as soon as they have +seen the game once they will remember it all their life and you can +train them to hunt any kind whether it is a bear, deer, fox, etc. + +Of a necessity in treating on the general subject of training hunting +dogs, some suggestions are applicable to all kinds, while others have +individual bearing. Under the subject of this chapter will be given +subdivisions relating to specific training for specific hunting in so +far as required. + +There are some fundamental lessons that all hunting dogs should be +taught to do and some things which he is not to do. + +Let him begin to follow you when he is three or four months old; take +him through herds of sheep and cattle, and if he starts after them, +scold him; if he continues chasing them, whip him. I do not believe +in whipping where it can be avoided, but if compelled to, do not take +a club or a No. 10 boot, but a switch; and I never correct a dog by +pulling his ears for fear of hurting his hearing, as a dog that is +hard of hearing is not an A No. 1 dog. Never set your dog on stock of +any kind nor allow him to run after other dogs or house-cats. + + [Illustration: "The Fox Hound is a Composite Animal."] + +By the time he is four months old, he will likely begin to run +rabbits, but some do not commence until older. Let him run them as it +will teach him to trail and harden his muscles, and, should you have +more than one, it will teach them to depend on each other, and they +will soon learn to go to other dogs when they start a trail or pick +up a loss. If you have a fox or coon hide to drag or a pet to lead, +it will not do any harm, though I do not think it of much value as +they soon learn to associate your tracks with those of the fox or +coon, and I greatly prefer letting them run rabbits as a mode of +training them. + +By the time they are eight months old, take them out with a slow dog +that runs and barks a great deal, both trailing and running, and as +soon as the fox is running, let your pup go, but do not let him go +until the old dog has passed with the fox. Should you let him go +meeting the old dog he may take the back track, but if you wait until +the old dog has passed your pup, he will come in behind, and, if he +is bred right, will go in and stay as long as he can find a trail to +follow. + +If he should come out after a short run, keep him until the fox is +tired; then let him go again, and if he still continues to come out +after a few times, don't fool with him, but try him for something +else. If your pup has been in good trim, and has come out three times +on fair trials, there is very little chance of making a fox dog out +of him. + +I have had pups of this kind which I kept until they were two years +old; have bought pet foxes, and let them catch and kill them, but +never yet made a runner out of a dog that it was not born in. + + [Illustration: Fox Hounds.--Graduates From the Training +School.] + +Should your pup go in and stay, don't run him too often unless he is +near a year old. Never take him out unless he is well fed, and in +good shape to run. After a race or two let him go as soon as the +trail is struck, and after a few races, catch the old dog, after the +fox is going, and see what the pup will do alone. Then take them out +on a good day, let the old dog pick up the trail, and after the pups +have started, catch the old dog and let the pups go alone, and if +they trail, start and run that fox to a finish, that is all the +pedigree they will ever need. + +When you turn your dog loose, don't run and yell and get him so +excited that he doesn't know what to do, just unbuckle his collar and +let him go. If he does not understand going into a race, it will not +help matters to excite him, just walk to where the fox has passed and +he will likely take the trail, and will know better what to do the +next time. + +When your dogs are running and happen to lose the trail near you, do +not run and call, trying to help them get started, for if let alone +they are far more apt to pick it up and go on in good shape; by +getting them excited and running wild the chase would likely end +right there. + +My rule is this: Whenever I pull a dog's collar, he must look out for +No. 1 without my going to show him. + +Should you not have an old dog to help train your pup, you can train +him alone, but it is more trouble. + +If you have snow, lead your dog until you find a fox trail, then +follow it, still leading your dog; if there happens to be +considerable scent in the trail, he may want to follow it, if so turn +him loose, but follow him up and help him to start his fox. If there +is no scent in the trail, lead your dog until you start the fox, then +let him go and let him work for himself. + +Should you have neither snow nor trained dog, you will have more +trouble, but I have made No. 1 dogs without either. + +If you know where foxes stay, go there, turn your dog loose, and he +will start to running rabbits; this will scare the fox up and your +dog will likely cross its track; if he is a born fox dog, he will +leave the rabbit for the fox every time. You may have to make several +trips, but after you get one race, your dog will be looking for a fox +chase, and will soon take a cold fox trail in preference to a rabbit. + +After you have trained your dog to running foxes or coon, you will +wish to break him of running rabbits; this is generally an easy +matter, for a genuine dog prefers the fox or coon and some will quit +it of their own accord. If not, try scolding him when he starts a +rabbit. If that fails, whip him, but where foxes are plentiful, you +will seldom have to do this. + +My pups are accustomed to the crack of a 22 rifle, as I shoot near +them while young, so never have any gun-shy dogs. + +There is just as much in feeding a running dog, as a running horse. +Some say a light feed just before starting and I have heard some say, +don't feed at all. Now for a grey fox, it does not make so much +difference, as the chase will only last an hour or two, and sometimes +not ten minutes, but where it comes to an old red fox,--one that you +start Saturday night and return just in time to accompany your wife +to church next morning, it is quite different. + +A dog to do his best should be used to running. He should have a few +days' rest, and if his feet are sore, grease once each day with salty +grease. At least three days before the race, drop all sloppy food and +give rye or corn-bread with scraps from the butcher shop mixed in +before baking. Feed liberally twice each day and if your race +promises to be a hard one, feed extra before starting, some food that +will give the greatest amount of strength, with the least possible +bulk. Then arrange to give your dog a good heavy feed as soon as he +returns home, and he will be ready for the next race sooner than if +compelled to go to rest hungry. + +Before closing, I will say something more with regard to +breeding:--We often see where someone has pure bred Walker, Williams, +Redbone or Buckfield Blues. Now to my understanding, these are +strains of dogs, bred by southern fox hunters, 50 or 75 years ago, +and to keep them pure, there must have been a lot of inbreeding, a +thing I do not approve of. Now why would it not have been better for +Mr. Walker to have selected one of his very best bitches and bred her +to one of Mr. Williams' best dogs, then called the pups the "American +Fox Hounds"--as grand a dog as ever put his nose to a trail? + + [Illustration: Typical Coon Hounds.] + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +TRAINING THE COON DOG. + +In training, we have been told to drag a 'coon hide, lead a pet +'coon, etc., but your pup soon learns to associate your tracks with +the trail of the drag, and when you carry the 'coon hide he simply +follows your track to where you start the drag again. Should you have +a 'coon so tame that it will follow you, start out and tramp through +the woods, along streams and just such places as 'coons frequent. +Your 'coon will run logs, go up on the side of trees, in and out of +the water, in fact will do just about as a wild 'coon would. After +you have been gone for some time, have someone turn your pup on the +trail and if he runs it, keep him a little later each time, and you +will soon have a trailer out of him anyway. Should you have neither +'coon nor old dog, you can train your pup without. + +In nearly all places where there are 'coons, squirrels and woodchucks +(groundhogs) may be found also. Teach your dog to lead and when he is +about eight months old, attach a light cord to his collar; then some +good morning for squirrels, take him to the woods. Keep him until he +gets sight of a squirrel, then drop the cord and let him go; he will +likely see it run up a tree, and perhaps he will bark, but if not, do +not urge him, but give him plenty of time; then take him to find +another and if he does not get to barking, get one in small timber, +where you can make it jump from tree to tree; if he does not bark +then, he will never be much of a 'coon dog. + +If he barks after he has learned to tree squirrels, take him to a +woodchuck country. He will soon get to working after woodchucks and +while they won't all tree, some of them will. Should he get one in a +hole, hollow log or tree, get it for him if possible and let him kill +it, and see that he doesn't get hurt much. If he trees one, shoot it +out for him, and after he has gotten a few, and trees another, go to +where you can see him, but do not let him see you, and watch until he +starts to leave; then go to him and by so doing, he will learn to +stay and wait for you. + +After you have a good dog for woodchucks, you may rest assured that +he will tree a 'coon if he finds a trail. If it happens to be summer +time, take him where 'coons abide and turn him loose. He will likely +run rabbits, but when he strikes a 'coon trail, he will take it. As +soon as you know he is after a 'coon, keep after him as near as +possible, but let him have his own way. If he trees it and barks, get +to him as soon as you can, but do not urge him, for he will get to +lying as soon as you want him to without any help from you. + +After he has barked awhile, encircle the tree with him; then if the +'coon has been up and gone on again, he will strike his trail, and, +after a few times, he will learn to circle before barking. If the +'coon is up and it is summer time or early fall, when 'coon hides are +not prime, take your dog back from the tree, keep still, and unless +it is a den tree, you won't have long to wait, for another 'coon +chase, and by keeping your dog longer each time, you will soon have a +cold trailer out of him. + +This may seem considerable work for some, but it takes work and time +to make even a fair 'coon dog. Should you have a good dog to train +with, it saves lots of work, but even then it is a good plan to work +early in the season, and tree your 'coon several times in one night, +as you do not have far to go after the first tree. + +In breeding 'coon dogs, the same rule applies as in fox dogs--if your +dog is bred from a line of 'cooners, he will take to it naturally. +Some one will say, I will take a house cat to teach my dog to tree. +Well I have done that myself, but after cutting several good trees, +only to get a house cat, I learned better. It is just as easy to +break a dog from running cats, as rabbits, and more so. I do not +consider a dog that will run and tree every house cat he strikes the +trail of, a No. 1 'coon dog, no matter what his other good qualities +may be. + +Years ago, when timber was more plentiful than now, I always trained +my dog to take care of himself, when a tree was cut for 'coons, and I +never had a dog get hurt, nor had many 'coons to get very far from +the tree. + +They are easily taught by cutting small trees in the day time and +making them keep back until the tree is down; but now, timber is +getting rather scarce and valuable to cut for 'coons. + +When a dog is trained for 'coon so that he is first class, he is +valuable in dollars and cents as well as satisfaction. One of our +good friends sets the value in this way, and we agree with him, +except that where one is training a dog for his own use, love of the +pursuit and woods repays him in a measure for his trouble: + +"A man ought not to expect to get a first class 'coon dog for five or +ten dollars. In fact, one can't be trained for that price, not saying +anything about his feed. In the first place stop and consider how +many nights one has to be taken out to get him to understand running +them, and to learn their tricks and to tree and stay treed. They may +do this in a reasonably short time with another older, well trained +dog to show them how to find the tree and keep them out there, but +then take him out by himself and when Mr. 'Coon goes in the creek or +around an old pond or bog your young dog lacks experience and a +year's work or more. + +Then there is the rabbit which he must be broken not to run, and a +dog can always find their tracks before he can a 'coon. Now here is +where the right kind of judgment must be used, as all dogs cannot be +handled alike, and one may spoil a pup in trying to break him from +rabbits. So taking everything into consideration, it is worth far +more to train a dog for a first class 'coon dog than most people +consider,--what it requires to train a dog, and what he should be +worth when properly broken. + +Of course, it is not so much work to train a dog to run fox, as there +is generally a lot of fox dogs one can turn in with, and that way get +a young dog started and he will take to running them naturally." + +I think a good dog, either a fox hound, or one that has never run +foxes, makes the best dog, altho curs or 'coon dogs are not to be +kicked out, that is if they are good, true hunters. I wouldn't advise +trying to train a hound with a cur unless he is an old 'coon dog. Try +and get your dog on a 'coon right in the start, and do not let him +fight too much the first time, unless he is an extra fighter. Do not +let your dog stay out hunting when the other dogs have treed a 'coon; +make him come in and bark up the tree. Always climb the tree for your +dog and get what he has, no matter if it takes until daylight. + +When I own young dogs, I always train them myself. I never permit a +stranger to handle them. It is all right for strangers to handle the +old dogs once they are trained but the hunter who wishes to have good +dogs should train them himself or have a man who thoroughly +understands the proper way to use young dogs. It is a very easy +matter to spoil a dog when you do not know exactly how to proceed. + + [Illustration: Capable Cross-bred Cooners.] + +On the question of the proper age at which to begin training a hound, +a successful Minnesota trainer takes issue with those who advise +taking the pup to field at eight or ten months of age. He writes in +part: "I disagree with those who advise the early initiation of the +pup. Any kind of fairly well bred pup will run, not only at 10 +months, but at 5, 6 or 7 months, but the point to consider is, will a +dog put at hard work at such age, become a hardy one? Will he develop +himself as well as if he had been given a chance to grow some bones? +I say no; put a colt at hard work at 2 or 3 years old, will he ever +be the horse which he would have been, if he had only been broken at +4 or 5 years old? Every horse breeder knows that if he wants a good +roadster, he must give him a chance to grow, then he will not be +afraid to cover 60 or more miles in a day with that horse; not only +this but he will get many times the price for that horse as for his +brother which was put to work two years earlier. I have bred horses +and know of what I speak. + +There are many reasons why a sportsman should not start to train his +dog to hunt before he is full grown, that is at least not until he is +12 to 15 months old. Before that age, a pup may have the will but he +has not the strength to cover the ground of an old dog. A man who has +a valuable pup should wait until he is capable to stand hardships, +and until he has also a good knowledge box. In allowing a pup of 6, +7, 8 or 10 months to hunt, he will learn more bad tricks than good +ones, such as to remain in the bush longer than necessary, and soon +become a long record dog. The risk is great that he will get lost, or +if not, will return with swollen feet and legs if he ran at all, also +be chilled and be rewarded with a fine dose of distemper. This is +often the cause why so many young dogs die with distemper or of some +other lingering death, but if a man gives time to his dog to develop +and get strong, the chance is, should he ever get distemper, it would +be but a slight attack from which he will soon recover." + +We take it, however, that our well informed friend does not mean to +imply that a pup should not be taken afield and given a kindergarten +course earlier than a year old. His contention is, no doubt, that the +pup should not be permitted to over exert himself or to be thrown too +much on his own resources. + + [Illustration: Good Catch in Which the Shepherd Dog Figured +Prominently.] + + + +CHAPTER V. + +TRAINING FOR SKUNK, OPOSSUM AND MINK. + +All the foregoing has more or less application to the present topic. +We are still dealing with the nocturnal wanderers. Occasionally any +of the above may be discovered abroad in the full glare of day. Some +hunters successfully locate them, by the aid of dogs, in their dens +or burrows and capture them in the day-time. This is a cut and dried +operation that requires none of the resourceful tactics of man and +dog in the chase, and is, therefore, dismissed from the discussion. +Now, what are the dog's duties? The matter of still hunters vs. +tonguers, being of such variance of opinion, it will be discussed in +a subsequent and separate chapter. + +Having impressed your dog with the fact that you want him to look out +for skunk, possum and mink, as well as 'coon, the next point of +importance is to insist on the dog staying with the quarry and +barking until you arrive; also not to take hold until the word is +given as the hide is apt to be all chewed up and full of holes if the +dog is too long and too vigorous in the task. Many hunters pick up +many of the skunk on the field, without even being touched by the +dogs. + +In this connection a contributor writes: "We walk right up to the +skunks and pick them up by the tails; then hit them on the head with +a club and kill them or put them in the bag and take them home alive, +as the occasion may suit." + +"Now I won't tell that I can catch skunks without getting scented, +but will say this, we have caught hundreds by the tail, and after +lifting them clear off the ground, never have been scented by them. +As I said before, I go for the business end of it, and am not afraid +to get some scent on me as long as I don't get it in my eyes. If you +get it in your eyes, it feels about as if you had horse-radish or hot +water in them for the next ten minutes, which is not altogether +pleasant." + +The skunk is a foolish, unresourceful animal and were it not for its +natural, unique means of defense, would be utterly at the mercy of +dogs and hunters. Many dogs object to the scent and will trail and +bring to bay a skunk only with reluctance. Only those who hunt for +profit, care to take the skunk, and he must needs learn the finer +points by experience. + +The Scotch Terrier and Beagle should be mink dog. The steel trap is +more generally relied upon to bag the sly mink and his capture with +dog and gun is oft-times very unproductive. + + [Illustration: Opossums Are Easily Caught Alive for Training +Purposes.] + +A Pennsylvania hunter contributes the following to the general fund: +a good cross for mink as well as rabbit. This combination gives the +requisite agility needed in coping with mink. Some even advise a +strain of water Spaniel with the above breed for ideal. + +"Before taking him out you can teach the young dog when 8 or 10 +months old, what to do by catching an animal that you wish to train +your dog on and leading it around. If it is a 'coon or opossum, then +put up a tree or on a fence. Loose your dog and let him trail until +he finds it. Teach the dog to bark by hissing him on and clapping, +whooping to him and such like. + +If for skunk, kill one and drag it around, place it out of pup's +reach, and teach him to bark when he comes upon his game. You can +teach the habit of tongueing after night or silence on the trail as +you prefer. Let your young dog shake and chew at the game you are +training him to hunt for. After he has found it and he fails to bark +by hissing him, tie a rope three feet long to it and keep throwing it +toward him and pulling it quickly away to teach him to grab at it and +hold on, and also bark. A live skunk generally gives a young dog such +a lesson the first time that he is always afraid of one afterwards, +unless he is an Irish terrier or bull dog or beagle crossed. These +two breeds are good ones for any kind of night hunting. + +Take a live animal, a 'coon or something, and lead it past your young +dog's box where he is tied and let him see it and take notice how he +will want it, but all you want is to teach him the scent and how to +tongue when he comes up on the game. I believe what I have told will +generally break any dog. + +A good dog, well broken to hunt 'coon, skunk or opossum is worth +scores of traps. Don't be afraid to switch a young dog some, to make +him learn good from bad, like tonguing track and rabbit. Always pet +him and be friendly after chastising him, and a good scolding with a +couple of light smacks with open hand will take the place of a +whipping. Don't use a stick unless necessary. Use judgment, the same +as you would want some one to use you, and in a few nights' training +your dog will be catching game. It is easy sailing after a few are +caught, and your dog is your greatest friend you have. He will make +you from $5.00 to $15.00 a night, where if you were trapping for the +same game, you would be lucky if you got a dollar's worth of fur, and +besides what is finer sport than a day's gunning, to hear your old +dog up on yonder hill or in some woods talking to you to come his +way?" + + [Illustration: North Dakota Wolf Hounds.] + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +WOLF AND COYOTE HUNTING. + +In training a dog to run wolves, it is unsafe to allow a young dog to +go alone, as some wolves prefer fighting to running, and if a young +dog is whipped back a few times, he will become afraid, or will be +perhaps, spoiled altogether. Training a dog to hunt young wolves is a +harder task, and unless your dog is born for it, you will fail to +make anything like a first class dog out of him. Almost any good fox +dog will hunt old wolves, but very few will hunt pups, and my +experience has been that a bitch will hunt quicker than a dog. There +are a great many dogs that will trail and hunt a wolf to a finish, +but will pay no attention to the pups whatever; but if you succeed in +finding one that is inclined to hunt them, remember that practice +makes perfect. + +Speaking of brush wolves: The kind of dog needed is a good ranger, +extra good cold trailer and an everlasting stayer. Then if he will +only run a short distance after starting the wolf and come back and +hunt the pups, and then bark at them when found, you have a good, +valuable dog. There are plenty of dogs that will hunt and trail +wolves all right, but very few that will hunt the pups. + +Sometimes when your dog trails in near the pups you will get a fight, +and sometimes they will jump out and run for it. Sometimes if the +pups are quite young you will find the mother in with them and for +the first few days she will be found near them, but as they grow +older she will be found farther away. + +A Minnesota wolfer who averages 35 wolves a year pins his faith in +the long eared variety of hounds, with features of strength, +endurance, good tonguers and stayers. + +From another source we are advised that the best dogs ever for +coyotes, are part English blue and Russian stag. English blue are +very fast and the stag are long winded and have the grit to make a +good fight. + +Another admired and capable dog is the one-half Scotch stag hound and +one-half grey hound. + +A Wisconsin hunter writes that the best breed to catch and kill +coyotes are one-half shepherd and one-half hound. They are faster +than a hound and trail just as well on a hot trail. + +Another fast breed for coyotes is a one-fourth English bull, +one-fourth blood hound and one-half fox hound. + + [Illustration: Typical Western Wolf Hounds.] + +A Kansas hunter contributes some first hand discussion of wolf +hunting as follows: I have been hunting wolves with dogs for eight or +nine years and have caught my share. I only hunt in spring and late +in fall, but any time is good when you can find them. But don't take +your dogs out in summer, as it will be sure to be the time when you +will find a hard race, and there is where you will hurt some of your +best dogs. I use a pack of from three to five, but the more the +better. + +I have tried most all kinds of dogs and have found a cross with stag +hound and English greyhound suits me the best. I don't have any use +for a full blood English greyhound--they cannot stand the cold +weather and are too easily hurt in a fight. + +I want a dog that will weigh 75 pounds, with long legs and short back +so he can gather himself up quickly. I don't think foxhounds are any +good for wolves. I have seen thirty-five of them start after the same +wolf, in good weather and four hours afterward there were only two, +the smallest of the pack, still in the race. I have no doubt but that +they could have taken the wolf several times in the race, but all +they could do was to bark. + +I will not say a full blood stag hound is not all right, in a level, +unobstructed country, but in many parts of the country many large +dogs would not be able to get thru the fences or over the rough +ground with the ease that the smaller ones