CHAPTER IV. 
BREAKING AND ENTERING. 
The Entering of the Greyhound and Deerhound—Of Foxhounds and Harriers 
—Breaking the Pointer and Setter—The Retriever (Land and Water)— 
The Spaniel—The Vermin Dog. 
Wits the exception of the greyhound, sporting dogs require some 
considerable education to the sport in which they are to be en- 
gaged. Unlike the hound and the dogs intended for the gun, 
greyhounds have only their instinctive desires to be developed, 
and as no restraint is at any time placed upon these, except that 
depending upon mechanical means which they cannot get rid of, 
nature has uncontrolled sway. Hence their entering is a very 
easy process; nevertheless, there are some precautions to be taken 
which it is necessary to describe. The deerhound as well as 
the greyhound is held in slips, a single one being used for him, 
and a double slip, or pair of slips as it is called, for the two grey- 
hounds which form the complement for coursing the hare, a greater 
number being considered unfair, and therefore unsportsmanlike. 
These slips are so made that by pulling a string the neck-strap 
is loosed, and the two dogs are let go exactly at the same moment. 
They are always used in public coursing, but in private the grey- 
hounds are sometimes suffered to run loose, waiting for the moment 
when the hare is put up by the beaters or by the spaniels, which 
are occasionally employed. Hounds also are coupled under certain 
circumstances, but they are never slipped at the moment when game 
is on foot, and they must therefore be made steady from “ riot.” 
THE ENTERING OF THE GREYHOUND AND DEERHOUND. 
Whether for public or private coursing, the greyhound should 
not be suffered to course a hare until he is nearly at maturity ; 
