THE HOUND 39 



may be sure no one will sell a hound in his 

 prime unless he has some fault ; but you may 

 occasionally get hold of a good old bitch that 

 has become a bit slow, has a toe down, or has 

 met with some accident. Do not, however, load 

 yourself up with many old hounds, and do not 

 put them in the working pack, but keep them 

 solely for breeding. I do not advise breeding 

 from old bitches as a rule, but if you put them 

 to vigorous young dogs, and see that the whelps 

 have good walks, you may be successful in 

 getting a nice entry. Visit all the best kennels 

 in England, and at the same time you are pick- 

 ing up hounds you will be educating yourself. 

 When you have established yourself, fix a type 

 in your eye, and breed to that type. Any one 

 can tell if a hound has good legs and feet, but 

 it takes a good judge to be certain if shoulders 

 are right. Never buy a hound with bad 

 shoulders, and if you cannot be certain of him 

 whilst standing, see him moving in a field 

 ridge and furrow if possible. A bad-shouldered 

 hound does not feel his defect except when he 

 is going fast, and then every stride shakes him, 

 so that after a quick gallop over hard ground 



