HOME REARING VERSUS WALKING. 213 



air cannot be obtained. But where a larger number are to be 

 reared, as in the case of hounds, greyhounds, pointers and setters, 

 &c., there is a difficulty attending upon numbers, as a dozen or 

 two of puppies about a house are not conducive to the neatness 

 and beauty of the garden ; besides which, the collection together in 

 masses of young dogs is prejudicial to their health. To avoid this 

 evil, therefore, it is customary to send puppies out at three or four 

 months of age to be kept by cottagers, butchers, small farmers, 

 &c., at a weekly sum for each, which is called " walking" them. 

 Young greyhounds may be reared in a large enclosure, which 

 should be not less than thirty or forty feet long, with a lodging- 

 house at one end ; but hounds do not take exercise enough in a 

 confined space, and should invariably be sent out. It is only there- 

 fore in reference to the rearing of greyhounds that the two plans 

 can be compared, or perhaps also with pointers and setters, if they 

 are taken out to exercise after they are four or five months old. 



The two plans have been extensively tried with the longtails, 

 and in my own opinion the preference should be given to the 

 home rearing if properly carried out, because it has all the ad- 

 vantages of the " walk " without those disadvantages attending 

 upon it, in the shape of bad habits acquired in chasing poultry, 

 rabbits, and often hares, duriag which the puppy learns to run 

 cunning. One of the first symptoms of this vice is the waiting to 

 cut ofi" a corner, which is soon learnt if there is the necessity for it, 

 and even in mutual play the puppy will often develop it. Hence 

 I have seen a " walked " greyhound, with his very first hare, show 

 as much waiting as any old worn-out runner, evidentl}^ acquired 



