76 BRITISH DOGS 



closely related, and consequently it is more than ever important to 

 breed only from hounds of strong constitution. If this precaution is 

 taken, Bloodhounds are not more difficult to rear than other breeds, 

 except that when they have distemper it often takes a rather severe 

 form, and for this reason it is advisable to take all reasonable 

 precautions against contagion until the pups are of an age to combat 

 the disease with a probable prospect of success. 



Bloodhounds generally have large litters, from nine to sixteen, 

 and occasionally even up to nineteen. Even when the litter is not 

 a large one, it is well to be provided with foster-bitches, as after a 

 bitch has had two or three litters her milk becomes in many cases 

 unsuitable for the pups, and after a day or two they die off, if not 

 promptly removed from the dam to a good foster. Curiously enough, 

 if the mongrel foster-bitch's pups are given to the Bloodhound bitch, 

 they seem to thrive just as well as when on their own mother. The 

 pups should be treated for worms as soon as they are weaned, if 

 not earlier, and at regular intervals afterwards. There are few 

 animals more grotesque than Bloodhound pups, and it is no un- 

 common thing to see them trip themselves up by treading on their 

 ears. 



In selecting pups it is well to choose those with long heads, and 

 when quite young the thicker the head the better, so long as it is 

 consistently thick all the way down and wide at the muzzle. These 

 pups get fine in head with age, whilst the very narrow ones frequently 

 become thick when they mature. 



A Bloodhound makes a very capital companion dog, and, if 

 intelligently trained to hunt the clean boot, may be a constant 

 source of interest and amusement. To do this it is best to begin 

 when quite young, even three or four months old. For the first 

 few times it is best to let them run some one they know till they 

 really get their noses down ; afterwards, the oftener the runner is 

 changed, the better. He should caress and make much of the 

 pup and let it see him start away, but get quickly out of sight and 

 run, say, two hundred yards up wind on grass land in a straight 

 line, and then hide himself. The person hunting the hound should 

 take him over the exact line, encouraging him to hunt until he gets 

 to his man, who should always reward him with a piece of meat. 

 This short lesson may have to be repeated several times before the 

 pup takes a really keen interest in the quest, but when he has once 

 begun to hunt he will improve rapidly. Everything should be made 

 as easy as possible to begin with, and the difficulties increased very 

 gradually. This may be done by extending the time before the 

 pup is laid on the line, by crossing roads, having the line crossed 

 by others, etc. The great thing to aim at is to prevent the hound 

 from finding out that it is possible for him to fail to run down 

 his man ? and to do this it is needful to make haste very slowly, 



