20 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



spirits, he will romp, and he will get into mischief. 

 And, oh ! what mischief he will get in ! He will 

 chevy the cat till she grows thin and harassed ; he 

 will bounce into the middle of the hens or the 

 ducks when they are being fed ; he will chase 

 them round the yard, wild with the delight of 

 feeling his increasing strength ; any article laid on 

 the grass to bleach he will instantly proceed to 

 tear to pieces in leisurely fashion, and if you shout 

 at him he will most likely run off with it. Don't 

 get angry with him ; don't let the servant throw 

 the broom at him, or, as I have seen, "hammer" 

 him with a thick stick. Bear your annoyances 

 patiently, and think what a fine puppy he is. 

 And also remember that, if you gain his confidence, 

 he is really a very biddable animal indeed. 



And if you want to confine the mischief of 

 your puppy within reasonable dimensions, the best 

 thing you can do is to keep a couple. They will 

 play with each other instead of with the poultry, and, 

 though they occasionally meddle with a dishcloth 

 or with linen that comes within their reach, it will 

 only be when their teeth are troubling them. 



One thing should be avoided, and that is to let 

 them run with the sheep dog. He will teach 

 them to hunt, but they will want no teaching in 

 that direction. But he may teach them to run 

 sheep. Once detected in that act they should at 

 once be sent back to the kennel. 



One golden rule should be observed. When a 

 young hound is ailing send to the huntsman at 

 once, and do not attempt to give any specifics. 

 This, and to keep a couple of puppies instead of 

 one, are golden rules for puppy walkers. 



