MODERN TRAINING. 313 



CHAPTER XXVIL 



THE TRAINING OF FOXHOUNDS. 



A very essential thing to the value and working capabil- 

 ities of foxhounds is purity of blood. Any owner who re- 

 sides where foxes, or other game on which hounds are used, 

 are plentiful, will have good field dogs if they are properly 

 bred. Hounds do not require the careful training that is 

 given to pointers and setters. Given the hounds properly 

 bred, if they are only taken to game and let alone, they will 

 generally make good dogs, yet the manner of doing this 

 well requires some skillful management which will be here- 

 inafter described. 



Too much care therefore cannot be taken in selecting and 

 breeding foxhounds, for if there is any breed of dog that 

 requires natural qualities in their highest perfection, it is 

 the breed of foxhounds, particularly those which are used to 

 run red foxes in the Middle States. It does not make so 

 much difference about the pure breeding of dogs which are 

 used to hunt deer, bears, wild cats or grey foxes, or for 

 dogs that are used in the East to drive the fox by the stand 

 of a shooter, and hence not strictly for the chase. 



Hounds for catching red foxes should be selected from 

 the best possible blood that can be obtained. A criterion of 

 excellence should be breeding a uniform good lot, not a 

 large litter with one good one in it, but a litter of, at least, 

 good ones and the majority high class ones. To breed in 

 this way, you must select stock which you know has high 