do. + +I have never seen the big dog that could catch and kill a wolf by +himself. I have killed them with two, but would rather have four or +five. + +I always hunt on a horse, and they should be the best of horses, well +broken and not afraid of wire. I never carry a gun of any kind, but +always have a hammer, and if I want to succor the dogs in the race, I +will ride up to the dogs and kill the wolf for them. + +THE IRISH WOLFHOUND. + +The Irish wolfhound of history is no more, the breed having become +extinct years ago. There has been a determined effort, however, to +approximate him with a present day breed. The modern Irish wolfhound +is a cross between the Scottish deerhound and the Great Dane. Other +combinations have also been tried, with more or less good effect. + +According to the idea of the American-Irish Wolfhound Club, the Irish +wolfhound should be "not quite so heavy or massive as the Great Dane, +but more so than the deerhound, which in general type be should +resemble. Of great size and commanding appearance, very muscular, +strongly though gracefully built; movements easy and active, head and +neck carried high; the tail carried with an upward sweep, with a +slight curve toward the extremity. + +The minimum height and weight of dogs should be 31 inches and 120 +pounds; bitches 28 inches and 90 pounds. Anything below this should +be debarred from competition. Great size, including height and +shoulder and proportionate length of body is the desideratum to be +aimed at, and it is desired to firmly establish a race that shall +average from 32 to 34 inches in dogs, showing the requisite power, +activity, courage and symmetry." + +"The coat should be rough and hard on body, legs and head; especially +wiry and long over the eyes and under the jaws. The recognized colors +are gray, brindle, red, black, pure white, fawn or any color that +appears in the deerhound." + +THE RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND. + +The Russian wolfhound has a reputation for being a most capable +wolf-catcher in his native country, but so far the pure bred hound of +that family has not held his own with the American wolf. He has the +speed and capacity for catching the wolf, but is unable to cope with +him or detain him long enough for the hunter to arrive. Admirers of +the dog say he lacks training and adaption and that he will with a +generation or two of careful training and practice become the most +available dog for the purpose. + + [Illustration: Termination of a Successful Chase.] + +Others get good results by crossing in some fiercer and stronger +blood. + +The Russian Wolfer has somewhat the clean cut appearance of the +greyhound, though more stockily built, and has a long, silky coat of +wavy or curly hair. + +"In general appearance" says an authority, "he is an elegant, +graceful aristocrat among dogs, possessing courage and combining +great muscular power with extreme speed, weighing from 75 to 105 +pounds." + + [Illustration: Good Dogs Make Good Luck.] + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +TRAINING--FOR SQUIRRELS AND RABBITS. + +Here is my way for training squirrel and coon hounds, which I think +is best, writes a Texas Hunter. First, select good healthy pups, +raise them up friendly and don't whip or cow them in any way until +about ten or twelve months old, for if pups get cowed when young they +will never get over it. When about ten months old, take them out +hunting with one or two squirrel dogs and then when the old dogs tree +in small trees or any place where you can make them jump out, jump +the squirrel out and get your pups after them. + +Then if the squirrel gets up another tree your pups will bark up the +tree at him. Then when they bark well up the tree at the squirrel, +pet, sick and yell to let the pups know that you are trying to help +them catch the squirrel. Keep jumping the squirrel out until they +catch him, and if they don't catch him and it gets away up a big tree +where you can't jump him, then shoot him and they will wool him when +he falls out. + +Clean the squirrel and give the pups some of it to eat, and you won't +be but a few times out hunting squirrels and jumping them out for the +pups and trying to help them catch the squirrel until they will start +out hunting and treeing squirrels as good as any old dog. If the dogs +won't bark up the tree when you get through all of this and they see +the squirrel run back up the tree, you might as well kill them or +take them and run deer, for they will never make tree dogs. + +The following directions for perfecting the rabbit dog, are from the +pen of an experienced and successful Ohio hunter. + +Get your pup some day while young, if possible, keep him by you, and +when you see a sparrow or something alive, shoot it, pick it up and +show him what you shot at; do this at home. Shoot all you please +while he is young, so when you go hunting with him and shoot at game +he won't be afraid and make a bee line for home. + +Most dogs will soon take a liking to guns. Now to training a beagle +dog to be a good one on rabbits, I warn you never to take another dog +along, but for a common hound you may use your own way. + +I have seen good beagle dogs spoiled by other dogs. Now, some frosty +morning take your pup to where you most think there are rabbits; +scare one out, and then if he is not near, give three good sharp +whistles which you ought to keep as your signal for him to come. If +you train your pup to a regular code of whistles, he will know what +you want. So here is a good code, which if kept in rule, will become +very handy. When you have scared up game let three sharp whistles be +the calling; if you only want him to come to go another way, give +three long ones. Motion your hand in what direction you want to go +and he will soon learn to understand. + +I have often let the dog decide the way to go. Now to go back to the +old subject, when he comes you must be all excited and showing him +that you are greatly in need of him. Then show him three of four +places where the rabbit hopped; when he gets a start you go and stand +where you most think he will come around, but again I warn you never +to jump and run away while your pup is near enough to see or even +hear you, for if you do, he will leave the track and follow you. +Also, you will do a fine piece of work to shoot the first rabbit he +brings around. + +Now when you shoot the game, pick it up and wait until your dog +comes, then show it to him, but never let him eat one, for if you +only cripple one he will catch and eat it. Teach him in the start to +hold game until you come to him. Now to get him to start to hunt +another rabbit may be your trouble. He may want to stay with you and +try to steal your rabbit. The best way to start him out is to start +walking through the brush and stamping on brush piles, at the same +time telling him to "hunt 'em up." Keep a piece away from him and he +will soon start to hunt again. Now if he runs one into a den, what +should you do? Dig 'im out and be a "Johnny-dig-'em-out" or let him +go. + +Better examine the first den, and if not over 2 or 3 feet deep and +only a small hole, you may dig it out, if it is one of your dog's +first hunts, but don't dig very big dens, for by the time you dig one +out, you may get a shot at another. The way to get your pup away from +a den is to look the situation over and then give up, telling him to +give it up; we can't get it; he will soon come away. + +There are other things to be careful of; first you should never hurry +your dog; walk slow and when he gets used to hunting let him scare up +the most of the game or he will get lazy and want you to be the dog. +Never whip your dog for a mistake, or you may spoil him. Then when +you come home you may give him the rabbit heads. Let him in the +house, and when you eat your rabbit, give him all the bones. This +will teach him why and for what you take your game home. One great +thing is, if your dog scares up game and is following on the trail, +don't change your standing place too often; judge the point where the +game will come around and stay there until it does come. + +Some fellows will run, jump and halloo after his dog while running a +rabbit; there is where you spoil him, for you must be cool in mind. +Then when your dog is running a rabbit and night is coming on, don't +go home until your dog comes to you, or right there is where your dog +will be discouraged. So when the day's hunt is over you can go home +with your dog by your side. + +While you are showing him what good he did for you, if he is wet and +cold call him near the stove and dry him. For if a dog must lay +outside all wet, he will soon become stiff in his limbs, and +rheumatism will be seen at an early age. Always after the day's hunt, +give him all he wants to eat. Don't have him too fat in hunting +season, because he will tire out too easily. + + [Illustration: The Fair Sex are More and More Becoming +Practical Nimrods.] + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +TRAINING THE DEER HOUND. + +On all things there is a main point, also certain rules which should +never be forgotten in training hounds, especially the age and the way +to train them. My experience has taught me that it is a big mistake +to allow a young deer hound to go in the woods before he is 12 to 15 +months old, says a Canadian hunter. + +At a year old a hound should know how to lead well, that is not to +pull on the chain for all he is worth ahead of his master but to +follow behind him through every place he passes, if between, under or +over logs as well as fences, to follow exactly the same trail as his +master. A dog or a pair coupled together, so trained, can be easily +led in any bush without any bother whatever. It is not at all +necessary that a dog should lead in front of his master to find a +trail. A dog with a keen nose can pick a trail from the air several +yards before reaching it. He will then pull you in the direction of +the same and if the scent is fresh, he will be anxious to follow it, +then if the hunter is a man who understands his business, he will +examine the track by following it 100 yards or so and if suitable +and going (if it is a deer) in the right direction and if the wind is +also right, will then allow his hound to go. + +A dog which knows his business will not open the minute he gets the +scent but will cover the ground fast and save his steam until he has +jumped the deer or fox, then open his value and if he is a flyer he +will water more deer in five hours than another which gives tongue as +soon as he takes the scent in five days for the reason that a dog +which opens the very instant he finds a trail will have to cover 20 +times more ground to bring his deer to water, than the one which does +not. + + [Illustration: The Deer Seeks Refuge in Deep Water.] + +A hound should not be gun or water shy but should be shy of +strangers, traps and of poisoned baits. He should know how to swim +across a river or lake and where to land. He should have but one +master and obey him to the word and this without the use of the whip. +He should know how to ride in a canoe. All this can be taught to him +in about 3 months and he should know all these things before he is +broken to hunt. + +The next thing is to accustom your dog to the gun. This is easily +done. All you have to do is to take your gun and dog into a field and +once there to tie your dog say five or six feet from you, then to +shoot the gun and after every shot to speak kindly to your dog and +make him smell the gun. In a day or so repeat as before and the +moment you see that your dog is not afraid let him loose and shoot +again and always pet him. He will then know what a gun is. So when +your young hound knows the gun, the canoe and water, he may be taught +to be shy of strangers, traps and of poisoned baits. + +To break a dog to hunt, you must not allow him to go in the bush +whenever he likes. A dog that hunts without being in the company of +his master will never be a well trained dog. Therefore, you must lead +him in the bush and if you have a well trained dog, you may couple +him with the young one and walk until you find a good trail then +follow it with the dogs till you see that the young one has caught +scent right, then let go the young hound first and the "old timer" +last. If the hound comes from hunting stock, he will hang to the +trail with the other dog and he will only turn up with him but for +some reason or another, should the young hound come back to you, +"don't get mad and kick or beat him." No, this is a great error and +many are the dogs which have been spoiled that way. Instead of +beating, speak kindly to him and pet him a few seconds and keep +moving towards where the chase is going. + +Don't excite your dog, pay no attention to him. If he wants to follow +you at your heels, let him do so and once you reach a place where +likely the other dog is going to pass, stay there and when the old +dog comes along, the young one will again join and may stay this time +with him, as the scent will be hot and the chances are ten to one +that the young hound will take a hand in the music. But if after ten, +or twenty minutes, he should again return, treat him as before. Be +always kind to him. If you have no old dog to train your young one, +go with your dog and show him the game you want him to hunt, lead him +until you kill one, then blood him. The blooding is the "A, B, C" of +training. Allow him to smell the game all he likes, speak kindly to +him even if he bites the game, don't kick him off or use a stick on +him, as I have often seen done by some fellows who pretend that to +teach a hound you must abuse him. If you want a foolish dog, that is +the way to use him but if you desire an intelligent one, you must +encourage him. + +After a dog has been well blooded (the blooding is done by rubbing +the hot blood of the game on the front legs, as well as on the sides +of the dog), you may turn him loose or you may lead him until you +find another trail. He will at once be anxious to follow. Let him +lead for a hundred yards and once you are sure that he has the scent +in the right direction, let him go and if that hound comes from +trained stock, he will run that scent immediately and should he only +be away for five, ten or more minutes and come back to you, speak +kindly to him and tell him to hunt. Always mention his name and keep +moving in the direction where you suppose the game is. + +It is a good thing that a young dog backs his own tracks at first, as +it teaches him that he can find you when he likes and a hound that +does this after each chase will never get lost no matter where you +may go. In deer hunting, it has many advantages in so far, that when +you are several miles from camp, after your dog has a start you keep +moving and if you find where a deer has just passed, you can just sit +there and wait for the return of the dog and as soon as he returns, +you just tie him and allow him to rest for fifteen or twenty minutes +and then you start him again. I have often had two and sometimes four +chases in one forenoon and this without bother. Hounds thus trained, +will always return to camp every night for their feed and will be +ready for the next day. + + [Illustration: Well Trained Hounds.] + +Some hunters say that their dogs are so good that when they turn them +loose, they always stay away for three or four days and they even go +so far as to say, that they hunt night and day during the whole time +they are away. Well, this is not the case at all. The reason is that +they will chase a deer or fox for three or four hours or more and +when they have watered the deer or holed their fox, will then start +to ramble around and start after another and after watering their +second deer, they will be so far away that they are unable to find +their way back, and they will walk until they can go no more. They +will then lie down for a long time and walk around and howl until +they find somebody's trail, which they will follow to the end or +until they land at a settler's house or at some shanty and will +remain there. + +Now how many dogs like these will a party of ten or twelve men +require to hunt, during ten or fifteen days in a strange country? +When a hound has been away three or four days, is he in condition to +run the next day after his return? No, it will take him as many days +to recover and often he will be of no use for the remainder of the +hunt. + +Dogs like these may suit men living in the country where there is +game. Their dogs after having been lost several times will, through +time, know the lay of the country and be fairly good dogs at home, +but take these hounds in a strange country, of what use and how many +will a hunting party require to hunt every day of their outing? Well, +they will require a car-load and besides several men to hunt the +dogs. Such dogs as these don't stay with me, as I consider them a +nuisance, especially for city sportsmen, who are so busy during the +whole year that they can only take a few weeks holiday every year, +they require a strain of hounds on which they can depend every day of +their hunt. I want a dog to be a flyer and to back track after every +chase and to find me in the bush and not make for camp after his +chase or wait at the shore until some "Johnny Sneakum" comes along +with his canoe and says, "Get in Jack," and that Jack is only too +glad to jump in and the next thing is that you don't see Jack for the +balance of the season, but you will learn later on that Jack has been +half starved that it will cost you $5.00 to $10.00 for the board if +you desire to get Jack. + +I will say here that I owe my life to two of my hounds. I was lost +once in the woods in a blinding snow storm. This was in Western +Ontario amongst a range of sappy pine hills. I was about five miles +from camp. In the morning when I left the weather was very fine but +it soon started to snow and the storm lasted until about 9 P. M. I +was soaking wet and I had left my compass at camp, my matches were +all wet and I slept in the bush. At 10 A. M. I had started my two +hounds and about 11 A. M. they came back to me. It was just +commencing to snow heavily but thinking it would not last long, I +made for another hill where I was aware, if any deer started from +there it was a sure run for our men, so I arrived there in due time +and got a start. It was still snowing very heavily. I then pointed +for home. I had about five miles more to reach our camp when I came +to a place where a deer had just left his nest, so I thought that I +could get a shot at him but after having followed him for about an +hour, I gave him up and I tried to make for camp. + +Well, instead of making for camp, I made a circle and came back to +the same place where I had left the deer's track. It was 4 P. M., +when my dogs came back to me. I knew then that I was completely +turned so I decided to spend the night right there. I looked for a +sheltered place and after removing all the snow I could I lay down +with my back against a big flat stone and with my two dogs lying near +me. We were quite comfortable and early in the morning, I pointed for +camp. Now if these dogs had not returned to me, I really believe that +I would not be able to write this, as their heat preserved me from +freezing to death. + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +TRAINING--SPECIFIC THINGS TO TEACH. + +To teach the dog to bark treed, it is best, of course, to take him +out with an old dog, but if you have no old dog, you can train him +without one. This can be done by catching a live ground hog, 'coon or +opossum. Take the animal you have to some small tree, a dogwood for +instance, and let it climb from the ground up. It would be better if +you could lead it or even drag it a short distance--ten feet, say, at +first, to a tree. + +Don't let your dog look on while doing this. After you have your +animal treed, get your dog and bring him to the tree and give him the +scent on the ground. If he is new at the business, he will not likely +look up the tree, but will hunt for trail. If he finds where the +animal is himself, try to get him to bark, but if he doesn't find it, +then show him. Try to make him bark. That is one of the objects at +this point as well as to find where the animal is. + +Have your gun along, and as soon as you get your dog to bark, shoot +into the air and at the same time, pull the animal out of the tree by +the string by which he is tied. But whatever you do, don't let the +animal get the best of your young dog or you will have a spoiled dog. +I always liked a possum for this work because they are easy to handle +and don't fight your dog. + + [Illustration: Good Friends Get Along Best.] + +You must remember that, at this point, you are not training your dog +to fight. The object is first to find where the animal goes and +second to get your dog to "bark up." Continue this practice for some +time; then put your animal in a larger tree out of sight but don't +put in the same tree each time, After you have your dog trained so he +will trail and bark up in the manner just described, the chances are +that he will tree 'coon, if he gets a fresh trail. Of course, he will +not be a good 'coon dog at once; that comes by experience. + +Next to a good dog in the 'coon hunting business, is a good gun and +lantern. Don't try to hunt 'coon with a common open lantern. A good +kind of lantern to find their eyes with is a dark or police lantern, +as you don't have to put them on your head to find their eyes. But +whatever kind you use, have one with a good bulls-eye and a +reflector. Use a good shot gun. I generally use No. 2 shot. + +Having prepared ourselves with a good dog, gun and lantern, we are +now ready for business. We will go out first on a cloudy night. We +will go into the woods and walk slowly, giving the dog plenty of time +to hunt and if we don't see him pretty soon, we will sit down on a +log and wait a while. + +Don't go thru the woods as if some one were after you or as if you +were in a hurry and then call your dog as soon as you get thru the +woods. You will never have a good 'coon dog if you do so, especially +if he is new at the business. If you want a dog that will stay by the +trail, you want to stay with him. If you use your dog properly that +is, if you hunt slow and sit down on a log or wait for your dog until +he comes in and then move on as soon as he does come in, you will +find that your dog will soon "catch on" to this and will always come +in as soon as he has a woods or a portion of a woods hunted over, +unless he "trees." + +Another brother offers the following suggestions: "Let me give you a +few pointers in regard to breaking them to hunt 'coon. When the pup +is five or six months old, teach him to speak or bark by holding up a +piece of meat or bread, and when you get him so he will bark, take +him into the woods where there are squirrels. Be sure and take your +gun along and chase every squirrel or cat up a tree and shoot the +squirrel. Be sure and make the dog help to chase the squirrel then +skin the squirrel. Cut it up in small pieces and feed it to your dog. +Do this as often as possible and you will be surprised how quickly he +will learn. Commence early in the fall to hunt 'coon, and keep away +as much as possible from the haunts of the rabbit with your dog, but +if he gets after a rabbit, get him off as soon as possible and scold +him. I wouldn't advise anyone to hunt rabbits with dog until +thoroughly broken to hunt 'coon." + +TEACHING THE DOG HOW TO SWIM. + +As for swimming, we are aware that all dogs when thrown in the water +can swim, but the question is, will they swim right and take to water +at once. I say no, they all need training before they will take to +water when told, swim and float right and remain in the water for +hours when necessary, and also return game from water when required +whether it be for fur or feathers. + +To teach a dog to swim, take him often to a nice shore and let him +play at the edge of the water and say nothing to him. After you have +done this during three or four days, tie him and row about thirty +yards from shore. Use a flat bottom boat or a good safe one and place +him gently in the water, hold his head above the water till he +floats, then row to the shore. He will follow and as soon as you +land, get out of the boat and call him to the shore. This will teach +him to land because should you stay in the boat, he will try to get +in the boat with you. + +Now allow him to play for five or ten minutes, then repeat the same +tactics but row a little further. After two or three days lessons +such as these, the dog will take the water. To make him do this, row +a few yards from the shore and call him. He will at once follow you. +Row slowly away and the moment you see he is getting tired, pull him +on board or row to shore. Never train your dog to swim during cold +weather but when it is warm and sunny. A nice sunny morning is the +best time to teach them to swim. Once he knows how to swim right, +take him across a small river or lake and then come back and make him +swim back. He will then never be afraid of water. + +To teach a hound to properly ride in a canoe, tie him and have a whip +or a small switch and make him lie down. Always speak to him kindly. +Mention the dog's name and say lie down. If he does not obey, whip +but do so carefully. "Avoid whipping," because there has been many +dogs that would have been good hunters that have been completely +spoiled by the whip. Always speak to your dog, then give one single +stroke; if he does not obey give another stroke and so on until he +does so. As soon as he lies down, you can allow him to put up his +head and look above the boat and row across the river or lake. Once +on the other side, order him off and hold your rope which must be a +long one. If he goes to jump, give him a good check and make him walk +off easily. Once he is landed, hold him and pet him. Stay there five +minutes or so, then get in the boat again, hold the boat and order +your dog to get in the boat. I use the word "Board." Mention the +dog's name and say "board" and to order him out, say "move." + +As soon as the dog gets in the boat say, "Lie down" or just "down" +and if he does not obey, show him the whip and command him, then +whip. As soon as he is down, get in and row a few hundred yards +further and repeat the same a dozen of times. The moment the dog +obeys, you must pet him so as to make him understand that what he +does is right. If you will repeat the same tactics for three or four +days, the dog will soon know how to balance himself and will be very +steady--you will never have any bother with him. Thus a dog trained +to water and canoe is a very handy thing for you as well as for the +dog. Should you have no room in the canoe, he will swim. If you have +room, just for him he will be as safe for you to take on board as a +stone. A pair of hounds so trained will just balance your canoe +right. It is a good thing to put some hay, straw or a bag in the +bottom of the boat or canoe for the dog to lie down on. They will +soon know their place to lay. + +A QUICK METHOD. + +Having many years of experience in the breeding and training of +hounds to hunt nearly all kind of game, a Canadian brother hunter +tells how to train dogs for 'coon when he has no old dog to teach the +young one. + +1st. Set a trap where you see 'coon signs as follows: Take the skin +or part of a good sized green codfish, tie it to a string and drag it +along the bank of a creek or place where you see their signs, to the +place you wish to set your trap. + +2nd. Take a good sized stick about 4 feet long, drive it well on a +nice flat piece of land, then tie what you have dragged to this stick +about 20 inches from the ground. Have the bait well tied so that Mr. +'Coon will have a hard job to pull a piece off. + +3rd. Take three No. 1 1/2 or larger size steel traps, but not very +stiff spring, set them 8 inches from the stick and arrange in such a +way as to form a triangle. Have the chains well secured so that Mr. +'Coon will only be caught in one of the traps. Dig holes for four +traps and cover chain and traps with dry grass or leaves. Be careful +not to put anything to interfere with the jaws of your traps and make +things look as natural as possible. Visit your traps the next morning +and the chances will be that you will have one or two 'coons waiting +you. I have often found three waiting me in one setting as above. +When you have a coon or two, take one at a time to an open field +about 400 yards from the bush, then tie a long clothes line to the +ring of the chain in such a way that it will not slip off. At the +other end of the line, tie something white, and allow Mr. 