316 TRAINING. 



dog being upset in training consists in the danger of disordering 

 the stomach by overfeeding, or by keeping him too long upon 

 highly stimulating food. This is far more likely to do mischief 

 than work, which in a healthy animal is soon forgotten. Worms, 

 and other causes, affecting the stomach and bowels, are a fertile 

 source of 'upsets/ and it behoves the trainer to guard against 

 them in the most careful manner. When free from these compli- 

 cations, and if the dog is of a hardy sort, the amount of work 

 laid down in these pages will never make him slow. Such a 

 result would show that the trainer had made a mistake in his 

 estimate of the necessary quantity, which, as I before remarked, 

 must be carefully graduated according to its apparent effects. 

 When a dog is too tired to leave his bed after work, on being called 

 by his trainer, he will speedily become fresh again if in a healthy 

 condition, and allowed a day's rest. My object is not to bring 

 him into the coursing field jaded and spiritless, but, on the 

 contrary, to prepare him so gradually that he scarcely feels his 

 work to be severe, because, in proportion as it has been increased, 

 his powers have pari passu gone on improving. On the other 

 hand, if the dog is out of health, a single day's overwork produces 

 a permanent impression which no rest will remove. The animal 

 becomes flabby and wastes away, losing all spirit and appetite, and 

 showing unmistakable evidence of being ' overmarked.' In such 

 an unfortunate case there is nothing to be done but to throw the 

 dog out of training for some months at least, and the owner will 

 be fortunate if he ever recovers his powers altogether. 



When the trainer has made up his mind as to what is to be done, 



