THE BEAGLE 199 



ones of a small-strain litter than from the small ones of a large 

 strain, although there are exceptions to this, as to most rules. Should 

 you have the good fortune to be offered a dog hound absolutely 

 typical of the breed, perfect in the field and a proved sire, do not 

 grudge any necessary expense in order to secure him, for it will 

 be money well spent ; and when spring comes, set to work and 

 breed your future pack, strong in the confidence which the possession 

 of the best Beagle blood will give you. In the autumn the entering 

 of the puppies of your own breeding will be a great and an additional 

 pleasure. 



Although far more satisfactory to use your own stud hound, 

 "services" from well-known sires can often be obtained for a 

 moderate fee or in exchange for a puppy, but great care must 

 be exercised in the selection. The pedigree should in all cases be 

 asked for and carefully examined, not as a mere string of names, 

 but with regard to the peculiarities, strong points, or failures of 

 immediate ancestors. If possible, you should be acquainted with 

 his work in the field and observe what sort of stock he has already 

 generated. To have been a " prize winner " speaks for his 

 appearance, if you know the show to have been a good Beagle show 

 with real, not sham, competition ; but it tells you nothing of his 

 constitution, his ancestors, or his work, all of which may, or rather 

 will, affect his progeny. A weak sire with a tendency to a delicacy 

 of heart, lungs, or eyes should be avoided. Let him be a strong, 

 bold, firm, upstanding little hound full of typical points. There 

 is no greater test of the beagler's proficiency than the power to 

 breed really good hounds ; yet every novice thinks it quite easy. 

 His idea is, buy a real good bitch, pay a proper stud fee for the 

 service of a prize dog, and there you are. Yes, and there you remain, 

 in nine cases out of ten. When a little more advanced, he grasps 

 the useful but elementary idea that if his bitch is deficient in 

 some point, he should select a mate specially strong in that direction. 

 The best of us have much to learn about the mystery of breeding ; 

 experience will prove that some strains invariably amalgamate well, 

 and others, in every way suitable to the eye, almost invariably 

 fail. Very second-class-looking bitches often breed the best puppies, 

 and the best you have sometimes never produce a puppy at all 

 equal to themselves. It may be taken, however, that the key to 

 success in breeding is knowledge of the strains from which you 

 are breeding. 



Sometimes a whole pack may be purchased in one deal. This 

 saves a lot of time, and, if you have seen them at work and know 

 them to be a good average lot, some drafting and the careful 

 introduction of a few new hounds quickly enable a reliable pack to 

 take the field. But supposing, as sometimes happens, the would-be 

 Master has not had an opportunity of becoming a capable judge of 