'Coon to +make for the bush. Have a friend with you that will keep an eye on +Mr. 'Coon. Then take your dog to the spot in the field where the coon +started from, and make him take the scent, and once he has it in the +right direction and commences to pull, turn him loose and follow him. + +If the hound comes from good stock, he will soon find Mr. 'Coon and +will bark at him. Encourage him and have your friend pull on the line +in order to make the 'coon move. The dog will then catch him; after +the hound has pinched the 'coon a couple of times, throw the line +over a branch of some good sized tree and help the 'coon to climb. +Allow the dog to bark for a while. Shoot the coon, open him at once +and blood your dog well by rubbing the blood on his front legs and +over his body. + +If you have another coon, repeat the same with the second as you have +done with the first, but in another direction of the field and bush. +Always allow the 'coon to go far enough so that your dog will not see +him. When you take him where the coon scent is, after the 'coon is +dead and your dog well blooded, go home with your dog and 'coon. +Chain your dog and put the 'coon near him for three or four hours +before skinning and while doing this, have your dog near you. The +next day, take your dog where 'coons are moving and he will soon have +one for you. Repeat the blooding every time and you will soon have a +No. 1 'coon dog. + + [Illustration: Co-operation Between the Man and His Dogs Brings +Results.] + + + +CHAPTER X. + +TRAINING--RANDOM SUGGESTIONS FROM MANY SOURCES. + +Summing up we find much pointed and valuable information relating to +the training of dogs omitted thru lack of space. From this we present +a chapter of "nuggets" in paragraph form, which will no doubt prove +interesting and beneficial to those interested in training hunting +dogs. Here are a few things not to do: + +Don't allow your dogs to run into every farmyard as you pass along +the road. + +Don't allow them to be used with which to run stock. + +Don't let them get into the habit of running other dogs. + +Don't let them run house-cats. + +Don't teach him to be called by shooting. + +Don't, when out hunting, keep urging him all the time. + +Don't let every one have him to hunt with or he will soon be +everybody's dog. + +Don't allow them to come into the house and get into every pan and +kettle, if your wife is good-natured. + +Don't correct him by pulling his ears, for a fox dog needs his +hearing. + +Don't feed but twice a day, and don't stint him on his feed before +starting on a race. + +Don't allow him to run loose when you are not using him. + + * * * + +Did you ever try using a sheep bell on a still trailer on windy, +stormy nights? It's a such bells on sheep and disregard them until +the dog but 'coon usually become accustomed to sheep bells on sheep +and disregards them until the dog gets too close for them to escape. +Then, where not accustomed to the bell, their curiosity overcomes +their fear. The best pair of 'coon dogs I ever owned was Sport, a fox +hound and collie, half and half, a slow semi-mute trailer, and Simon, +a full blood fox terrier, a fast mute trailer. I used a bell on +Sport. This and his occasional barks on the trail kept the attention +of the 'coon while Simon cut across lots and invariably took him +unawares. + +I have learned at considerable expense that the best at most any +price is the cheapest. If you want a good, cheap 'coon dog, get a +half pup collie and half fox hound. Never give him a taste of nor let +him see a rabbit, teach him a few tricks (to make him pay for his +meals), such as jumping over a stick, then a pole, then a fence. This +is to teach him to obey every word. + +Never scold or whip him, gain his confidence, teach him to speak for +bits of meat so when the time comes to hunt 'coon you can get him to +bark up; get him to catch and carry and he will often catch an +opossum or maybe a mink or 'coon and kill it when away from you, and +if you teach him to bring everything (rats, woodchucks) home to you, +he will do the same in the woods after night. Never let him get +whipped by another dog or woodchuck, 'coon or even a big rat. Always +help him kill or whip everything he jumps on to or that jumps on to +him. A defeat will discourage him. + +When your young dog is ready for a night hunt in the woods or +cornfield, choose the best and most favorable night for the first +trip. Feed no meat nor milk for 24 hours previous to the first or any +subsequent trip, for that matter, for the best dogs, full of meat or +milk, cannot do good work on the most favorable night. Feed him a +good dinner of vegetables, but no supper until you return from the +hunt, then give him anything. Choose a dark and cloudy night, the +darker the better, not too still, as usually on very still nights the +atmosphere is heavy and smoke settles to the earth, so likewise does +the scent of the 'coon trail, and many a fine dog has been condemned +for failing to locate his 'coon when started under such a condition +as this. + + * * * + +Do not return home and leave your hounds in the woods, rather walk a +mile or two to catch them and they will be in better shape to hunt +the next day than if you had allowed them to run all night. + + * * * + +I notice so many of the boys in telling of their 'coon hunting say +when Old Jack or Trailer, or whatever his name might be, strikes a +trail they follow him as fast as they can run until out of wind, then +as soon as he barks treed, they go to him on the double quick, over +logs, brush, barb wire fences, thru brier patches, swamps and so on. +Now, this may be all right, I am not condemning any one else's method +of hunting, but just want to exchange ideas. When my dog strikes a +trail or I have reason to think there is anything doing, I just wait +right where I am until they tree or come back to me. If they bark +treed, I just take my time and if I know of a way around that will +save going thru some thicket or up some very steep hill, I just go +around and save those hardships. And another thing I never do is +whoop and hallo at my dogs when they are working. I think that has +spoiled many a good dog, and never run to a dog as soon as he barks +up, but give him time to think it over and circle the tree a few +times; then, when he settles down again you can go to him and depend +upon the 'coon being there. + + + +PART II. + +BREEDING AND CARE OF DOGS. + + [Illustration: Some Ideals.] + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +SELECTING THE DOG. + +Different hunters have different ideas as to the style of dog best +suited to their purposes. We can only approach the subject, by giving +views of experienced breeders, and the reader may choose as he is +inclined. + +From a Canadian Hunter comes the following: + +This question of the right kind of dogs to select is a matter on +which many sportsmen differ in opinion. Some prefer the small, some +the medium and others the large hound. For me I like a hound to be +from 24 to 27 inches high at the shoulder and well put together, with +a lot of bones, straight front legs with strong and compact feet, +"but not too large" with good strong nails well set in, the body to +be long and not short of flank with a wide chest and a moderate deep +chest and with a strong broad back, hind legs with the right kind of +bend, that is neither straight or too much curved in, with well +furnished thighs. + +Dogs with straight hind legs cannot run and jump over logs and fences +with the same ease as those having a marked bend. These dogs can +buckle and unbuckle with more quickness and power, such as is +required in the gallop than dogs having a round barrel shaped chest, +with both the front and hind legs straight. Dogs having a nearly +round chest cannot stand any length of hard running, such as those +having a narrow chest because a dog with a moderate deep and narrow +chest has better wind as he is able to alter the cubic contents of +his chest more rapidly and thus inhale and expire a larger volume of +air. Therefore, a dog with a deep or flat chest will always have a +greater speed than one with a round one. This is a well known fact in +all animals remarkable for their speed, such as deer, wolf and +greyhound. + +I like dogs with good muscular thighs with a fine long tapering and +graceful wavering stern, ears to be well set and not too long and not +thick and slabby, neck to be long and well set between the shoulders, +the head and muzzle, this is only a matter of taste. Those I prefer +are those having a long and narrow forehead and a fairly square +muzzle, ears from 7 to 9 inches long, lips loose but not hanging low, +throat loose and roomy in the skin and a good coat of hair so they +can stand cold and water, and with a good loud tongue and keen nose. +The color has nothing to do, the main point is the staying quality, +the speed, scent and endurance; the intelligence and the particular +style of ranging or beating the ground for trail as well as to run it +once found, with great speed. + +Some say a fine looking hound should be a good hunter. Well, any +hunter of experience in the handling of hounds is fully aware that it +is not always the dog which carries the prizes at the shows that is +the best dog in the field. The same thing exists with the horse. Some +people claim that it all depends on the breeding, others on the +training. The fact is that both are required as well as the right +shape the dog should have to be able to stand hard work day after +day. + + * * * + +The most essential thing to the value and working capabilities of fox +hounds is purity of blood, declares another. Too much care, +therefore, cannot be taken in selecting and breeding fox hounds. +Hounds for running the red fox should be selected from the best +possible blood that can be obtained. I like a hound with a long clear +voice--one that can be heard at least two miles away on an ordinary +calm day--and one that gives tongue freely when running and trailing +but not one that gives tongue when he has run over the trail and lost +scent. + + * * * + +In selecting a night hunting dog I prefer one that is three-quarters +or at least one-half fox hound. The reason is, the fox hound has a +good nose, also a good voice and speed. While I do not condemn a dog +that is bred in any other way, I prefer one bred as I have stated for +the reasons given above. + +Some prefer a dog that is part beagle, but if any reader of this book +has ever tried to train a dog with good beagle blood in his veins to +hunt coon, he has been up against the real thing. The trouble is, the +beagle has it bred right in him to run rabbits, and blood will tell. +The only point in favor of the beagle is his nose. With the exception +of the bird dog the beagle has the finest scent of the whole dog +family. I know this to be true by observation. A fox gives off more +scent than a rabbit, so does a coon and all the other animals. + +During the "nesting season" birds give scarcely any. This is a wise +provision of Nature to protect them from their enemies during this +important period. + +One day I saw a fine English setter almost step on a grouse that was +sitting on her nest. He never scented her until she went whirling out +the ridge right in front of his nose. That dog's actions told more +plainly than words could have done, how deeply he regretted the +incident. I have also seen a beagle run a rabbit after a heavy rain, +the rabbit, to my knowledge, having run before the rain fell. + + * * * + +Many writers say that a dog's pedigree and his being registered, does +not amount to the paper it is written on. Now I do not wish to +criticize any of my brother sportsmen, but I think it is the only way +to know if one's dog is well bred, and to have a well bred dog means +much less trouble in training him. Do not get discouraged if your dog +does not train as easily as he should, and always remember that much +depends upon you. Stay with your dog if you want him to be a good +sticker. Many a dog has been spoiled by leaving him to run for +nothing. + +In selecting a dog to hunt all kinds of game, get a good bred hound. +I have no use for mongrels or curs. They are dear at any price. Get a +thick, hard, round-footed, long ears coming out of head low down, +well developed chest, shortish tail, large at root or next to body, +long from hip to gamble joint, with broad strong back, wide nostrils +and long pendant lip. Now this is my idea of a good all around +hunting dog. I don't expect you to find all of these qualifications +in any one dog. + + * * * + +Have decided that for my use, a full blooded hound. That is a good, +fast and reliable trailer, one that will stay with the trail, cold or +hot, and never think of giving up until asked to. One that will bark +treed on a cold trail just the same as if he had run him up a sight +chase. One that should he in cold trailing run across a hot trail and +tree, will after catching go and take up cold trail again and tree. + + * * * + +When it comes to large hounds for coon, fox, etc., a cross of the +right kind of American fox hounds and the right kind of blood hounds +fills the bill to perfection. The blood hound has the keenest scent +of any dog living. The American fox hound has the speed. If a man has +a combination of the two he is starting on the right trail. I prefer +a fox hound bitch bred to bloodhound dog. How many ever saw a +thoroughbred bloodhound? They are a heavy built hound, medium size +heavy head, long ears, square deep muzzle, with heavy rolls of +wrinkles on head just over the eyes, which gives him a surly look. I +have seen what were called and sold for bloodhounds to a sheriff to +trail man. They would trail fairly well, but they came a long ways +from being thoroughbred bloodhounds. Any hound trained when young can +be taught to trail man or beast. + +Hunters differ as to the kind of dog to use for coon hunting. The +best coon dog I ever had (and I've had a good many) was a half Scotch +terrier and I don't know what the other half was. He was black and +white spotted with curly hair and weighed but thirty-two pounds. + +Some hunters prefer the shepherd dog and again some would hunt with +nothing else but a hound. I don't know as it makes much difference +what kind of a dog one uses, just so it is one of the hunting kind, a +good trailer and thoroughly well trained. Of course, not every dog, +even of the hunting kind, will make a good coon dog; about the only +way to tell is to try. + + * * * + +As to picking a pup for a coon hound, it is very hard to do, but I +want a full bloodhound, one that tongues on trail and a free barker +at tree. I want the old style hound, as the modern fox hounds are too +nervous for good coon hounds, although you may get one once in a +while that will work a cold trail very well. + +A cross between the old style, long eared hound and the fast trailing +hound with large, heavy shoulders, deep chest, a large fore leg, +large broad head, long ears, rather short coupled back, slightly +roached back, with a good square nose, rather large neck, set well +down in the shoulders. While this is my kind of hound for coon, do +not understand me to say that I want an extra slow trailer, for I do +not, but I want him to be steady, and when he has a trail he can work +it fast. This is my kind of a dog for coon, but he would not be in it +with an up to date fox hound on a fox chase, but running fox and coon +are different, and I want a different kind of a hound. + + * * * + +We have made a success in raising bear hounds, and find the only way +to get a good pup with the hunting habit, is to have it bred in them +first, says a California Brother. One has to have good parent hounds, +and while the mother dog is carrying the pups she must be worked on +whatever you want your pups to run. For instance, we have a black and +tan long eared bitch, bred her to a good hound, one quarter stag. +Before she had these puppies we caught three bears with others, +letting her get in and fight hard. + +These puppies when a month old would crawl on a bear hide rug, chew +and shake at it, and when three months old, would track, bark and +fight. Now they are five months old and know considerable about it. +We treed an old bear, and these pups kept right on and treed two +cubs, and barked up and stayed until we found them after we had the +old one skinned and cut up. They have the instinct in them, and are +beauties with just enough stag in them to have a good crop of +whiskers. + + [Illustration: Embryo Trailers.] + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +CARE AND BREEDING. + +As we must raise the dog before concerning ourselves with his +culture, let us begin with the pup. + +I commence to care for the pups by giving the bitch plenty of +exercise before they are born. Then as soon as they are born, put +them in a clean, dry place, where they will be comfortable,--if in +winter, where cold winds cannot reach them; if in summer, in a cool +place out of the hot sun. Feed the bitch well on good food of +different varieties; do not chain her, but rather shut her up in a +park of something of the kind, where she can exercise but not get out +to run, for if she should run she gets hot and you may loose some if +not all of your puppies. + +By the time the pups are three weeks old, you will need to commence +feeding some milk twice each day, gradually increasing the amount as +the bitch becomes dry, and when she weans them, feed three times a +day, until about six months old; after which I only feed twice a day. + +In this connection we quote from an article in a current magazine, +the truth of the contentions being borne out to a greater or less +extent by our own observations: + +After her puppies are about five weeks of age a bitch will begin to +vomit the contents of her stomach for the puppies. I have known many +breeders of experience argue that but few bitches do so. Over and +over again have I been able to convince persons who, having immediate +care of the bitch and her litter, deny that the bitch ever vomits to +her puppies, that they are wrong. Many bitches never vomit when the +attendant is about, and only appear to do so at night; hence the +belief that they do not do so at all. It is the natural manner in +which the bitch feeds her whelp with partially digested food, after +her milk supply ceases to suffice for their requirements. If the +bitch is of good constitution and in good health, the puppies +flourish remarkably on the diet thus provided, and in such cases my +experience leads me to believe that puppies left with their dams do +better than when separated from them and, strange to say, bitches who +are in the habit of picking up all sorts of apparently undesirable +odds and ends do not seem to do their puppies less well under these +circumstances than cleaner feeders do. + +Many bitches eat the young soon as they come if not closely watched, +especially the first time. There should be an attendant at time of +whelping. Whelps must be removed to a basket of warm cloths and kept +away till all have come and then place to matron for nursing. There +is no danger of her devouring them thereafter. + +To resume: This is what I feed pups: grind rye without bolting and +sometimes oats ground very fine; then run through a coarse sieve, and +bake into bread without soda or baking powder, or make into a thick +mush and feed it with plenty of milk if convenient. As they grow +older add cornmeal and scraps from the butcher shop to the feed, and +give them enough to keep them nice and sleek, but do not overfeed. + +By the time they are three weeks old they will be running everywhere, +and let them have plenty of room to run and play. Change their beds +as often as needed, which is a good way to prevent fleas. Should +fleas get on them as they are sure to do, put a tablespoonful of oil +of tar in a quart of warm water, take a fine tooth comb, dip in tar +water, and comb them until the hair is thoroughly saturated; +repeating as often as needed. + +For bedding, the best is leaves from the woods; straw will answer, +but I prefer the leaves to anything I have ever tried, but whatever +is used it should be changed often and kept dry. For the dog with a +damp place to sleep, will soon have the mange, and it is far easier +to keep a dog healthy than to cure him after he has become diseased. +In warm weather I use no bedding as it is only a harbor for vermin. + +The best place by far, to keep your dogs, is in a park, where there +is shade in summer, with running water, and slope enough to the land, +to allow it to be well washed whenever it rains. Then provide dry, +comfortable quarters to sleep, and you have an ideal home for dogs. +In case you cannot have a place of this kind nor even a small park, +and must keep your dog chained, attach a good heavy wire to the dog +house and the other end to a tree, where your dog can get to a shade +if possible; then attach a chain to the wire so your dog can travel +along the wire; but be sure that he cannot get tangled up and have to +lay out some wet night. + +Some are situated far better than others for taking care of dogs and +I am sorry to say there is an occasional sportsman (or at least he +owns a dog or two), who is inclined to let his dogs shift for +themselves. I pity the dog that is unfortunate enough to have such an +owner. + +My experience is that too much meat is not good for the foxhound, and +if they get a mess of old stale meat just before you want to run +them, the chances are that they can't make the race. I have seen good +dogs that couldn't run an hour, simply because they were filled up +with old dead hog or horse. If you want to make a good race with your +dog, keep him tied two or three days before you intend to run him, +feed him corn bread (well baked) and sweet milk. If you run at night, +give your dog a good feed at noon and very little at night when you +start, and if your hound has the "stuff" in him he is good for all +night. + +I think rotten meat will affect the smelling of a dog as well as heat +them up, so they can't make a good race. To let your dog run loose +until you are ready for a chase, where he can find slop and such +stuff to be filled up on, and have your friend meet you with his +hounds in fine shape and lead your hound all the time, well you know +how you would feel. + +Some say you must have it bred in a hound to run. That is all true +enough, but a well bred hound with all grit can't make a good race if +he isn't in shape to do it. + +The foregoing is borne out and added detail given in the following +contribution from New York State: + +I find that fox hounds which I feed on old stinking pork or stinking +meat of any kind are quite stupid and very careless about hunting. +They cannot keep on the trail, neither do they wish to run fast or +continue running long. Old stinking pork seems to be the worst I +could feed to a fox hound, and corn bread and some milk on it seems +to be the best. + +When my dogs are fed on cornbread and milk they display the most +activity, and can follow a fox or rabbit more accurately and +accordingly run faster. When I want to make my hound run slow I feed +him some meat, and the more it stinks the less he can smell anything +but the fumes of this in his stomach. I can easily tell by the smell +of my dog's breath whether he has eaten fresh mutton or rotten horse +recently, and I think any healthy person can easily. + +Here