438 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LJUNB 18, 1891. 



^hj0 Mmml 



All communications must reach us by Tuesday 

 of the week they are to be published; and should 

 be sent as much earlier as may be convenient. 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Sept. 1 to 4.— Dog Show of the Youngstown Kennel Club, at 

 Yonagstnvrn. O. 



Sept, 9 to 11.— First Annual Dog Show of the Hamilton Kennel 

 Glut), at Hamilton, ( )nr. 



Sept. li to IS.— Toroato Industrial Exhibition Association Thii-d 

 IntornaHonal Doa; Show, at Toronto. C. A. St'-'ue, Sec'y and Sunt. 



Sept. ~2 to ;?'>.— Iriaugar.M.] Dot; Show of the Montreal Exposition 

 Companv, at Mont a, Candida. 



Sepr. .'."3 to Oct. 1.— Tliivf! Annual Doe: Show, in connection with 

 the Central Canada Fair, at Ottawa, Oat. Alfred Geddes, Supt. 

 1893. 



Jan. 13 to 14,— Second Annual Dog Show of ttie South Carolina 

 Kennel Association, at Columbia, S, C. IT. F. Capers, Secretary, 

 Greenville, S, C. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Nov. 2.— InauKUval Trials of the United States Field Trial Club, 

 at BickneU. Ind. P. T. Madisnu, Secretary. 



Nov. 16,— Eastern Field Trials (Hub's Thirteenth Annual Trials, 

 at High Point, N. C. Members' Stake Nov. 13. W. A. Coster, 

 Se'-retary, 



Nnv. 30.— Central Yield Trial Clul>'s Third Annual Trials, at 

 L'^xingion, N. C. 0. H. Odell, Sec'y, 44 and 46 Wall street. New 

 York city, 



Dec. 14,— Philadelphia Kennel Club's Field Trials. Oharles E. 

 Connell, Secretary. 



BEAGLE TRAINING. 



Editor Forest cmd^ Stream: 



Your corrt'sjjoiulent ' Qnester," in your issue of May iiJl, 

 asks a qtiestion as to the training of l)eaE;les and whether it 

 is desirable to have them under coDtrol. He further says 

 that the field trial rules, meaning, I suppose, those held by 

 the National Beagle Chtb last year, say that a beagle should 

 be under control and he agrees with them in that matter. I 

 don't believe any intelligent person will for a moment dis- 

 pute that control of a beasle is of a? much inaportance as 

 control of auythina; el.se that has come to be cue of man's 

 servants. If "you have no control over j'our dog yoti might 

 as well go hunting with a wild animal, for neither would 

 lie of any use to you, but would bolt at the first opportunity 

 that ofi'erod. I don't think, therefore, that it is the question 

 of control so much as the amotiut of control that is desir- 

 able that puzzles our amateur triend, and although by no 

 means an oracle on the subject, perhaps a short description 

 of how I train my beagles would be of some little interest 

 to your many renders. 



We will suppose you have bought a puppy or young dog 

 from four to six Tuo'nths old. After taking him from his 

 bos and feeding and watering you should place him in his 

 kennel, which, by the way, should have at least 109 sq. ft- of 

 yard for him to exercise in. Commence by always feeding 

 nim yonrseif, and before you give him his food give a long 

 whistle to attract his attention, then feed him. Repeat this 

 whistle until you can call him as far as he can hear you, and 

 always either feed or pet him when he comes. Your puppy, 

 being six mouths old, is now at the proper age to break to 

 lead. Take a collar of good, strong leather about an inch 

 wide, buckle it on his neck, and let him wear it for a few 

 days until he gets acctistomed to wearing it. Then go into 

 the yard with a light chain, and while he is playing with 

 you snap it into the ring in his collar. After a while he will 

 feel the reativ-iiut of the chain and will either jnmp and howl 

 or lie down and rollover; in either case wait until he has 

 become calm, then begin to walk round the yard slowly, 

 dragging, if he will rot come, the pup after yoti, stopping 

 frtquently to speak to htm and coax him to you. It may 

 take you several days or you may break him in a single 

 lesson" to lead, but make him do it cheerfully, not dragging 

 behind nor pulling ahead, but leading quietly with a slack 

 chain. TLiis last will take some little time, but it can be 

 accomplislied vv-ith a little patience. 



