52 THE FOXHOUND 



become noisy babblers like their masters. Back 

 tracking is a grievous fault, one of the hardest 

 to overcome as well as one of the easiest to 

 acquire. A hound showing a disposition to 

 back track should as far as possible be given 

 opportunities to run hot, fresh trails, even if 

 the aid of a captive fox is necessary. It is 

 far easier to distinguish the right way of the 

 track when fresh than when cold. Great care 

 should be exercised in punishing a hound for 

 back tracking. He thinks he is right and can- 

 not understand the punishment. It is far bet- 

 ter to let him continue on a track until it 

 " peters out," for then he realizes that some- 

 thing is wrong, especially if in his next run he 

 gets near enough to his fox to find the scent 

 increasing. 



Training with a drag is very apt to make 

 back trackers of any hound. If in preliminary 

 lessons you are not fortunate enough " to 

 hole " a wild fox, the captive fox should be 

 brought into play, a half or three-quarter mile 

 trail laid by leading, and the fox securely holed 

 at the end. Let the hound run the trail to the 

 hole alone; as long as he shows a disposition 

 to stay and bay do not put in an appearance, 

 but keep in viewing distance. At the first indi- 

 cation of leaving, come forward and make 