are another hunter's views on this same subject: + +In rearing hounds, to have them hardy and intelligent you must feed +them right and provide them with a lot of good fresh water as well as +to give them daily exercise. When I feed beef, I have a small axe +with which I chop all the bones into fine pieces. They also get +scraps from the table with some vegetables mixed with cooked rolled +oats. I feed the old ones once a day with raw meat and once with +porridge. I see that they get just enough to keep them always in good +running condition, that is neither fat nor thin. I like a dog with a +good rolling skin. I never take a skeleton dog in the woods as I have +often seen hunters going deer hunting with dogs which you could read +a newspaper through. + +Now of what use are such animals as these? Some say that a thin dog +will run better than a fat one. Yes, if the fat one is hog fat; but a +dog with about one-half inch of hard fat on the ribs will out-do a +dozen of these starved dogs of which you can count the bones at one +hundred yards from them. No, a dog with just the skin and bones +cannot stand any work for the reason that he has no bottom. + +Young pups should be fed at the very least three times daily, four +times is still better. Never give them more than what they can eat, +and in the meantime see that they just get enough so as to clean the +dish well at every meal and in no case should the pan containing the +food be left in the intervals with the puppies if they have not +cleaned it out as they will become disgusted with it and next time +refuse to feed. Keep everything clean and dry and always feed at the +same hour daily. It is much easier to rear a pair of pups than a +single one. + +Before weaning the dew-claw should always be removed. These are of no +use but only serve to bother the dogs and hounds should always have +them cut off. + +Worm medicine should always be given to all young dogs and kennels +should be lime washed at least three times a year and never allow +your dogs to sleep near the stove and then turn them out in the cold. +If you desire a lazy hound allow him to burn himself at the stove, +but if on the contrary you wish a lively dog, provide him with a good +dry kennel and if you keep several dogs see that each one has his own +stall. This has the advantage of preventing them from fighting and +from the risk of taking cold by lying out of the kennel. + +When your dogs return from the hunt always examine their feet and +legs and if you find any sore spots attend to them at once. If the +dogs return wet to camp always allow them to dry near a stove before +turning them to their kennel which should be a good dry one. + +If you desire your dogs to stand hard work day after day you must +look after them with as much care as a jockey attends to his horse. + +The very moment you notice your dog is looking dull ascertain at once +what is the cause, and if you are of the opinion that it is a cold or +distemper, don't wait until you see his eyes and nose running, to +doctor him, but attend to him immediately. + + [Illustration: A Versatile Ontario, Canada, Dog Family.] + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +BREEDING. + +The main and most important question in breeding race horses as well +as hounds is to get always the very best and to do this, one has to +be on the move and watch the hunting and staying quality as well as +the style of looking for trails, etc.; and a breeder should always be +ready to pay the price for a good sire or dam. And he should always +bear in mind that there is no more trouble or bother and that it does +not cost more to raise a pair of dogs from well known hunting stock +than from unknown stock but where it tells is when the dogs are of +age for training. It is here where the great difference exists and +where a sportsman is willing to look at the right side of the matter +finds his mistake and where he regrets not having paid a few dollars +more for the right stock. + +Some say that if pedigreed dogs were trained they would beat the +other dogs. The question is to train them. Hounds which come from +untrained or from partly or badly trained stock will always be poor +hunters. They will never be the dogs that they would have been had +they come from highly trained stock, that is that their sire and dam +and grand sire and grand dam were all trained by persons who +thoroughly understood the way of breeding and rearing as well as the +age and proper way of training. A hound coming from such selected +stock will learn and pick up in a day what will take others months +and probably a whole season to learn. I never kept a hound which +after having shown him the game and also blooded him once or twice +would not at once start to hunt because I consider that the sooner a +sportsman will shoot such dogs the better. + +There are plenty of fox dogs that are good coon dogs, and a great +many coon dogs will run a fox to a finish, but the fox and coon dogs +are two very different dogs. There is also a greater difference in +the opinions of hunters, in regard to the coon dog than in any other +dogs. + +Some want the full blooded hound, and some a cross with a foxhound; +here they differ again as to what dog to cross with; others want no +hound blood at all, but a shepherd; one wants a collie and another +just a dog. Then here is a hunter who insists on a silent dog; and +the next one says the silent trailer doesn't camp with him. + +Now as I am not looking for trouble, I will agree with all of you. +Where coons are plentiful and you are likely to strike a coon track +in every cornfield, the half hound or even a cur dog, will get coons; +but where they are scarce and you may tramp until near morning, and +then strike a trail five or six hours old, if you get that coon, you +will need a dog with a good nose and one that tongues on a trail. But +there is one point on which you will all agree--if your dog does not +stay at a tree and bark good and plenty, he isn't much of a coon dog. +Consequently in breeding for coon dogs, this is the most important +point. Get as many other coon points as you can, but be sure his +ancestors have been good tree dogs, as far back as you can trace +them. + +The very reason that there are so many culls in this country, is +because many hunters think a dog is a dog, and that any dog with long +ears is a hound. Ears count for nothing but looks; bent legs, ditto; +the only way that you can perfect the breed, which in your +estimation, is the ideal, is by choosing the dogs of the best +particular kind which you prefer. For instance, how could a hunter +expect to produce a strain of dogs with good, loud voices, if he +chooses as his breeders the poorest squallers in the lot? Nature is +nature, and it is only by studying her laws that we are able to +produce our ideal of any kind; also, if he wants an intelligent dog, +he must pick out the one with the most desired good points, and then +he is on the fair way to success. + +In short, in order to have a hound that will repay you for his +training, he must be bred right in every detail or the hunter is +doomed to disappointment. If the hunter does not own a first class +pair to breed from and cannot secure a good strain in his locality, +he should buy from a reliable dealer, one whom he knows has made a +success of breeding this class of dogs. It is also advisable to buy a +young pup as the chances of securing the best are alike to all, or +even though the parent dogs are No. 1 in every respect, there will be +some in the litter that will be weak in points before they have +reached the age of eight months, the breeder himself will have +difficulty in choosing any one as the best. + +There is a standard for judging the so-called high class pedigree +show dogs but which does not cut much ice with a fox and coon hunter. +Regardless of color, the qualities most desirable in an all around +fox hound are: 1st, staying qualities and powers of endurance. 2d, +voice, feet and general make up. + + [Illustration: One-half English Bloodhound Pups.] + +Personally, I like a hound that stands from 20 to 24 inches at +shoulder, long in body, deep chested, heavy boned with a coat of +rather long hair, the feet should be round in shape with a good +covering of hair to protect the soles or pads. A foxhound should not +have a second claw on the hind leg for this shows a cross in his +breeding. A dog that has these claws will not stand much hard running +in crust for by rubbing against trees, etc., they will gradually +become sore and bleeding, and the hound although willing enough is +handicapped with a pair of sore legs. Some hunters cut these claws +off while young. In the pure strain of fox dogs this would be +unnecessary as they would not have them on. + +The first cost of a young hound is nothing compared with the time and +trouble it takes to bring him to a hunting age. Therefore, it is +advisable to buy the best obtainable for even though the price be +high at first cost, the hunter will be better satisfied for his time +and money when the dog has fully developed for the chase. In making a +choice for breeding, select a pair that has been thoroughly tried and +are known to have no weak points, such as poor voice, quitters, back +trackers, etc. It is also advisable to hunt with the bitch as much as +possible up to the very time the pups are whelped. The pups will be +stronger and better in every way than if the mother had been housed +in all the time, and a hunter will find that a pup so bred will take +to hunting almost as soon as he can run. + +Do not breed a pair of young dogs, rather select if possible, an old +dog for a young bitch for by breeding two young dogs their pups are +apt to be hot-headed, over-anxious and these qualities are not wanted +in a foxhound. + +To be sure of a strain of dogs the breeder must know their ancestors +three generations back for it is surprising how far back a pup will +breed from, not only in color but in characteristics, habits, etc. + + [Illustration: Fox Hounds.] + + [Illustration: Some Young Hunters.] + + + +CHAPTER XIV--BREEDING (Continued). + +Crossing for Coon Dogs. + +My experience has been that the crossing of an English pointer dog +and American fox hound slut for 'coon dogs, are the best I ever saw, +writes an Ohio night hunter of rare judgment and experience, and I +will illustrate by relating the accomplishments of a certain dog of +the breeding. I will say further that the sire of this dog I mention +was the most remarkable I ever heard of--a fine large pointer, and +often when hunting quails or pheasants in the woods he would bark up +and had done it many times before they found out the cause. + +One day while hunting pheasants he began to bark up a hollow beech +stub, and when called, refused to leave his post, and his hair was +slightly raised, which excited the hunter's curiosity and they +procured an axe and felled the stub. To their surprise, two large +'coons came rolling out and were dispatched. This solved the problem, +and after that, he was the cause of many 'coons losing their life, as +he located them in the den and trees where they had not stepped a +foot on the ground. I for one can surely recommend this cross to make +good 'coon dogs. + + * * * + +A few points in regard to a stud dog for fox. Pick a dog with a deep +chest, good strong loin, long head and stands with his feet well +under him. About the feet--take the foot in your hand, press gently, +and if it feels firm and springy like a piece of rubber, that dog has +a good foot, which is very necessary in a fox dog, but if he has a +soft, mushy foot, let that dog alone, no matter how good he looks, +for he will not stand long chases, and the old adage that like begets +like, will surely show itself in this case. + + * * * + +There are a great many worthless dogs, but the dogs are not to blame. +I am writing on fox dogs, but it holds good on all dogs. There is +always a worthless bitch, and sometimes several of them to be had for +nothing, and some fellow who wants a dog but don't want to pay a fair +price says, "I'll get that bitch and breed her to that dog down at +Graysville. They say he's a crackerjack, and I'll get some good dogs +and they won't cost me anything either." + +Well, when the time comes to breed it's five miles to Graysville, and +the roads are awful muddy, and he concluded to breed to Jim Jones' +dog just over the way, saying he ain't much of a dog, and a cousin to +the bitch, but his great-grandmother got more foxes than any dog over +in these parts, and some of the pups will breed back. He gets eight +or ten pups, which he gets perhaps $1.00 a piece for, and it costs +just as much to raise a poor one as a good one. The owners spend a +lot of time trying to make dogs of them and have nothing at last. + +In a running dog these are the qualities I think are needed. First, +endurance, because no dog can make a race after a red fox without it. +Then speed, a good nose, lots of ambition, good sense and the more of +that the better; and will need to be able to hear well to enable him +to cut corners if he happens to get behind, as any dog is liable to +do. + +After the pups are born, don't let the bitch run until they are +weaned, for it will hurt both mother and puppies. Should she get very +hot and then get to her pups you would likely lose some or perhaps +all of them. + +Here we have still another favorite breed for 'coon hunting, advanced +by an old and tried hunter. Says he: My choice of a breed of coon dog +is a grade hound crossed on a bull or one-half hound, one-fourth rat +terrier and one-fourth Scotch collie or shepherd or fox hound and +beagle. + +Says another: A hound to be a fine ranger does not require many years +of training if he comes from a sire and dam that were both good +rangers and which their own sire and dam and grand sire and grand dam +were all good and highly trained dogs. He is sure to hang from them +and any sportsman having dogs of that strain will enjoy the use of +his dog at once, but where it takes three or five seasons and +sometimes more to make a good dog, is when they come from exhibition +stock or from stock that have never been broken right. If a hound is +wrongly taught to hunt he will always be a crazy dog and will, if +bred, give poor hunters exactly like himself. + +An Ohio Fox Hunter goes on record thus: In breeding hounds some seem +to expect great work on any line they wish to see the hound, not +stopping to think everything to its kind and everything to be perfect +must be true to his nature. The bloodhound is true to his nature with +reasonable opportunity. He is a man trailer, a large, strong dog, +built for strength and endurance but not for fleetness which all +breeders concede the 'coon dog should be built upon. Strong in my +opinion with strong jaws, good size and a good muzzle, a good scent +with as much speed and determination as you can inject into their +blood. + +I am now speaking of coon dogs. They may be bred almost any way and +yet be good coon dogs but I find it is just as necessary to have them +bred from coon hunting stock as for any dog or animal to be trained +for any specific or especial purpose. It must be bred with that +object in view and as much of that blood and disposition injected +into the veins as is possible to get. + +The fox hound is a special or specific type or breed of dog. He is +bred for it, built for it, trained for it and if a true type of +hound, is it. Not all well bred dogs are fox dogs nor are all well +bred horses fast. Only one in many. But in order to have grounds to +expect speed, we must have breeding, as the saying goes, "Blood will +tell." Some are daffy on pedigree, others must have everything +registered, others ask only for the swing and staying qualities of +their ancestors, etc. + +All breeds of hounds have some worthless, yet some may be fairly good +along some particular line and very much at fault in others. Some +have speed but cannot be got to use it, will not get in with a pack +and run to a finish. Some will run with a slow pack all right but put +them in with a fast pack and they will have their gallop out in from +one to two hours. They seem to have all the courage necessary but not +the speed. Some will go after the first fox trail they ever smell of +and others you have to train to follow. + +I think this difference largely between the dog that is allowed to +run at large and one raised in a corral. One is fearful of +everything, the other fearless and full of self-confidence. +Confidence is worth much in both dog and man. So many cannot run +unless they have their noses directly over the trail and have no +driving instinct. If they lose the trail, go back and get it and +bring it up to where they lost it before. So for several times, +perhaps, before getting away, the dog running all the time, Mr. Fox +sitting down waiting, resting. You never hear of such dogs catching +or holding a fox. They seem to be willing but lack the tact and fox +sense. + +I would say to breeders there are only a few characteristics +necessary for good foxhounds and every breeder should see to this +with careful study and tests. First--Courage. Do not breed a dog on +either side that has not got it. It will crop out to make you ashamed +of your dog some time. Second--Speed. It is just as natural for the +lover of a chase to want to be ahead, as for the lover of the horse +race, but we cannot all be so; often we find it easy to beat our slow +packs in the neighborhood and how we swell up and think we can best +anybody until we get away from home and get that bubble pricked. + +Other qualifications as to form and shape. A dog should be compact +enough to be strong. He should be just as long as he can be to gather +quickly. A dog too long turning on all kinds of ground is like a +horse with a very long stride trying to go fast on a short track. His +stride is too long for the lay of the ground. Another qualification +and not in the least,--is voice. The dog that has no voice holds not +the highest place in his owner's pride. A good hound, one prized by +his owner and loved by the lover of the chase must do three things at +once, run fast, carry the trail and tongue well. These requisitions +make a good fox dog and if his shape and symmetry is good, he is a +valued dog. + +Breeders should look to it that these qualities are bred for at the +sacrifice of everything else. There may be places, especially in very +hilly country, that a small hound is best. In this section, give me a +good, medium large dog, say from 22 to 24 inches at shoulder and +built in proportion with from 16 to 18 inches earage. Color is a +matter of taste. I believe that our English cousins breed them so +straight that the spots and marks are stamped on all alike. I have +heard it said so much that a stranger could hardly see any difference +in a pack and when the American breeder gets to giving so much +attention to their breeding, then we will soon have a true type of +hound. + +Then I will say courage, driving with courage goes largely, speed and +voice, good sound chest and body, good wide head and long muzzle, +good bone and heavy forearm, good long back, good sound feet, well +padded, with black upper mouth, a hazel eye, a strong loin and not +too much flank. Regardless of color you have my ideal fox hound. + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +PECULIARITIES OF DOGS AND PRACTICAL HINTS. + +Never purchase a dog from an unknown party unless the said party can +supply good references and testimonials regarding the square dealing +and the merits of his strain of dogs. If a man cannot give you this, +wait until you find one who can. + +Some people are inclined to believe that a big dog cannot compete +with a smaller one. Most of them have to come to this conclusion +because they have seen some big sloppy and lazy hound, but take a +big, well built, lively, fleet and nervous hound, and full of grit +and he will hold his own and more. It is just like trying to make a +pony cover the same ground as a roadster, declares a lover of hounds. + +A pup of most any large breed of dogs will make a good watch dog if +properly brought up. If fondled and played with while young by +everybody that happened to come to the house, then the dog will be +playful and friendly with people always later on. If to be made cross +and shun strangers, the pup should be reared in a lot with high board +fence to prevent him seeing what goes on outside. The owner, in +disguise, or better still some other person, should now and then +pound against the fence, look over the top so the dog gets a glimpse +at supposed intruders; partly open the gate and peek in, let the dog +make a rush towards him but slam gate shut before quite coming up, +etc. Such practice will make any dog watchful and cross towards all +strangers, and will never make friends with any but his master. For +an imposing, powerful and the best of watch dogs get a Mastiff or a +Great Dane. + +It is not wise to expect too much of a new dog. Some of them will +fret and worry after their friends and home for a long time, will +hardly eat or drink, and it takes the best of care and attention to +bring good results. Eventually they will become acquainted and regain +their old form, if properly encouraged. + +I never pet my dogs while hunting except after killing game which in +my opinion is pretty good policy as a dog like a man likes to have +credit for what he had done. Remember also, though contrary to the +old fashioned theory that it is just as unreasonable to ask a dog to +hunt without food as it would be to hitch up a horse and drive him +all day without either hay or grain, there has been many a good dog +called a "quitter" simply because he was weak from the lack of food. +As for a quitter, in my opinion a vast majority of them have never +commenced, not because they had a "yellow streak," as most hunters +say, but because like the Irishman's pig, they have too many streaks +of lean. As your dog is a better friend to you than most people of +the J. Sneakum caliber, why not treat him right? + +In some journals there is considerable criticism and complaints, and +sometimes one feels like steering shy of many advertisements of fox +hounds. One publication invites all persons to inform its editor +where any dog has been misrepresented and sold through its columns. +No doubt in many instances it may be the fault of the purchaser +handling a strange dog. I purchased a dog that followed at my heels +for several trips and would not leave me until one day he put his +nose in a fresh trail. The other dog was out of hearing when he went +out in a good race, tongueing in good shape, and was a No. 1 fox +hound. + +When a sportsman wishes to purchase a strange hound if he desires to +get a good one he must pay the price and the way for him to not be +fooled is to deposit his money at the express office and then have +the dog sent on trial and if not satisfactory, he returns the dog and +pays the express charges one way. This is the only safe way to get a +good dog, as a man that will accept these conditions will most +certainly send you the right stuff at once and not a "cull", that he +has scraped somewhere for $5.00 and sells you from $15 to $30. + +It's detrimental to allow a bird dog to roam and go self-hunting. Not +being restricted he gets in all sorts of mischief. Keeping at home is +the only remedy. To give ample exercise arrange a trolley in the yard +by driving two stakes into ground without projecting; fasten a strong +wire to top of posts and on this slip a ring to slide on; to this +snap the chain and the dog can run up and down the full length of +wire. Within a few days he will learn the extent of run and chase up +and down the full length for hours at a time, then be content and +restful. + +By nature dogs are cleanly and will not soil their bed or kennel if +to be avoided. Being shut up in a small place may cause them to be +uncleanly and soil the floor, making it disagreeable, as by rolling +in play all the dogs will constantly present soiled appearance. +However, even in a small kennel this can be regulated as follows: +Thoroughly clean out the place and scrub; in one corner bore some +holes into floor and spread sawdust over this part only; litter the +rest of space with clean straw and besprinkle this with some strong +disinfectant. Turn in the dogs. At once one or more will go to +sawdust portion,--this done the ice is broken and henceforth all the +dogs will use this part only as retiring place, leaving the remainder +perfectly clean. + +Teach your hound not to be afraid of water, and to circle the tree +and to keep an eye on the coon and to bark treed, but never allow him +to get whipped by any coon at first as this will discourage him. Not +only this, but the coon may blind him should he strike him in the +eye. It is better always to hold or tie the dog before shooting the +coon, and when he drops to make sure that he cannot fight much more +before allowing the dog near him. + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +AILMENTS OF THE DOG. + +Dogs as well as people sometimes fall ill. Proper care and sanitary +lodgings will reduce the danger, but sickness will occasionally +occur, no matter how great the precautions. + +Dog owners should therefore acquaint themselves with the commoner +forms of ailment to which dogs are subject and thus be in a position +to quickly administer such relief as is possible, thereby frequently +stopping a sick spell promptly that might otherwise result seriously +if not fatally. + +The dog is very similar to man in his ailments as well as in his +susceptibility to drugs. As a general thing medicine that is good for +a human being is good for a dog under similar circumstances. "While +no definite rule can be laid down" says an eminent authority, "it may +be said that a dose suitable for an adult person is correct for the +largest dogs, such as St. Bernards; for dogs from forty to fifty +pounds the dose should correspond with that given to a child twelve +to fourteen years of age, and so on down." + +Few veterinarians make a study of the