You have now got puppy to lead nicely and by attending 

 to his feedmg yourself got him to know you and recognize 

 you as his master. Now, supposing him to be seven or 

 eight months old, you should take him to the field with you. 

 Start with him some morning or evening, as the scent lies 

 strongest then, and take him to some place where you are 

 sure to find plenty of rabiiits and walk slowly around trying 

 to start one for him. He will follow you about for a while, 

 and then, as the novelty of the thing wears oif , will make 

 short trips into the brush himself. Always give him plenty 

 of time, and as his confidence in his ability to find yoti again 

 grows, he will go further and further away, until he stum- 

 bles on his first rabbit. Now, if he is a lively, active dog, he 

 will, as soon as the rabbit starts to run, begin to chase him. 

 It is a curious fact that, while a beagle may come on a rab- 

 bit, cat, woodchuck, or in fact any small animal, he will 

 hesitate to attack it if it keeps perfectly still; but the sight 

 of any fleeing object seems to create an intense desire to 

 chase it 



If you bave an old trained dog with you, th,at the pup 

 knows, it will lessen the labor of training the pup by one- 

 half; but as many of those who buy a puppy have no old dog 

 to help them out, I will not provide for that contingency at 

 this time, beyond saying you should follow the old dog as 

 far as possible and endeavor to get your puppy to run with 

 you. In an incredibly short time he will get to know that 

 when he hears the bay of the old dog something is up, and 

 after he has run with him once or twice he will catch the 

 aceut. and the rest is merely practice. 



But, to return. We will suppose you have just started a 

 rabbit and your pup has seen it, if he does not chase it at 

 once, run slowly after it yourself, calling to the pup and let 

 him know bj" your actions you wish him to chase it. More 

 than likely he" will chase this rabbit as hard as he can until 

 he loses sight of him, then he will go bounding round look- 

 ing here and there for his lost ciuarry. Stand perfectly still 

 as near the place you saw the rabbit disappear as possible, 

 and let youi" pup cast round. If he comes in to you, give 

 him a pat and then send him away Avith awave of the hand. 

 It is quite likely be will takethe trail before long, and more 

 than likely run it mute for a short distance; but never mind, 

 don't hurry him now, as he is not just sure that he is doing 

 right. Uncas. 

 [TO BE COlsTTlNtlED.] 



Editor Forest and Stream: 

 , "Quester" asks the question, should a beagle be under 

 control (when in the fieid)j and adds, the field trials say yes 

 and so do I. Well, I will not say that "Quester" and the 

 field trials know nothing about it, as that would be incultus, 

 but I do say that I have yet to see a well-trained beagle 

 while on the scent of a hare that any man can call off, yea, 

 he might yell until he was voiceless and for all a good 

 beagle wo'uld be still on the trail. I know of no other plan 

 of getting a well-trained beagle off a trail than heading him 

 and catching him, With me this is just what takes some of 

 the pleasure away in hunting with beagles. I am often 

 ready to start for home but the little scamps are not, there- 

 fore "i have to catch them and tie them up as canght, which 

 often takes an hour or two. As I always drive to covert, 

 which is some distance away, I cannot leave the dogs to 

 find their own way home. "Quester" writes that he is of 

 opinion that a bsagle should huat like a setter or pointer. 



that is, quarter his ground and hunt systematically. I I 

 am of opinion that it is not possible to teach a beagle to 

 hunt like a setter or pointer, and if it were possible to do so 

 I fail to see of what advantage it wonld be. A good and 

 well-trained beagle when taken^ to any place where hares 

 frequent will, upon being released, hunt up a fresh scent, 

 start the game aud hunt it until killed or follow the trail a 

 reasonable time. My plan when training a pup is to take 

 the young dog out when 7 or 8 m.onths of age, not before, 

 with an old, very slow dog, the slower the better, for if the 

 young dog lose or miss the old one he will hunt his trail, 

 giving tongue like inad, and take no notice of the trail of 

 the gome. Never take a pup out with the pack, for if you 

 do, ten to one, he will, when out. hunt and tongue the pack 

 instead of the game, and you will never break him of the 

 habit. Of course, beagles from good hunting stock will 

 train and break themselves, if taken out frequently where 

 game is plentiful, but the best and easiest plan is as I have 

 stated above, to take the pup or puppies out with a slow old 

 dog. And do not expect too much of a young beagle until 

 he is full two years of age, A few beagles make good 

 hunters when one year old, but the majority do not become 

 first-class hunters until they have reached two or more 

 years. I am glad to see by Forest A^D Streaivi that the 

 dear little beagle is coming more into notice. Men wishing 

 dogs to be under control when hunting hares and rabbits 

 had better use spaniels, H. B, N. 



