THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE DOG. 



509 



tain her liuntiiig qualities. If there is any considerable fault, 

 she should not be bred. The pregnant bitch should not be al- 

 lowed to engage in long and severe chase, but kept as quiet as 

 practicable. She should not receive too great abundance of food. 

 Iler condition should be carefully watched before and during 

 pupping. After pupping, she should receive an increased amount 

 of food, with plenty of milk. Her constitution will decide how 

 many puppies should be left with her to raise. When the pup- 

 pies are sufficiently grown to run about, they should be placed in 

 a warm situation. A small kennel should be built as a favorable 

 place for them to pass through the distemper, which they will 

 undoubtedly have sooner or later. "When young hounds first 

 enter the main kennel, they should be kept separate to avoid 

 quarreling. 



The hounds should be walked out every day and taught to 

 follow the horse with the keeper. They should be taken out on 

 the public roads. The keeper must be kind and patient, other- 

 wise he is not fit to attend a kennel. He should try to teach the 

 dog the nature of his fault before correcting him. The whip 

 should seldom be used, as it generally does more harm than good, 

 not being used judiciously. The young hounds may be coupled 

 to the older ones, and should be taken out among the sheep until 

 tliey disregard them. They should not be allowed to hunt im- 

 proper game. They should be taken out in the country over 

 which they are afterwards to hunt, and young foxes may be 

 turned out for them to pursue, until they are turned out to hunt 

 game in earnest. They should be frequently called out in the 

 kennel and their names gone over. As the sporting season ap- 

 proaches, the hounds may be divided in two packs, to be taken 

 out alternate days, and finally the whole pack may be taken out 

 together. The honi should be used only as an instrument of 

 speaking to the dogs. Each note should indicate some action, 

 which they should be taught to obey. A certain note should call 

 them together, another call up a lost hound, and another should 

 be used wlicn the fox breaks cover. 



