Beagles and Beagling 
92 
of the ethics of clean sportsmanship or the rules of 
field trials. For instance, if the dog is doing too 
much pottering in the same place or does not seem 
to take to hunting in the thickets, the handler may 
urge him on, even take several steps in the direction 
he expects his dog to go or lead him into the 
bushes, encouraging him to hunt. It is possible 
that the dog may be confused by the crowd behind 
him and therefore it behooves the handler to get 
him away as rapidly as possible, for these first 
impressions are likely to he lasting ones with the 
judges. It is quite true that overhandling in this 
respect will not be tolerated, nor is it always advis¬ 
able, for the trainer and especially the novice can 
go too far, and thus do his dog actual damage. In 
most cases it is the handler himself who rattles his 
dog, by being too anxious to get results. Let the 
animal range and hunt, do not become over anxious 
about getting game afoot; if your dog remains on 
the course and keeps on hunting, leave him alone. 
Nowadays it seems that it is up to the spectators 
and the judges to start the game; at least this is 
done in a majority of cases, which to my way of 
thinking is all wrong, but custom has given this 
kind of work definite sanction. Assuming that a 
rabbit has been started from its form. The judges 
will order the two opposing handlers to get their 
dogs in hand and hold them up until the game is 
well out of sight, for sight chases never prove much, 
but tend to rattle the dogs. Here is where it is 
well to have your dog under good command and 
the lessons suggested in the previous chapter come 
in good stead. If you can call your dog to von 
