CHAPTER VI 
Selection and Breeding 
'T'O be a successful breeder of domestic animals, 
whether the species he dogs or some other 
variety, it is necessary to know something about the 
characteristics of the breed. The more knowledge 
one has of the ancestry of the particular individuals 
he possesses, the more likely he is to breed intelli¬ 
gently. 
Heredity, atavism and evolution, together with 
their various ramifications, are the great forces in 
breeding and the novice must have due regard for 
these laws. If he is well acquainted with the 
ancestors of the dogs which he intends to mate, he 
will know, to a certain extent what to look for and 
expect; although nature plays tricks sometimes that 
seem unexplainable. 
In the first place, he should select dogs of un¬ 
questioned pedigree; not hearsay pedigree, but 
authentic breeding which has been verified; and if 
he knows the individuals in this paper which repre¬ 
sents his dog’s breeding, he will be better fortified 
than if he builds upon a foundation of guess-work. 
If he is breeding for practical field beagles he 
should select his sire as well as his dams from dogs 
descended from generations of field beagles. And 
the more well broken dogs, capable of performing 
well in the field that are represented in his blood 
lines, the more likely he is to secure puppies that 
will also train on while still very young. 
( 97 ) 