dog, and they rarely are of any +use when called. However, those who have made a special study may be +consulted with advantage and saving. + +We have not the space here to go into an exhaustive recitation of dog +diseases, symptoms, treatment and remedies. If you are at a loss +concerning your dog, write to one of the Dog Doctors, whose +advertisements appear in sporting magazines, and he can no doubt +diagnose the case and forward the medicine you require at a minimum +cost. In nearly all cases he will forward you a free booklet +describing the prevalent diseases and his remedies applicable to +same. + +The following from the pen of H. Clay Glover, V. S., will no doubt +give many readers some light on one of the common afflictions that +prove so troublesome. + +INDIGESTION IN DOGS. + +Eczema is a frequent symptom, and let me state right here that I find +more cases of eczematous eruptions arising from a disordered +condition of the digestion than any other cause. Doubtless many who +will read this will recognize the fact that at some time some certain +dog has had some obstinate skin trouble, all kinds of which are by +the layman diagnosed as "mange", and that, after trying various mange +cures to which the trouble has not yielded, the blood has been +treated with no better results. + +To any one who have, or may have in the future, indigestion cases, +let me advise the following treatment, viz.: Feed rather sparingly +three times a day on raw or scraped beef, this being the most readily +accepted and most easily digested of all foods when the digestion is +disordered, allowing no other diet, and giving immediately after each +meal one of the digestive pills. Add to the drinking water lime water +in the proportion of one to thirty. + +By following this treatment as laid down, many cases of eczema will +disappear. Some probably, may be accelerated by the use of a skin +lotion in conjunction. Eczema in these cases is merely a symptom +appearing in evidence of disordered digestion. Indigestion may be +considered as a mild form of gastritis, which if not corrected, will +be followed by true gastritis, the stomach then being in such +condition that nothing is retained, even water being returned +immediately after drinking. This will be accompanied by fever, colic, +emaciation and only too often followed by death. + +DISTEMPER. + +We quote further from Dr. Glover's booklet, some practical +information on another of the more common dog ailments: + +The term distemper is particularly applied to animals of the brute +creation; to the dog when afflicted with that disease somewhat +resembling typhus fever in the human race. We have now become quite +familiar with the nature of the disease and the remedies indicated; +consequently the loss by death is comparatively small when proper +treatment and attention are employed. In early days, those dogs that +were fortunate enough to survive this disease did so merely through +strength of constitution and not from the assistance of any remedial +agent, as utter ignorance of the subject then prevailed. The disease +doubtless then appeared in a much milder form than that with which +our present highly bred animals are afflicted. + +Owing to more or less inbreeding that has been indulged in to +intensify certain forms and characteristics in dogs of most all +breeds, constitution has to some extent been sacrificed. Animals bred +in this way are in consequence less able to resist or combat disease +than those with less pretentious claims to family distinction. + +CAUSES--Bad sanitary conditions, crowded or poorly drained kennels, +exposure to dampness, insufficient or over feeding, improper diet, +lack of fresh air and exercise, all conduce to the development of +distemper. It is contagious, infectious, and will frequently appear +spontaneously without any apparent cause in certain localities, +assuming an epidemic form. Age is no exemption from distemper, though +it more frequently attacks young animals than adults. Very few dogs +pass through life without having it at some period. + +SYMPTOMS--In early stages, dullness, loss of appetite, sneezing, +chills, fever, undue moisture of the nose, congestion of the eyes, +nausea, a gagging cough accompanied by the act of vomition, though +rarely anything is voided (if anything, it will be a little mucous), +thirst, a desire to lie in a warm place, and rapid emaciation. This +is quickly followed by mucopurulent discharge from the eyes and nose; +later, perhaps, ulceration of either eyes or eyelids. Labored +respiration, constipation or obstinate diarrhoea, usually the latter, +which frequently runs into inflammation of the bowels. + +In some cases many of the above symptoms will be absent, the bowels +being the first parts attacked. The following, which sometimes, but +not necessarily, occur with distemper, I classify as complications, +viz.: Fits, Chorea, Paralysis, Pneumonia or Bronco-Pneumonia, +Jaundice, and Inflammation of the Bowels, and will require treatment +independent of any one remedy that may be given. + +TREATMENT--The animal should be placed in warm, dry quarters, and +hygienic conditions strictly observed. With puppies, at the start +give vermifuge, as nearly all have worms which add greatly to the +irritation of stomach, bowels and nervous system. + +The bedding should be changed daily and the apartment disinfected +twice a week. + +Feed frequently on easily digested, nutritious diet, such as beef tea +or mutton broth, thickened with rice. Let all food be slightly cool, +and keep fresh cold water at all times within reach of the animal. If +constipation be present give warm water and glycerine enemas, and an +occasional dose of castor oil if necessary. Should the bowels become +too much relaxed with any tendency to inflammation, feed entirely +upon food, such as arrowroot, farina or corn starch with well boiled +milk, as even beef tea is somewhat of an irritation to the stomach +and bowels. + +In the treatment of distemper, one great object is to keep up the +general strength, so in case of extreme debility a little whisky in +milk or milk punches may be allowed. + +If your efforts are not successful and you are in danger of losing +one or more good dogs, write a specialist. It would require fifty +pages of this book to go into the subject fully. + +RHEUMATISM. + +Acute rheumatism in the dog is similar to that in the human body, +effecting the joints. Muscular rheumatism settles in the muscles. If +given early 5 to 15 grains, twice a day, of salicate of sodium is a +most excellent preventative measure. A severe case demands more +elaborate care. + +RICKETS. + +Those accustomed to dogs have seen cases of rickets. It is a +constitutional or inherited affliction, and attacks puppies most +frequently. Nothing can be done save kill the sufferer if the attack +is severe, or build up the health generally, toward outgrowing the +trouble, if mild. + +These are only a few of the ailments the faithful dog is heir to; yet +in a general way, a healthy dog is no more subject to disease than a +healthy person, and in many cases the old family watch dog will pass +a long and useful life with no more serious trouble than he can +readily cope with, with the assistance of nature. + +We add some practical advice from Mr. Amer Braley of Dade Co., +Florida, as to what will cure canker in the ears of dogs, a prevalent +and aggravating trouble: Will say I have cured cases of it of long +standing by working boracic acid well into their ears, usually a few +applications does the work. + +There is a disease that kills more dogs in Florida than all the other +causes put together. It is called sore mouth, black tongue, new +disease and other names. I lost some fine hounds of this disease, +usually dying from six to eight days from the time of showing +disease. Symptoms of it are generally languor, dullness about the +eyes, little or no appetite, sometimes feverish and a dryness about +the mouth and at other times slobbers hang down from the mouth. + +They seem anxious to drink water but are unable to swallow it. Their +tongues seem to be somewhat paralyzed, they can hardly pick up +anything. They usually want to roam around where they will not be +molested. I will give a remedy that I have which has cured several +cases of this disease with the only ones I ever knew to survive it. I +will give it for it may be the means of saving the lives of some good +dogs. + +"A gelatin coated pill or capsule of quinine containing five grains +twice a day for two days, then one each day for a week." Also swab +out their mouth with the following: "Chlorate potassium half ounce, +murvate tincture iron half ounce. Put into one pint of water and +shake well. Tie rag or cotton to stick, letting it protrude over the +end, and swab out the mouth two or three times a day." + +You want to go right at once to giving the remedy for if the disease +runs 36 hours I don't think there is any cure for it. The size doses +mentioned here are for good-sized dogs as grown hounds. Smaller ones +and pups reduce accordingly. + +There is another disease that dogs are sometimes taken with in this +country. Some say it is caused by ticks. It is called "staggers" as +the dog that is affected with it staggers as he walks. It seems as +though they can't manage their hind parts. Sometimes they break down +and have to drag their hind parts (sled fashion.) + +A remedy that I have never known to fail yet for that is: Lard and +spirits of turpentine about equal parts mixed and bathe in well +across the kidneys and also across the back of head where it joins to +neck. Usually two or three applications makes a cure. + + + +PART III. + +DOG LORE. + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +STILL TRAILERS VS. TONGUERS. MUSIC. + +Perhaps no more mooted question enters in for so widely separated +opinion as the comparative superiority of the Still Trailing dog and +the Tonguers. + +The still or mute trailer is the deer, rabbit or night dog which does +not give tongue on the trail. He keeps his silence, until his game is +treed or in sight and about to tree. + +The tonguer gives forth a joyous and lusty cry as soon as he makes a +strike, and continues to do so until the chase terminates. When treed +he changes his bark, so that usually the hunter can distinguish +between the signals. + +We shall withhold personal opinion as to the preferable style, and +present the arguments of a number of adherents on both sides of the +question, allowing the reader to come to his own conclusion. + +A West Virginia 'coon expert says, in favor of the tonguer: I have +had several good 'coon dogs, both tonguers and silent trailers. This +is a hilly, brushy country, with lots of deep hollows. The best 'coon +dog I ever had was a three-fourths fox hound, one-fourth bull dog. He +was very fast with a good nose and a wide hunter. He never struck a +cold trail and went straight ahead all the time. He has started a +'coon half a mile away from me and would go right out of hearing of +me, and I would follow the way I would judge the 'coon to travel and +would be hours finding him barking treed. If he had been a mute +trailer I would have left him in the woods without the slightest idea +where he was and that is no fun when you have gone three or four +miles walk from home to get a 'coon chase. + +Another brother puts it this way: Some hunters prefer a still trailer +on a cold trail. I have handled both kinds but it is an advantage to +the hunter in keeping in touch with his hound if the hound will "wind +his horn" occasionally on a cold trail for very often a wide hound +will travel a couple of miles on a cold trail before starting the +game. In windy weather, the hunters might be at a loss to know in +which direction his dog was working, if he did not hear him. I like a +dog with a loud, clear voice and one that keeps the music going +steady once the game is afoot. + +Still another gives voice to his sentiment thus: I want a good +tonguer, one that will give me no trouble in keeping the direction +they are going. One that is a courser, that is, that never foots +around trying to find every track a 'coon makes, but keeps on finding +ahead anywhere from a hundred yards to a quarter of a mile. That kind +of a dog keeps you awake when cold trailing, and is apt to warm up at +any time. + +A Western tonguer adherent says: For 'coon I like the cold trailer +that lets you know where he is going, and don't believe they will +hole any sooner for him than a still trailer, and I never saw a full +blooded hound still track. My hounds give a long whoop every few rods +on cold trail, and will "back brush" a 'coon or wolf that is many +hours old but will find him, and you can follow up so as to keep in +hearing. My dogs are quite fast but I do not go back on a moderately +slow dog to shoot after. I think they circle better. + +From Indian Territory comes this addition to the testimony: The +thoroughbred hound for 'coon is my view after 40 years' experience. A +good many are giving their idea as to which is best, the still +trailer or the dog that gives tongue. I have never known a +thoroughbred hound fail to give tongue on trail. The thoroughbred has +the greatest powers of scent and this is very important as you do not +have to travel so much ground to find a trail that he can run. What +we want when we go after 'coon is to start and catch all we can. If +we cannot start one we cannot catch him, sure. I have followed behind +over the same ground with my hound that another party had been over +with their still trailers and caught more 'coon than they. + +And again if you are out on a windy night and your still trailer gets +a 'coon treed to the windward of you, you might as well go home as +there will be no more fun for you if he is a good tree dog. + +Now just one thing more in regard to still trailers catching 'coon on +the ground. That has not been my experience, for you all know when +you go a rabbit hunting with a still trailer, how soon the rabbit +will hole. He has no warning where the dog is, so in trailing 'coon, +the 'coon will wait and listen to the hound and if he is a fast +runner, Mr. 'Coon has waited too long. He must make for the nearest +tree or get caught. With the still trailer, the 'coon hears the +leaves and brush snapping and without any more warning makes for his +home tree. + +Hundreds of hunters take this view, that is, favor the dog which +barks from the time he takes up the trail. The principal advantage as +has been pointed out, is that the hound and hunter may thus keep in +closer touch, and that the hunter is treated to "music," so sweet to +the ear of the average enthusiast. + +Another considerable following, however, at once take issue and +present an array of argument in favor of the dog which keeps his +silence. + +Let us first consider the views of a conservative Pennsylvania +brother, in favor of the still trailer: I see a good many 'coon +hunters disagree on 'coon dogs, still trailers vs. tongueing dogs. +Now in my experience, I have used nearly all kinds of 'coon dogs, +some good ones and some not so good. I think the difference is in the +kind of country to be hunted, for hunting in a very rough country +that is cut up by long hollows and large tracts of timber I prefer a +tongueing dog. + +For hunting in this locality where it is all cut up into small fields +with principally all rail fences and timber in small blocks, mostly +cut over by lumbermen and nothing left but hollow trees and brush, I +prefer a still trailer by long odds, as the noisy dog gives the 'coon +warning as soon as he strikes the trail, then Mr. 'Coon takes to the +rail fence or a jungle of briers and old tree tops and begins to get +busy and is soon in one of those hollow trees, where he is perfectly +safe as far as I am concerned, for I never cut down any den trees. + +The still trailer does his work quietly and is right on to the 'coon +before it is aware that the dog is after it. So Mr. 'Coon is obliged +to climb whatever kind of a tree there is handy and very often is +taken on the ground. + +From a Central States hunter's letter: I used to be a dear lover of a +dog that would bark on trail and raise some of them, but now my +choice is a still trailer, as a quiet trailer suits this locality +best on account of the thickly populated country and the great amount +of stock raised, and a great many farmers claim the constant barking +of dogs frightens their sheep. For that reason fox chasing is fast +losing its interest and foxes are becoming quite a nuisance in the +destruction of quail, pheasant, rabbit and such like game. + +A brother of conviction on this question writes: It takes patience, +perseverance and skill to properly train a hound for 'coon. First, +the dog must be silent until he finds the hot scent, so as not to +give Mr. Coon time to commence his sunny ways, as the 'coon has a +good knowledge box and lots of strings to his bow which he uses to +evade Mr. Hound. He will swim down and sometimes up stream and often +crosses them. Will never miss a hollow log and comes out at the other +end, and will climb leaning trees and leap from them to others and +may return to the stream for a good long swim before he will make +quietly for his den. This is what an old 'coon will often do with a +noisy dog, but with a swift and silent one he will have to climb at +once and stay there. + +Another telling stroke for silence: Regarding silent trailers: By +silent trailer I mean a dog that will not tongue the very instant he +finds an old trail when there is yet some scent, but that will work +it quietly until he starts the game. I have often seen hounds roar on +an old scent as well as on a new one. These dogs have generally a +special gait, which they keep steady whether the trail is cold or +hot, and give the full cry the whole time, and also often come to a +full stop to blast away a few louder roars. These dogs dwell too long +on the scent for me. My strain of dogs will open only when they are +on a hot scent; if cold, they will cover the ground silently and +fast. + +A swift dog cannot keep up the full cry, but will give a roar now and +then and not bark often as it takes a lot of wind to roar. Therefore, +a dog cannot be a flyer and a roarer in the meantime, and a deer, +fox, lynx or 'coon, chased by a fleet and silent dog as above +mentioned, will have to point at once for safety, and will have no +spare time for tricks. The lynx or 'coon will have to climb in a +hurry the first tree he finds, while with a noisy dog Mr. 'Coon will +commence with his tricks as soon as he will hear the music, and I +maintain and stand ready to prove that a silent trailer as I have +described will water more deer in five hours in this country than a +noisy one will in five days. + + [Illustration: "He Was Here a Moment Ago!"] + +THE MUSIC OF THE HOUND. + +The term "music" as applied to the barking of trailing hunting dogs, +is to the uninitiated a gross misnomer. + +"Isn't that music grand!" exclaimed an enthusiast afield. + +"I can hear no music for the noise those dogs are making," replied +the other. And so it goes. + +The hound is the master orator, with a command of language that +varies from uncertainty, joy, anxiety, conviction, eagerness with +great clearness and truth. His shades of meaning are accurately +intonated and perfectly comprehendible to the well versed hunter. + +The hound is looked upon with disdain by people who know not his +capabilities, and is considered in the nature of the dunce of the +tribe. Well do the well informed know that he is the most delicately +strung and the most highly emotional type we have. + +Every note that he utters is an expression of emotion. Because +emotion is more susceptible to music than any other agency, his code +of expression is likened unto notes of music, and with more fidelity +than some instrumental sound producers committed in the name of +music. + +A student of this pure and undefiled language says: "Each note +represents a particular feeling, and the whole harmoniously blended, +tells a simple story in a pleasing way." + +Now the hound takes up the cold trail. He signals his master--there +are notes of expectancy and hope in the tone. As the scent grows +warmer, his tone of hope rises. He makes a loss. Could anything +express regret and chagrin any more plainly than his doleful cry? +Back on the trail. Then joy again. Then comes the excited, +imperative, anxious yet joyous fortissimo scale running when the +quarry trees. + + [Illustration: "Here He Is!"] + +He who has not been schooled in classical music sits bored and alone +at the production of an opera, or yawns and wishes he were at home in +bed, as the vigorous long haired performer spells out his emotions on +the piano key board. So it is that one with no ear for music of the +hound is disgusted thruout the sally to the woods at night, or the +fields by day. He can dwell upon nothing save the scratches, falls +and efforts required, all of which another forgets in fixing his +attention on the action and music of the chase. + +Some hounds are better singers than others, just as is the case with +people. Also he must be trained to perform pleasingly and truly. If +he is well trained and is certain in his movements it will be +reflected in his music. If he is faulty in foot and head work he will +also betray these faults in his voice. Anxious to cover his own +shortcomings, he takes to guessing and guesses wrong. He becomes a +liar, and his singing is like unto the fellow with a cracked voice +who insists on singing in the church choir, thereby annoying +everybody. + +An experienced hunter can tell by the song of a hound how capable he +is, even if there were not many other ways of fixing values. + +Bring up a hound under proper training methods, and he is almost +certain to prove a rare musician. + +If you are not versed in music of this kind, you are unfortunate, and +should join the fox or 'coon hunters and take a course of lessons. It +is well worth while. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +THE DOG ON THE TRAP LINE. + +Some trappers will take issue in regard to the advantages and +disadvantages of the dog on the trap line. The subject holds +sufficient interest, however, to warrant a chapter, and if some +lonesome trappers benefit thereby, our effort shall stand justified. + +Now, we will say first that there is as much or more difference in +the man who handles the dog as there is in the different breeds of +dogs. We have heard men say that they wanted no dog on the trap line +with them, and that they didn't believe that any one who did want a +dog on the trap line knew but very little about trapping at the best. + +Now those are the views and ideas of some trappers, while my +experience has led me to see it otherwise. One who is so constituted +that they must give a dog the growl or perhaps a kick every time they +come in reach, will undoubtedly find a dog of but little use on the +trap line. We have known some dogs to refuse to eat, and would lay +out where they could watch in the direction in which their master had +gone and piteously howl for hours, waiting the return of the master +and friend. I have seen other dogs that would take for the barn or +any other place to get out of the way at the first sight or sound of +their master. This man's dog is usually more attached to a stranger +than to his master. The man who cannot treat his dog as a friend and +companion will have good cause to say that a dog is a nuisance on the +trap line. + +I have seen men training dogs for bird hunting, who would treat the +dog most cruelly and claim that a dog could not be trained to work a +bird successfully under any other treatment. Though I have seen +others train the same breed of dogs to work a bird to perfection and +that their most harsh treatment would be a tap or two with a little +switch. I will say that one who cannot understand the wag of a dog's +tail, the wistful gaze of the eye, the quick lifting of the ears, the +cautious raising of a foot, and above all, treat his dog as a friend, +need expect his dog to be but little else than a nuisance on the trap +line. + +Several years ago I had a partner who had a dog, part stag hound and +the other part just dog, I think. One day he (my partner) asked if I +would object to his bringing the dog to camp, saying that his wife +was going on a visit and he had no place to leave the dog. I told him +that if he had a good dog I would be glad to have him in camp. In a +day or two pard went home and brought in the dog. Well, when he came +the dog was following along behind his master with tail and ears +drooping, and looking as though he never heard a kind word in his +life. I asked if the animal was any good and he replied that he did +not know how good he was. I asked the name of the dog. He said, "Oh, +I call him Pont." I spoke to the dog, calling him by name. He looked +at me wistfully, wagging his tail. The look that dog gave me said to +me as plainly as words that this was the first kind word he had ever +heard. + +We went inside and the dog started to follow, when his master in a +harsh voice said, "get out of here." I said, "where do you expect the +dog to go?" I then took an old coat that was in the camp, placed it +in the corner and called gently to Pont, patted the coat and told him +to lay down on the coat, which he did. I patted him saying that is a +good place for Pont, and I can see that wistful gaze the dog gave me, +now. After we had our supper I asked my partner if he wasn't going to +fix Pont some supper. "Oh, after a while I will see if I can't find +something for him." I took a biscuit from the table, spread some +butter on it, called the dog to me, broke the biscuit in pieces, and +gave it to the dog from my hand; then I found an old basin that +chanced to be about the camp and fixed the dog a good supper. + +After the dog had finished his supper I went to the coat in the +corner, spoke gently to Pont, patted the coat, and told him to lay +down on the coat. That was the end of that, Pont knew his place and +took it without any further trouble. + +The next morning when