CooKSxowN, Canada, 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I nevei- bred nor trained a beagle, but I have hunted over 

 a few, and as field steward of the National Beagle Club's 

 first field trials I had a good opportunity to see what was 

 wanted and what wa.s not. 



A beagle to win must certainly be under better control 

 than the majority of those were at the trials, and even the 

 winners, I will wsger, will be under better control at this 

 year's trial. Supposing you go out hunting in some new 

 country and your train leaves at a certain hour. Ten 

 minutes before the departure of the train you find your dog, 

 he is bunting, but not on trail. You whistle, your dog 

 looks up at you, gives his tail an extra swish and disappears 

 in the Imshes. Tableau— dog missed, train missed and a 

 v,'alk home. Had he been properly trained he would have 

 come to heel aud your wife wonld not have cried her eyes 

 out thinking you had blown the top of your head off. At 

 the last trial, 1 have a distinct recollection of a rabbit seen 

 by the handlers, dogs were called, one responded to the call 

 and immediately picked np the trail. The other paid no at- 

 tention to his owner and got left. I don't accuse anybody, 

 both had an equal chance, I only state circumstances as 

 they occurred. In another instance one owner yelled him- 

 self hoarse and disconcerted the other man's dog but made 

 DO impression on his own, 



"Quester" asks, "Should a beagle hunt like a setter or 

 pointer"— i. c, quarter his ground and hunt systematically? 

 I say certainly, but the beagle should show rabbit sense, the 

 same as the setter shows bird sense— i. c, he should hunt 

 the likely places first. "Some say no, that trailing is the 

 primary object." 1 remember at the last trial, a little bitch, 

 a sure trailer, striking a trail aud pottering around until 

 everybody got tired of watching her. We all went on 

 ahead, two or three other dogs ran around her but failed to 

 find anything. They moved' on and started and ran two or 

 three rabbits before the bitch gave tongue. She finally found 

 her rabbit but the others by quartering and hunting over 

 more ground had found three in the meantime. Which was 

 the best dog? NAM quoit. 



ECZEIVIA. 



seems to be such a very vague idea among kennel 

 owners of the difi'erence between eczema and mange in 

 dogs, that we think the following very able article on the 

 subject in the English Kennel Gazette, will enable our 

 readers to form a good idea of this troublesome skin disease. 

 The v^riter says: 



"This is an" inflammatory condition of the skin, attended 

 by redness, papules diimples), vesicles (small blisters), and, 

 in some cases, by pustules. It generally terminates by the 

 skin becoming dry and scurfy. This latter is called squam- 

 ous eczema. The cause, in most cases, is due to consti- 

 tutional disturbances, though it maybe the result of local 

 irritation. The disease may affect any part of the animal. 

 All dogs are liable to it, though some breeds are more pre- 

 disposed than others, particalarly long-coated ones, and 

 especially Dandle Dinmonts. Of the short-coated dogs, 

 .Aianchester or black and tan terriers suffer most frequently. 



The causes are over-feeding and in.suflficieut exercise, 

 weakening diseases— particularly distemper— and improper 

 feeding — such as keeping a dog on millcand oatmeal diet, or 

 debarring them entirely from meat. In some cases, too much 

 meat will induce an attack. Intestinal irritation, the result 

 of worms, or indigestion will induce it, and local irritation, 

 the result of mange or the application of stimulating embro- 

 cations. No doubt many cases are due to hereditary predis- 

 position; and I think I am correct in saying that, of all 

 breeds, Dandie Dinmonts se^m the most predisposed. 



There is a form of dry eczema that resembles very much 

 psoriasis. It generally aiipears in circular patches about 

 the head, face, legs and body of a pup when about three to 

 five months old; in fact when the teeth are being changed. 

 This is a most obstinate disorder and frequently resists 

 treatment for months. 



