42 HUNTING DOGS. 



to drag or a pet to lead, it Avill not do any harm, 

 tliougli 1 do not thiuk it of niucli value as they 

 soon learn to associate your tracks with those 

 of the fox or coon, and I greatly prefer letting 

 tliem run rabbits as a mode of training them. 



By the time ihej are eight months old, take 

 them out vv ith a slow dog tliat runs and barks a 

 great deal, both trailing and running, and as 

 soon as the fox is running, let your pup go, but 

 do not let him go u.ntil tlie old dog has passed 

 with the fox. Should you let him go meeting the 

 old dog lie may take the back track, but if you 

 Avait until the old dog has passed j^our pup, he 

 will come in behind, and, if he is bred right, will 

 go in and stay as long as he can find a trail to 

 follow. 



If he should come out after a short run, keep 

 him until the fox is tired ; then let him go again, 

 and if he still continues to come out after a few 

 times, don't fool witli him, but try him for some- 

 thing else. If your pup lias been in aood trim, 

 and has come out tliree tiiues on fair trials, there 

 is very little chance of making a fox dog out of 

 liim. 



I have h.ad pups of tliis kind vrhich I kept 

 iTutil tliey were two years old; kave bought pet 

 foxes, and let them catch and kill them, but 

 never yet made a runner out of a dog that it was 

 not born in. 