we were about ready to start out on the trap +line I asked Pard what he intended to do with Pont. He said that he +would tie him to a tree that stood against the shanty close to the +door. We were going to take different lines of traps. I said, "What +is the harm of Pont's going with me?" "All right, if you want him, I +don't want any dog with me." I said, Am, (that was Pard's given name, +for short) I don't believe the dog wants to go with you any more than +you want him to. Am's reply was that he guessed he would go all right +if he wanted him. I said. Am, just for shucks, say nothing to the dog +and see which one he will follow. So we stepped outside the shack and +the dog stood close to me. + +I said, "Go on Am, and we will see who the dog will follow." He +started off and the dog only looked at him. Am stopped and told the +dog to come on. The dog got around behind me. + +Am said, "If I wanted you to come, you would come or I would break +your neck." I said, "No, Am, you won't break Pout's neck while I am +around; it would not look nice." + +I started on my way, Pont following after I had gone a little ways. I +spoke to Pont, patting him on the head and told him what a good dog +he was. He jumped about and showed more ways than one how pleased he +was, and from that day until we broke camp, Pont stayed with me. He +showed plainly the disgust he had for his master. + +It so happened that the first trap I came to was a trap set in a +spring run, and it had a 'coon in it. I allowed Pont to help kill the +'coon, and after the 'coon was dead, I patted Pont and told him what +great things he had done in capturing the 'coon. Pont showed what +pride he took in the hunt, so much so that he did not like to have Am +go near the pelt. I saw from the very first day out that all that +Pont needed was kind treatment and proper training to make a good +help on the trap line. + +I was careful to let him know what I was doing when setting a trap, +and when he would go to smell at the bait after a trap had been set, +I would speak to him in a firm voice and let him know that I did not +approve of what he was doing. When making blind sets, I took the same +pains to show and give him to understand what I was doing. I would +sometimes, after giving him fair warning, let him put his foot into a +trap. I would scold him in a moderate manner and release him. Then +all the time I was resetting the trap I would talk trap to him, and +by action and word teach him the nature of the trap. Mr. Trapper, +please do not persuade yourself to believe that the intelligent dog +cannot understand if you go about it right. + +In two weeks Pont had advanced so far in his training that I no +longer had to pay any attention to him on account of the traps. The +third day Pont was with me he found a 'coon that had escaped with a +trap nearly two weeks before. My route called me up a little draw +from the main stream. I had not gone far up this when Pont took the +trail of some animal and began working it up the side of the hill. I +stood and watched him until the trail took him to an old log, when +Pont began to sniff at a hole in the log. He soon raised his head and +gave a long howl, as much as to say he is here and I want help. After +running a stick in the hole I soon discovered that the log was +hollow. I took my belt axe and pounded along on the log until I +thought I was at the right point and then chopped a hole in the log, +and as good luck would have it, I made the opening right on to the +'coon, and almost the first thing I saw on looking into the log was +the trap. Pont soon had the 'coon out, and when I saw it was the +'coon that had escaped with our trap, I gave Pont praise for what he +had done, petting him and telling him of his good deed, and he seemed +to understand it all. + +Not long after this Am came into camp at night and reported that a +fox had broken the chain on a certain trap and gone off with the +trap, saying that he would take Pont in the morning and see if he +could find the fox. In the morning when we were ready to go Am tried +to have Pont follow him, but it was no go, Pont would not go with +him. Then Am put a rope on to him and tried to lead him, but Pont +would sulk and would not be led. Then Am lost his temper and wanted +to break Pont's neck again. I said that I did not like to have Pont +abused and that I would go along with him. When we came to the place +where the fox had escaped with the trap Am at once began to slap his +hands and hiss Pont on. Pont only crouched behind me for protection. +I persuaded Am to go on down the run and look at the traps down that +way while I and Pont would look after the escaped fox. + +As soon as Am was gone I began to look about where the fox had been +caught and search for his trail, and soon Pont began to wag his tail. +I merely worked Pont's way and said, "Has he gone that way?" Pont +gave me to understand that the fox had gone that way and that he knew +what was wanted. The trail soon left the main hollow and took up a +little draft. A little way up this we found where the fox had been +fast in some bushes but had freed himself and left and gone up the +hillside. Pont soon began to get uneasy, and when I said hunt him out +Pont, away he went and in a few minutes I heard Pont give a long howl +and I knew that he had holed his game. When I came up to Pont he was +working in a hole in some shell rocks. I pulled away some loose rocks +and could see the fox, and we soon had him out, and Pont seemed more +pleased over the hunt than I was. There was scarcely a week that Pont +did not help us out on the trap line. + +Not unfrequently did Pont show me a 'coon den. I had some difficulty +in teaching Pont to let the porcupines alone, but after a time he +learned that they were not the kind of game that he wanted, and he +paid no more attention to them. + +I have had many different dogs on the trap line with me, and I can +say to any one who can understand dog's language, has a liking for a +dog and has a reasonable amount of patience and is willing to use it, +will find a well trained dog of much benefit on the trap line, and +often a more genial companion than some partners one may fall in +with. But if one is so constituted that he must give his dog a growl +or a kick every time he comes in reach, and perhaps only give his dog +half enough to eat and cannot treat a dog as a friend, then I say, +leave the dog off the trap line. + + [Illustration: A Group of Typical Sledge Dogs.] + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +SLEDGE DOGS OF THE NORTH. + +Not a hunting dog in a strict sense of the word, yet most important +in that connection, is the sledge dog, in transportation of hunters +and their outfits to and from the hunting and trapping scenes. + +Following is a first hand, specially written article by Colonel F. H. +Buzzacott, the intrepid Arctic explorer. That he writes from +experience is evident, which necessarily adds interest and value to +his highly interesting contribution. + +What the Indian pony is to the plain Indian, the Pack Horse or Mule +is to the White Settler, Hunter or Trapper, the Sledge Dog or +Reindeer is to natives of the distant and Far North. An old saying +among frontiersmen is that a white man will abandon a horse as broken +down and utterly unable to go when a Mexican will take that same +horse and make him go a hundred miles further, while an Indian after +all of this will mount and ride him for a week still. + +With all Indians, natives of the north or Esquimaux, knives are +luxuries, ponies and dogs, necessities. Yet, for all that, they are +never stabled, curried, washed, blanketed, shod, seldom protected or +even fed. When the icy cold wintry blasts sweep the drifting snows +over plain and valley and buries under his white mantle his food he +either digs for it, finds and eats what he can, or starves. + +In my plains experience with the Indians or in the Polar Regions with +the natives of the north or Esquimaux, I have observed that the love +of an Indian for his ponies, an Esquimaux for his dogs or Laplander +for his reindeer consists in seeing how much he really can get out of +them with the least trouble or effort to him. + +I have seen the Indians or natives of the northwest and the Esquimaux +of Hudson's and Baffin's Bay, Greenland, etc., drive half starved +dogs to the sledge until they fell or froze, only to be eaten by +their masters or mates, whom for a lifetime they had pulled with or +served faithfully. Necessity recognizes no law--man is but an animal +himself--and in the struggle for life or gain it is everywhere but +the "Survival of the Fittest" or strongest and passing of the weak, +be it white man or Indian. + +The best of the "Sledge Dogs of the North" are to be found in +Greenland or Siberia, "Samoyed" dogs or its Esquimaux cousin, the +"Immit Dog", used by explorers and Esquimaux generally. Those with +short, thick hair, medium build, size and full breed are considered +the best for all around work. They will exist and work well on one +pound of food per day, or a big feast once a week. Their food +consists mostly of dried and fresh fish, carrion or fresh, or, if +with explorers, dog biscuit added. + +They closely resemble a wolf and howl like one. Are of various colors +and sizes, iron grey predominating. They average about two feet four +inches in height by three feet six inches in length, of unusually +light weight for their size, owing to the bristle out appearance of +their hair which adds to their real size. As a rule females are +killed at birth, except those few to suffice for breeding. Commence +training at six months to a year old and when two or three years old +and seasoned to work are considered prime and preferable for long +heavy distant sledging and hunting. + +The best trained of the team (eight, twelve or more in number) is +selected as a leader. They are guided by voice and whip, a loud +"Brr-Brr" taking the place of our "Gee" in starting and the word +"Sass-Sass" used as "Whoa." "Hi" and "He" for right and left, "Ho" to +correct, or speed, as they are trained, of course. A good leader +possesses the quality of rarely failing to lead one safely over any +route once traveled by them, bringing you safely to the place even if +buried under the snow. + +They eat each other's flesh wolf-like with gusto and will tear their +fellows to pieces in fight or injury, unless beaten, torn apart or +separated by a man of whom they are afraid. They hate water in winter +as much as they love it in summer when they frequent the salmon +streams and support themselves by fishing, pounce upon nearing fish +of any size that approach them, much as does the bear, two of them +even tackling an immensely big fish and fighting to secure and bring +it to shore. As bear, muskox, or reindeer, dogs, a pack of them will +invariably round up, hold or drive anything sighted within reasonable +distance so long as the hunters will follow on, needing but little +urging, as they realize the prospect of a "good big feast," hence get +busy to the end; younger dogs often paying the penalty with their +lives but seldom older ones. + +As a rule, rawhide or seal harness is used in the far north, Alaska +and Greenland and by the Esquimaux but with the explorers these +consist mostly of canvas collar like attachments made of fourfold +strips, two of which pass or slip over the critter's back, the other +two between the forelegs, the whole united to a trace and this in +turn fastened by a toggle, hook or ring to the sledge or drag rope. +The dogs are hitched to this, either side of the drag, or alternately +single or double, distant a few feet from each other. The guiding dog +or leader is ahead leading while the others follow. Where canvas +harness or steel wire rope is used on the drag by "Expeditions" it is +because it lessens the chances of the harness being stolen, chewed or +eaten, when rations become scarce. + +In heavy traveling they are used and hitched double for fast travel, +alternate and single as exigencies require and will travel from 10 to +50 miles a day according to conditions of road, load, snow, ice, etc. +When hitched or prior to it, they are usually lightly fed so as to +bring them to reach their destination and "Tether," loafers soon +learn that they must earn their food. At times when worked hard, they +get off feed, so to speak, sulk and refuse to come up to a drag. In +which case the remaining dogs must do the work and rarely do they +fail to whine, show their contempt for such action and punish "His +Nibs" at the first chance later on, even pining to get at him, sled +and all, as they observe him following behind alone. + +On hard pulls, or uneven drags, they play out easily, act mulish, +refusing to budge until the sled is started or at variance with each +other. Otherwise, the start is a steady pull until well under way. A +good team double will pull easily a load of 1,000 pounds or more, +single about one-half, depending largely on condition of themselves +and the road they travel. The Esquimaux seldom spares them or the +whip, "Brring" them on and "Hi-ying" if needs be. + +About eight hours' work constitutes a day's travel or they go until +played out, the latter case most likely. When traveling they are +fairly obedient and preserve a steady equal pulling that occasionally +is relieved by a jerky, gallop-like pace. Well trained dogs preserve +their pace and tug on the harness for hours at a time. Usually they +stop every hour or so for breathing spells as the atmosphere in those +regions winds them easily. If traveling fast on ice and one falls or +slips, he is dragged along, half strangled, until he regains his +feet, place and position in line again, or, becoming tangled he is +loosened up. By this time he has been snapped a few times by the dogs +about him as if to punish him for his carelessness. + +Ordinarily, the leader responds promptly to the driver's voice, +guiding, turning, halting or increasing speed at the given command. +When, however, they scent game, they become difficult to manage, +requiring utmost application of the whip to keep the trail or +direction and this invariably ends in confusion, hopeless tangle and +upset sledge. + +Handling, feeding, training calls for more judgment and patience than +skill, driving especially. They refuse to cross apparently weak yet +tested ice, pressure ridges, ice or snow cracks and mule-like, will +make a plunging jump over a depression (when in trace) which +ordinarily would not call for a leap at all. They require +watchfulness on the part of the driver over cross country or when not +following the trail, lest they sheer off from a given direction or +straight line. + + [Illustration: Sledge Dog.--Photo From Life.] + +When following the trail much confidence is vested in the leader and +should perchance it strike a blind or cross trail, it will howl to +attract the attention of the driver and by these means verify +directions, as if to ask if it is leading right. In case it loses the +track it will slow up, whine, run up or criss-cross its tracks, +sniffing and smelling in an anxious, expectant way, until it finds or +is led correct, when it howls with delight and pulls off "like +blazes" again. + +They have strange likes and dislikes. As entire pack will punish one +who incurs the displeasure at times to an extent of crippling or +killing each other. If a strange dog comes amongst them he is pretty +sure to get "mauled" or his scraping abilities put to test, which +usually ends in a free-for-all fight, catch as catch can rules +predominating. + +When in harness training a young dog gets punished frequently by its +mates for any awkwardness it shows. Old dogs especially show contempt +for a new or strange dog which takes its mate's place, be it pup or +otherwise, and will often sulk if their place is changed. Each seems +to think his place is best, the leader especially being particularly +proud of his honored position in "Dogdom." As a rule, existing +difficulties or arguments in harness are stored up until that day's +march is over, because of fear of punishment from the driver, but as +soon as turned loose, they settle the difficulty of the day by +another scrap, in which often one bunch will participate in, "take +sides," and chew up each other, until all pitch in, aiming to settle +things somehow. If too tired, they await the morrow. As a rule, the +best sledge dogs are the poorest scrappers (so we have to be partial +at times) especially to the leader who is usually the most +intelligent; hence favored. + +In a pinch, when game and rations are scarce, they make good eating, +of course, being sacrificed. At these times, their peculiar savage +nature asserts itself, when you kill one for food, by signs of joy, +rather than fear for they seem to be devoid of sympathy or unaffected +by the scene. Their flesh is pale, tender and tasteless much like +rabbit, bloodless and poor, and they will eat anything from a tin can +label to Kipling's "Rag, Bone or Hank of Hair." When meat is plenty, +they take on flesh and fatten quickly but seldom does this happen as +the Esquimaux says, "Him no good, lazy, much fat." + +Wolf-like, stolen food tastes better and one will leave his own +ration to steal a fellow's equal share and risking by his greediness +both, as it is stolen in turn by another. Their thieving propensities +are great, a tin can of meat, skin boots, oil lamp, old soup kettle, +or their own harness if sealskin or rawhide. + + [Illustration: Rough and Ready Sledge Dog.] + +Tied, penned up or left harnessed any length of time, they assert +their belief in "Liberty and Equality" by chewing their way to +freedom if it takes a week to do it. As a rule, the dogs respect a +female and will seldom molest her. These give birth to a litter of +from 4 to 8 pups which are generally killed at birth, unless a +scarcity of them, fat "puppy dog" being with the paunch of the +reindeer considered a regular "Delmonico" dish. The average +usefulness of their existence is about 6 to 8 years, the old dogs +following the same road as fat puppies, after their usefulness has +seen the limit. Fall bred dogs are best. Alaskan dogs are larger and +heavier and the same rule applies to Labrador species, but as they +are of mixed breed, lazier and require more food they are only used +to advantage where they belong--at home. + +As a rule, they exist, breed and sleep in the open, the soft side of +a drifting snow bank being a luxury, especially if it drifts about +them up to the muzzle, and it is only vacated when dangerous. They +seek the warmest spots they can find, a rope coil, rag or paper, or +even a tin can to lie on, in preference to ice or hard snow. Failing +in this, they will dig a hole in the soft snow and bury themselves in +this, lying one on top of the other in bitter weather. The best of +Arctic or Polar dogs, while they withstand cold to surprising degree, +nevertheless, suffer with the cold and danger of freezing, especially +in winter time when food is scarce or frozen and snow serves to +quench thirst, a wet foot or crippled limb being the first to suffer. +In bitter weather I have seen them roll and run to maintain +circulation. They huddle together, shivering, hold up their paws and +whine pitifully and appealingly. + +They receive a kind word by a show of teeth instead of a wag--indeed, +are anything but friendly, except at "chuck" time and then limit it +to the grub with a few exceptions, of course. Most of them, however, +Indian-like, believe in the old maxim "Familiarity breeds contempt" +and thus they treat kindness with suspicion and turn tail as if it +preceded work or a licking and perhaps both. + +If left alone any length of time, one will start up a coyote-like +howl and all join in one after the other in the chorus that takes the +appearance of a man with a "big stick" to quell. If left alone they +will keep it up for hours, stopping as it commenced by degrees, +apparently without reason. They are fed when circumstances permit and +if permitted, will gorge themselves to the point of bursting, eating +enough to last a week and camping alongside of it until even the +bones are cleaned up and not enough left to feed a fly. Indian-like, +however, they are always on hand for the next meal, hungry again. +When traveling, they are fed a little daily, but when not, exist on +wind, bones and kicks, fish offal and refuse thrown out, or hunt for +themselves like wolves, after Arctic hares, lemmings or anything they +can find. + +In winter time, dogs are often the main food of the Esquimaux and as +fat or oil is generally scarce, are eaten raw instead of cooked, oil +being too valuable at this time to be wasted on dog. Its taste to the +white man largely depends on one's hunger or digestive cravings. If +half-starved, it is voted "just excellent." If not, it is "just dog," +that's all. Yet, if the pangs of hunger gnaw one's vitals, +repugnance, position in life, creed, superstition, opinions, likes +and dislikes, self-respect, all give way to the cravings of an empty +stomach; especially in that trackless great white desert called the +"Distant Polar Regions." + +Such is the life and existence of these, the sledge dogs of the +north. + + + +PART IV. + +THE HUNTING DOG FAMILY. + + [Illustration: Worthy of the Name, Fox Hounds.] + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +AMERICAN FOX HOUNDS. + +Those who make a science of breeding and training fox hounds, and +indulge in the chase for sport only, have a nearly identical standard +of the ideal the country over. Even he who chases the fox for profit +may find valuable information and interest in such a standard, even +though they may be convinced that their hounds, though without +pedigree, are capable dogs. + +At a gathering of the foremost sportsmen of this country, in 1905, +the following standard was fixed as ideal: + +The American foxhound should be smaller and lighter in muscle and +bone, than the English foxhound. Dogs should not be under 21 nor over +23 1/2 in., nor weigh more than 57 pounds. Bitches should not be +under 20 nor over 22 1/2 inches nor weigh more than 50 pounds. + +The head (value 15) should be of medium size with muzzle in +harmonious proportions. + +The skull should be rounded cross-wise with a slight peak, line of +profile nearly straight, with sufficient stop to give symmetry to the +head. + +Ears should meet to within one inch of end of muzzle, should be thin, +soft in coat, low set and closely pendant. + +Eyes soft, medium size, and varying shades of brown. Nostrils +slightly expanded. The head as a whole should denote hound character. + +The neck (value 5) must be clean and of good length, slightly arched, +strong where it springs from the shoulders and gradually tapering to +the head, without trace of throatiness. + +The shoulders (value 10) must be of sufficient length to give +leverage and power, well sloped, muscular, but with clean run and not +too broad. + +Chest and back ribs (value 10). The chest should be deep for lung +space, narrower in proportion to depth than the English hound, 28 +inches in a 23 1/2 inch hound being good. Well sprung ribs, back ribs +should extend well back, a three-inch flank allowing springiness. + +Back and loin (value 10) should be broad, short and strong, slightly +arched. + +The hindquarters and lower thighs (value 10) must be well muscled and +very strong. The stifle should be low set, not too much bent, nor yet +too straight, a happy medium. + +The elbows (value 5) should set straight, neither in nor out. + +Legs and feet (value 20) are of great importance. Legs should be +straight and placed squarely under shoulder, having plenty of bone +without clumsiness, strong pasterns well stood upon. Feet round, cat +like, not too large, toes well knuckled, close and compact, strong +nails, pad thick, tough and indurated by use. + +Color and coat (value 5). Black, white and tan are preferable, though +the solids and various pies are permissible. Coat should be rough and +course without being wiry or shaggy. + +Symmetry (value 5). The form of the hound should be harmonious +thruout. He should show his blood quality and hound character in +every aspect and movement. If he scores high in other properties, +symmetry is bound to follow. + +The stern (value 5) must be strong in bone at the root, of a medium +length, carried like a sabre on line with the spine and must have a +good brush. A docked stern shall not disqualify, but simply handicap +according to extent of docking. + +SUMMARY. + +Head 15, neck 5, shoulders 10, chest and back ribs 10, hindquarters +and lower thighs 10, back and loin 10, elbows 5, legs and feet 20, +color and coat 5, stern 5, symmetry 5. Total 100. + +THE GREY HOUND. + +Without doubt, the grey hound, bred almost solely for speed, is the +fleetest runner on earth. + +In a general way it may be said that the grey hound pursues by sight +only, yet some experienced hunters will contend that they can follow +a fairly warm trail successfully, if trained to it. It is not natural +for them, however, to take and follow an old track until the game is +started, but what they lack in that way is made up in speed. + + [Illustration: Good Specimens.] + +It has been a favorite practice for decades to take advantage of his +speed, by crossing with other strains, resulting in courage, tenacity +and trailing powers, very useful in several kinds of hunting. + +This type of dog, either pure bred or crossed lends himself readily +to deer, wolf, fox or rabbit chasing, and is especially successful if +hunted in company with good trailers. The latter start the game when +the grey hound goes forward and effects a capture, or so interferes +with progress, that the other dogs come up and finish the work. + +A bit of practical talk on the subject from the pen of a grey hound +enthusiast is appended: + +I have always had grey hounds. If they are let run with the track +hounds when they are young they soon learn to take a track, run away +from the pack and catch the game. I have some one-half grey hound and +one-half bloodhound or fox hound. No better dogs living. Great +fighters, stay