The question is often asked. Is eczema contagious? I con- 

 sider tfiat I am right in saying that it is not in the ordinary 

 sense of the word. At the same time I think it is running a 

 certain amount of riskto allowa healthy dog to .sleep in close 

 contact with one sulfering from the diselise during the 

 moist stage, for I have seen the acrid eczematous discharge 

 when it has come in contact with healthy skin set up a 

 good deal of local irritation resembling true eczema to a 

 degree. Such cases, however, yield quietly to treatment 

 The disease is not confined to any locality, as any part of 

 the head, body or legs may become attacked. There is cer- 

 tainly a greater tendency "for the skin adjoining mucous 

 membrane — as around the lips — to become more aflfected 

 than other pirts, and also tne ej'elids. The soft parts of 

 the skin, such as the flanks, the inside of the thighs and 

 the bend of joints, as the front of the elbow, and the hock, 

 are favorite seats of the disease. The prominent parts of 

 the different joints that come in contact with the ground 

 when a dog is lying down very often become affected. 



There are three varieties of eczema: E. simplex, E, rubrum, 

 and E. impetiginodes. Simple eczema is the most common 

 and the easiest to cure. It consists of a crop of vesicles, or 

 small blisters, on an uniuflamed .skin. In these cases the 

 contents of the vesicles either become absorbed or dried up, 

 and the skin is left dry and scaly. In some instances, where 

 successive crops appear, the disorder becomes troublesome. 

 In eczema rubrum the skin is very inflamed, extremely ir- 

 ritable, and somewhat swollen. A crop of vesicles, as in the 

 previous form, appears, the little blisters break, and dis- 

 charge, the parts becoming moist. After a time the dis- 

 charge dries up, and small scales form or the parts are 

 covered with thick scales. The ordinary disease known as 

 red eczema, or mange, which is often seen in white coated 

 dogs when the hair turns of a rusty red color, is not a form 

 o czima at all. It is a skin affection, in my opinion due to 

 some vegetable or animal p irasite, and is really contMgious. 

 In the third lorm. eczema imprtiginodes, the vesicles run on 

 to pustules, which discharge a thinuisb, sticky fluid. This 

 soon dries, if the dog is prevented from licking, and crusts of 

 ;a yellowish-green color are formed. This form resembles 

 impetigo. 



Eczema, as a rule, passes through three stages. First, the 

 skin is red, inflamed and swollen. Secondly, small red 

 papules ai-e formed. These soon develop into vesicles, which 

 usually break, making the skin moist, or the contents of the 

 vesicles become absorned. In either case the skin beeomes 

 subsequently dry aud scaly. This latter condition of the 

 skin is called the third or squamous eczema, taut is really 

 only another stage of the disease. There is a fourth stage in 

 some cases, namely, E. impetiginodes The vesicles here be- 

 come pustular, break and discharge, and subsequently form 

 crusts. The irritation, the result of the disease, varies ac- 

 cording to the extent and severity of the attack. In E. 

 rulirum the irritation is almost intolerable during the early 

 stages: and the dog is licking, biting and scratching con- 

 tinually. This subsides as the skin becomes dry and scaly. 

 The loss of hair in eczema is not so much due to the disease 

 as to the rubbing, scratching and biting. 



The treatment must depend on the form the disease as- 

 sumes. What would be a suitable application during the 

 early stages would be useless, in fact do harm, later on When 

 the skin has become sc Uy. Internal remedies are quite as 

 important in the treatment of eczema as lotions etc., for it 

 is by these means that we try to eliminate the disease from 

 the system. During the e"arly aud inflammatory stage, 

 when the skin is red and heated, and also when the patches 

 of the skin are covered with vesicles, cooling and drying 

 lotions, such as the following, should be tried: 

 No. 1. 



Goulard's extract of lead Idr, 



Wright's solution of cotil tar 2dra. 



Distilled water 8oz. 



Applied frequently with a piece of sponge. 



No. 3. 



Prepared chalk 2oz. 



Lime water.... 8oz. 



Apply the same as No. 1. 



When the lotions are not found suitable, or cannot be 

 conveniently applied, one of the following ointments may 

 be tried: 



Glycerole of subacetate of lead Idr. 



Vaseline loz. 



Well mix and apply three or four times a day by being 

 gently smeared over the parts, or 



Milk of sulphur Iscr. 



Mercurial ointment 15grs. 



Benzoated lard loz. 



Well mix and apply about three times a day. In some 

 cases, when the discha"r.cxe is free and the skin is very moist, 

 esp:^cially in cases of E. impetiginodes, it is necessary to 

 dust the part freely aud often with some drying absorbent 

 powder like the following: 



Powdered boracic acid ) -c.„„„i 



Pure oxide of zi nc } ^^^.^^ 



Precipitated sulphur ) P^^*^^* 



This should be continued until a crust or scab has formed. 

