56 HUNTING DOGS. 



put at hard work at such age, become a hardj 

 one? Will he develop himself as well as if he 

 had been given a chance to grow some bones? 

 I say no; put a colt at hard work at 2 or 3 

 years old, will he ever be the horse which he 

 would have been, if he had only been broken at 

 4 or 5 years old? Every horse breeder knows 

 that if he wants a good roadster, he must give 

 him a chance to grow, then he will not be afraid 

 to cover 60 or more miles in a day with that 

 horse ; not only this but he will get many times 

 the price for that horse as for his brother 

 which was put to work two years earlier. I 

 have bred horses and know of what I speaK. 



There are many reasons why a sportsman 

 should not start to train his dog to hunt before 

 he is full grown, that is at least not until he is 

 12 to 15 months old. Before that age, a pup 

 may have the will but he has not the strength 

 to cover the ground of an old dog. A man who 

 has a valuable pup should wait until he is 

 capable to stand hardships, and until he has also 

 a good knowledge box. In allowing a pup of 

 6, 7, 8 or 10 months to hunt, he will learn more 

 bad tricks than good ones, such as to remain in 

 the bush longer than necessary, and soon become 

 a long record dog. The risk is great that he 

 will get lost, or if not, will return with swollen 

 feet and legs if he ran at all, also be chilled and 



