Home Training for the Shooting Beagle 73 
be cautious. He may buck, jump, or lie down. 
Coaxing and petting are better than violence with 
a beagle. Be patient and take your time. Repeat 
this every day and he will gradually discover that 
no harm is intended and he will learn to enjoy it. 
When he comes to that stage that he knows his 
name and will lead, it is well to take him out (on lead) 
to new and unfamiliar places. Allow him to see 
the sights of city and country and he will become 
accustomed to conditions other than those that sur¬ 
round him in his own home. Thus he will gain 
more confidence in his master, upon whom he begins 
to look as a demi-god, and also in himself. 
“Charge,” “Drop,” or “Down” 
It is not particularly essential to teach a beagle 
to charge or drop, for this is not required in his 
field work, nevertheless it is an accomplishment that 
is worth while, for on many an occasion you may 
wish to take your beagle to the hunting grounds in an 
automobile or buggy and if he can be made to lie 
down and remain “put” it will save considerable 
annoyance at times. Various words are used for 
this command, but whichever one is selected, it 
should be adhered to, for the dog would soon be¬ 
come confused if he were told to “lie down' on 
one occasion, to “charge" on another, or to “drop” 
on still another. A diversity of commands for the 
same action leads to nowhere. One-word commands, 
where possible, are always to be preferred over a 
long rigmarole of chattering such as many novice 
trainers or dog owners are wont to use. A dog's 
understanding of language is simply by association, 