 A few days afterward, when all inflammation of the skin 

 has disappeared, olive oil should be applied to the crusts to 

 remove them. With respect to the internal remedies, 

 aperients during the early period of the att.ack are always 

 necessary. For this there is nothing better than Epsom 

 salts. For a very large dog like a St. Bernard or mastiff 

 the dose should consist of from one ounce to an ounce aud a 

 half, which may be given dissolved in four ounces of water. 

 For dogs the .size of a collie six drachms is sufficient. Ter- 

 riers may have from two to three drachms, according to 

 size, and small toy dogs a scruifle, given in warm water or 

 milk. As the taste of this medicine is rather objectionable 

 I find it a good plan, in some cases, to add some sugar or 

 treacle. The purgative should be repeated about once a 

 week, so long as the disease continues. When the dog 

 makes a difficulty about taking the salts some such pill as 

 the following may be given iD.9tead: 



Calomel 2grs. 



Barbadoes aloes , Sgrs. 



Gingerine Mgr. 



Mix and make one pint. 



The dose for large dogs should be three pills, and for 

 collies, etc., two; terriers, one pill. In addition to the 

 aperient medicine, some such mixture as the following 

 should be regularly given and ccntinued for some time: 



Sulphate of magne.sia l^^oz. 



Sulphate of iron Iscr, 



Bi-carbonate of potash J^oz, 



Water 8oz, 



Doses: St. Bernards, collies and other dogs of similar 

 size, one tablespoonful; large terriers, as Airedales, a des- 

 sertspoonful; small terriers, as fox-terriers, a teaspoonful; 

 little dogs, half a teaspoonful, repeated twice a day. If the 

 dog is not feeling well, from five drops to half a drachm of 

 compound tincture of gentian may bf-t added to each dose. 

 With regard to the treatment of the dry, or squamous form 

 of the disease, ointments are required to soften the skin and 

 thus remove the scurf or dandruff, and to somewhat stimu- 

 late the growth of hair. For this, I find there is nothing 

 better than the red oxide of mercury ointment, diluted with 

 vaseline as follows: 



Red oxide of mercury ointment Idr, 



Vaseline 6drs. 



Well mix the.se, and apply with gentle friction to 

 the bare and rough places. When the condition of the 

 skin does not improve with the ointment, the following 

 may be tried; the liidle dc cade applied to the part with a 

 camel's hair brush and allowed to dry. This may be re- 

 moved in a few days with a soft brush. Arsenic given in 

 some form is almost indispensable to complete the cure of 

 eczema. It is often, by mistake, given in the early stages 

 of the disease, but it is best not to administer this medicine 

 during the inflammatory period, but only when the skin 

 has become dry and scaly; then it often proves a specific. 

 Fowler's solution or the solution of arseniate of soda are the 

 best preparations. The dose of either is about the same. 

 Commence with one to five drops, according to the size of 

 the dog, then, after a week, gradually increase the dose to 

 three or ten drops. This medicine should always be given 

 in water, and either with the food or immediately after- 

 ward. Should a dog, while receiving this medicine, show 

 signs of its physiological eftects by the membrane of the eye 

 becoming red, the ej^es, watery, loss of appetite, sickness or 

 diarrhoai, and lo.'^s of condition, the arsenic must be imme- 

 diately stopped. After a few days, when the symptoms des- 

 cribed have passed off, it may be given again, but, as at first, 

 commence with the minimum dose." 



[The fTirther treatment of this disease will be continued 

 in a future article.] 



It seems very queer that with so many shows being held 

 in England, the Kennel Club does not step in and make 

 some alteration in the way late entries arenoV accepted. The 

 rule of our A. K. C, though nooody believes that it is 

 always strictly lived up to, has. however, a good moral 

 effect. At Maiden show the secretary writes mournfully to 

 the papers that they are giving 283 prizes in the open classes 

 and the entries amount to only 200 The great Leeds show 

 I is also in a similar box, and with such a schedule as they 

 i issue there must be some ulterior cause for this delay on the 

 j I)^rtof exhibitors. The question naturally arises, are dog 

 ; shows in England being overdone.' This is a question that 

 ' need trouble our shovv committees very little; our long sum- 

 , mer interval gives -all a chance to recuperate and tackle the 

 / shosra again with renewed vigor. 



