102 METHOD OF KENDERIXG 



hounds at hare? Two advantages, I shall pre- 

 sume, you expect from it : the teaching of your 

 hounds to hunt, and teaching them to be obe- 

 dient. However necessary you may think these 

 requisites in a hound, I cannot but flatter 

 myself they are to be acquired by less excep- 

 tionable means. The method I have already 

 mentioned to make hounds obedient, as it is 

 practised in my own kennel, — that of calling 

 them over often in the kennel, to use them to 

 their names,* and walking them out often 

 amongst sheep, hares, and deer, from which 

 they are stopped, to use them to a rate, in my 

 opinion, would answer your purpose better. 

 The teaching your hounds to hunt is by no 

 means so necessary as you seem to imagine. 

 Nature will teach it them, nor need you give 

 yourself so much concern about it. Art only 

 will be necessary to prevent them from hunting 

 what they ought not to hunt; — and do you 

 really think your method a proper one to ac- 

 complish it "? 



The first and most essential thing towards 



making hounds obedient, I suppose, is to make 



them understand you ; nor do I apprehend you 



will find any difficulty on their parts, but such 



* See note, page 44. 



