Home Training for the Shooting Beagle 81 
need not be alarmed that you cannot keep sight of 
him, for he is not going to out-distance you; on 
the other hand, you will he able to keep right behind 
him, for in (this position you will he more able to 
see the rabbit on ahead, which the dog, being lower 
to the ground will not; and thus he must depend 
upon his nose, which is proper, while you are 
enabled to assist him with your eyes by noting when 
the rabbit makes his flings and turns. You will 
also be there to encourage him on the checks and 
thus keep the dog going while the trail is hot. 
This class of hunting should be continued day after 
day, or as often as you are able to get out with him, 
but remember, the more experience you give your 
puppy the quicker he will learn and the more expert 
he will become. Eventually he will be much surer 
of his trail and he will run it too fast for you to 
keep up, but when that time comes it is no longer 
necessary, only endeavor to be there at the turns and 
checks in order to assist him over these trying times 
—for a puppy. By the time the puppy arrives at 
this stage of his experience he will be developing 
a keen instinct for hunting and it is surprising how 
rapidly he will learn. It is also no longer a task 
for the trainer, but a real pleasure, for your puppy 
is beginning to drive fast and furiously and he is 
apt to run more than one cotton tail to hole. 
At this juncture—that is, when he is fast enough 
to hole them—he must be taught to “mark the 
hole." Some advocate the use of the ferret, but 
that is illegal in so many states, so I shall pass that. 
The trainer can carry with him a light crow bar, 
which may be left in the auto or vehicle until the 
