Now Mark Old "Bluebeard," Swimming Steadily Down
The Stream; He Knows The Habits Of His Game As Well As I Do, And
Two To One That He Will Find, Although "Ploughboy" Has Just
Started Along The Near Bank So That Both Sides Of The River Are
Being Hunted.
Now this is what I call difficult hunting; bad enough if the
huntsman be up to assist his hounds, but nine times out of ten
this happens in the middle of a run, without a soul within a
mile.
The only way to train hounds in this style of country is to
accustom them to complete obedience from puppyhood. This is
easily effected by taking them out for exercise upon a road
coupled to old hounds. A good walk every morning, accompanied by
the horn and the whip, and they soon fall into such a habit of
obedience that they may be taken out without the couples.
The great desideratum, then, is to gain their affection and
confidence, otherwise they will obey upon the road and laugh at
you when in the jungle. Now "affection" is a difficult feeling
to instill into a foxhound, and can only be partially attained by
the exercise of cupboard love; thus a few pieces of dry liver or
bread, kept in the pocket to be given to a young hound who has
sharply answered to his call, will do more good than a month of
scolding and rating.
" Confidence," or the want of it, in a hound depends entirely
upon the character of his master.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 169 of 334
Words from 45071 to 45329
of 89475