as long as the game runs. This kind are good bear +dogs. I keep live 'coon to train pups on and commence to train them +at 4 or 5 months old. The older they get the longer races I give +them. + +SCOTCH DEER HOUND. + +An excellent deer hound is half scotch deer hound and one-half grey +hound, and I will say there is no breed called stag hound, writes a +well informed Canadian deer hunter. All that claim that name are +overgrown fox hounds used in England for that purpose. Thompson Gray +in "Dogs of Scotland," written in 1890, says that the first mention +of the Scotch deer hound was in "Pitcotts History of Scotland." It is +of the same family as the grey hound and has been spoken of by early +writers as the Rough Scotch Grey Hound. + +He is more massive, is about three inches taller than the grey hound +and has a rough coat. His vocation is to course the stag and the +deer. He, like the grey hound must not use his nose when hunting his +quarry and for this reason great speed is absolutely necessary. His +head is somewhat longer and wider across the skull than that of the +grey hound and the hair on the sides of the lip form a mustache. +Small ears are a sign of good breeding. They should be set on high +and at the back of the skull and be semi-erect when at attention. + +The coat is hard in texture, without any silkiness. The color most +admired is blue grizzle with its various shades but brindle and fawn, +either light or dark are admirable. There should be no white on any +part of the body. As to formation, he should be made on the same +lines as the grey hound. + +THE BLOOD HOUND. + +The original and oldest of the hound family is the blood hound. He +takes his name from having originally been used to track wounded +animals to their lairs. Their fame to the public is based on their +use as man trailers, which gained more notice at about the time of +the Civil War than before or since. There is considerable question as +to their infallibility and powers in this direction. While nearly any +dog can, if he wishes, trail a human being, and while the blood hound +is the best scented of the dog family, it is rather doubtful if all +the things that have been written about the blood hounds and slave +fugitives are true. + + [Illustration: Blood Hound.] + +Bloodhounds are known under several names, such as, Cuban, Siberian, +St. Hubert blood hounds, etc. + +Civil authorities and detectives, the country over, employ the blood +hounds to trail criminals, or rather ostensibly to bring them to +justice. Rarely do they succeed in actually capturing a fleeing +culprit, however, if he has passed over sections trampled over by +many other people. + +The blood hound, as has been mentioned before, is quite useful in +breeding hunting dogs for specific purposes. + +Some light of experience is furnished us by a Pennsylvania breeder, +as follows: + +In regard to blood hounds or a cross between the blood hound and fox +hound, they are good hunters on wolf, fox, 'coon and bear. In fact, +they are all around good dogs, great fighters on game. They are +tough, active, will stand a long run and come home and not seem to be +tired. + +The blood hound is a good man as well as an animal hunter. They will +stand the longest races and not tire. In fifty years breeding from +the best, these dogs are all that are needed in a hound dog. + +On the same subject a Western brother says: + +I have bred dogs for 55 years from most of the kennels in this +country, England and other countries. I like English blood hound or +one-half hound and one-half fox hound. They are sharp scented, fast +runners, good stayers, good fighters and game for fox and wolf +hunting. + + [Illustration: "As Pretty as a Picture." (Beagles.)] + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +THE BEAGLE DACHSHUND AND BASSET HOUNDS. + +"A few years ago I gave up the large hound for the beagle hound, as I +hunt rabbit a good deal now and I find it good sport with the right +kind of beagles," writes a beagle enthusiast of the middle west, +"but, of course, they are just like fox hounds or any other breed of +dogs, many of them would be better training themselves in the happy +hunting grounds. The main thing is to get the right strain of +beagles, of which there are several. Champion Bannerman, imported by +J. Crane, Esq., about 1884, has had a great influence towards +producing the smaller size. Of course every man to his opinion as to +size. Some prefer the small, while others the larger size. The +importation by General Rowett, of Carlinsville, Ill., which has been +known since as the Rowett strain, when it comes to beauty and hunting +qualities combined, are very good, in fact, are among the best. The +blue cap strain imported into the country by Captain William Ausheton +from the kennels of Sir Arthur Ashburnham along in the seventies. +This strain seems to have a stronger love for the scent of the rabbit +than anything else. + +By crossing strains it is possible to get beagles with a fierce +hunting disposition, that will hunt and fight anything that wears +fur, keen scent (remember the beagle is strong in the blood hound +blood) wide chest, heavy bone, round fat feet that can put up a hard +day's work every day. + +THE DACHSHUND. + +We are indebted to Mr. William Loeffler for the following +comprehensive, entertaining special article on the little understood +Dachshund: + +Of the many breeds of dogs in existence, none have gained more +friends and won more hearts and a stronger hold in American home in a +comparative short time than the Dachshund. + +Those who have not seen a single specimen and are entirely ignorant +regarding his characteristics, know him by continued caricature. + +For centuries back he was the most favored pet of German aristocracy, +carefully guarded and upheld in his purity, and it was only +occasionally that an outsider received a specimen. A gift of a +Dachshund was considered a token of high esteem. + + [Illustration: True Dachshund Specimens.] + +Though he has not lost a particle of his prestige in this respect, +and has strong admirers in the royal families of Europe, he is +rapidly becoming a cosmopolitan; with his little crooked legs he now +travels over many lands, making friends wherever he lands. + +At all times Dachshunde were in charge of professional hunters, who +developed their instinct for hunting wonderfully, and the courage, +endurance and strength exhibited in pursuing their game is +astonishing and marvelous. + +The long body, short and muscular legs, the entire strength being +centered in his deep chest, indicate that he is intended for work +under ground. + +To attack a badger or a fox in his own burrow requires bravery of a +high degree, especially as the dog is in most cases much smaller than +his game. He relies upon the strength of his jaws and his wonderfully +developed set of teeth for his work and does not snap or bite at +random, but his attack is usually well aimed and effective. + +The game-keeper's duty is to destroy all enemies of the game +entrusted to his care, consequently foxes, badgers, minks and other +vermin are at all times subject to extermination, and the Dachshund +is his untiring and able assistant in this work. + +His scenting power is of the keenest and he will locate his prey very +quickly when he strikes a trail. A fox generally leaves his burrow +when the dog enters his domain and falls a victim to the gunner's +aim; not so with the badger, who crawl into a corner of his burrow, +and two dogs in most cases attack him from different entries, and +finally crowd him so that he will stay at bay. The location of the +badger can easily be given by the barking of the dogs, and the hunter +digs down with pick and spade, when the ground permits such work, +until the badger can be seen. By means of a fork pushed over his neck +the badger is held and captured. + +The Dachshund is also invaluable for finding wounded deer; for which +purpose the hunter usually chains the dog, who then leads his master +over the trail to locate the game. + +At home the Dachshund's disposition changes entirely; he is now a +most affectionate and docile animal, and shows by his every +expression his attachment for his master and his family. His +intelligence is surprising; as a watch or house dog he has few +equals, the slightest disturbance will not escape his keen senses and +the alarm is given. Most always one member of the family he selects +as his special idol, in many cases a child, and it is amusing to +watch him, how he does everything in his power to show his affection, +following every step taken by his beloved friend. He will frolic for +hours and never seem to tire or lose his good temper, and he is +always on hand when wanted. He knows the friends of the family and +never molests them, but he will not tolerate tramps. + +The color of the Dachshund is of great variety, the original stock +being black and tan, from which later developed chocolate and tan, +gray and tan and single color red, ranging from fawn to dark mahogany +red. The spotted Dachshund, such as black and tan as a ground color +showing silver gray patches of irregular sizes throughout the black +field is of comparatively recent development. Most all have short and +glossy coats. + +The unusual shape of this dog, combined with a beautiful color, the +graceful and dignified walk, the aristocratic bearing, will draw the +attention and admiration of every one who sees him. + +THE BASSET HOUND. + +The American beagle has a brother in France, called the Basset. He is +slow, acute scenter and in general has characteristics in common with +the beagle. + +Those few dogs in this country erroneously called Basset hounds, +(aside from a very few imported for bench show purposes) are +doubtless resulted from beagle and mongrel crossed. + + [Illustration: A Pure Pointer.] + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +POINTERS AND SETTERS.--SPANIELS. + +It is not within our province to dwell at length upon the subject of +"bird" dogs. We will content ourselves with briefly pointing out some +more salient points of appearance and character. Those who wish to +make a study and follow extensively wing shooting, and raise and +train suitable dogs for the purpose, may obtain books relating +exclusively to that subject. + +While adapted to the same purposes in the field, there are +differences in the appearance and methods of pointers and setters +that give rise to two distinct classes. + +In the field, if we may take for granted the claims of men long +schooled in wing shooting, we may say in a general way, that the +pointer excels in woods--heavy cover, and brushy sections. In such +places a slower dog is required as well as one that willingly hunts +close to the shooter. + +For work in open fields or over prairie land, the setter is perhaps +better suited, because he, as a rule, "has greater speed, wider +range, greater endurance and staying qualities. If retrieving from +water came into play, the setter also would have the preference. As +to which of the two breeds has the best nose, and which is the better +bird finder, nothing can be said with a degree of certainty--they are +equal, but there is a vast difference in individuals. The same is +true as to retaining inculcated training." + + [Illustration: Royal Sports.--Pointers in Action.] + +The pointer is the older breed, being a product of the middle ages. +He bobs up, ever and anon, in the history of hunting down to the +present. There has been now and again some inclination to cross the +pointer and fox hounds, among huntsmen, some claiming even in this +day that it improves either type of dog for his given duties. +Purists, however, insist on keeping them pure and undefiled. + +In appearance the pointer is larger than the setter, and gives one an +impression of solidity and strength; his coat should be soft and +mellow, but not absolutely silky. The hair is short and straight. + +The setter's coat should be long, straight and silky (a slight wave +is admissible) which should be the case with the breeches and fore +legs, which, nearly down to the feet, should be well feathered. The +color may be either white and black, white and orange, white and +lemon, white and liver, or black, white and tan; those without heavy +patches on the body, but flecked all over, called Belton, preferred. + +There is, as in most other questions of hunting and shooting +experiences, wide difference of opinion as to the relative values of +the two breeds for practical field work and bench purposes. + +The casual field shooter will not go wrong in selecting either kind, +so long as he secures a creditable and really representative +individual. + + [Illustration: Setter.] + +A distinct setter strain is the black and tan Gordon. Writes an +authority: "The Gordon is a much heavier dog in all his parts than +the English setter; coarser in skull, thicker in shoulders and +usually carrying lots of useless lumber. As a consequence he lacks +the speed of his English brethren, and for this reason he is not a +desirable field trial candidate, but as a steady, reliable dog, with +more than average bird finding ability, he will always have a number +of admirers." + +The Irish setter is another interesting one of the setter family. He +is not as popular in America as the others, though a handsome and +capable performer. His color is red, with white on chest, throat or +toes, or a small star on the forehead. + +The manner of judging pedigreed field dogs has been reduced to an +almost exact science. After all, however, all this is not for the +casual hunter and many an embryo sportsman tramps the fields after +capable, though not so high-toned dogs, and enjoys it all more than +the nervous owner watching his dog in the field trial. + +SPANIELS. + +Spaniels are not utilized to any extent as hunting dogs in this +country, although they are sometimes crossed to good advantage with +other hunting dogs. About the water, the water spaniel is well +adapted. For instance some spaniel blood in a mink dog is well worth +considering. + +All of the spaniels, readily develop into retrievers, and this is +their principal use at present, although they can be taught to hunt +with considerable effect and judgment, where too much is not expected +of them. They are lively, happy little workers, and on grouse in +dense coverts, no dog possesses a better nose for the purpose. Their +size, too, is against them for most practical purposes. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +TERRIERS--AIREDALES. + +Practical hunters have no interest in the numerous Terrier family, +save perhaps two types. + +We find those who urge the use of the terrier for some purposes. For +instance, a Canadian brother has the following to say as to the Fox +Terrier: + +I like the hound, but give me a well trained fox terrier as his +companion, and I will get most every fox. They have no trouble to +hole in less than six hours, there is where the terrier shines and +puts in his work. He will enter the hole and that is the end of Mr. +Fox. Sometimes he will bring him out of the hole to kill him, but +more often he will kill him, then bring him out. There are times when +he kills one that he cannot get out, owing to a short bend or other +obstruction in the hole. No doubt there will be many of the readers +think this is a far-fetched claim, nevertheless it is true and many +in this section can vouch for this statement. + + [Illustration: The Fox Terrier--Useful in Many Ways.] + +The dozens of types of this interesting, though generally +impracticable terrier family we pass over, permitting us to give +wider attention to the one or two types that have earned recognition. +The ugly, little Irish terrier is sometimes used to good advantage +for crossing, where heedless, reckless pluck is sought. These dogs +are very game, yet remarkably good tempered with man. But they dearly +love a fight, and have earned their commonly used nick-name +"Dare-devils." + +Thus lightly skipping over the whole family we come to a type that +has earned notice in the hunting world, and is rapidly growing in +popular favor. + + [Illustration: Airedale.] + +THE AIREDALE. + +First we cite a bit of practical testimony on the matter, from a +gentleman who knows whereof he speaks: + +I have found out that the pure Airedale terrier and the hound make +the very best dogs for coon, lynx, mink, etc. Get a good Airedale and +a good hound and you will have a pair of hounds hard to beat. The +airedale are great water dogs and very hard workers and easily +trained to hunt any kind of game. They are full of grit and they fear +nothing and are always ready to obey your command. I have hunted with +them and found this breed of dog away ahead of the water spaniel, +collie, etc. Once you own one you will never be without it. + +"The Airedales were first imported into this country in 1897 or 1898, +from England, and as companion and guard dogs, as well as hunters and +retrievers have made wonderful strides, and are becoming more popular +as they become better known. In disposition and intelligence they are +unexcelled. They will guard their master's family night and day, but +on the other hand are affectionate and kind to children. They are +natural hunters of both large and small game, in which they need but +little training, and have been used and worked as hunters and +retrievers with much success, as they are easily taught and very +intelligent. In size, the standard calls for males 45 pounds, females +a little less. Color, black and badger gray with tan extremities. + +We should name the Airedale as a promising bear dog. His grit, +courage, staying Quality and strength are all points of advantage in +a dog that is expected to try conclusions with the hard-swatting +bruin. + +Also we frequently hear of noteworthy success of the Airedale in +hunting and dispatching coyotes, coons, badger and bay-lynx, any one +of which is capable of putting up a good fight. Also he is a hunter, +retriever, trailer of coon, 'possum, bear, wildcat, mink, coyote, +deer, lynx, fox or small game. + +The tendency nowadays is to produce larger Airedales, which shall +retain the terrier qualities. The practical callings upon the breed's +usefulness seems to justify that he be bred over 50 pounds, rather +than between 45 and 50 pounds, which has in the past been the aim. + +One writer says that it was in the valley of the Aire river that the +Otter hound was crossed with the Bull Terrier, that product was the +Scotch terrier, that with the Scotch collie, that with the Pointer, +and that with the Setter dog and then the standard having been +secured, the crossing was discontinued. In that dale of the Aire, +then, was the great breed of dogs first experimented upon, that made +the Airedale. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +SCOTCH COLLIES. HOUSE AND WATCH DOGS. + +The Scotch collie dog will make the best friend of all the dogs in +the canine race, writes a collie admirer. Of all useful animals God +gave to man what can excel the dog, at least with the stockmen; in +affection no other dog can compare with him, he is a dog that every +farmer needs. He has almost human intelligence, a pure bred collie +can always be depended upon in sunshine or adversity. He can do his +work in a manner that should put the average boy to shame. The pure +bred Scotch Collies are of a kind and affectionate disposition and +they become strongly attached to their master. There can be no friend +more honest and enduring than the noble, willing and obedient +thoroughbred Scotch Collie. As a devoted friend and faithful +companion he has no equal in the canine race, he will guard the +household and property day and night. The Scotch Collies are very +watchful and always on the alert, while their intelligence is really +marvelous. + + [Illustration: Collie.] + +At one year old they are able to perform full duty herding sheep, +cattle and other stock, attending them all day when necessary, +keeping them together and where they belong and driving off all +strange intruders. They learn to know their master's animals from +others in a very short time, and a well-trained dog will gather them +home and put each into its right stall. They have a dainty carriage +and line style, profuse silky hair of various colors. + +Others incline to the conviction that practical purposes have been +lost sight of in breeding, and that appearances have been sought to +such an extent that the present day pure bred collies lack some of +the attributes of intelligence and hardihood that made the collie +famous. In view of this fact it is quite likely that for general +purposes and certainly for hunting purposes, a dash of alien blood is +advantageous. + +The crossed collie, or the well-known shepherd dog, so common to the +farm, are very often used with success in all forms of night hunting. +There are some who go so far as to maintain that the shepherd or a +cross of shepherd and fox hound are ideal for coon, rabbit and +squirrel hunting. + +The use of these dogs as sheep herders has deteriorated in this +country, although they are still bred for practical purposes with +marked success in parts of England. + +HOW TO TRAIN A COLLIE. + +The best way to make a start is to get a pure-bred puppy from a good +working strain. To gain the best results and secure the full worth of +a Collie as a stock dog, I would say, take him as a little puppy. + +There are many reasons why we favor the little puppy to the dog +nearly or quite grown. Most collies are sensitive and suspicious and +of fine temperament and this characteristic often makes them appear +rather more cowardly than brave. A Collie that has been properly +cared for and considerably handled during his puppyhood up to +maturity should have plenty of courage. A puppy should never be +permitted to have a place of refuge where he can run away and hide on +hearing a slight noise or unusual disturbance of any kind, or at the +sight of a stranger. + +If he is kept under conditions where he can see all that may be going +on, and in that way become familiar with active life, learning that +noises and strange persons do not harm him, he will develop plenty of +courage, without which there is but little hope of great usefulness. + +First, teach him his name, and to come when you call him. Teach him +to mind but always by kind methods. Let him love and trust you, +gaining his affection by gentle treatment. He should be accustomed to +the collar and chain when young, though it is much better to keep him +in the yard than confined by a chain while he is growing. Teach him +one thing at a time--to lie down and remain in that position until +excused; to follow at your will, and stop at the word, to come in at +once at command, and to turn to the right or left. + +All these lessons can be easily managed by use of a small cord and +always using the appropriate word with emphasis. He should always be +made to keep at your heels when out for a walk with you. In that way, +after telling him to go to heel whenever he tries to run away, he +will understand the word better when he goes with you to drive the +cattle for the first time. + +Let him keep back of the stock with you, while you drive the cattle +to and from the field or pasture without undertaking to teach him, +for as he learns by observation, he must have the example made plain. +He will quickly show a desire to help and then you may take advantage +of this act, encouraging him to help you, and after he has been with +you a time or two, he will soon become a driver at the heel. Give him +plenty of practice, and when he becomes a good driver at the heel, +taking a positive interest in his work, he can then be easily taught +to turn the cattle to the right or left, to head them off, stop them +or go alone into the distant fields and bring the cattle to the +stable. + +He should never be allowed to drive the cattle fast for if once +allowed to run them, he will become careless and develop a +disposition to worry them. + + [Illustration: Shepherd Puppies.] + +Do not weary him with over-commanding nor notice every little mistake +which unnoticed may not occur again. If you gain his affection and do +not forget to tell him that he has been a good dog when he has done +well for you, he will learn fast for he has a wonderful memory and +never forgets the things he has learned to do. Thus we are amply +repaid for the care and time used in making the lesson plain. + +I might say a few words about feeding the puppy, as he should have +good food when young. The first few months he should be fed on bread +and milk, never giving him any meat at any time, and as he grows +older, give him the bread dry and the milk as a drink. A comfortable +sleeping place should also be given him. The best place is in the +house or stable and he should be kept in at night at all times of the +year. + +You will find that a well looked after Collie is a valuable and +life-long friend and helper. + +HOUSE AND WATCH DOGS. + +The Great Dane, Mastiff, St. Bernard, Newfoundland, Poodle, Dalmatian +Chow-Chow, English and French Bulldog have their places and purposes, +but are entirely outside the province of hunting dogs. Most hunters +admire these noble beasts, but inasmuch as they have no practical +importance or use to the hunter, detailed description is omitted. + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +A FARMER HUNTER--HIS VIEWS. + +I am a farmer by trade and a raccoon hunter for sport, and nothing +but a fox hound for me, and the better his breeding is the better I +like it. I don't care how much noise he makes if he is fast. I like a +good tonguer. I only have four hounds at this writing. I have caught +27 'coon and 10 opossum. On the night of November 9th, some friends +of mine went out 'coon hunting with me. They had three 'coon dogs and +I had four, seven hounds in all. We went about two miles south of +where I live to where we sometimes hunt the 'coon. The first thing +when we got there the dogs struck a trail and treed on top of a hill +with an old coal entry just below it. + +We got up to the tree all right and could hear one of the dogs +barking "treed" about one-half mile south, so I left the boys to +attend to that tree and I went to the lone hound. He was barking up a +large black oak in the corn field. I soon spied an eye up the tree +and shot him out and down came Mr. 