TRAINING THE COON DOG. 61 



as you know lie is after a 'coon, keep after him 

 as near as possible, but let him have his own 

 way. If he trees it and barks, get to him as 

 soon as you can, but do not urge him, for he 

 will get to lying as soon as you want him to 

 without any help from you. 



After he has barked awhile, encircle the tree 

 with him; then if the 'coon has been up and 

 gone on again, he will strike his trail, and, after 

 a few times, he will learn to circle before bark- 

 ing. If the 'coon is up and it is summer time 

 or early fall, when 'coon hides are not prime, 

 take 3^our dog back from the tree, keep still, 

 and unless it is a den tree, you won't have loug 

 to wait, for another 'coon chase, and by keeping 

 your dog longer each time, you will soon have a 

 cold trailer out of him. 



This may seem considerable work for some, 

 but it takes work and time to make even a fair 

 'coon dog. Should you have a good dog to train 

 with, it saves lots of work, but even then it is a 

 good plan to work early in the season, and tree 

 your 'coon several times in one night, as you 

 do not have far to go after the first tree. 



In breeding 'coon dogs, the same rule ap- 

 plies as in fox dogs — • if your dog is bred from 

 a line of 'cooners, he will take to it naturally. 

 Some one will say, I will take a house cat to 

 teach my dog to tree. Well I have done that 



