Training 33 



a mistake in expecting a dog to leave the scent. He 

 should be taught to obey you at all times, excepting 

 when on the trail; then, if you are wise, you will 

 let him rule, or if you want him, catch him off. I 

 believe it is next to impossible to make a good bea- 

 gle leave the trail unless you are within a rod or so, 

 and not then if the track is very fresh, and should 

 you succeed in so doing, it would eventually spoil 

 your dog for hunting purposes. At all other times 

 he should obey you, and if taught, as I have de- 

 scribed, he will obey. You might as well ask a 

 setter or pointer to leave his point as to call a beagle 

 off a 'hot foot.' 



"The best way I know to make a dog mark the 

 hole, w^hich is quite an important point, when you 

 come to consider, by this means you can tell ex- 

 actly what has become of your quarry without, 

 perhaps, a long tramp and a weary search for the 

 dogs, is to get a rabbit or two every time you go out 

 and make the dog stay and watch you. You can, 

 of course, use a crowbar, but by far the best and 

 easiest way is to use a ferret, muzzled. This is, I 

 well know, against the law in some states, but it is 

 about the only way to do if you wish to teach your 

 dog, unless you use the crowbar, which attains the 

 same end but is more laborious and within the law. 

 I will suppose your dog has run bunny to earth, 