'Coon. I looked up in the tree +again and saw two eyes. The little 20-gauge spoke again and down came +'coon No. 2. The other fellows did not have such good luck, as their +coon got into the coal entry. + +We then started on and the dogs caught another trail and gave us some +music for about twenty minutes. When they barked treed we went over +to them and there were six of the dogs barking up a bushy oak and the +lone dog was barking about eighty rods west of there. One of the boys +started up the tree and got only part way up when out jumps Mr. +'Coon. The dogs all went for him and out comes another 'coon and into +the corn field he went just about at the top of his speed, and I +guess he had no slow orders either by the way he was going the last +time I saw him. We got a couple of the dogs after the runaway 'coon +but he made a hole, so we then went to the lone dog and he had one +up. We got that and started west. We had not gone far when the dogs +struck another trail and they circled to the northwest of us, came +around west and south and turned east. Just across the hollow from us +was a large tree that Mr. 'Coon was trying to make but he couldn't +get speed enough to make it, so the dogs caught him as he got to the +bottom of the tree. + +The lone dog was with them on that chase. We left our 'coon at a +farmer's and started on. The dogs struck another trail and that 'coon +got into a hole and he was safe, so we ate our lunch, rested a little +while and started on west. The dogs hit another trail and went south +about a mile and barked but not treed. We went to them and they had +run this 'coon into a shallow hole in the corn field. We tried to get +one of the dogs to pull him out but the 'coon got first hold every +time, so we got a stick and dug in a little ways. We could then see +Mr. 'Coon's eyes down in the hole. We sent three dogs in after him +but they came out without him. + +I had an old speckled hound we called Teddy. He went in and when he +backed out he had company with him, and he seemed to think a great +deal of his company, for he was hanging right on to him just as +though he thought his company might leave him if he got a chance. +Ted was doing all he could, but he got him up so the other dogs could +see Mr. 'Coon's back and then he had plenty of help and the 'coon's +troubles were soon over. + +We then started northwest. The dogs were working a trail and they +were puzzled on it; did not seem able to get away. There were a black +oak and hazel bush where we were then, so we sat down to let the dogs +work it out if they could. We were sitting within 10 feet of an oak +tree, the lone dog came up, circles the tree and barks up, then three +of the other dogs come up and start to bark. One of the boys says +there might be a 'coon up that tree but I doubt it. Well, I said, +when four good 'coon dogs bark up a tree at the same time, there is +liable to be something up there, so up went one of the boys and down +came Mr. 'Coon. We got him and the dogs were not long in starting +another trail. + +They started south but it was a cold one, but they struck right after +Mr. 'Coon, and I guess they must have taken us a mile and a half on +that trail to another patch of timber, and we were about a half a +mile behind them when they barked treed. They had Mr. 'Coon up a tall +red oak. We shot him out and soon had another trail going. They took +this one south, and it was a warm one, right out into a corn field, +and they caught him on the ground. We could hear the fracas and went +to them as quick as possible, but we were not quick enough for they +had killed Mr. 'Coon and we met them coming back. We went to where we +thought they were when they caught the 'coon but we did not find the +right place for we did not find that coon. + +The dogs soon had another trail going and gave us some fine music for +a little while and barked treed. We went to them and they had two +'coons up. We shot them out, and they soon had another one going +south. It was getting pretty frosty about that time and they worked +that trail about one hour south and west. We followed their music and +they barked treed. We shot him out. That makes eleven 'coon and one +killed in the field that we could not find. Now there may be some of +the trappers that will think I have added a few 'coon to this hunt, +but I have not. I have given you this 'coon hunt as near as it +happened as I can remember, but we had seven as good 'coon dogs as +you generally run across. I do not say seven of the best dogs ever +went into the woods or the best in the United States, but they were +'coon dogs and fast ones. + +It seems that about every man that has a 'coon dog or dogs and they +tree a few 'coons, gets it into his head that nobody has a dog quite +as good as his. I have one pair of hounds from a Williams bitch and a +dog owned by Mr. Williams--Hodo is his name--but he is a pure Trigg +dog. His pedigree runs back over forty years. One of Haiden C. +Trigg's dogs, Trigg, is the most successful hound breeder in the +United States today. He started on the old original American fox +hound, these long eared fellows with a deep mellow voice, called by +some nigger chasers, as they used them in the south for that purpose, +and some dealers are selling the old American Fox Hound today for +American Blood Hounds. The only genuine blood hound we have is the +English. See what the Trigg dog is today, short ears or much shorter +than the dog Mr. Trigg started to improve on, with narrow muzzle, and +stands up well with good feet and built on speedy lines, a red fox +dog, and when he started on there were few of them that could hole a +red fox inside of eight hours, and the Trigg dog of today will hole a +red fox in a comparatively short time. Of course the fox they are +running and the kind of country they have to run in, have a great +deal to do with it. I run fox myself sometimes, or my hounds do +rather. + +Now I see some of the hunters like a still trailer, but I want to +hear my dogs work and I want to know which way they are going, and +when they begin to get away I can follow and keep in hearing of my +dogs. I can tell by their baying just about what they are doing, if +the trail is cold or warm, and can tell which way they are going. I +wouldn't give a cent to hunt with dogs that couldn't make a little +music when on the trail. + +I see some of the brothers think nothing but a still trailer catches +his 'coon on the ground. If you have fast trailers they will catch +'coon on the ground if they tongue every other jump. My dogs are all +good tonguers and I often have them catch 'coon on the ground and big +'coon, not little young 'coon any more than old ones. A young 'coon +will take to a tree quicker than an old one. I have got to see my +first well bred 'coon hound that will still trail. I have never seen +him yet, that is, a fox hound. I have tried shepherd and hound cross, +bull dog and hound cross, and beagle and fox hound cross, but give me +the pure bred fox hound every time for a 'coon dog, and I don't care +how long his pedigree is either. Let me tell you, you cannot get a +fox hound too fast for 'coon, the faster he is the better. + +I read where a brother made the statement that you wanted a slow +hound for a 'coon dog. Well, he may want a slow one, yet I am sure I +do not. He goes on to say that a fast dog will run over the trail if +the 'coon makes a short or square turn, the fast hound will run by +and lose too much time finding the trail again. Let me tell you right +here, the fast hound can't help but run over, but he knows right +where he lost that trail. If he happens to circle the right way he +only has to make a half circle and he is off again. On the other +hand, if he circles the other way he makes a full circle and hits the +trail and is going just as fast as ever. If he has a good nose on him +he has not lost four seconds. A fast hound will make that turn in a +trail quicker every time than a slow one will. I have had both slow +and fast and have hunted 'coons about 23 years. Am now a man 38 years +old, and if I don't know what a hound is I sure never will. + +I don't claim to know it all, for a man never gets too old to learn. +He could learn something every day if he lived a thousand years, or +for all time to come. There is no dog that will work a cold trail out +like a good hound. He will work out a trail and tree a 'coon when a +cur dog would pass right over the trail and pay no attention to it +whatever. It must be the brothers that like the still trailers that +never had a good 'coon hound, for I have never seen good 'coon dogs +but I have seen the best ones wrapped up in a fox hound hide. + +I have a black and tan hound that will fight for me at any time. I +can't scuffle with any one outside of my own family for he will bite +them just as quick as he can get close enough to them. I had to give +him several hard whippings to make him quit rabbits. Now they don't +bother him any when he is looking for 'coon with me at night. His +father was the hardest dog to break off of rabbits that I ever broke, +but when he was three years old he would not notice a rabbit at night +but would trail them in the day time. He turned out to be a very +valuable hound. He would retrieve as good as a retriever on land or +in water, would catch any hog that I told him to catch and hold it +until I told him to let it go. I could point out any chicken I wanted +him to catch and he would get it for me and would not hurt the +chicken any. + +Some people think a hound don't know anything but trail, but a good +hound is a very smart dog and a poor hound is about as worthless a +dog as you can find. Take the hound as a breed and I must say they +are a noble breed. The fox hound requires, I think, more exercise +than any other breed of dogs. I have a 25 gallon caldron. I put most +any kind of meat that I can get, beef, horse flesh, 'coon, when there +is one that is pretty badly bruised up, pork or any kind of meat that +is not decomposed, and put it into this caldron. Of course, I put +water in first then put in my meat and boil until it will all stir +off the bone. I then take all the bones out and stir in corn meal +until I have enough so that when the meal is done it will be a very +stiff mush. When it is done and cooled off you can take it out in +chunks. Use no salt, if any, very little, as a very little salt will +physic a dog. + +I sometimes bake corn bread for the dogs for a change, which makes a +good food for them but not so strong a food as the other. I think a +hound will do more running and keep in better order on that mush with +meat than any food you can give them. Of course, if a person has but +one dog, he can generally get enough from the house scraps from the +table, but when you have a dozen or so you will have to get your dog +food elsewhere. In warm weather this mush will sour in a few hours, +but in cold weather it will keep sweet. I feed my dogs once a day +when they are idle, but when I am hunting them I feed them twice a +day. Feed each dog by himself. + +Now as to their sleeping places, if you can let your dogs run loose, +and they will find warm places to sleep, with plenty of bedding in +the barn or other out buildings where the ventilation is good, but no +drafts of air to blow on them, that is the best place for them. I +keep part of my dogs tied up, as they would be off hunting if I let +them run loose. For those I use on the chain I use a 20-foot chain. +Build a good, warm dog house with a shingle roof, an individual house +for one dog. Cut a hole that he can get thru easily and then tack +some burlap just above the hole and let it hang down over the hole. +When it is cold weather I leave it down, but when it is pleasant I +fasten it up so that it leaves the hole open. The air can get thru +the burlap but it breaks the wind off of the dog and keeps the snow +from blowing in on his nest, or rain if it is raining. He can go out +and in when the burlap is down. + +Another easy way to make a good place for a dog is cut a hole in the +side of a building that has a good roof, and put a box large enough +so that it will give your dog plenty of room right tight up against +the inside of the building where you cut the holes thru. Knock one +side of your box out and put it to the hole on inside of building. +Put your burlap on the outside at the hole as before described, and +you have a fine place for your dog. Make the hole just large enough +so he can get thru it easily, and cut it high enough so that when he +lays down in the box, the bottom of the hole will be above the dog. +Give your dog good, clean bedding at least once a week. Twice a week +is not too often. Use some disinfectant about two or three times a +month inside of dog house. The best cure for mange that I have ever +used, or for sores to heal them is black gun powder, powdered sulphur +and lard, mixed and well rubbed in. It is a sure cure for mange. It +will soon kill the germs, if properly applied. + +I notice where a brother, in telling how to break a young dog to tree +'Coon said, to let the 'coon chew the dog for a while, help the +'coon, let him eat the dog for about 20 minutes and the dog would go +to hunting them to get revenge, or something to that effect. Now it +is my opinion that the dog would not want any more revenge as he +would get a plenty right there, and the chances are that he would +ever after be afraid of a 'coon, if he were a pup and got that kind +of treatment. Help your dog kill a 'coon whenever you can, if you can +do it without danger to the dog. I never let my dogs kill a 'coon +when it can be avoided. If I can find the 'coon with my light in the +tree I shoot him out, and then sometimes he has plenty of fight in +him when he comes down. Other times he is dead when he hits the +ground. + +Any one of my dogs will kill a 'coon if necessary, but they don't get +the chance very often. There has been a few times that I let them +kill the 'coon, when I could have killed him myself, when there were +some of the boys with me that wanted to see them kill the 'coon, but +it is tiresome work on a dog to kill a 'coon, harder a great deal +than treeing one. My dogs will not stay at a hole unless the 'coon is +very close to the top of the ground, as where I hunt there are a +great many old coal entries and it would be a nuisance to have them +bark at such places as you could not get them out, so I never +encourage them to stay at a hole when they run one in. + +I have seen some discussion about the size of 'coons. The largest +'coon I ever caught weighed 30 pounds. He measured from the tip of +his tail to the end of his nose, 4 feet and 4 inches. I caught +another one last winter that weighed 25 pounds and measured four feet +and 2 inches from his nose to the end of his tail. + +I catch a good many that weigh over 20 pounds. Another thing I want +to tell you is this, in over 20 years of 'coon hunting I have never +cut a tree down to get a 'coon. There is too much of that kind of +work done. Where are all of the 'coons going to stay when you get all +of the den trees cut down? I want to ask you where is the land owner +that wants 'coon hunters cutting his timber down? Think of cutting a +fine, large tree down because it has a hole in it with a 'coon +inside. If I get a 'coon in such a tree and can't climb it, I just +call the dogs away from the tree and let him go until some other +time. I make it my business to go that way again some night, and the +chances are I get that same 'coon in such a tree and can't climb it, +I just tree a head of Mr. 'Coon if I can, and he goes up some tree +that I can get him out of when he sees he is cut off from his den +tree, and the tree is left for the next 'coon that comes along. So, +brothers, please cut the tree cutting out, as it is for your own good +to let those kind of trees stand if you want to hunt 'coon. When you +go around thru the timber destroying it, some one is going to call a +halt on YOU, and on the other hand it is not at all necessary to cut +the timber to get the 'coon, and the tree is undoubtedly worth more +to the man that own the land than the 'coon is to you. + +Of course, if the owner of the tree gives you permission to cut the +tree, that clears you on that score, but after the tree is down, you +will never find another 'coon in that tree. + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + +DESCRIPTIVE TABLE OF TECHNICAL TERMS AS APPLIED TO THE DOG. + +The following table of definitions are used descriptive of the parts +of the dog's anatomy, and are used and understood generally by +professionals: + + [Illustration: (The numbers refer to the picture.)] + + Apple-headed.--Skull round instead of flat on top. + + 1. ARM. + + Blaze.--A white mark up the face. + + Brush.--The tail of a Collie, or any bushy tail. + + 2. BRISKET.--The part of the body between the chest and the neck. +Front part of chest. + + Butterfly-nose.--A spotted nose. + + Button-ear.--An ear which falls over in front, concealing the +inside, as in Fox-Terriers. + + Broken-up Face.--Refers more particularly to the face of the +Bulldog or Toy Spaniel, and comprises the receding nose, or lay-back, +deep stop, and wrinkle. + + Burr.--The inside of the ears. + + Breeching.--The tan-colored hairs on the back of the thighs of a +Black-and-tan Terrier. + + Beefy.--Big, beefy hind-quarters. + + Cat-foot.--A short, round foot, with the knuckles high and well +developed; like a cat's, short, round and compact. + + 3. CHEST.--The chest of a dog must not be confounded with the +brisket; the breast or chest extends between the fore-legs from the +brisket to the belly. + + Cheeky.--When the cheek bumps are strongly defined; thick in +cheek. + + Chaps or Chops.--The pendulous lips of the Bulldog; the foreface +of a Bulldog. + + Cobby.--Well ribbed up; short and compact. + + Cloddy or Cobby.--Thick-set, short-coupled and low in stature. + + Couplings.--The length or space between the tops of the +shoulder-blades and tops of the hip-joints, or buckle-bones. A dog is +accordingly spoken of as long or short "in the couplings." + + Cow-hocked.--The hocks turning inward; hocks that turn in, like +those of a cow. + + Cushion.--Fulness in the top lips. + + Crook-tail.--The crooked tail of a Bulldog. + + Crank-tail.--Same as above. + + Culotte.--The feather on the thighs, as in the Schipperke and +Pomeranian. + + Character.--The combination of points contributing to the whole +make-up and giving to a dog that which is desired in his particular +variety. + + Corky.--Compact and active looking; springy and lively in action. + + Dew-claws.--The extra claws found occasionally on the legs of all +breeds, but especially of the St. Bernard; the superfluous claws +inside the hind-leg just above the foot. + + Dewlap.--Pendulous skin under the throat as in case of +Blood-hound. + + Dish-faced.--This term describes a dog whose nasal bone is higher +at the nose than at the stop--a feature not infrequently seen in +pointers. + + Dudley-nose.--A flesh-colored nose. + + Domed Skull.--Round skull. + + Deep in Brisket.--Deep in chest; deep from withers to point where +chest and brisket meet. + + 4. ELBOW.--The joint at the top of the forearm. + + Elbows Out or "Out at Elbows."--This term defines itself. +Bulldogs and Dachshunde are desirable with elbows so shaped, but it +may occur as a fault through weakness. + + Expression.--The expression of a dog is largely but not wholly +determined by the size, angular position, and degree of prominence of +the eye. For instance in a St. Bernard the eye is small, somewhat +sunken, showing a little haw. This gives a dignified and rather +benevolent expression. "Collie expression" depends largely on the +angle at which eyes are set to each other. + + Feather.--The fringe of hair on the back of legs of some breeds, +notably Setters, Spaniels, and Sheep-dogs. The feathering on legs, as +in the Setter and Spaniel. + + Flag.--The tail of a Setter. + + Flews.--The chops, or overhanging lips of the upper jaw. The term +is chiefly applied to hounds or other deep-mouthed dogs. The lips. + + 5. FOREARM.--This makes the principal length of the fore-leg and +extends from elbow to pastern. + + Frill.--The long hair on the brisket of some dogs, and especially +of the Collie. The profuse hair under the neck. + + Frog-face or Down-face.--Nose not receding. + + Flat-sided.--Flat in ribs; opposite of well-ribbed up. + + Grizzle.--A bluish-gray color. + + Hare-foot.--Foot like that of a hare, long and narrow. + + Haw.--The red inside eyelid, usually hidden, but visible in +Bloodhounds and St. Bernards; the red membrane inside the lower +eyelid. + + 6. HOCKS.--The lower joint of hind-leg. + + Height.--The height of a dog is measured at the shoulder, bending +the head gently down. The proper method is to place the dog on level +ground close by a wall, and to lay a flat rule across his shoulders +so as to touch the wall; then measure to the point touched by the +rule. + + 7. HUCKLE-BONES.--Tops of the hip-joints. The space between these +and the tops of the shoulders is called the couplings. + + Harlequin.--Pied, mottled, or patchy in color. + + 8. KNEE.--The joint attaching the fore-pasterns and the forearm. + + Kink-tail.--A tail with a single break or kink in it. + + Leather.--The ears i. e., the loose visible part of them. + + Layback.--Receding nose. + + Loins.--That part of the anatomy of the dog between the last rib +and hindquarters. + + Long in Flank.--Long in back and loins. + + Lumber.--Superfluous flesh. + + Mask.--The dark muzzle of a Mastiff or Pug. + + Mane.--The profuse hair on top of neck. + + Merle.--A bluish-gray color splashed with black. + + Monkey-faced.--See Dish-faced. + + 9. NASAL BONE. + + Occiput.--The prominent bone at the back or top of the skull; +particularly prominent in Bloodhounds; the bony bump on the top of +the head. + + Overshot.--The upper teeth projecting over the lower. This fault +in excess makes a dog pig-jawed. The top jaw protruding beyond the +lower jaw. + + Out at Shoulders.--Shoulders set on outside, as in the Bulldog. + + Out at Elbows.--Elbows turning out. + +10. PASTERN.--The lowest section of the leg, below the knee or hock +respectively, usually only applied to those joints on front legs. + + Pig-jawed.--The upper jaw protruding over the lower, so that the +upper incisor teeth are in advance of the lower, an exaggeration of +an over-shot jaw. + + Pily.--A peculiar quality of coat found on some dogs, which show +on examination a short woolly jacket next the skin, out of which +springs the longer visible coat. This short woolly coat is "pily." +When an ordinary coat is described as pily, it means that it is soft +and woolly, instead of hard. + + Prick Ear,--(See Tulip ear). An erect ear; not turned down or +folded. + + Plume.--The tail of a Pomeranian. + + Pad.--The under portion or sole of the foot. + + Penciling.--The black marks or streaks divided by tan on the toes +of a Black-and-tan Terrier. + + Rose-ear.--An ear of which the tip turns backward and downward, +so as to disclose the inside of the ear. + +13. RUMP-BONE. + + Ring-tail.--A tail curving round in circular fashion. + + Roach Back or Arched Loins.--The arched or wheel formation of +loin, as in a Greyhound, Dachshunde, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, and +Bulldog. + + Racy.--Slight in build and leggy, as in the Greyhound or Whippet. + + Septum.--The division between the nostrils. + +11. SHOULDERS.--Top of the shoulder-blades, the point at which the +height of a dog is measured. + + Splay-foot.--A flat, awkward front foot, usually turned outward; +and the opposite of "Cat-foot." + + Stern.--The tail. + +12. STIFLE-JOINTS.--Stifles. The joints of hind-leg next above the +hocks. + + Stop.--The indentation across the skull between the nose and the +eyes. This feature is strongly developed in Bulldogs, Pugs and +short-faced Spaniels, and considerably so in many other dogs. The +step or indentation between the forehead and nose. + + Snipy.--Too pointed in muzzle. + + Semi-prick Ear.--An erect ear of which the end falls over +forward. + + Sickle-tail.--A tail forming a semicircle, like a sickle. + + Short-coupled.--Short in back and loins. + + Shelly.--Too narrow and light in body. + + Second Thighs.--The muscular development between stifle-joint and +hock. + + Style.--Showy, spirited, or gay demeanor. + + Tulip-ear.--An upright or prick ear. + + Topknot.--The hair on top of the head, as in the Irish Water +Spaniel, Dandie Dinmont, and Bedlington Terrier. + + Throatiness.--Overmuch loose skin or flesh under throat. + + Twist.--The curled tail of a Pug. + + Trace.--The dark mark down the back of a Pug. + + Tucked-up.--Tucked-up loin, as in the Greyhound. + + Tricolor.--Black, tan and white. + + Thumb Marks.--The round, black spots on the forelegs of a +Black-and-tan Terrier. + + Timber.--Bone. + + Undershot.--The lower incisor teeth, projecting beyond the upper, +as in Bulldogs. The under jaw protruding beyond the upper jaw. + + Upright Shoulders.--Shoulders that are set in an upright, instead +of an oblique position; not laid back. + + Vent.--The tan colored hair below root of tail. + + Varmint Expression.--As in the eye of the Fox Terrier, which is +free from Haw, is not Sunken, is round but rather small than large, +and set horizontally, not obliquely, giving a keen, rather "cussed" +look. + + Wall-eye.--A blue mottled eye. + + Wrinkle.--Loose-folding skin over the skull. + + Wheaten.--Pale yellowish color. + + Withers.--Same as 11. + + + +END OF HUNTING DOGS + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Hunting Dogs, by Oliver Hartley + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HUNTING DOGS *** + +***** This file should be named 34259.txt or 34259.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/2/5/34259/ + +Produced by Linda M. 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