Home Training for the Shooting Beagle 69 
when called; as a matter of fact, the beagle that 
did this would have little room in my kennel, nor 
would a setter or pointer gain much praise from 
me if he obeyed the first call and left his point. 
The beagler should never attempt to call his dog 
off a hot trail, but he should break him so that he 
will come to him under other circumstances. For 
instance, it is the close of the day and you wish 
to go home. You call your dog; instead of coming, 
he gives an extra swish of his tail and disappears 
in the woods, not on the trail of a rabbit, but simply 
brushing around indifferent to vour commands. 
You may have ten minutes to catch a train, but 
this lack of obedience may cause you to walk home. 
A good beagle should be under perfect control 
at all times, except when he is on the hot trail of 
game and then he should be left alone, or caught 
up if the drive is too long. He should be a good 
starter, needing little or no help from his master; 
a wide enough caster, thus making the opportunities 
for picking up trails, and he should show intelligence 
in looking for the best country to find game. He 
need not be a quarterer, like the old time pointer 
or setter, but he should understand how to hunt out 
the most likely territory of his own volition, and 
if the dog is made of the right material and has 
not been spoiled in the making, he will be all of 
that. Furthermore, he should be a good, steady 
driver, a stayer and a level-headed dog. If he 
possesses a good voice in addition, then he is prac- 
ticallv a perfect gun dog. Much of this can be taught 
the dog, if he has had the right kind of yard training 
and he comes from stock that is amenable to educa- 
